Land Acquisition

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December 6, 2019 A report by the India Rivers Forum highlights the need to focus further than the main stem of the Ganga river.
Distant snow clad mountains, the smaller hills and the Ganga river (Image: Srimoyee Banerjee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
November 11, 2019 Study points to vulnerabilities faced by women in the mountains and plains of Uttarakhand, which is likely to only increase with climate change.
Ganga's riverflow at Rishikesh in Uttarakhand (Image courtesy: Ankit Singh; Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
October 24, 2019 While ice stupas have been hailed as sustainable solutions to the water problems of Ladakh’s villages, the locals think otherwise.
Ice Stupas near Phyang monastery (Image Courtsey: Sumita Roy Dutta, Wikimedia Commons)
October 22, 2019 A forum discusses the need to stop illegal land transfers and land alienation of the poor.
The maldharis from kutch on their own road trip (Image: Malay Maniar, Flickr Commons, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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. 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
Identify and notify wetlands in 5-10 districts: NGT to States
Policy matter this week Posted on 24 May, 2016 10:22 AM

NGT gets tough over wetland notification

Deepor Beel in Assam (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Mangrove nurseries protect coasts and livelihoods
Mangrove plantations in coastal Odisha are not just protecting people from storms and cyclones, but also opening up new livelihood possibilities. Posted on 13 May, 2016 01:40 PM

Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur are among the most vulnerable districts affected by cyclones and climate change in coastal Odisha. In the last few decades, the coasts of Odisha have witnessed three major devastating storms.

Mangrove Nursery at Naupal ( Source: Regional Centre For Development Cooperation)
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. 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
The Dying Springs of Chirimiri'
Blasting and drilling around Chirimiri's coal mines have taken a toll on the area's water resources and environment. The film presents the community's perspective on this issue. Posted on 01 Apr, 2016 06:04 PM

Chirimiri Coalfield is a part of Central India Coalfields, located in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh.

Coal mining in Chirimiri
Maharashra issues water advisory for Holi
News and policy matters this week Posted on 22 Mar, 2016 06:05 PM

Reservoir levels dip, Maharashtra urges people to celebrate dry holi

Holi being celebrated (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Rajya Sabha approves the National Waterways Bill 2015
Policy matters this week Posted on 15 Mar, 2016 12:27 PM

Rajya Sabha gives a go ahead to the National Waterways Bill

Navigating rivers through simple boats (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal creates rift between Punjab-Haryana
News this week Posted on 15 Mar, 2016 12:10 PM

Punjab-Haryana at crossroads over the controversial Sutlej-Yamuna canal

Sutlej river in Punjab (Source: Harpreet Riat via Wikipedia)
5 crore people cleanse themselves at the cost of 5000
Ujjain's own labourers, farmers and the Kshipra river will bear the brunt of the onslaught of pilgrims at the upcoming Ujjain Simhastha (Kumbh Mela). Posted on 24 Feb, 2016 09:38 PM

The Ujjain Simhastha (Kumbh Mela) in Madhya Pradesh will begin on April 22, 2016 and go on for a month. The event, held once every 12 years, holds religious significance to Hindus, and throngs of people--approximately 5 crore over the month--take a holy dip in the Kshipra river during this time.

Early morning at Ramghat, Ujjain
High on potential, low on execution
Small hydro power projects, which could have a greater potential to deal with energy deficiency, are yet to yield what they promise thanks to procedural hiccups and bad research. Posted on 17 Feb, 2016 09:25 PM

Recently, Prime Minister Modi asked Niti Aayog to submit a report on stalled hydropower projects in the country.

A small hydro power project in Chamba, Himachal Pradesh
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