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August 21, 2022
Floods – a boon than a bane!
Floods are not feared, but rather welcomed by the Mishing communities from Majuli island in Assam as they bring bountiful fish- a rich source of food, nutrition and livelihood for the community.
The Majuli island, a haven for fish (Image Source: Usha Dewani, India Water Portal)
January 13, 2022
Water management in the times of Gonds of Central India
The water structures constructed during the Gond period continue to survive the test of time and provide evidence of the water wisdom of our ancestors.
Kundeshwar lake, Kundam in Jabalpur (Image Source: K G Vyas)
September 1, 2021
Managing water commons through fishing cooperatives
The experience of the Foundation for Ecological Security in tribal Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Fish harvesting by Changariya fishing cooperative, Mandla, Madhya Pradesh (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
August 19, 2021
Equipping communities to plan land and water conservation initiatives
Use of digital tools for implementing natural resources management at scale in rural India
Digital planning tools like CLART can go a long way in achieving better land-use outcomes (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
December 4, 2019
In wake of climate change, prioritise and invest in water security and clean drinking water
To adapt well & build resilience, climate change strategies need to factor in efforts towards water security, writes Vanita Suneja, Regional Advocacy Manager (South Asia), WaterAid.
Image credit: WaterAid/Prashanth Vishwanathan
December 2, 2019
Water stewardship approach to minimizing risks for businesses
Water stewardship is an approach predicated on the concept that water is a shared resource and so water risks are also shared risks that everyone in a catchment will face
Picture credit: Romit Sen
Why use a refrigerator to store water when you can use a clay pot?
Decreasing demand in India for earthen pots to store drinking water has affected thousands of potters' livelihoods. The film 'Vanishing Potters' provides a closer look.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 04 Jul, 2015 10:06 PM

What's not to like about clay pots? "They cool water naturally due to the tiny air pores present in them, are affordable, save energy and are eco-friendly when compared to refrigerators", says Gautam Bandhopadhaya, a water expert in Chhattisgarh.
A potter making a clay pot in Jevra Sirsa village in Durg district
Raising Sardar Sarovar Dam height would be disastrous: Committee
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 16 Jun, 2015 11:16 AM

Committee warns against raising Sardar Sarovar Dam height
Sardar Sarovar Dam (Source: Shahakshay, Wikipedia)
Government clears 170 eco-zones across the country
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 02 Jun, 2015 05:02 AM

Centre gives nod to 170 eco- sensitive zones in the country
The Western Ghats
How has water privatisation affected Chattisgarh?
The Mahanadi's longest tributary, the Shivnath, has borne the brunt of urbanisation and industrialisation but the impact has been felt the most by residents. We capture their story in pictures.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 27 May, 2015 04:37 PM

The Shivnath River is the longest tributary of the Mahanadi River.
Shivnath river near Mahamara Barrage, Durg
Empowered TN fisherfolk challenge urbanisation
Should a fishing hamlet be lost to an elevated Beach Expressway? No!, say the fisherfolk of Olcott and Odai Kuppam who claim their rights over coastal commons using community self-mapping.
Mukul Kumar K Saravanan Nityananda Jayaraman
Swapna Majumdar
Posted on 24 Feb, 2015 11:52 AM

Rapid urbanisation in various forms is set to transform the coastline of Tamil Nadu as real estate, infrastructure, tourism, and urban beautification plans are in full swing. Fisherfolk, whose everyday life and survival is rooted in the commons, are at the centre of these processes of coastal urbanisation.
Fishermen launching their boat into the sea
Water Untouched: A film on Dalits' lack of access
Forming 17% of India's popultion, Dalits still have to depend on the goodwill of dominant castes for many things including access to basics. Why?
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 19 Feb, 2015 08:59 AM

“The Dalits of this country get access to water on the goodwill of the dominant caste. Water to untouchables is still miles away,” says Goldy M George, a Dalit activist and an expert on Dalit rights.
A Dalit woman in Ekta Nagar, Raipur
Arid, but water secure in Kutch
Reduced migration, better hygiene practices and access to information on govt. schemes were only some of the achievements of villages in Rapar, Gujarat. The videos tell the full story.
Samerth Trust
Usha Dewani
Nilutpal Das
Posted on 16 Feb, 2015 11:34 PM

For many in Rapar taluka of Kutch, migration was a way of life due to the absence of rainfall; they went in search of greener pastures. But when the people realised their collective potential and how they could use it to resolve water scarcity in their villages, there was no stopping them ,and the compulsion to migrate reduced.
Rearing livestock: the mainstay of people in Rapar
Science-based changes to cope with water crisis
A business-as-usual approach isn't enough to bridge the gap between water supply and demand. So what must water management policies focus on to cope with the water crisis in India?
S Vijay Kumar
Girija K Bhat
Posted on 09 Jan, 2015 08:35 AM

India has almost 17% of the world's population and 4% of the global water resources – a situation that threatens to push it towards a water crisis in the coming years. To add to this, are other reasons such as:
Girls carrying water (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The Chalakudy river system wins
Latha Anantha was awarded the Bhagirath Prayas Samman for spearheading the campaign to save the Chalakudy river in Kerala, at the recently concluded India Rivers Week.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 15 Dec, 2014 06:32 PM

Latha Anantha of the Chalakudy Puzha Samrakshana Samiti (Chalakudy River Protection Forum) was awarded the Bhagirath Prayas Samman at the recently concluded India Rivers Week for her commendable work on safeguarding the integrity of the Chalakudy river in Kerala.
Latha Anantha (Source: Latha)
‘Blue’ print for a model village
Can the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana that was launched in October this year, achieve its aim to create model villages through the Participatory Groundwater Management (PGWM) programme?
Amrtha Kasturi Rangan
Sabita Kaushal
Swati Bansal
Posted on 10 Dec, 2014 01:08 PM

On October 11, 2014, the Government of India launched an ambitious scheme for village development – the Saansad Aadarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).
50 year old well in Thapewadi village
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