Governance

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November 6, 2022 In 2020, 559 million children were affected by four to five heatwaves a year; numbers could increase four-fold by 2050, as per a report by UNICEF
Heat-related mortality is four times higher among children under 1 year of age than in persons aged 1–44 years (Image: Taqver, Wikimedia Commons)
October 22, 2022 Role of MGNREGA in the year after the 2020 lockdown: Survey findings from Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh
MGNREGA provided income support or security to vulnerable households during the pandemic (Image: UN Women)
October 14, 2022 Arthan organizes a fireside chat to highlight the need for more data talent for social impact
There is a need to integrate data science into the existing education system (Image: Mohamed Mahmoud Hassan, Public Domain Pictures)
September 9, 2022 Highlights from a new report released by iFOREST
An old coal-fired power plant has been dumping vast quantities of ash out in the open for many years. (Image: Lundrim Aliu/ World Bank; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
July 14, 2022 The river is faced with the dual problem of flood plain encroachment and growing levels of water pollution
Illegal transverse check dams (Badhals) built on Ichamati near a village in Basirhat (Image: Prithviraj Nath @ TheWaterChronicles)
July 10, 2022 People in India fleeing disasters like drought more likely to have experienced trafficking or modern slavery than those fleeing floods or cyclones
The country's climate change assessment suggests things are only going to get worse (Image: Saurav Karmakar, India Water Portal Flickr)
Accept refuse: A lesson in wastewater management
There is a new technology available now to reuse domestic and industrial refuse. This could just be the solution to India’s increasing water problem. Posted on 31 Aug, 2016 01:05 PM

The demand, supply, availability and access of water resources do not always match. Going by the UN estimates, by the year 2022, India is expected to surpass China's population to become the most populous country in the world.

Constructed wetland at ICRISAT's Patancheru campus.
Damn the dams, say the displaced
Many people have been displaced by major dam projects in the country. A bigger threat, however, lies in the ageing dams waiting to collapse. Posted on 30 Aug, 2016 12:28 PM

"If you are to suffer, you should suffer in the interest of the country.”

- Jawaharlal Nehru, speaking to villagers who were to be displaced by the Hirakud Dam in 1948.

The Hirakud dam
Poor dam management behind Bihar flood
News this week Posted on 29 Aug, 2016 12:17 PM

Farakka behind Bihar flood: CM

Farakka Barrage by Sudip Burman via Google Maps, Feb 2012
Telangana, Maharashtra sign pact for Godavari projects
Policy matter this week Posted on 29 Aug, 2016 09:44 AM

Telangana, Maharashtra sign pact for irrigation projects across Godavari

A dam in Maharashtra (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Farakka faces a barrage of criticism
The Farakka barrage is an ageing symbol of our need to control rivers and our inability to do so. Can we do away with it? Posted on 27 Aug, 2016 08:25 AM

The chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, called for the decommissioning of the Farakka barrage recently.

The lower Ganga, just upstream of Farakka, displays bank-cutting and erosion.
A tale of two sparring states and a river
Goa and Karnataka lock horns again over Mahadayi water sharing. How long will it go on before a consensus is reached? Posted on 25 Aug, 2016 11:36 PM

The small town of Navalgund of Dharwad district in Karnataka with a population of 25,000 has been the epicenter of farmers’ protest demanding water from the west-flowing river, Mahadayi.

The Mahadayi or the Mandovi river, shared between Karnataka and Goa for their water needs, is a bone of contention between the two states.
Water warriors at work
Citizens come forward to restore polluted lakes and rivers in their cities. They demand support and swift action from the government. Posted on 24 Aug, 2016 09:31 AM

The pitiful state of some of the water bodies in the country, coupled with the sheer apathy of the government, have forced some well-meaning citizens to come out of their comfort zones and make a difference. Some of these efforts, like the Puttenahalli lake in Bengaluru that is now overflowing with clean water, have been successful, while others are ongoing.

Citizens of Udaipur get together to remove water hyacinth from the Pichhola lake.
Call for applications: Closing The Environmental Compliance Gap
A workshop on Community Based Research Methods for Environmental Justice
Posted on 21 Aug, 2016 10:36 PM

In the field of environmental justice, compliance is one of the least understood and researched topics. Since compliance may involve scientific and technological aspects of the environment, it is mostly left to technical experts, regulatory bodies and members of the industry. It has seen almost no public engagement or community action at the field and at policy levels.

Notes from Swachh Madhya Pradesh campaign
Nipun Vinayak, Director, Swachh Bharat Mission, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, writes about Madhya Pradesh's progress on the ground. Posted on 21 Aug, 2016 09:56 PM

Ajit Tiwari, deputy commissioner, Swachh Bharat Mission, Madhya Pradesh.Ajit Tiwari is Deputy Commissioner, Swachh Bharat Mission, Madhy

Sudam Khade, collector, Sehore, felicitates a woman from the community for their efforts in ending open defecation.
Spike in farmer suicides
News this week Posted on 21 Aug, 2016 08:47 PM

India witnesses 40 percent rise in farmer suicides in a year

A farmer in his field. (Source: India Water Portal)
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