Groundwater

Featured Articles
October 17, 2022 While informal groundwater markets cater significantly to the needs of smallholder farmers in India, they continue to be unacknowledged and understudied.
Groundwater, a finite resource (Image Source: TV Manoj via Wikimedia Commons)
July 5, 2022 Studies reveal that children are the most vulnerable to the health risks associated with groundwater contamination due to nitrate and fluoride, highlighting the need for urgent remedial measures.
POisoned waters, dangerous outcomes (Image Source: India Water Portal)
April 26, 2022 The water stewardship initiative by WOTR that developed a tool to visualise aquifers has not only helped farmers understand groundwater as a shared resource, but also led to a behavioural change among water users and helped implement groundwater laws and policies.
Groundwater, a fast disappearing resource (Image Source: India Water Portal)
February 13, 2022 A study provides new evidence that drinking water contaminated with arsenic can lead to still births, recurrent pregnancy loss and infertility among women.
A well in Rajasthan (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
August 29, 2021 A study shows that high arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bihar is linked with increase in cancer cases. Districts located near the Himalayan river basins have more people with cancer.
Drinking water in Bihar, linked to cancer (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
August 26, 2021 This study from Rajasthan found that anthropogenic factors led to nitrate contamination of groundwater. High nitrate levels in drinking water posed major health risks to children.
A well in Rajasthan (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
"Water management in Mumbai: Prospects and challenges" - Videos from a round table organised by Observer Research Foundation
These videos from a round table organised by Observer Research Foundation deal with the issue of water management in Mumbai. Posted on 16 Feb, 2012 03:51 PM

These four films include details of speeches made by the Municipal Commissioner of Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mr Swadhin Kshatriya, who delivered a valedictory speech and Mr Sandeep Acharya, senior journalist from Loksatta, who expressed his views on the water crisis in Mumbai, as a part of a round table organised by Observer Research Foundation (ORF), on "Water management in Mumbai: Prospects and challenges", on the 10th of January 2010.

Climate change adaptation in Himachal Pradesh - Sustainable strategies for water resources - A report by the ADB
This report published by the Asia Development Bank (ADB) includes the findings of the study that examined the status of water resources in Himachal Pradesh. Posted on 16 Feb, 2012 10:29 AM

It includes the present and planned water utilisation across sectors and uses, within a framework of environment, conservation and sustainability. It also examined the present institutional arrangements for water resources management and assessed the requirements for institutional development, improvement in data collection and analysis, catchment and agriculture planning, and other reforms required to ensure sustainable water resources management.

Adapting to climate change - Conserving rice biodiversity of the Apatani tribe in North East India - An IGREC working paper
This working paper published by the Institute of Green Economy (IGREC) describes the traditional rice growing practices of the Apatani tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. Posted on 15 Feb, 2012 11:47 PM

It also deals with the threat to the biodiversity in the area due to climate changes and argues for the need to devise adaptation strategies at an urgent level to preserve the unique genetic variability of the region and the indigenous knowledge of farming practices in the area.

"Bottle it up: We can use it" - Scientific studies on human urine - A presentation by Arghyam
This presentation deals with the issue of reuse of human urine in agriculture. Posted on 10 Feb, 2012 11:13 AM

This presentation by Arghyam includes the results of doctoral study done by G Sridevi under the guidance of Prof.

Water conservation, sustainable agriculture, challenges for rural development in Maharashtra and possible solutions - Talk by Popatrao Pawar, Sarpanch, Hivre-Bazar
These four video films cover a talk by Shri Popatrao Pawar, Sarpanch of Hivre-Bazar (Ahmednagar), Maharashtra. Posted on 09 Feb, 2012 04:49 PM

Shri Popatrao Pawar is an inspiring promoter of the 'Ideal Villages Movement' on "Integrated Agriculture and Rural Development for Tomorrow's Maharashtra" on the occasion of the inauguration of Observer Research Foundation's Maharashtra@50 Study Centre on 24th June 2010.

Lift irrigation - Methods and practices: A manual by Mihir Maitra (AFPRO)
This book was published by AFPRO in order to provide guidance to technical staff members of grassroots organisations working in rural development, particularly in the field of agriculture. Posted on 09 Feb, 2012 12:07 PM

Accordingly, the book is written as a technical manual that remains accessible to people seeking to gain necessary expertise in the planning, design, installation and maintenance of lift irrigation systems (LIS). Cover page of Lift irrigation: methods and practices

Safe water dissemination workshop by PATH held on January 19-20, 2012 at New Delhi
PATH organized a Dissemination Workshop of its Safe Water Project at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi on January 19-20, 2012. Posted on 07 Feb, 2012 10:15 PM

Guest post: Amita Bhaduri

Through the Safe Water Project, it is seeking complementary solutions to sustainability and scale-up by exploring the potential for commercial enterprises to produce, distribute, sell, and maintain Household Water Treatment and Storage (HWTS) consumer products to low-income populations. The workshop shared learnings and tools from PATH’s Safe Water Project and presented the experiences of other organizations that are leveraging market-based approaches to achieve a sustainable public health impact.

WASH

Nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy: Will farmers adopt agricultural best management practices? An article in EPW
The new nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy policy provides implicit incentives to farmers to test soil samples regularly and get crop-wise recommended doses of nutrients. Posted on 06 Feb, 2012 11:58 AM

It offers prospective benefits from the agro-environmental management point of view.

Alternative National Water Policy: Ramaswamy Iyer's response to comments by Rahul Banerjee and Chetan Pandit in EPW
Ramaswamy Iyer responds to comments in EPW by Rahul Banerjee and Chetan Pandit on his alternative National Water Policy Posted on 04 Feb, 2012 06:44 PM

Guest post: Ramaswamy R Iyer

This is in response to the comments made by Rahul Banerjee (“National Water Policy”, 13 August 2011) and Chetan Pandit (“Alternative National Water Policy: A Critique”, 10 September 2011) on my article “National Water Policy: An Alternative Draft for Consideration” (25 June 2011).

Epigrammatic Style

Global change, wastewater and health in fast growing economies - Paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
This paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability draws attention to the serious issue of poor water quality in the developing economies. Posted on 02 Feb, 2012 11:35 AM

It argues that among the water challenges in the 21st century, the water quality health nexus is one of the most serious challenges that will need to be addressed at an urgent level.The paper directs attention at the rapid and unequal growth and development patterns emerging in developing economies and the impact of this development on the environment and human populations. The paper directs attention to the negative impact of this development on one of the important natural resources such as water and the linkages between water quality and public health of populations.