Governance
Scaling up rural sanitation: Findings from the impact evaluation baseline survey in Madhya Pradesh – A report by the Water and Sanitation Program of the World Bank
Posted on 18 Apr, 2011 08:20 AMThis report by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank presents the findings of the baseline and community survey conducted in two districts of Madhya Pradesh (MP) - Dhar and Khargone. The goal of the program is to reduce the risk of diarrhea and therefore increase household productivity by stimulating demand for sanitation in the lives of people. The program also seeks to stimulate the supply of appropriate sanitation program and services by conducting market research and training local artisans to build the relevant facilities.
In India, the program is supporting the Government of India’s (GoI) Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in two States: Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The main components of the intervention include: Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), Social Marketing of Sanitation, Strengthening the Enabling Environment and Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) Awards.
Paddy and water management with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) – A special issue of the journal "Paddy and Water Environment"
Posted on 17 Apr, 2011 10:30 AMThis brings together the results of formal research on SRI in a number of countries (Part I) and also reports on initiatives by government agencies, NGOs, universities, or the private sector, bringing knowledge of SRI to farmers in a wide range of agroecological circumstances (Part II). It has six articles and nine technical reports from Afghanistan, China, the Gambia, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Mali, Pakistan, Panama, and Thailand as well as several review articles.
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), developed in Madagascar almost 30 years ago, modifies certain practices for managing plants, soil, water, and nutrients with the effect of raising the productivity of the land, labor, and capital devoted to rice production. Certain production inputs are reduced—seeds, inorganic fertilizer, water, and fuel where water is pumped—with increased yield as a result.
Operation and maintenance for rural water supplies – A manual by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation and the Water and Sanitation Program of World Bank
Posted on 17 Apr, 2011 07:23 AMThis Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manual for rural water supplies by the Department of Drinking Water And Sanitation and Water and Sanitation Program of the World Bank complements their Gram Panchayat Handbook released in 2010 . It takes into account the current aspirations and challenges facing the sector, and builds on the framework already set out in the National Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) and Strategic Plan 2011-2022.
Transparent & participatory governance in functioning of the decision-making committees on water resources
Posted on 16 Apr, 2011 03:46 PMTo
Shri Salman Khurshid,
Union Minister of Water Resources,
Shramshakti Bhawan,
Rafi Marg,
New Delhi - 110001
2. Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources
3. Chairman, Central Water Commission
4. Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
5. Member (Water), Planning Commission
6. Ms Aruna Roy, Chairperson, Working Group on Transparency, Accountability, Governance at National Advisory Council
SRI sammans for 2010-11 awarded to 35 farmers at symposium organised by Pragati in Koraput, Orissa - A report
Posted on 16 Apr, 2011 03:37 PMThese farmers were rewarded for successfully increasing the production of paddy using SRI in different parts of Koraput district.
Demography and development: Preliminary interpretations of the 2011 Census - EPW Articles
Posted on 16 Apr, 2011 11:34 AMLiteracy rates have increased sharply between 2001 and 2011; some of the low performing rates have shown strong improvements, the others have not. The dismal picture in the 2011 Census is that even as the overall sex ratio has improved due to better adult female mortality that of the child sex ratio has further deteriorated.
"I want my father back" - A 50-min film by Suma Josson on farmers' suicides in Vidarbha
Posted on 15 Apr, 2011 05:23 PM
Let Pinder river flow free - Thousands gather in people's public hearing and vow to oppose the dam
Posted on 15 Apr, 2011 05:16 PMI pray to all my friends, brothers and sisters to not join the company in turning this valley into a monstrosity!” These are the powerful words by Narmada Devi from Village Padmallah that marked the flavor of a peoples' public hearing on the Devsari HEP.
This public hearing on the 3 April 2011 saw strength of 2000 people from all proposed Devsari HEP affected and surrounding villages of the Pinder valley. The hearing was organized by Bhu Swami Sangharsh Samiti and Matu Jan Sangathan and took place at the Sangam Maidan of Block Deval, Tehsil Tharali, District Chomoli, Uttarakhand. Public hearing at Deval was a peoples' response to the project proponent hearing at Chepdu on 20 January 2011.
Forest and environment clearance given to 7 new projects in Uttarakhand - Press release by MoEF
Posted on 15 Apr, 2011 05:01 PMMembers of Parliament from Uttarakhand had a meeting with the Hon’ble Minister for Environment and Forests to discuss the matter. The projects have been appraised and approved by the Ministry’s Environmental Appraisal Committees and the Forest Appraisal Committee, after which the decision has been taken.
The projects that have been cleared include:
- Collection of stone, boulders and other minor minerals from 1497 ha area in river bed of Gola river till the end of next working season i.e. till 31.5.2012
Landmark initiative of Karnataka High Court stops the destruction and degeneration of lakes of Bangalore – ESG's submission and the report of the Committee constituted by the Court
Posted on 15 Apr, 2011 11:33 AMThe Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka in a recent landmark ruling (March 2011) accepted the report of the Karnataka High Court Legal Services Committee, which was constituted by it to examine the ground realities and prepare an action plan for the preservation of lakes in the city of Bangalore.
The issue dates back to 2008 when the Environment Support Group (ESG) filed a Public Interest Litigation challenging the privatisation of lakes in Bangalore by the Lake Development Authority. There were two key prayers in the PIL.
One was seeking "necessary directions directing (the Government) to frame a scheme for the effective administration of lakes and tanks in consonance with the Principle of Intergenerational Equity and Public Trust Doctrine, in line with the recommendations of the Lakshman Rau Committee and also in conformance with principles for wetland conservation and management as laid down by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests".