Research Papers

What do rural women say about sanitation?
Women, who need safe sanitation the most, are often left out of crucial sanitation-related decisions at households, a study says. Posted on 15 Aug, 2017 10:09 AM

Does gender matter when it comes to sanitation? Apparently, it does.

Women and their unvoiced sanitation needs. (Women in Deogarh morning, Orissa, India. Source: Simon Williams / Ekta Parishad)
What ails Indian farmers
A study finds faulty agricultural policies and practices and not just indebtedness to blame for rising suicides among farmers. Posted on 24 Jul, 2017 08:03 PM

Over the last few months, we saw protests by distressed farmers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and other states over farming crisis and farmer suicides.

Loans are not the only reason for farmers' distress. (Source: India Water Portal)
What we should know about National Water Commission
Mihir Shah Committee report suggests restructuring CWC and CGWB and setting up an apex body for water management. Experts, while welcoming the idea, raise some concerns. Posted on 29 Jun, 2017 07:26 PM

The landmark report titled A 21st century institutional architecture for India's water reforms submitted by the expert committee chaired by Dr Mihir Shah on restructuring the

Restructuring water governance. (Source: India Water Portal)
Wastewater from tanneries makes farm soil toxic
Wastewater from tannery industries that reach agricultural lands ruin soil health and pollute groundwater, a study finds out. Posted on 27 May, 2017 05:22 PM

The use of wastewater for irrigation in agricultural lands is a common practice across the globe. But a study by Indian researchers has found that it can also affect the quality of soil and groundwater, and consequently, human health. 

Problems of mine: When coal threatens Raigarh
From increasing health issues among residents to declining forest produce, coal mining in Chhattisgarh has devastating outcomes. Posted on 30 Mar, 2017 05:50 PM

It was in the late 90s that Raigarh emerged as the hub for power, coal mining and sponge iron in Chhattisgarh. The coalfield in Mand Raigarh is spread over an area of more than 1,12,000 hectares with an estimated 21,117 metric tonnes of coal. 

A villager looks at the changing landscape due to coal mines at Kosampalli village in Raigarh.
What's conservation without local hand?
A study from the Sundarbans shows that conserving biodiversity by excluding indigenous populations has threatened not only the survival of the forest but also the sustainability of the region. Posted on 24 Mar, 2017 09:48 AM

Can forest conservation policies that ignore the livelihood needs of local, indigenous populations succeed in protecting biodiversity and wildlife?

Experiences from the Sundarbans show that such policies not only result in the suffering of the local population, it also leads to the exploitation of natural resources and biodiversity in the region.

Mangroves of the Sundarbans. (Source: Nature Environment & Wildlife Society - NEWS)
Unsafe drinking water burdens poor
A study finds poor water quality behind high incidence of waterborne diseases among households in Ludhiana. The poor suffer the most from it. Posted on 19 Mar, 2017 04:17 PM

Water pollution is a serious problem in India with 70 percent of its surface and groundwater resources contaminated by biological, toxic, organic, and inorganic pollutants. As a result, the socio-economic cost of poor water quality is high.

Unsafe drinking water affects health. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Water strategy: Ponds need pondering
Unregulated construction and use of farm ponds in Maharashtra have further aggravated the drinking water situation in water-scarce areas in the state. Posted on 23 Feb, 2017 06:23 PM

In the last few years, the water situation in Maharashtra has got worse resulting in severe droughts leading to drinking water scarcity and agricultural crisis. This has caused immense suffering for the rural folk in the state and saw instances of violence in the name of water.

A farm pond (Source: Renie Thomas, WOTR, Pune)
A watered-down scheme
The new urban water supply scheme in Madhya Pradesh that encourages private sector participation is replete with lacunae, according to an NGO that studied the scheme. Posted on 16 Feb, 2017 12:25 PM

In November 2011, the government of Madhya Pradesh sanctioned Rs 493 crore to 37 Urban Local Bodies (ULB) for drinking water supply projects under the Chief Minister’s Urban Drinking Water Supply Scheme (CMUWSS) along the lines of the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT).

Source:India Water Portal
Telangana’s groundwater crisis
A study from Telangana finds faulty power subsidy policies of the state and the resultant increase in tube wells with electric pumps as reasons for depleting groundwater levels. Posted on 15 Feb, 2017 06:50 PM

According to the data released by the Food and Agricultural Organisation’s AQUASTAT in 2010, at 250 billion m³ per year, India is one of the countries that uses groundwater the most. As high as 80 percent of its water is used for irrigation of which 65 percent is groundwater.

Declining groundwater levels and the impending crisis. (Source: India Water Portal)
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