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November 6, 2022
Protecting children from climate change impact not child's play
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)
September 26, 2022
Dirty drains 'drain' health
This study found that the sanitary quality of neighbourhood drains, in addition to toilets, affected sanitation and hygiene and incidences of ill-health in rural households.
Dirty drainages, harbingers of illhealth. Image for representation only (Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat via Wikimedia Commons)
September 9, 2022
Creating jobs while managing air quality
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)
August 19, 2022
Polluted water, hitchhiking microbes and the hidden threat of cholera in India
Better access to clean water coupled with health education to bring about changes in behaviour are critical to prevent exposure to dangerous cholera bacteria that lurk in untreated waters.
The hidden threat of cholera in India (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
July 20, 2022
Poisoned waters of Delhi
This study found a high concentration of trihalomethanes (THMs) in water treatment plants in Delhi that were associated with increased risk of cancer.
What's in your tap water (Image Source: India Water Portal)
July 5, 2022
Poisoned waters, threatened lives
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)
Environmental disaster in the face of climate change
Marathwada is a classic example of environmental disaster due to climate change which can get worse in the absence of sincere and planned action.
Atul Deulgaonkar and Anjali Joshi
Posted on 08 Jun, 2016 12:30 PM

Marathwada has been witnessing severe drought over the last few years. This year has seen the worst with many farmer suicides reported [1].
Farmers, stuck in the midst of a crisis (Source: India Water Portal)
Bringing potable water to villagers of Dhar
Fluorosis-affected villagers can now heave a sigh of relief. The dream of safe drinking water at their doorstep has become a reality.
Anita Sharma
Posted on 01 Jun, 2016 09:36 PM

Seema Kalu, suffering from skeletal fluorosis (Source:Dalpat & Heena)
Dilip in Bankpura village, Dhar, MP suffers from skeletal fluorosis (Source: Dalpat & Heena)
Breaking the silence: World Menstrual Hygiene Day
Posted on 30 May, 2016 08:43 PM
World Menstrual Hygiene Day - May 28
Aimed at breaking myths and taboos surrounding menstruation, May 28 is celebrated as Menstrual Hygiene Day across the world.
Subarnarekha is dying. Who’s responsible?
The pitiful state of Subarnarekha stands testimony to the changing times. The river is being slowly killed by the greed of the rich and the apathy of the powerful.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 28 May, 2016 05:46 PM

It would not be an exaggeration to say Subarnarekha (Line of gold) is a film that left an indelible mark on Indian cinema. The film, by Ritwik Ghatak, is inspired by a river by the same name and narrates the reality around the river which flows through the present day Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha, before draining into the Bay of Bengal.
India’s steel city dumps its waste into Subarnarekha, the river of gold
Towards a trash-free period
Posted on 27 May, 2016 08:11 PM
For centuries, women have fashioned receptacles from locally available absorbants to soak up menstrual discharge. Softened papyrus was used by women in ancient Egypt, while in other parts, materials like wool, paper, vegetable fiber, grass, animal skin, and moss were used to create makeshift tampons and pads [1].
Breaching barriers towards better menstrual hygiene
Efforts have been on to spread the message of menstrual hygiene. But we are not even half way into achieving it fully
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 27 May, 2016 04:06 PM

The female menstrual cycle is the intricate work of hormones. Usually, girls start their cycle anywhere between 12 and 17 years of age when a series of changes prepare their uterus for child-bearing. The body produces the hormone oestrogen which stimulates the growth of a protective lining inside the uterus to cushion the baby in preparation of pregnancy every month.
An IWP fellow talks to girls about menstrual hygiene at the Nirmal Bharat Yatra in Gorakhpur
Changing seasons and diarrhoeal diseases
This study in urban and rural areas of Vellore, Tamil Nadu found that seasonal fluctuations had an effect on water quality and diarrhoeal disease risk.
Alexandra V. Kulinkina et al
Posted on 19 May, 2016 09:07 AM

Access to safe drinking water and diarrhoeal diseases in India
Water quality, seasonality and diarrhoeal diseases (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Urban areas in Andhra will soon become open defecation free zones
Posted on 02 May, 2016 12:39 PM
Andhra Pradesh’s urban areas to soon be open defecation free spaces
J&K's Anantnag among India's best in construction school toilets
Posted on 26 Apr, 2016 08:49 AM
Anantnag wins Prime Minister's award for large-scale construction of school toilets
Government schemes converge at Sarda Panchayat in Sambalpur, Odisha
Thanks to the successful implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) scheme, villagers began to believe in collective action and community development.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 24 Apr, 2016 11:41 AM

Since India became independent in 1947, the central and state governments have introduced various rural development schemes, and have been trying to get them to converge. While this effort hasn't been as impactful on a large scale, there are some success stories. Sarda Panchayat in Sambalpur, Odisha is one.   
View of Sarda village, Odisha
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