Governance
Water policy and action plan 2020: an alternative – A report for the Planning Commission
Posted on 12 May, 2009 01:33 PMA report for the Planning Commission presents the water policy and action plan for the year 2020 for the country. The goals put forward in the policy are such as would do justice to all users of water and yet would be practical and achievable. At present it is the central and state governments that play the key role in the management of water resources. The policy proposed, on the other hand, seeks to involve all the people at the level of the local communities so that they can conserve, develop and manage the water resource at the local level itself.
Reorienting watershed development programme in India – an occasional paper
Posted on 12 May, 2009 01:17 PMThis report by FoRWARD deals with the reorientation of the watershed development programme in India. The government is apparently committing larger resources for watershed development and plans to bring most of the dryland, degraded lands under the coverage of the programme over the next 25 years or so.
Understanding processes of watershed development program in India: report of a study anchored by WASSAN and facilitated by ICEF
Posted on 12 May, 2009 12:48 PMThis process study conducted by WASSAN with the support of ICEF is an attempt to bring focus on the processes of the watershed development projects. It is an attempt to provide feedback to the policy makers, donors and field level facilitators on the processes at the field level. It is an attempt to assess, diagnose and compare process at field level in different projects.
Watershed development programmes in Madhya Pradesh: present scenario and issues for convergence
Posted on 12 May, 2009 12:40 PMThis report by Forum for Watershed Research and Policy Dialogue (FoRWARD) attempts to look at the present status of watershed development in the State of Madhya Pradesh so as to be able move towards a vision of better convergence across developmental objectives (including equity), synergy between natural resource regeneration, administrative co- ordination, institutional coherence, and resource mobilization. It is in this larger context, the review focuses is on (a) spatial spread, prioritization, and complementarity across projects; (b) comparison across modes/ approaches and cross learning; and, (c) issues for future policies.
Water issues faced in Hyderabad metropolitan city - A presentation by Hyderabad municipal water supply and sewerage board
Posted on 12 May, 2009 12:36 PMThis presentation by M G Gopal of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board deals with the water issues faced in the city. The issues presented include – (a) Inter-sectoral allocation (b) Meeting the demand (c) Maintaining quality standards (d) Reducing unaccounted for water (e) Recycle and reuse (f) Promoting rainwater and conservation (g) Implementation of CDS and (f) Is ‘privatisation’, a solution or a disaster?
Watershed development in Maharashtra: present scenario and issues for restructuring the programme
Posted on 12 May, 2009 12:31 PMThe report on “Watershed Development in Maharashtra” by Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) ), on behalf of the Forum for Watershed Research and Policy Dialogue (ForWaRD), deals with the present scenario and issues for restructuring the programme. The concept of integrated and participatory watershed development and management has emerged as the cornerstone of rural development in the dry and semi-arid regions of India. Over the years the country has been making increasing investments in this area with the objective of enhancing the production potential of rainfed agriculture.
Memorandum: Scrap Renuka dam project
Posted on 12 May, 2009 11:25 AMForwarded to the Portal by: Himanshu Thakkar, SANDRP
Submission Sent to Prime Minister, DJB, Ministry of Water Resources & HP Govt.
A memorandum demanding the scrapping of the proposed Renuka Dam Project in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh was sent to the Prime Minister, Union Minister of Water Resources, the Delhi Jal Board, the Central Water Commission and the Ministry of Social Justice today by concerned environment groups as well as representatives of the dam affected communities. The 5 page detailed submission has made this demand on three basic grounds - technical/conceptual issues, environment implications and the social impacts of the project. Attacking the very root and concept of the project the memorandum highlights the point that the agreement that was signed in May 1994 is no longer valid, as per the opinion of the Union Ministry of Law and Justice, since Rajasthan, one of the parties, did not sign the agreement. The Delhi Jal Board has admitted in response to an RTI application that no options assessment has been done to arrive at the least cost option before taking up the Renuka dam proposal. Without such an assessment, taking up a proposal like the Renuka dam would be completely wrong and inappropriate use of public resources. Moreover, several Studies have proved that Delhi itself is thirsty not because there is shortage of water but actually due to mismanagement and misappropriation of water. According to the Performance Audit report of the Delhi Jal Board for 2008, Delhi has distribution losses of 40 per cent of total water supply which is abnormal and significantly higher than the acceptable norms of 15 per cent prescribed by the Ministry of Urban Development.
Case studies on urban water management and rainwater harvesting from India and across the world
Posted on 11 May, 2009 04:31 PMBest practices on urban water management from across the world
Transformation of Surat, Gujarat, to a second cleanest city in India
Posted on 11 May, 2009 04:27 PMThis case study by All India Institute of Local Self Government deals with the transformation of Surat, from a city infested with plague to second cleanest city in India. This transformation was largely due to improved municipal management, which was brought about by a strong leadership.
Civic engagement and transparency for good governance - a case study of NGO task force in Mangalore
Posted on 11 May, 2009 04:23 PMThe management arrangements and governance of the city have to be viewed at three levels by Mangalore city corporation (MCC).
- Firstly, the responsibility of providing urban services within the boundary of city (both obligatory and discretory in nature). This is normal with other cities.
- Secondly, the responsibility to meet the demands generated out of economic activities beyond city limits. For example, incoming and outgoing trucks transporting logs, granite stone and groceries generate employment for locals. The city has to respond to provide minimum facilities in such a situation.
- Thirdly, involvement in to the infrastructure development activities initiated by the state government. The expansion of economic activities beyond city limits can be due to the regional development plan of the state government or the idea of regional development is based on the expansion of economic activities of the area. These externalities are interlinked.