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December 11, 2019 Dry toilets have long been hailed as a sustainable solution to the sanitation and waste management crisis facing India today, but have been overshadowed by more modern toilet designs.
A traditional dry toilet. Image: India Science Wire
November 27, 2019 Policy matters this week
An irrigation well at Randullabad, Maharashtra (Source: India Water Portal on Flickr)
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)
November 6, 2019 The number of people vulnerable to floods triggered by climate change by 2050 is triple that of previous estimates, according to a new study.
Aerial view of Chennai during floods 2015 (Image: Veethika, Wikimedia Commons, CC-SA 4.0 International)
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)
October 21, 2019 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.
Sunderbans - A climate adaptation report by World Wildlife Fund India
This climate adaptation report by World Wildlife Fund India captures its experience on climate change in the Sundarbans. Posted on 09 May, 2011 09:23 PM

Sunderbans Beginning in 2005, WWF-India has conducted dozens of personal interviews to record how climate change impacts people's lives here and now. These perceptions demanded that s

Call for entries on Jeevika Asia Documentary Festival 2011 - Centre for Civil Society – Apply by 4th July, 2011
Posted on 09 May, 2011 05:05 PM

JeevikaTaking place in the heartland of India, New Delhi, the 8th JEEVIKA: Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival is a non-profit film showcase promoting films that put livelihood on the live wire! Organised by the Centre for Civil Society, the documentary festival is a part of the larger Livelihood Freedom Campaign ‘JEEVIKA’ which helps develop public policy measures to clear the path for free enterprise.

Fluid verve - Nowhere but in Mandu, does one find so many structures conceived with water as an integral part of design - Article from Terrascape magazine
There is so much water in Mandu also because of the large number of water bodies, lakes, ponds, stepwells, cisterns that survive, unlike their contemporary cousins in Delhi. Posted on 03 May, 2011 01:52 PM


Fluid verve - Nowhere but in Mandu, does one find so many structures conceived with water as an integral part of design - Article from Terrascape magazine

Role of indigenous knowledge system in conservation of forest resources – A case study of the Aka tribes of Arunachal Pradesh – A paper in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
This paper in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge presents a case study on the role of indigenous knowledge system in conservation of forest resources by the Aka tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. Posted on 23 Apr, 2011 09:01 PM

AkaIndigenous knowledge is the basis for local level decision making in agriculture, healthcare, food preparation, education, natural resource management, and a host of other activities in rural communities.

Between the city and the salty sea - The wells of Bhuigaon, Thane, Greater Mumbai - Guest post by MS Gopal
Bhuigaon’s fields are watered by small rain- fed Bhowkal (large wells) maintained by women. Posted on 22 Apr, 2011 05:57 PM

 As the concrete jungle of Greater Mumbai reaches Bhuigaon and overuse of groundwater sucks in the sea water, the traditional wells are under threat.

 

Traditional fishing techniques of tribes in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh – A paper in the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge
This paper presents the wealth of knowledge available to tribals in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on traditional fishing techniques. Posted on 20 Apr, 2011 07:52 AM

Tribal habitat and rich primitive culture covers many traditions and fish is an integral part of the tribal food habit since times immemorial in this region. The life of tribes mainly depends on naturally available foods which can rarely be reaped in other places. The fishing techniques are specialized according to structure, size of stream, season and species of fishes intended to be harvested.

Bhisti community in Kolkata usurped by taps - A film from Video Volunteers
Bhisti Community, who used to provide water to Kolkata’s inhabitants, is slowly disappearing. Posted on 18 Apr, 2011 12:15 PM

 

 

Deep wells and prudence - Towards pragmatic action for addressing groundwater overexploitation in India - A World Bank document (2010)
India is the largest user of groundwater resources in the world. It is estimated that approximately 230 cubic kilometers per year is used annually, this is more than a quarter of the total world consumption from this resource.
It is in this context that this World Bank report looks at the reasons for this quantum of groundwater usage
Posted on 12 Apr, 2011 01:51 AM

India is the largest user of groundwater resources in the world. It is estimated that approximately 230 cubic kilometers per year is used annually, this is more than a quarter of the total world consumption from this resource.

It is in this context that this World Bank report looks at the reasons for this quantum of groundwater usage.

The report delves into socio-economic and political reasons and looks at policies which inadvertently promote so much extraction. The report also analyses various attempts to manage this resource. These attempts range from government and international agency efforts directed to grassroots mobilisations. Finally the report comes out with suggestions to deal with this crisis.

Calling entries for 'IDPA Awards for Excellence 2010' – Apply by 15th May, 2011
Posted on 11 Apr, 2011 04:53 PM

IDPAIndian Documentary Producers' Association (IDPA) is a non-profit organisation that came into being in 1956. It is registered as a public trust under the Bombay Public Trust Act 1950. Today IDPA is India’s single largest association of producers of documentaries, animation films, advertisement films and TV programmes. IDPA has organised film festivals and instituted awards to recognise and reward the talents of Indian short film makers. IDPA is also involved with educational institutions that offer courses in media and communications and would like to reach out to young people entering the profession.

Indian standard code of practice for installation of septic tanks (IS: 2470) - Bureau of Indian Standards (1986)
Treating the Sewage and Maintaining health: the IS Code defines the requirements to be met for minimum standards Posted on 11 Apr, 2011 03:46 AM

This IS Code provides various requirements that have to be met while constructing a septic tank, so that it meets minimum standards. This Code is dictated by the Bureau of Indian Standards, and ensures that the sewage is treated in a way that maintains health and hygiene of the community.

While the first standard for small septic tanks was first printed in 1963 and then revised in 1968, the standard for disposal of effluent from septic tanks was published later in 1964 and revised in 1971.

This code has been sourced through City Managers' Association Karnataka (CMAK), a non profit that provides technical expertise to urban local bodies.

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