Climate and Weather

North Bihar has a long history of flooding.Through a series of posts here, we will attempt to explain the background of flooding in Bihar and what are the root causes.

Courtesy: biharfloodrelief2008.blogspot.com 

Key Features: Reviews the risks of inter-basin water transfers warns of critical disadvantages with India's proposed ILR plan offers viable less-risky solutions for water resource development. Inter-basin water transfers are complex human interventions on natural systems that can have profound adverse as well as beneficial social, economic and environmental implications. India's plan to interlink its rivers (ILR) and to transfer water may, according to one set of views, generate positive benefits through improved and expanded irrigation and may also contribute to flood and drought hazards mitigation for India, although the magnitudes are debatable. However, there are opposing views, in the context of India itself, that the interlinking plan is economically prohibitive, fraught with uncertainties, and has potential for disastrous and irreversible adverse after-effects. Water deficit can be reduced through improved water management without large scale engineering interventions. Moreover many of the rivers involved, particularly in the Himalayan component, are international and, therefore, the scheme has major implications for other riparians. Indeed, the planned transfer of water from the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers will adversely impact Bangladesh socially, economically and environmentally---unless arrangements are made to maintain historical flows, which is unlikely to be feasible.

Water conservation is an important part of responsible living. Water is a precious resource which is not to be squandered. Fortunately, there are a number of really easy ways to save water without a whole lot of hassle, and some of the best are listed here!

In the Kitchen Cut down on water usage in your kitchen using these methods. 1. Wash only on a full load: This is true for both washers and dishwashers. By washing in bulk, you'll cut down on the number of cycles you need to run. Also important to keep in mind is the fact that most dishwashers on a full load can clean dishes more efficiently than a hand wash. 2. Cut down on your disposal: Instead of using your disposal, start a compost pile for food waste. 3. Buy foods close to their natural form: Water is needed to produce just about everything from Coke to boxed mashed potatoes. You can cut down on your water consumption by avoiding processed foods that require lots of water to make.

Shri Anupam Mishra, Gandhian and environmentalist is a remarkable person. He lays no claim to copyright for his own books and (similiar to open source software) it has increased the dissemination of his message. During a recent visit to his office at Gandhi Peace Foundation in New Delhi, he showed several different editions of "Aaj Bhi Khare Hai Talaab" brought out by all kinds of individuals and publishers across the country. He recounts the story of how a impoverished young person was inspired to translate it into Punjabi and get it published.

Drop by drop ACCESS & HUL in Base of Pyramid Partnership for Safe Drinking Water for Rural Poor:

Yakalakshmi lives in Nekkunda village, Telengana region in Andhra Pradesh with her husband and two children. Though she has water piped to her house by the village panchayat, her entire family fell ill for a month last monsoon season by drinking water directly from the tap. "We all got high fever and severe diarrhea", she says, "we had to spend around Rs. 4000 on health care, which was very difficult for us". So when she got the opportunity this January to buy an effective water purifier through her Self Help Group (SHG) on an installment basis she was one of the first to sign up. Yakalakshmi is just one of the beneficiaries of a unique tie-up between ACCESS Development Services, a microfinance technical services non-profit organization, and Hindustan Unilever Limited, one of the country's largest producers of fast-moving consumer goods, to provide safe drinking water to rural poor. "Most of these villages have piped water or boreholes", says Padma, Project Coordinator at a local NGO, PEACE, "the problem is that tests by UNICEF in this district show that up to 70 percent of these sources are contaminated."The contamination gets even worse during the rainy season, especially due to poor sanitation and waste-management practices.

The Nov 2007 edition of "Himalaya: Man and Nature", a newsletter about ecological issues of the mountain areas of Uttarakhand and neighbouring areas is available here : http://www.himalayanwater.org/media/download_gallery/Himalaya%20Man%20&%20Nature,%20Nov-07.pdf The newsletter c

RAINWATER HARVESTING A NEW CONCEPT TO UTILIZE RAINWATER AND SECURE THE FUTURE [BASED ON IS:1172-1993 & IS:3370-1965 (PARTS I & II)] by Er. Kollegal. K. Meghashyam

The only book published so far in India covering the following

Treating the subject Rainwater Harvesting in A Comprehensive Manner

Finally, another post to add to the "Humor" category of the blog. There is not enough of it in the water sector !

 A visual depiction of potential climate change impacts across the world from the National Geographic Channel. Below is a screen capture, click on the link to see the full application.