Research Papers

Standing Committee Report: Safe drinking water and sanitation
The report is scathing and points at many gaps in the planning and implementing process of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) & the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) SBM (G) programmes. Posted on 15 May, 2015 08:49 PM

The National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) SBM (G) are the two flagship programmes of the government implemented by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, a nodal Minis

Safe drinking water, a scarce resource
Watershed development in India: Learning through experience
Implementing good watershed management practices can go a long way in dealing with the increasing water crisis in India in recent years. Lessons learned from three World Bank projects are detailed. Posted on 25 Apr, 2015 11:18 PM

India's water availability in the future is predicted to be bleak if proper steps are not undertaken to deal with the management of the available water resources in the country. The report titled 'Watershed development in India

Water, a valuable resource
Causes of agrarian stagnation: A tale of two regions
Agrarian stagnation was the same in Saurashtra and Vidarbha until 1990. However, Saurashtra’s agriculture has been growing, while Vidarbha’s farmers continue to suffer. Why? Posted on 25 Apr, 2015 06:25 PM

Vidarbha region in Maharashtra has continued to be in the news over the years because of its severe agrarian crisis with reports of severe droughts, loss of crops and increasing farmer suicides. Relief packages have done very little to solve these problems.

Farmer couple ploughing their fields
Indian wetlands under threat!
Despite their importance to the planet, wetlands continue to be ignored at the policy level. More efforts need to be made at restoring the health of wetlands in India. Posted on 13 Apr, 2015 11:58 AM

A wetland is defined as land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, and maintains an ecosystem of its own.The factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or water bodies is the vegetation of aquatic plants which grow in its highly water saturated soil [1].

Deepor beel, Assam (Source : India Water Portal)
The slow poisoning of the Baitarani river in Odisha
Proper disposal of waste into streams and rivers, and controlling and monitoring human activities near the water sources are some ways by which pollution can be contained. Posted on 13 Apr, 2015 01:29 AM

River basins in India have been found to be highly vulnerable to contamination. Recent evidence shows that a large number of water sources including rivers, lakes and surface water in India are polluted due to untreated sewage, agricultural runoff and most importantly, due to unregulated industries.

The Baitarani, Odisha (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Predicted impacts of droughts on agriculture and food production
The paper presents the findings of a study that attempted to estimate the effect of rainfall on the supply and demand sides of agricultural commodities, and their implications on prices. Posted on 12 Apr, 2015 10:56 PM

Climate change has been predicted to create increasing risks for the agricultural sector thus inversely affecting agricultural production and farm incomes in India. These risks have already manifested in the form of increasing intensity and extent of droughts, floods, temperature rise and fall, and other calamities in the country.

Severe droughts (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Constructed wetlands as a cost effective cleaning option
Water treated using constructed wetlands before being used for irrigation can be a suitable and cost effective option to prevent possible human health risks Posted on 25 Mar, 2015 01:18 PM

Hyderabad, which is India's fourth largest city, has a population of almost 7 million. The Musi river, originating from the Anantagiri hills, divides the city into north and south. The River flows through the city and joins the Krishna in Nalgonda.

Musi river (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Punjab's groundwater crisis: A bye product of the govt's short sighted policies?
As long as electricity is improperly priced and farmers get the MSP for rice, they will not take up maize cultivation. This will lead to further deterioration of groundwater. Posted on 23 Mar, 2015 05:26 PM

Punjab has made great progress in grain production following the technological revolution in agriculture in the 1960s. The state achieved this through subsidised use of high yielding variety seeds, fertilisers and irrigation.

Farmer in Punjab (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Can Madurai's dying tanks be revived?
Yes, say the authors, but not before these tanks are recognized in a manner befitting their past glory: as prized resources that provided water to the city even though it had no perennial rivers. Posted on 19 Mar, 2015 09:34 PM

Madurai, Tamil Nadu's second largest city, is now filled with buildings and roads which are eating into its age old network of tanks and canals. This change did not happen overnight. It began in the late 19th century by the British when they merged several hamlets to establish their headquarters in the region.

A tank on the outskirts of Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Slow poisoning of the Harike wetland
Considered a Ramsar site since 1990, the Harike wetland in Punjab is on the verge of a serious crisis, as contamination of its waters from effluents has reached critical levels. Posted on 09 Mar, 2015 09:58 PM

Known as "Hari-ke-Pattan", this wetland is the largest in the Tarn Taran Sahib district of the Punjab in northern India and has the Harike Lake in its deeper part [1]. Its rich biodiversity plays an important role in maintaining the hydrological balance in the catchment area. It also supports a vast range of migratory birds including a number of globally threatened species [1].

Harike wetland (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
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