Informal Sector

Featured Articles
October 17, 2022
Invisible informal groundwater markets
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)
December 7, 2020
Not in the interest of women farmers!
The new farm related bills will spell doom for women workers who form the bulk of small and marginal sections of Indian agriculture, warns Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM).
Farm women, overworked and underpaid (Image Source: India Water Portal)
November 18, 2019
Free septic tank cleaning in Delhi; CM attempts to reduce sewer deaths
Policy matters this week
Image credit: Sharada Prasad
October 21, 2019
In conversation with K. J. Joy of SOPPECOM
In this interview, Joy talks about his work as an activist working in rural Maharashtra, and how he came to work on water conflicts in India.
KJ Joy speaks at a felicitation for the late Professor Ramaswamy Iyer.
September 24, 2019
Manual scavenging is inhumane: SC
Policy matters this week
Despite the ban, manual scavenging continues. (Image courtesy: The Hindu)
September 13, 2019
How to restrict crops to geographically sustainable areas: The case of arecanut in Tumkur
Arecanut farmers in Karnataka are reeling from dipping groundwater levels and infrequent water supply for irrigation. In this article, some solutions are proposed.
Young arecanut trees grown in drylands of Tumkur region (Gubbi Taluk, Hodalur Village) Pic Credit: Chandana Eswar
Puppets talk, people listen
A small colony of puppeteers in Delhi 'pull strings' and talk on issues that plague their lives: Water, sanitation and land takeover bids.
Amita Bhaduri
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 14 Jun, 2015 10:31 PM

All the world’s a stage and all men and women players in it, said Shakespeare. Kathputli Colony in Delhi is living testimony to this. ‘Kath’ means wood and ‘putli’ is the Hindi word for a doll or puppet.
Modern day puppets talk on issues pertaining to real life situations
Are there solutions to epidemics from water-borne diseases?
The recent jaundice outbreak in Sambalpur, Odisha has again unfolded several questions related to rise of water-borne diseases in urban areas in India. This film explores these problems.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 02 Mar, 2015 10:06 PM

Between May and December 2014, 17 deaths were registered in Sambalpur due to jaundice but residents say that the death toll due to water-borne diseases is much more than that. In January 2015, the Odisha High Court issued a notice to the state government asking it to furnish details on the steps taken to check the Jaundice outbreak in Sambalpur. 

What is Jaundice?
Polluted water in Sambalpur, Odisha
Water Untouched: A film on Dalits' lack of access
Forming 17% of India's popultion, Dalits still have to depend on the goodwill of dominant castes for many things including access to basics. Why?
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 19 Feb, 2015 08:59 AM

“The Dalits of this country get access to water on the goodwill of the dominant caste. Water to untouchables is still miles away,” says Goldy M George, a Dalit activist and an expert on Dalit rights.
A Dalit woman in Ekta Nagar, Raipur
Abolish manual scavenging: SC
Policy matters this month: SC directs all states to abolish manual scavenging; MoEF reduces ESA in its new draft notification on Western Ghats; Maharashtra all set to clean its rivers.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 11:14 PM

Abolish manual scavenging: SC
A manual scavenger in Chennai (Namathu Blogspot)
The importance of transparency and data management
World Water Day was celebrated in Raipur by bringing together many speakers who talked on the importance of sharing and disseminating information to truly serve society well.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 31 Mar, 2014 10:17 PM

On 22nd March 2014, Raipur celebrated World Water Day with senior government officials and officials from NGOs and other organisations presenting on the importance of NGOs in disseminating information to the people. They also highlighted the discrepancies in data collected between organisations and the need to improve on this if they were to make a difference to society. 
World Water Day at Raipur
Rurals move away from agriculture: Assocham
News this week: Rural employment in agriculture reduces significantly; Activists demand 'Sarus Safari' in UP; 285 people in Karnataka died drinking contaminated water between 2010-13.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 02 Feb, 2014 10:08 PM

'Rural job profile observes a significant change'
Decline in agriculture (Source: Neil Palmer, CIAT)
More people power equals more progress
Cuttack, in Odisha, overcame the bane of open defecation, dirty water and unclean surroundings thanks to participation and involvement by the locals. The 'Silver City' is now truer to its name.
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 20 Jan, 2014 09:42 AM

Clean surroundings, clean water and a clean toilet – as much as Cuttack, in Odisha is a thriving centre of trade and commerce, it lacked these three basic necessities. An exploratory survey was conducted in 2009 to understand why the city hadn't reached a better state of cleanliness.
Community based management (Source: NFI)
Join the campaign 'Take Poo to the Loo', UNICEF India,
A digitally led campaign that addresses the issue of open defecation.
Posted on 15 Nov, 2013 01:13 PM

To take the pledge for a poo free country, click here.

To join the campaign on Facebook, click here.

To follow the campaign updates on Twitter, click here.
Vacancy for the post of 'Coordinator', Collective for Integrated Livelihood, Keonjhar, Odisha
An opportunity to work with an organisation that works comprehensively towards livelihood enhancement of tribal communities by sustainable natural resource management.
Posted on 04 Nov, 2013 12:07 PM

For further information on the organisation 'Collective for Integrated Livelihood Initiatives (CInI)', please click here.

For details on the vacancy, click here.

The Application details may be downloaded from below.
Invite to the 'Philanthropy Awards 2013', Forbes India, Bangalore, November 29, 2013
An opportunity for promising young NGOs to get a chance to benefit from the expertise of an audience that includes jury members and short-listed nominees of the Forbes India Philanthropy Awards.
Posted on 04 Nov, 2013 11:07 AM

To know more on the Award function, click here.

For more information on the Forbes India Philanthropy Awards, please click here.
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