Government Programmes

Featured Articles
October 22, 2022
Employment guarantee during Covid-19
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)
July 7, 2022
Slum land rights: A necessity for success of PMAY
PMAY needs policy commitment to rehabilitate slums in small and medium cities of Gujarat
Need for legal framework for land rights in small and medium cities of Gujarat under PMAY (Image: Homes in the City)
May 25, 2022
One water, one data
Enabling a culture of data sharing between programs and reuse of data
Participatory programs such as JJM require a large amount of village-level information on water (Image: Arpit Deomurar, FES)
March 15, 2022
Mumbai sets a mitigation goal to achieve net-zero by 2050
World Resources Institute (WRI) India and the C40 Cities network develop Mumbai’s first-ever Climate Action Plan
The MCAP adopts a scientific evidence-based planning approach to mobilize resources and move from planning to implementation of strategic projects (Image: Deepak Gupta, Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 3.0)
February 28, 2022
Budgetary trends for drinking water in Gujarat: Special focus on tribal communities
Gujarat aims to achieve 100 per cent saturation in tap water connection for every household by October 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission
The SCALE project implemented in villages in semi arid regions enabled ultra-poor groups in project villages improve their access to drinking water (Image: European Union, Flickr Commons)
February 10, 2022
Budgetary provisions for drinking water supply continue to get priority
Budget for sanitation sees a decline
Jal Jeevan Mission has picked up pace after two years (Image: Anita Martinz, Wikimedia Commons, CC-A-2.0 Generic)
Supreme Court order in February 27, 2012 on the interlinking of rivers project A statement and an appeal by concerned citizens to think of all the implications
A number of citizens have made a public statement, expressing serious concern about the Supreme Court’s Order of Feb 27, 2012 on the Interlinking of Rivers Project. The statement endorsed by more than sixty eminent persons has urged the Supreme Court to put this order on hold and reconsider the matter. The statement first states the concerns relating to the propriety of the apex court making this specific order, and then proceeds to state the concerns relating to the Project itself.
Ramaswamy R Iyer
Posted on 29 Mar, 2012 06:37 PM

The full statement is as follows -

We, the signatories to this statement, wish to record our utmost concern at the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s judgment of 27 February 2012 on the Inter-Linking of Rivers Project (ILR), on the following grounds:
Impact report of watershed development programme in Ayyannapalem village of Guntur district in Andhra Pradesh
We are very glad to bring to the notice of the Watershed Development Fund (WDF) that the Ayyannapalem watershed Capacity Building Phase (CBP) activities are successfully implemented and it has reached the stage of Feasibility Study Report (FSR) proposal. According to the field conditions, the Ayyannapalem watershed is highly suitable for watershed implementation and there are deep gullies and high level hillocks that exist in the villages. Farmers' co-operation is also very encouraging and we could complete the watershed activities within the specified period.
Kotikala Chandrasheakar
Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 11:59 AM

Author : Kotikala Chandrasheakar

Name of the watershed: Ayyannapalem
Name of the Mandal: Bollapalli
District: Guntur
Maps, lakes and citizens: The use of surveys in lake conservation - An article in the Seminar magazine
Settlements in the area that is now Bangalore have a recorded history that dates back to the 5th century CE. Water for these settlements was made available through multiple series of tanks, which numbered 19,800 around the year 1830.
Harini Nagendra
Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 11:44 AM

This lake system is now decaying with lakes either taken over for urban uses, or choking due to neglect. ATREE and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have been engaged in attempting to understand how to restore these lakes for urban use, while maintaining their ecological importance. This article in Seminar describes this attempt.

Puttenahalli: one of Bengaluru's urban lakes

Basin-level impact assessment study of the Lohit river - A study by WAPCOS & Ministry of Environment and Forests (2011)
In view of the number of hydro-electricity projects being commissioned on the free-flowing Lohit river and its tributaries, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) recommended the development of a basin-level impact assessment. This work was awarded to M/s Wapcos Limited, and the cost shared by the various project developers.
Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)
WAPCOS
Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 11:29 AM


Area map of the Lohit Basin

Best meal of the day': Akshaya Patra's kitchen in Nathwara, Rajasthan is the newest of its high-technology ones across India
In a country of 1.2 billion people, fast moving towards economic superpower hood, it is a reality check, and a hard one too, that the mover and shaker of things here remains nothing but food. Indeed it is food alone that spawns a giant ripple effect – starting from the levels of education and health to eventually how development in the country finally shapes up. For, you cannot build a country on empty stomachs.
Madhusmita Hazarika
Posted on 19 Mar, 2012 10:23 AM

Article and Image Courtesy : One World South Asia

Author : Madhusmita Hazarika
Draft National Water Policy (2012) fails to take into account the multiple, complex problems and issues relating to water in India says M S Vani
The Draft National Water Policy 2012 seems to be an improvement over earlier versions due to a fundamental shift from the ‘project oriented’ approach espoused so far by the bureaucracy and political establishment to a ‘resource’ oriented approach. Water, considered state property due to eminent domain principle, was hitherto seen only in terms of projects- irrigation or multipurpose. Now at least it is defined as a ‘natural resource’.
But what does it really mean, to call water as a ‘natural resource’? What is the relationship we as humans are seeking to establish with this part of nature? What are the relative roles of citizen and state in India towards this resource?
M S Vani
Posted on 18 Mar, 2012 05:49 PM

Guest post by: M S Vani

Perusing the draft, one comes across all the ‘right’ concepts, words liberally sprinkled throughout the document, describing the resource:-

  • Natural resource
  • Hydrological cycle
  • Ecological needs of rivers
  • Climate change
  • Sources pollution

and our intended response to it :-
Improving farmers’ access to agricultural insurance in India - A World Bank working paper
This working paper by the World Bank provides a detailed overview of The National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and the entire policy process involved in the change over from the NAIS to the modified NAIS and beyond. India’s crop insurance program is the world’s largest with 25 million farmers insured. However, issues in design, particularly related to delays in claims settlement, have led to 95 million farmer households not being covered, despite significant government subsidy.
Niraj Verma
Olivier Mahul
Posted on 12 Mar, 2012 11:08 PM

To address this and other problems, the Government of India is piloting a modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme, a market-based scheme with involvement from the private sector.
Drafting a new National water policy, 2012 without consulting the farmers would be meaningless
The efforts of Union Ministry of Water Resources and Central Water Commission to initiate a new National Water Policy is welcome.
After going through the draft of National Water Policy 2012 (draft NWP 2012) and summary record of various consultations related to it, the following comments / suggestions, particularly related to participatory irrigation management aspects, are offered for consideration:
Phanish Sinha
Posted on 04 Mar, 2012 11:02 PM

Author : Phanish Sinha
In India, water problems are 'man made': Comments on the draft water policy-2012
“Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of dignity and well-being, and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for present and future generations.” Principle 1, The Stockholm Declaration
Nagesh Hegde
Posted on 29 Feb, 2012 11:02 AM

Author : Nagesh Hegde
Success of first participatory irrigation development & management programme and its further extension in Maharashtra
With the financial assistance from the German Government/Development Bank (KfW); the Rural Development & Water Conservation Department (RD&WCD); Govt. of Maharashtra (GoM), has undertaken a programme called Minor Irrigation Programme-Maharashtra (MIP-M). Under this, 28 Minor Irrigation Schemes (MIS) have been completed under Local Sector Wing of RD&WCD. Programme originally started in March 2001 and ended on 30 June 2011.
Ulhas Krishna Apte
Posted on 27 Feb, 2012 11:33 AM

Author : Ulhas Krishna Apte
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