Droughts and Floods

Featured Articles
December 12, 2022
Why farmers are not adopting crop insurance in India?
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
Slow disaster: Political ecology of hazards and everyday life in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam
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
Chaos in a concrete jungle
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 – 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)
August 10, 2022
Taming water - Irrigation and drought protection in colonial India and the present
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
Floods in Assam - a boon or a bane for fish diversity?
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)
The state of environmental migration in 2011
A report on Bangladeshi migration to India in the context of 2001 floods, by the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI).
Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI)
Posted on 07 Mar, 2013 05:15 PM

Environmental degradation & climate change have induced human mobility by creating environmental migrants.
"A village awaits doomsday" - Stories of displaced people who lose their home, hearth and land to "progress": A book by Jaideep Hardikar
This book strings together stories of people forced to part with their lands to make way for progress and development.
Jaideep Hardikar
Posted on 06 Mar, 2013 06:44 PM


A village awaits doomsday
Even as Maharashtra faces acute water scarcity, a green, lush village in the heart of Marathawada stands water rich and drought proof- Roundup of the week’s news (February 18-24, 2013)
This article presents the news for the week of Feb 18-24, 2013
The Hindu
NDTV
Zee News
Telegraph India
Posted on 25 Feb, 2013 04:00 PM

A green oasis amidst despair and drought hit Maharastra
Handbook for flood protection, anti-erosion and river training works by Central Water Commission (2012)
This Handbook provides necessary guidance to the field engineers to deal primarily with structural measures of flood management like flood protection works, anti erosion measures and river training works.
Central Water Commission (CWC)
Posted on 13 Feb, 2013 09:43 PM

This handbook by Central Water Commission aims to provide necessary guidance to the field engineers in the state and central for design, appraisal, construction and monitoring of the flood management works covering all the relevant BIS codes, design manuals, guidelines, technical specifications for construction materials and practices etc. to meet new challenges in the flood management in India.

Videos: Resurgence of the ahar pynes - Magadh Jal Jamaat helps revive 2000-year old flood water harvesting systems in Gaya, Bihar
A success story on the domino effect created due to revival of a pond in Gaya, Bihar that led to the resurgence of ahar pynes, the traditional water harvesting systems in the region.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 13 Feb, 2013 10:34 AM

Magadh Jal Jamaat, a loose network of progressive individuals in Gaya has been successfully able to revive over a dozen abandoned water sources and have instilled in people the need to create, clean up and conserve several lakes and ponds in the region. 
State-wise data on damage caused due to floods during 1953-2011- A compilation by Central Water Commission
A comprehensive compilation of state wise data on the the damage caused by floods/heavy rainfall for the time period of 1953 - 2011
Central Water Commission (CWC)
Posted on 04 Feb, 2013 02:05 PM

Floods/heavy rains can cause a severe and irreversible damage to human lives, property both public and private, and livestock. Since floods are one of the frequent natural calamities faced by India, the loss incurred by it is huge.
Delhi’s draft water policy released - Roundup of the week’s news (January 21 -27, 2013)
A weekly roundup of the news from January 21 - 27, 2013
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 28 Jan, 2013 08:14 PM

Delhi’s draft water policy
Towards self-reliance and access to safe drinking water and secure sanitation in north Bihar: A report by Megh Pyne Abhiyan
This report talks of the successes and challenges in fulfilling the endeavour of moving towards self reliance and access to safe drinking water and securing sanitation in north Bihar, the areas of concern and shortcomings, and acknowledges the missing links to find the way forward.
Megh Pyne Abhiyan
Posted on 27 Jan, 2013 11:48 AM


Ahar pynes, traditional flood water harvesting systems can help revive agriculture in south Bihar
An in depth account of the indigenous floodwater harvesting system prevalent in South Bihar and the need for other agencies to undertake its renovation & management.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 26 Jan, 2013 07:48 PM

Ahar pynes are traditional floodwater harvesting systems indigenous to South Bihar [1], and have been the most important source of irrigation in this region.

Ahars are reservoirs with embankments on three sides and are built at the end of drainage lines such as rivulets or artificial works like pynes. Pynes are diversion channels led off from the river for irrigation purposes and for impounding water in the ahars. It is mostly to the credit of these that paddy cultivation has been possible in this otherwise relatively low rainfall area, when compared to North Bihar. The system attained its highest development in the district of Gaya [2].

This article provides an account of the ahar-pyne systems of South Bihar and the need to build organizational and institutional capacities of civil society and government agencies to undertake ahar pyne renovation and management.

Ahar pyne

Ahar Pyne system in Gaya, South Bihar

Image courtesy: Hindi Water Portal

Battle for water: A video on the daily struggle of rural India for water
A film documenting the daily trials and struggles of villagers across the country for water.
Voice WOTR
Posted on 22 Jan, 2013 08:47 PM

 
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