Droughts and Floods

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December 12, 2022 Study looks at behavioral biases in crop insurance adoption
Adoption rate of crop insurance low in India despite government efforts (Image: PxHere, CC0 Public Domain)
October 30, 2022 This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.
Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
September 13, 2022 Heavy rains and floods have battered Bengaluru yet again. Uncontrolled and unregulated development and concretisation of the city that pays no heed to the ecology and hydrology of the region needs to stop!
Urban flooding in Bangalore (Image Source: Thejas via Wikimedia Commons)
August 21, 2022 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)
August 10, 2022 The irrigation at all costs mindset and narrow policies for drought protection during the colonial rule ignored rainfed agriculture and local practices that sustained agriculture in the Bombay Deccan. This continues even today.
Recurrent droughts and the struggle for survival (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale 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)
Flawed embankment strategy converts Bihar into a watery grave
The engineering solutions put in place to tackle the issue of floods has created more problems than solutions in Bihar, says Dinesh Mishra in an interview. Posted on 27 Jul, 2015 02:31 PM

Dr. Dinesh Kumar Mishra of Barh Mukti Abhiyaan, an authority on the river network of North Bihar speaks to India Water Portal about the flood problems, the skewed flood control policy of the Government, the Kosi breach of 2008 and the gargantuan interlinking of rivers project.

Floods in Bihar (Source: Usha Dewani, IWP)
Harness the sun to drought proof agriculture in Bihar
Are solar pumps a drought mitigation strategy for farmers in Bihar? This research paper looks into the interplay between droughts, subsequent distress and government interventions. Posted on 19 Jul, 2015 09:22 PM

Since 1999, Bihar has borne the brunt of four droughts. Rainfall scarcity has affected farmers, depleted groundwater levels significantly, and led to an increase in the number of poor people in the state. What measures has the government taken to mitigate the impact?

Solar panels in a farm (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Heavy rains disrupt life in North India
News this week Posted on 14 Jul, 2015 09:49 AM

Monsoons in the North affect people and wildlife

Monsoon affects life in North India
What are the odds of a dam burst?
The recent earthquake in Nepal has pointed fingers yet again at the much neglected area of dam safety. Will that push India to put in place a comprehensive law that addresses this? Posted on 11 Jul, 2015 10:48 AM

One of history’s worst dam bursts took place in Gujarat in 1979 when the four-kilometer long Machhu Dam II on the Machhu River collapsed. This led to a deluge in the industrial city of Morbi located five kilometers downstream as well as surrounding rural areas destroying thousands of homes and lives. While this was a tragedy, it was by no means an isolated one.

Sardar Sarovar Dam (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Living rivers, dying rivers: Ganga and the river systems of Bihar
The first lecture was on the Ganges by Rama Rauta and K C Sivaramakrishnan, and the third on the river systems of Bihar--Kosi and Bagmati--by Dr. Dinesh Mishra. Posted on 10 Jul, 2015 11:11 AM

Introduction: The Ganges

The first discussion was on June 4 2011, in which Rama Rauta and K C Sivaramakrishnan shared their experiences of working with the government and people’s organisations to save the Ganga.

Kosi river, Bihar (Source:Wikipedia)
Groundwater as Commons demonstrated in Mahbubnagar, Telangana
Farmers agreed to pool their groundwater to create a water sharing network. Result? Crops were saved, irrigated area was doubled, and grain production increased by 240%! Posted on 08 Jul, 2015 05:37 PM

By the year 2000, farmers in Mahbubnagar, Telangana could see how risky their investments on groundwater had become. The area barely received 600 mm of annual rainfall, and just 15 percent of its area was under irrigation.

Collectivising groundwater for protecting rainfed crop; Source: WASSAN
WHO & UNICEF Report ranks India worst in eradicating open defecation
News this week Posted on 07 Jul, 2015 11:15 PM

India's poor sanitation facilities have a direct correlation with stunting in children

A defunt toilet in a tribal village in Odisha (Source: Vishwanath Srikantaiah)
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Posted on 06 Jul, 2015 08:50 PM

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Raising Sardar Sarovar Dam height would be disastrous: Committee
News this week Posted on 16 Jun, 2015 11:16 AM

Committee warns against raising Sardar Sarovar Dam height

Sardar Sarovar Dam (Source: Shahakshay, Wikipedia)
Facing uncertain rains, farmers dig in
Bankura in West Bengal receives 1000 mm of rainfall a year, yet thousands of adivasi farmers in the area were faced with irrigation issues -- until 'happas' came to the rescue. Posted on 20 Apr, 2015 12:40 PM

Amulya Soren couldn’t get stable yields in the kharif (monsoon) paddy in his farm. A member of the Santhal tribe, he was the beneficiary of a surplus land redistribution programme in Hirbandh block of Bankura, West Bengal. The undulating terrain in which his farm lies receives sufficient rainfall of about 1000 mm a year, yet sufficient irrigation was an issue.

Farmers constructing happa; Image: PRADAN
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