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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.
Dying wisdom of medieval water management of Aurangabad city - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper discusses the water management techniques and technology known as Neher. Posted on 31 Jan, 2011 01:40 AM

The city of Aurangabad has benefited from the construction of  aqueducts and canals by its earlier rulers. According to the authors  between 1617 and 1803, a number of aqueducts and canals were constructed.

Glimpses of Bhagiratha Vidya - Irrigation engineering in ancient India - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper looks at various ancient Indian texts to highlight irrigation techniques used at that time. Posted on 31 Jan, 2011 01:33 AM

There is mention of the importance of water in daily life in various prayers in the Rigveda. The author states that the earliest evidence of water conservation goes back to 3000 B. C. when Gabarbands were built in Baluchisthan. The Harappans built tanks and wells and were pioneers of well-digging technology.

Traditional water management practices and water sector reforms in South India - A comparative analysis of three systems and Participatory Irrigation Management policy - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper deals with the comparative analysis of traditional water management practices in tanks systems and water sector reforms carried out in three southern states of India. Posted on 30 Jan, 2011 06:13 PM

The authors study three tanks; one each in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and find that almost all tanks in Southern India face similar problems that include farmers in command area being deprived of water, siltation, lack of proper maintenance of such structures, lack of political will to decentralise authority to tank institutions etc.

Traditional water management practices in coastal Karnataka - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper highlights traditional water management practices that were practised in coastal Karnataka. Posted on 30 Jan, 2011 04:10 PM

Th paper begins with a brief history of the region of Southern Kanada, its geography and the religious practices of the region. Some of the key features of this region includes  an abundance of rivers though they mostly are rain-fed. 

Glimpses of the historical water bodies in the Vijaynagar dynasty - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
88 Water bodies of the Vijaynagar Empire are either close to or extinct Posted on 30 Jan, 2011 03:44 AM

This paper uses secondary data to showcase the water bodies that were built in the Vijayanagar Empire. The author states that there were 88 such water bodies and these were used for irrigation purposes and also for consumption.

Using media to address water issue in Rajasthan - Video Volunteers
A Video Trainer for Video Volunteers, Tara Misra spent a year at the Jal Chitran - the Community Video Unit (CVU) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan. Posted on 28 Jan, 2011 12:00 PM

During her yearlong stay, Tara trained at least twenty people into video production some of whom have succeeded in finding work in the local market as photographers, cameramen and wedding video makers. In this blog she gives a vivid account of the CVU, its producers and their work.

Sustainable water management initiatives in Konkan under threat - A report
an intricate system of tanks, channels and falls which supplies water to the Panderi village and goes down as a free flowing stream, to irrigate a plantation of arecanut, pepper and mangoes- this intricate system is now beginning to fall apart. Posted on 21 Jan, 2011 02:09 PM

Guest Post by: Parineeta Dandekar

At the first sight, Daarche Paani (‘water at the doors’) appears unreal.. on a small flat plateau called ‘Sadaa’ in konkan, an elegant cobbled walkway leads a puzzled visitor to stairs carved in stone, which go down to an ancient grove, and here is an intricate system of tanks, channels and falls which supplies water to the Panderi village and goes down as a free flowing stream, to irrigate a plantation of arecanut, pepper and mangoes in a village called Gudaghe. When I visited the place, I could see three eminent visitors, a silent lady washing her load of clothes, a fairy bluebird splashing at a tank and a huge moonmoth in one of the trees.

Stone walkway and ancient mango trees leading to Daarche PaaniStone walkway and ancient mango trees leading to Daarche Paani.
Photo: Parineeta Dandekar

Apotheosis of water and its inevitability in Indian culture - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Water has been central in the conquests and kingdoms. Understanding the role of water and its value in history. Posted on 09 Jan, 2011 11:23 PM

This paper highlights the role and value of water in ancient times. The author begins with analysing the discussion on water in the Rig Veda and it's deification. The paper points out to the link between various Hindu gods and water. Social mores in the context of water use is also highlighted, taboos like no nude bathing in rivers and no excretion into such water bodies is pointed out.

Sanitation is sexy challenge : Winners announced
Winners of "Sanitation is sexy challenge" have been announced Posted on 07 Jan, 2011 10:54 AM

Article and Image Courtesy: Acumen Fund
Author: James Wu

Sanitation is Sexy - Make it ObviousThe judges votes are in, and we’re excited to announce the winners for the Search for the Obvious Sanitation is Sexy challenge.

Films on Watershed Development and Dairying by Samaj Pragati Sahayog
Samaj Pragati Sahayog has recently completed production of two films, which are now available for purchase. Posted on 06 Jan, 2011 05:42 PM

For the last 2 decades Samaj Pragati Sahayog (SPS) has implemented watershed management projects in an attempt to integrate regeneration of natural resources with livelihood security of the poor

SPS has recently completed production of two films, which are now available for purchase.

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