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)
Model Groundwater Bill lays responsibility for protecting the resource from contamination primarily with the states concerned - Roundup of the week’s news (March 11- March 17, 2013)
The roundup this week includes news on the formulation of the model bill for groundwater development in India, Posted on 18 Mar, 2013 05:23 PM

the drought situation in Maharashtra, the traditional rainwater harvesting system in Rajasthan. Besides this, the news also includes reports on the campaign to save the Loktak lake in Assam and mangroves in Sundarbans, the water supply schemes in Kerala and the dropping of groundwater levels in India

New bill to control groundwater exploitation

The story of Dhanushkodi, a cyclone hit town, where reality coexists with myths, mysteries and miracles
This article describes a visit to Dhanushkodi and the method by which the island-dwellers source sweet drinking water Posted on 16 Mar, 2013 08:55 AM

A visit to Dhanushkodi makes one wonder as to how such  peace and tranquility can at times, also unleash such fury and destruction, but then life goes on, as does for the small section of the fisherfolk who continue to inhabit the island and depend on it for their basic needs of food and drinking water, which the island continues to provide for them

Water management - Mounting challenges and responses - A report on the three day seminar jointly organised by KSCSTE and C Achutha Menon Foundation, Trivandrum from the 21st to the 23rd December 2012
A 3 day national seminar organised for creating awareness and triggering a dialogue among scientists and lay people on the emerging challenges related to water resources, quality and conservation Posted on 14 Mar, 2013 10:12 PM

This three day national seminar was jointly organised by the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE), Thiruvananthapuram, and the C Achutha Menon Foundation (AMF), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala and included presentations and discussions on a range of water related themes such as water scarcity, water conservation, commercialisation of water, water conflicts and water management.

The seminar aimed at creating awareness and triggering a dialogue among scientists, academicians, researchers, activists, as well as lay people on the emerging challenges related to water resources, water quality and water conservation in the state of Kerala. The seminar was inaugurated by Shri V M Sudheeran, Ex MP and former speaker, while Dr Rajasekaran Pillai, Executive Vice President KSCSTE, delivered the keynote address with the felicitation by Shri M P Achuthan, MP.

The seminar included discussions under five different themes related to water issues that included water scarcity, water conservation, commercialisation of water, water as an new area for conflicts and water management.

Seminar on water management

The three day seminar on water management at the Achuta Menon Foundation, Trivandrum, Kerala

Conference report: The Anil Agarwal Dialogue on "Excreta does matter", organised by Centre for Science and Environment on 4-5 March 2013 at New Delhi
Where will India get its fresh water from in the coming years ? What is the state of the sewage system in the country ? Posted on 12 Mar, 2013 03:23 PM

A close examination of these two issues shows that the water and sewage challenge is already grave and could get worse. With this as the backdrop, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi, organised a two day conference called the Anil Agarwal Dialogue on “Excreta does matter”. The conference took place at the Jacaranda Hall, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi on 4 and 5 March 2013.

The dialogue aimed at furthering the agenda of CSE’s seventh State of India’s Environment report titled Excreta Matters. This report is a comprehensive survey of the situation of water and wastewater management in 71 Indian cities. The study found that most cities lack a basic policy direction on how best to tackle issues of demand, supply and treatment of water, and of management of sewage. 

The Dialogue being the first of its kind brought together a wide range of professionals, activists, practitioners, policy makers, academicians, researchers and administrators from the water sector. The event was aimed at drawing attention on the critical issues of how cities will get affordable and sustainable water and waste systems that can supply to all and take back and treat the sewage of all.

CSE Conference logo

Bangalore garbage finds dumping place in Mandur: Civic body promises better infrastructure projects in exchange - Roundup of the week’s news (March 4- March 10, 2013)
Roundup of the week’s news (March 4- March 10, 2013)
Posted on 11 Mar, 2013 11:42 PM

Bangalore garbage finds dumping place in Mandur: Civic body promises better infrastructure projects for communities living there

Water in movies: Exploring the role of water in mainstream media and popular culture
This article by Priya Desai deals with how water has been treated in many ways in film - as a theme, as an issue or simply as a beautiful backdrop for a great story. Posted on 11 Mar, 2013 03:20 PM

From the serious to the absurd, water has featured across a breadth of movies, both in Hollywood and Bollywood.

How do groundwater irrigation and energy supply influence each other ? - Talks from the IWMI-Tata Annual Partners' Meet held at Anand in November 2012
This article presents videos of related talks, short descriptions of each video and links to background papers from the IWMI-Tata Annual Partners' Meet in 2012. Posted on 10 Mar, 2013 01:03 PM

India is the world's largest consumer of groundwater where it is extensively used for irrigation. However, there is a considerable waste of this valuable resource. While a part of this waste can be attributed to a lack of incentive for conservation, unmetered electricity supply contributes greatly to this problem. This has led to the formation of what is being termed an energy-irrigation nexus.

Several sessions at the IWMI-Tata Annual Partners' Meet in 2012 discussed this phenomenon, its causes, impact and possible management strategies. 

A source today, scarce tomorrow: Educational videos on global freshwater problems
Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink! Though the earth surface is covered with 70% water, how much of it is actually useable?
Posted on 09 Mar, 2013 09:10 AM

What are the water sources and where is the water utilized ? The short videos below aim to educate us on simple facts of freshwater sources and scarcity....

Manuals for preparation of detailed project report for rural piped water supply schemes by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
The MoDWS has prepared manuals, to implement the works related to piped water supply scheme in planned manner. Posted on 08 Mar, 2013 05:33 PM

The works have to done maintaining appropriate standards and quality of the schemes, and ensure their completion in time. The manuals are prepared keeping in mind the activities mentioned in the 12th five year plan.