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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.
Pampa Sarovara and its environs in Valmiki Ramayana - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Understanding Water and its importance through ancient knowledge in mythology Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 03:17 AM

This paper describes a lake in one of the forests through which the Hindu god Ram and his brother Laxman passed, during their search for Sita. A virtual picture of the forest and the lake (Pampa Sarovara) in it using the Valmiki Ramayana which is a religious biopic of Ram's life on earth is created. This lake is situated near the town of Hampi in Karnataka today, and the forest is a rich source of water to this day.

Revival of swadeshi, vedic and traditional wisdom of water - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper highlights various ancient Indian texts which mention various ways to find, conserve, purify and harvest water. Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 02:36 AM

To highlight the value placed on water and to describe water supply systems, the authors quote from the Chandogyo-Upanishad, Yajurveda and other ancient Indian texts.

Water management in the Vijaynagar empire - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
The ancient systems were built with a reverence for the environment and water. Understanding these from the Vijaynagar Empire Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 01:55 AM

This paper focuses on water management techniques used in two tanks constructed by the kings of the Vijaynagar Empire.

The first example taken, is that of the Anantraj Sagar built by the son of the minister of Harihar. The lake is still in use and there are inscriptions on stone near it which provide a thumb rule to constructing lakes. Construction of this lake began in 1369 and was completed in 2 years. The paper states that the length of the dam was 5000 dand, width was 8 dand and the height was 7 dand (One dand is about one metre).

Water management systems in the coastal area of Ratnagiri, with special reference to water tanks near temples - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
A study of the relation between water systems and temples to understand ancient knowledge Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 01:27 AM

This paper discusses the water management systems found in temples in coastal Konkan, based on a study of 5 temples in the district of Ratnagiri. The study area is a rocky and rugged country, with elevated plateau and intersecting creeks.

A temple tank in Devanahalli, Karnataka. Picture for representation only.
Idol immersion activities and their management in water bodies in India - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper discusses the programme that was initiated to shift the venue of immersion of Hindu idols in the city of Bhopal. Posted on 13 Feb, 2011 11:07 PM

This paper begins with an analysis of the rationale for idol immersion in Hinduism. Some of the reasons given by the author include water being able to disintegrate idols, the idea of purity of water etc.

Irrigation in India - Management phases and its sustainability - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
The paper discusses ancient and modern irrigation practices in India. Posted on 13 Feb, 2011 10:52 PM

Since time immemorial water has been a common property and in many Indian communities there is deep reverence for flowing water. Using the flow of water for community benefit  is considered an act of great merit and  its misuse and contamination, a sin. In temples, tanks were constructed for rituals and also as a way to earn money for the temple.

Coastal Regulation Zone (2011) Notification, Island Protection Zone (2011) Notification and Traditional Coastal and Marine Fisherfolk (Protection of Rights) Act (2009) by the Ministry of Environment and Forests
For the first time an Island Protection Zone Notification (2011) is being notified and published covering Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. Posted on 11 Feb, 2011 09:22 PM

The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification of 1991 has been replaced recently in January 2011 by the latest CRZ notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 - Welcome, but a lost opportunity - Press release by SANDRP
Firstly, the definition of the Wetlands in the rules does not include Rivers and floodplains which are included under wetlands under the Ramsar convention on Wetlands that India is signatory to. Posted on 04 Feb, 2011 10:33 AM

SANDRPOn the occasion of the World Wetlands Day 2011, while we welcome the notification of Wetland (Conservation and Management) rules 2010 by the Union Ministry of Env

Irrigation tanks and their traditional local management - A remarakable ancient history of India - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Irrigation and traditional managements systems were community led. The recent past has seen sharp decline of both. A road back to the future leads us to the revival of these: discusses this paper Posted on 31 Jan, 2011 03:20 AM

Tanks are rainwater harvesting techniques which capture water during monsoons for later use. Mention of tanks in colonial texts is made and the authors infer from ancient texts like Tamil Purananuru on the importance of tanks and the locations for their construction, as well detailing their geographical spread.

Applicability of traditional wisdom in water management in Konkan region of Maharashtra - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper describes some traditional water management techniques of the Konkan region of Maharashtra, with the hope that an effort will be made to revive them to ensure water supply for rural areas. Posted on 31 Jan, 2011 02:51 AM

The state government's investments in supplying potable water under the Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran (MJP) scheme which envisaged a no tanker supply' end to the scheme is critiqued. The authors note that the project mainly concentrated on asset creation, neglecting operation and maintenance resulting in limited improvement in villages, with respect to water supply.

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