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
It takes more than money to make a difference
Eris' and 'ooranis', which are tanks that supplied water for generations in Tamil Nadu, are being revived thanks to monetary donations, good management practices and community participation.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 16 Mar, 2014 10:28 PM

Tamilnadu has a rich tradition of tank management at the village level. Every village had one or more irrigation tanks, locally known as ‘kanmais’ or ‘eris’, and a drinking water tank called ‘ooranis’. This system worked for centuries with the support of residents and the local administration.
View of a 'Kanmai' in Madurai
Protectors of the lost ponds of Darbhanga
Talab Bachao Abhiyan', a group that is working on pond conservation in Bihar, suggests measures to the government and hopes to involve local youth to further the cause of these dying ponds.
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 12:20 PM

In 1989, Bihar's Darbhanga town boasted 213 ponds. Today nearly 25% of them have been drained, leveled to the ground, filled up and built over. Hotels, houses and highrise buildings have bulldozed their way onto these water bodies. Do we not need these ponds any longer? Are they better of as bedrocks of development in these land-starved times? 

Once upon a time
Rally to protect ponds
Managing tanks - a bottom-up approach
Governance by the government must give way to governance by the community if we are to preserve the tanks of Tamil Nadu, which are fast disappearing.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 12 Mar, 2014 10:31 AM

Our day-to-day dependence on fresh water is tremendous, whether for domestic or agricultural use. Theoretically, we know that it is a finite resource and that it can't be taken for granted but in practice, we do. India has an average rainfall of around 1150 mm but lets out nearly 1263 billion cubic metres of water into the sea unutilized. 
Chengalpattu Eri
MoEF accepts Kerala's recommendations on Western Ghats
Policy matters this week: MoEF approves Kerala's demands on Western Ghats; Committee finds Singrauli pollution a matter of serious concern; Panels set up to manage those displaced by Alamatti dam.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 09 Mar, 2014 05:17 PM

MoEF accepts Kerala's recommendations on Western Ghats
A view of Western Ghats (Source: Wikipedia)
Princely' private ponds
The 'Apna Talab Abhiyaan' programme promotes the building of private talabs on peoples' lands to help improve groundwater recharge in Bundelkhand.
Amita Bhaduri
Prabhat Jha
Posted on 07 Mar, 2014 10:14 AM

Charkhari, a princely state of India in the colonial period was once a beautiful settlement founded by Saurabh Singh Bundela, a Rajput King. Acceded to India post-Independence, the town is now located in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. The place was home to intricate water management systems in the past.
A talab in the fort city of Charkhari
Scrap 15 out of 40 dams across Siang in Arunachal: CWC
Policy matter this week: CWC report warns against dams proposed in Siang; MoEF eases norms to clear dams in Sikkim; Karnataka all set to constitute groundwater authority.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 24 Feb, 2014 04:17 PM

CWC recommends scrapping of 15 dams planned across Siang
A river in East Siang (Source: Wikimedia)
The forgotten Madakas of southern India
A book on traditional water harvesting system of coastal Karnataka by Harish Halemane.
Harish Halemane
Posted on 20 Feb, 2014 11:56 PM

Madakas are manmade structures for storing rainwater that was abundantly prevalent in Kasargod District of Kerala. Pallas on the contrary, were similar structures but not man made. Pallas and Madakas met the water requirements of the settlements around these structures. 
Madakas and Pallas of Southern India
Matte Roopararel Battalilla: Learning from Rajasthan
Community efforts over a decade led to the revival of johads, traditional rainwater harvesting structures in Alwar, Rajasthan. This book shares the process of this remarkable achievement.
Shree Padre
Posted on 20 Feb, 2014 11:43 PM

It is an astonishing thing to see the five rivers of Alwar in Rajasthan flowing for more than 6-8 months in a year. This is no miracle though. It is the result of a decade-long effort by Jal Jungle Andolan lead by Dr. Rajendra Singh. 
Johads for rainwater harvesting
An alternative perspective: Sabarmati Riverfront Development
A critical review of the Sabarmati Riverfront Development project, Ahmedabad, from an environmental perspective.
Mohan S Rao
Posted on 20 Feb, 2014 01:09 PM

The Sabarmati Riverfront Development has been hailed as a project towards urban regeneration & environmental improvement, which will transform the river to a focal point of leisure and recreation.
Sabarmati Riverfront Development
Sikkim achieves 100% sanitation under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan scheme
News this week: Sikkim achieves 100% sanitation; Govt has only 2 months to cover 54.4% of rural India in its drinking water scheme; Maharashtra village gets community rights over dam reservoir.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 17 Feb, 2014 02:21 PM

Sikkim achieves 100% sanitation
Sustainable sanitation
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