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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.
Techno-economic feasibility study of sanitation and sewage management for Pandharpur town, Maharashtra - Ecosan Services Foundation (2009)
Solving Pandharpur's Sanitation Crisis. A study into the Maharashtra's holy town rings out interventions to combat its growing problem of water and sanitation Posted on 10 Apr, 2011 02:15 AM

This study provides interventions to solving the sanitation crisis in the holy town of Pandharpur, situated on the banks of the Chandrabagha/Bhima river, in the state of Maharashtra, which receives more than 1.5 crore devotees annually. On any given day there are approximately 20,000 pilgrims in this Class B town. This vast floating population creates massive sanitation problems leading to environmental and hygiene issues.  The study forms part of the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board's 'Environmental Improvement Programme at Religious Places in Maharashtra' project.

Profile of GUARDIAN microfinance institution
GUARDIAN is the first MFI in the world engaged in micro lending to people lacking credit for the creation of individual toilet and water connection facilities Posted on 31 Mar, 2011 02:19 PM

Gramalaya Urban And Rural Development Initiatives And Network (GUARDIAN) is a micro finance institution (MFI) and a not for profit institution with no capital, registered under Sec.

3rd Jivan Vidya life-skills workshop, 1st to 6th May 2011, Sirsi, Karnataka
Posted on 28 Mar, 2011 10:56 AM

Organizer: Centre for Holistic Learning

Venue: Huthina Betta campus, Sirsi, Karnataka

India’s water sector: The performance and challenges – A presentation by Himanshu Thakker of SANDRP
This presentation deals with performance of India’s water sector and the challenges therein. Posted on 23 Mar, 2011 11:44 PM

Karcham WangtooThe sector is marked by large-scale water development projects like big dams.

Estimating the investment requirements for urban infrastructure services – Report of the High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC)
The report documents the nature of the urbanisation challenges facing India. Its central message is that urbanisation is not an option. Posted on 22 Mar, 2011 09:13 AM

Urban InfrastructureThis report on Indian urban infrastructure and services is an outcome of the High Powered Expert Committee (HPEC) chaired by Isher Judge Ahluwalia set up by the Ministry of Urban Development in May, 2008 for estimating the investment requirement for urban infrastructure services. It is an inevitable outcome of the faster rates of growth to which the economy has now transited. Indeed, urbanisation is itself a process that will support growth. The Committee has made recommendations on how to deal with these challenges of urbanisation.

The Committee has held several meetings with officials from the Government of India, state governments and local governments and also met with academicians and other stakeholders such as Asian Development Bank with interest and expertise in Indian urban issues.

The report argues that the challenge of managing urbanisation will have to be addressed through a combination of increased investment, strengthening the framework for governance and financing, and a comprehensive capacity building programme at all levels of government. The Committee has projected very large investment requirements for providing public services to specified norms and also supporting the growth process. The challenge of financing these investments is inextricably linked with the challenge of governing the cities and towns of India.

Photo essay for Water Day 2011
"Rural household saving water at home" and many more by Anil Gulati Posted on 21 Mar, 2011 02:43 PM

rural household saving water at homeRural household saving water at home

Call for Entries – Voices from the Waters 2011, 6th International Film Festival on Water - Last date to apply 15th June 2011
Posted on 16 Mar, 2011 05:23 PM

Voices from the Waters 2011Bangalore Film Society in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, SVARAJ, Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF) of Ithaca College USA, Christ University Bangalore, VISTHAR, Charter of Human Responsibilities, SAMVADA, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, YWCA Bangalore and Water Journeys – Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water, are organizing the 6th edition of the largest International Film Festival on Water – Voices from the Waters 2011.

Cremation customs pollute Ganges river - Video Volunteers
The Ganga in Allahabad is being polluted by the tradition of immersing cremated corpses Posted on 03 Mar, 2011 01:28 PM

 

 

Temple fish sanctuaries: Last bastions of native fish and pristine river stretches - A report
Native freshwater fish in India are declining rapidly, due to destruction of habitats through hydrological modifications, pollution and unsustainable fishing practices. Posted on 01 Mar, 2011 12:56 PM



Temple Fish Sanctuaries: Last bastions of native fish and pristine river stretches

Khazana Bawali - Historical wisdom needing protection - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
The loss of ancient knowledge: the Kazana Bawali lost to the want or urbanization or sheer callousness Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 03:57 AM

This paper presents the case of Khazana Bawali - a large ancient well that irrigated around 1000 acres in the past but is now in disrepair. The well is about 20 metres in diameter which stores rainwater from the neighbouring hills. The water is brought through underground tunnels that have ventilators at regular intervals to ensure fresh air and also to help in its manual cleaning. This well today irrigates only about 525 acres. It was built by the Jagirdar of Beed in 1582.