Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands

Featured Articles
December 4, 2022
Small scale inland open water fisheries of India
What is the status of inland fisheries in India? Read these situational analysis reports to know about inland fisheries, the life of the fisherfolk, governance and tenure in inland fisheries and threats to the sustainability of inland fisheries.
Fishing in an irrigation canal in Kerala (Image Source: Martin Pilkinton via Wikimedia Commons)
November 25, 2022
Categorising watersheds for freshwater ecosystem conservation in India
These maps at the watershed scales have been made to not only ensure inclusion of different freshwater ecosystems, their connectivity and hydrological processes, but can also provide a spatial context for conservation decisions.
A stream at Anini, Arunachal Pradesh (Image Source: Roshni Arora)
November 16, 2022
Improving community resilience in ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction in India
Adoption of hybrid solutions - grey and green structures appropriate for resilience building
Healthy wetland ecosystems help in reducing disaster risks and managing climate risks (Image: Pxhere)
October 30, 2022
Slow disaster: Political ecology of hazards and everyday life in the Brahmaputra valley, Assam
This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.
Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
October 6, 2022
Deteriorating landscapes and threatened ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir
Rapid urbanisation and faulty land use policies are rapidly destroying forests, grasslands and wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir, India and the ecosystem value services they provide. Can these valuable ecosystems be saved?
Deteriorating ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir, India (Image Source: tkohli at Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)
August 27, 2022
Himalayan lakes can potentially become long-term sinks of microplastics
Study looks at microplastic types in lakes of Ladakh
(Vinay Goel, Wikimedia Commons)
Videos
An overview on wetlands in India
My disappearing land- Majuli
Tragic tale of Erai
Kerala battles the worst flood since 1924
As Kerala comes to grips with the worst floods in its recent history, here’s a look at what led to the calamity and what can be done to avoid it in the future.
Amita Bhaduri
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 25 Aug, 2018 05:34 PM

When the five overflow gates of the Cheruthoni dam, a part of the Idukki reservoir comprising Cheruthoni, Kulamavu and Idukki arch dam were opened one by one on August 9, 2018, a torrent of water and mud gushed out. Heavy, unceasing rains had led to the dam reaching close to its maximum capacity, forcing the dam authorities to open all its gates.
The floods in Kerala have taken nearly 400 lives and have displaced around 1.2 million people. (Image: Ranjith Siji, Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 4.0)
Footwear industry pollutes, villagers put their foot down
When the environmental pollution caused by the footwear industry in a growing Haryana village goes unchecked, villagers gather to demand their rights.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 23 Aug, 2018 08:09 PM

As per the regional plan 2021 chalked out by the national capital regional planning board in 2005, Bahadurgarh, a small town in Haryana is a part of the Delhi metropolitan area. The town, located in Jhajjar district, is growing at a fast pace.
Leftover materials tossed out by the factories at the footwear park. These will end up in landfills and pollute the environment. (Image: India Water Portal)
Centre calls Kerala floods a 'calamity of severe nature'
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 22 Aug, 2018 09:00 AM

Kerala floods: Death toll rises to 373
A house submerged in water during floods in Kerala. (Source: Ranjithsiji via Wikimedia commons)
Yamuna river at its healthiest due to floodwater: Experts
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 07 Aug, 2018 06:58 PM

Yamuna river water quality improves, thanks to floodwater: Experts
Yamuna river in Delhi (Source: Sudhanshu Malhotra via IWP Flickr Photos)
NGT anguished over pollution in Ganga, Yamuna rivers
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 31 Jul, 2018 12:56 PM

NGT slams NMCG and DJB over pollution in Ganga and Yamuna rivers
The Ganga river (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Mudflats erosion changes Gulf of Khambhat shoreline
Researchers find out that a total of about 28.66 sq km area of high tidal mudflats has got eroded within a span of just three-and-a-half years.
Dr Ravi Mishra
Posted on 19 Jul, 2018 12:38 PM

Tidal mudflats of Gulf of Khambhat on west coast constitute an important ecosystem on India’s coastline. Scientists have now found that these mudflats are experiencing severe erosion which is threatening the vital habitat. 
Erosion in high tidal mudflats. (Pic courtesy: ISW)
National Waterway-1: Dolphin population declines
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 17 Jul, 2018 10:31 AM

Decline in Dolphin population observed in India's only dolphin sanctuary
Gangetic Dolphin (Source: Arati Kumar Rao)
Karnataka announces two big water projects in its budget
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 10 Jul, 2018 11:02 AM

Karnataka budget focuses on big water projects, misses out on sustainability
Bengaluru lake (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
“Agriculture alone cannot provide for our teeming millions.”
Watershed management is not just to harvest and store water but also to create democratic processes at the village level and enable inclusive, sustainable development that meets the people's needs.
Crispino Lobo
Posted on 06 Jul, 2018 03:15 PM

In India, although we have approximately four months of monsoon (which is basically 45 days of effective rainfall), in drought prone areas, there are only 10-15 days of harvestable rain in the entire season. If you don't get enough rain during those days, it's a cause for worry.
Watershed management. Image source: India Water Portal
The politics of groundwater
To make access to water adequate and equitable, the focus must shift from water sources to water resources. Science, community participation and cooperation, are key to addressing our water woes.
Himanshu Kulkarni
Uma Aslekar
Posted on 04 Jul, 2018 12:15 PM

A growing demand for water implies the need for an improved understanding of our resources, and the ability to manage that demand in an equitable and sustainable way.

Wells, not dams, have been the temples of modern India
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