Panchayati Raj Institutions

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April 6, 2021 Significantly reduced the daily drudgery of women in rural areas
The water requirement for the scheme is being fulfilled through borings, submersible pumps, and distribution pipelines implemented by the Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Bihar. (Image: Sehgal Foundation)
December 7, 2020 The new farm related bills will spell doom for women workers who form the bulk of small and marginal sections of Indian agriculture, warns Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM).
Farm women, overworked and underpaid (Image Source: India Water Portal)
October 24, 2019 An intern with Watershed Organisation Trust narrates his field experience from the villages of Madhya Pradesh, where farmers are using farm ponds to conserve water.
A farm pond constructed by Sheshrao Dhurve in Karaghat Kamti village of Madhya Pradesh
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.
September 30, 2019 The recently concluded 4 day conference in Bangalore looked at the current state of global water resource challenges & future pathways to achieve the SDGs, while ensuring equity in access to all.
Charles Vorosmarty, Chair, COMPASS Initiative, Water Future at the opening plenary on advanced water system assessments to address water security challenges of the 21st century.
Election update: Its hills vs plains in Manipur
The land of gems will have a new government soon. We look at what leading political parties have to say about issues related to natural resources. Posted on 04 Mar, 2017 05:33 PM

The key issue in the Manipur Assembly election is the ongoing economic blockade in the state, which, in turn, is attributed to the present government’s decision to

A Manipuri family. (Source: Coffee Table Book, Government of Manipur)
What WatSan got from the budget
Budget 2017-18: Which social sector schemes and ministries got major shares of the pie? An analysis. Posted on 09 Feb, 2017 12:26 PM

The much-anticipated budget this year treads largely on the path set last year with the rural sector receiving more allocation than its urban counterpart.

Water pots lined up for filling. (Source: McKay Savage, Wikimedia Commons)
All eyes on agriculture
With the budget 2017-18 round the corner, we look at the needs of the agriculture sector in the country and what the budget can offer to support its growth. Posted on 31 Jan, 2017 07:28 PM

The agriculture sector in India’s drought-ravaged regions is in a state of crisis. Millions of farmers are pushed out of their farms and into the cities for jobs.

Farmers thresh paddy during harvest at Sangrur, Punjab. (Source: Neil Palmer, CIAT, 2011, Wikimedia Commons)
What WatSan needs from budget
The water and sanitation sector in India is in urgent need for funds to show results. The budget 2017-2018 should look into it. Posted on 26 Jan, 2017 08:20 AM

According to a report by WaterAid, a water and sanitation nonprofit, released in 2016, India has the highest number (75.8 million) of people in the world without access to safe water.

Drinking water source in a village at Kawardha, Chhattisgarh
Closing the loop
A village near Bengaluru sets an example of reusing wastewater by innovatively using the reject water from a community RO plant to eliminate fluoride contamination. Posted on 09 Jan, 2017 03:58 PM

With a total population of 1200, Sonnahallipura village in Hoskote taluk of Bangalore Rural district has 250 homes. This village was chosen by the Rotary Club of Bangalore, Indiranagar to start a micro-credit programme for 10 women’s self-help groups (SHG) and a low-cost sanitary napkin manufacturing unit.  

The RO plant in Sonnahallipura village.
Breathing life into Baitarani
The river basin of Baitarani is facing many challenges in these changing times. Initiatives are on to protect it. Posted on 12 Dec, 2016 12:13 PM

Pranab Choudhury has been actively engaged with the causes of the poor and the environment for more than a decade.

Pranab Choudhury
Grand scheme to befriend farmers
Despite farmers’ apprehension, the new crop insurance scheme, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, is considered a game changer. Posted on 26 Nov, 2016 06:38 PM

“Agriculture is a highly risky venture,” says Nagi Reddy, a farmer in Anantapur. Reddy is a small farmer affected by uncertainty in crop production stemming from unpredictable weather events and pest attacks, especially in his cotton crop. He works on his 2.5-acre farm and the rest of the time, he clocks in as a tenant farmer at an adjacent farm.

A group of farmers in Karnataka's project on spice value chain development.. (Source: Rakesh Sahai, Wikimedia Commons, 2015)
Empty fields remain as schemes fail
CAG audit of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, a scheme that promised a revitalised agriculture sector, suggests only 62 percent work was completed. They are fraught with irregularities, too. Posted on 13 Oct, 2016 01:20 PM

Phaguni Ho hails from East Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. Come March, Phaguni’s husband will migrate to Chennai to work as a daily wager at a construction site. Unable to handle the small farm in Singhbhum alone, she has given it on lease to another farmer. “I have to look after my four children and livestock.

Phaguni is one of the victims of the crisis in farming.
Call for Nominations: FICCI Water Awards 2016
FICCI Water Awards recognize excellence in water conservation and sustainable water management practices.
Posted on 28 Sep, 2016 03:56 PM
Water Awards_Call for nomination
Right data to create right policies
The data on MDWS available through IMIS is inaccurate which could affect evidence-based policy making. Posted on 23 Sep, 2016 03:21 PM

The Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) provides ample information on the physical and financial progress of various programmes and schemes implemented by the government, with certain information mad

IMIS on MDWS website
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