Research Papers

Equity and justice in groundwater access: connecting the dots
Groundwater law and community practices need to go hand in hand to achieve equity and justice in groundwater access in India, argues this recent study. Posted on 29 Oct, 2021 12:32 AM

India is drying up fast with low costs and the ease of availability of groundwater technologies triggering uncontrolled extraction of groundwater. And groundwater is not only important for irrigation in India. About 90 percent of rural drinking water comes from groundwater while 50 percent of the water supplied to urban areas comes from groundwater besides 70 percent for irrigation!

Equity and justice in groundwater access, an urgent need (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Balancing water security with saving biodiversity in the river Beas
Will it be possible to achieve tradeoffs between meeting water needs of people and retaining river waters to sustain the rare and beautiful, but endangered Indus River Dolphin in the Beas river? Posted on 25 Oct, 2021 02:22 PM

Ensuring water security Vs conserving biodiversity: The challenge

Beas river at Kullu, Himachal Pradesh (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Does a drop per crop help groundwater extraction to stop?
This World Bank study from Andhra Pradesh found that drip irrigation did not limit groundwater exploitation. Farmers who had saved water continued to draw groundwater and sell it to farmers who were water constrained. Posted on 04 Oct, 2021 11:19 PM

Groundwater irrigation covers more than half of the total irrigated area in India and is responsible for 70 percent of the agricultural production, making India one of the largest users of groundwater in the world.

India, hurtling towards a groundwater crisis

Groundwater depletion, a growing problem in India (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Global warming can spell doom for India's freshwater fish!
Climate change is warming river waters and changing their flows. These changes can spell doom for fish that live in these waters. Posted on 24 Sep, 2021 11:12 PM

Freshwater ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, ponds cover only 0.8 percent of the Earth’s surface, but are incredibly biodiverse. They harbour around ~15,000 fish species, corresponding to approximately half of the global known fish.

Human activities such as water abstraction, diversion, damming, and pollution are posing a threat to the survival of fish.

Fish in the Tunga river at Sringeri (Image Source: Dineshkannambadi via Wikimedia Commons)
Shrinking forests, declining biodiversity - a ticking time bomb!
A fatal tick borne disease is on the rise in the Western Ghat states. Deforestation, declining biodiversity and increasing human animal conflicts are to blame. Posted on 21 Sep, 2021 10:17 PM

The Western Ghats region of South India is one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots, and the rainforests of this region are known to harbour 500 types of bird species, 225 reptile species, 219 amphibian species, and 133 mammal species.

The Western ghats forests, under threat (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Uranium in drinking water: A growing concern for India
A recent report by CGWB reveals that uranium contamination of groundwater is on the rise with Punjab and Haryana being the most affected. Posted on 07 Sep, 2021 04:47 PM

Groundwater continues to be extracted at frightening proportions in India and the fear of severe depletion of groundwater resources in the coming years is real. As if this is not enough, the available groundwater is also deteriorating in quality posing a severe threat to the health of the population.

India drinks water poisoned with uranium

Uranium contamination of drinking water on the rise in India  (Image: Pxhere)
Poisoned waters, deadly outcomes!
A study shows that high arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bihar is linked with increase in cancer cases. Districts located near the Himalayan river basins have more people with cancer. Posted on 29 Aug, 2021 12:22 AM

While groundwater is an important source of drinking water worldwide, contamination of groundwater sources is on the rise. Arsenic contamination of groundwater has been found to affect as high as 300 million people worldwide exposing them to a number of health risks.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in India

Drinking water in Bihar, linked to cancer (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Poisonous encounters: Nitrate contamination of groundwater in Rajasthan
This study from Rajasthan found that anthropogenic factors led to nitrate contamination of groundwater. High nitrate levels in drinking water posed major health risks to children. Posted on 26 Aug, 2021 08:24 AM

Groundwater in arid and semi arid regions continues to be a valuable and often the single most source of freshwater and conservation of this resource remains crucial for the survival of communities residing in the area. At the same time, a serious decline in the quality of groundwater is adding pressure on these water resources.

A well in Rajasthan (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Urban inequalities and heat risks in Delhi
Delhi, the largest urban agglomeration in the country is predicted to experience episodes of extreme heat in the years to come. What are its implications for vulnerable populations in the city? Posted on 18 Aug, 2021 02:58 PM

The sixth assessment report by the United Nation's Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change released this week has issued dire warnings that have major implications for India.

An aerial view of Delhi, August 2016. (Image Source: Sumita Roy Dutta via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Deepor Beel faces moderate contamination and ecological risk, says study
First of its kind assessment of heavy metal pollution and potential ecological risk for surficial sediments of Deepor Beel through indexing. Posted on 15 Jul, 2021 07:15 PM

Lakes and wetlands play pivotal roles in providing nutrients to living organisms.

Deepor Beel sits in the heart of the Indian city of Guwahati (Image: Hirakjyoti Bayan CC BY-SA 4.0)
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