Biodiversity

Featured Articles
December 4, 2022 What is the status of inland fisheries in India? Read these situational analysis reports to know about inland fisheries, the life of the fisherfolk, governance and tenure in inland fisheries and threats to the sustainability of inland fisheries.
Fishing in an irrigation canal in Kerala (Image Source: Martin Pilkinton via Wikimedia Commons)
August 2, 2022 The frequency and intensity of floods is on the rise in Assam spelling doom for fish biodiversity.
Life during floods in Assam (Image Source: Kausika Bordoloi via Wikimedia Commons)
June 27, 2022 Heavy metal pollution is poisoning the East Kolkata wetlands, affecting fish and posing a threat to the health of humans who depend on this fish for their food. Urgent action is needed!
Fishermen use wastewater in Kolkata to rear fish (Image Source: India Water Portal)
June 15, 2022 The River Front Development project planned by the PMC is nothing but a cosmetic makeover for the already choked Mula Mutha river in Pune, argues Dr Gurudas Nulkar while speaking to the India Water Portal.
The highly polluted and encroached Mula Mutha river in Pune (Image: Alexey Komarov via Wikimedia Commons)
June 4, 2022 Freshwater ecosystems in India are in peril. We invite comments on this vision document by TNC-India, FES and Ooloi labs that highlights future actions needed to save them.
Freshwater ecosystems, in peril! (Image Source: The Nature Conservancy, India)
May 10, 2022 Freshwater ecosystems are not mere sources of water, they are treasure troves of biodiversity. Know more about the fascinating and diverse animal species that inhabit freshwater habitats in India.
Freshwater ecosystems, treasure troves of biodiversity (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Sutlej Yamuna Link canal row intensifies
Policy matters this week Posted on 14 Nov, 2016 05:44 AM

SC sets aside Punjab's order quashing water-sharing agreement with Haryana

Satluj river, Punjab (Source: Harpreet Riat/Wikimedia Commons)
At home, in the wetland
Not just a site of global importance for migratory birds, Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is home to diverse creatures that depend on it for food, shelter and livelihood. Posted on 10 Nov, 2016 10:01 PM

Long necked, rosy white birds with heavy pink bills stand etched across the horizon. These are the flamingos that fly miles from across Iran’s Caspian Sea and the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, to reach the inland waters of Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.

Flamingoes fly miles to reach Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu.
Should wildlife suffer in the name of water?
Ken-Betwa river-linking project, if realised, will wipe out a portion of the Panna Tiger Reserve with its flora and fauna. The government, however, is adamant about its plan. Posted on 06 Nov, 2016 09:47 PM

Set in India-ka-dil, Madhya Pradesh, is the unending expanse of Panna.

Ken river flows through Panna tiger reserve. (Source: K Gagan, Wikimedia Commons)
Saving inland fisherfolk
Inland fishermen are fast disappearing. With inshore fishing picking up pace in India, this community needs to be saved. Posted on 03 Nov, 2016 06:07 AM

In his late 30s, Nilesh Heda is a renowned expert on issues related to fishing communities and wetland ecology. While doing his PhD on fish diversity, he worked with the fishing communities in Vidarbha in Maharashtra.

Dr Nilesh Heda
Smoking is injurious for oceans
Not many smokers realise that their discarded cigarette butts are not just a litter problem. It is a huge toxic waste for the environment, especially the water bodies. Posted on 25 Oct, 2016 07:04 PM

Senthil takes a long puff of the cigarette before flicking it on the road nonchalantly. “I started smoking on the sly when I was in school,” he reminisces. “Sixty years later, I still do the same, only more smokes per day.”

Discarded cigarette butts on a beach. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)
Harike needs a hand
Despite their protected status, Ramsar sites face many ecological issues. In our bid to know wetlands better, we visited some of these sites. Here's what we saw at Harike. Posted on 21 Oct, 2016 12:18 PM

Harike wetland is the direct result of the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan. To make best use of the waters of eastern rivers allotted to it, India constructed a barrage near the confluence of Beas and Satluj in 1952 from where two canals take water to the fields of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Harike wetland Photo by Jaypee/Wikimedia Commons
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Wetlands
What are wetlands and why are they so important? A simple Q&A answers pertinent questions related to wetlands in India. Posted on 21 Oct, 2016 06:27 AM

This is a simple guide that lists out the most popular questions related to wetlands, to understand what they are and their importance a little better. Please click on a topic for detailed information 

Maguri Beel, a wetland area in the Tinsukia district of Upper Assam.
River transport projects on development track
News this week Posted on 10 Oct, 2016 10:36 AM

Government starts river transport project with eight waterways

River transport project work in progress. (Source: India Water Portal)
A losing battle
A film explores the truth behind the shrinking Dal and ways to reverse the situation. Posted on 08 Oct, 2016 10:30 AM

At the recently concluded Woodpecker International Film Festival held at Sirifort Auditorium, New Delhi, Abdul Rashid, who works for Educational Multimedia Research Centre (EMMRC) in the University of Kashmir, was awarded Young Green Filmmaker 2016.

Abdul Rashid receives the nomination certificate during WIFF 2016.
Voices that go unheard
A documentary film throws light on the travails of people living on the banks of a changing Teesta. Posted on 08 Oct, 2016 09:45 AM

Minket Lepcha always felt close to nature and the environment since her childhood, thanks to her upbringing in the picturesque Darjeeling. Though she had spent many years in Delhi, studying and working in corporate firms, her interest in community development, environment and culture brought her back to her home town. 

Minket Lepcha receives Young Green Filmmaker award at WIFF 2016
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