News and Articles

In wake of climate change, prioritise and invest in water security and clean drinking water
To adapt well & build resilience, climate change strategies need to factor in efforts towards water security, writes Vanita Suneja, Regional Advocacy Manager (South Asia), WaterAid. Posted on 04 Dec, 2019 05:33 PM

While climate activists and world leaders were gathering in Paris in the first week of December 2015 to discuss the impact of climate change, the metropolis Chennai in the southern corner of India was inundated with floods.

Image credit: WaterAid/Prashanth Vishwanathan
Looking back into history to understand droughts
The 2015­-2018 drought, the longest, but less severe of droughts experienced by India raises alarm on the negative effects of future droughts on water security in the country. Posted on 04 Dec, 2019 02:53 PM

Droughts in India: types, causes and effects

Droughts are greatly feared in India, impacting food production, the economy and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. 60% of India’s population is engaged in agriculture.

India will see more droughts in the future. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Water stewardship approach to minimizing risks for businesses
Water stewardship is an approach predicated on the concept that water is a shared resource and so water risks are also shared risks that everyone in a catchment will face Posted on 02 Dec, 2019 03:53 PM

Water, its use, availability, and impact on people has been on the public policy debate centerstage for the past several years. In India, a growing water crisis driven by climate change, inefficiency, and water pollution is slowly moving to a near-permanent state that will harm the country’s people, economy and environment.  

Picture credit: Romit Sen
Wind energy development and policy in India
A study highlights the barriers to harnessing India's potential for wind energy. Posted on 02 Dec, 2019 12:55 PM

Wind energy is a renewable, inexhaustible, non-polluting and popular alternative source of clean energy. India stands fourth in the world in wind energy conversion and utilization, with an installed capacity of about 34,605?MW as of September 2018.

Windmills in Karnataka, India. Picture credit: India Water Portal
CGWB signs MoU for participatory groundwater management
Policy matters this week Posted on 27 Nov, 2019 12:06 PM

MoU signed for groundwater management through community intervention

An irrigation well at Randullabad, Maharashtra (Source: India Water Portal on Flickr)
40 percent of rural households in India lack access to drinking water
News this week Posted on 27 Nov, 2019 04:37 AM

NSS finds only 58.2 percent of rural households have drinking water facilities within premises

Women in Bametara district of Chattisgarh line up to collect water. Photo credit: Makarand Purohit for India Water Portal
Shoddy impact assessments, mining and ruin in Goa
A study finds that weak environmental assessment reporting on the adverse impacts of mining has spelled doom for Goa’s environment. Posted on 22 Nov, 2019 03:40 PM

Development and its impact on the environment has long been a contentious issue in India, where lack of adequate monitoring and control mechanisms have led to severe degradation of land, water and forest resources. Mining activities in Goa have not only poisoned its land and water, but also affected livelihoods by negatively impacting agriculture, fisheries and forests.

A mining site in India (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Jaipur’s wastewater conundrum
A report by NIUA brings to light the chinks in Jaipur's sewage system and suggests some solutions. Posted on 21 Nov, 2019 12:29 PM

A major area of concern currently for India is the proper disposal of wastewater in urban areas. The huge increase in supply of potable water to cater to the needs of modern urban households has correspondingly increased the quantum of wastewater.

Routine check done by the sewage treatment plant staff in Delawas, Jaipur. The plant is part of the ADB best practices projects list. (Image: Asian Development Bank, Flickr Commons)
The poisoned landscapes of Punjab
Excessive and unregulated pesticide use has not only poisoned the soil, water and environment in villages in Punjab’s Malwa region – it has also increased health risks for the people. Posted on 21 Nov, 2019 12:18 PM

Punjab, riding high on pesticides

Farmer spraying pesticide (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Manual scavenging persists in India due to weak enforcement of laws
News this week Posted on 18 Nov, 2019 08:01 PM

Manual scavenging still prevails in India thanks to weak laws, says study

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