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September 1, 2021 Best practices for holistic urban water management in Chennai Metropolitan Area
These bright plastic jugs are ubiquitous in Chennai and Tamil Nadu. (Image: McKay Savage, Flickr Commons; CC BY 2.0)
December 26, 2019 Policy matters this week
The Mandovi river disputed between Karnataka and Goa (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
December 6, 2019 A report by the India Rivers Forum highlights the need to focus further than the main stem of the Ganga river.
Distant snow clad mountains, the smaller hills and the Ganga river (Image: Srimoyee Banerjee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
December 4, 2019 To adapt well & build resilience, climate change strategies need to factor in efforts towards water security, writes Vanita Suneja, Regional Advocacy Manager (South Asia), WaterAid.
Image credit: WaterAid/Prashanth Vishwanathan
December 2, 2019 A study highlights the barriers to harnessing India's potential for wind energy.
Windmills in Karnataka, India. Picture credit: India Water Portal
Managing willows in Wular lake
The flood in the Kashmir valley in 2015 was the result of the destruction of wetlands. A video tells us what we can do to save the valley. Posted on 10 Jul, 2017 05:07 AM

The devastating flood in 2015 in the Kashmir valley affected more than 2.5 lakh houses and displaced about 5.5 lakh people. The economic loss was massive.  

Many researchers and experts believe that careful conservation and protection of the lakes, ponds and wetlands in the Kashmir valley could have reduced the scale of the devastation to a large extent. 

Wular lake seen from Saderkote Park. (Source: Wikipedia)
Every day is a dry day in Kovaipudur
While Kovaipudur is finding it difficult to survive another season with no groundwater and an indifferent government, the solution is in harvesting every drop of rain it gets. Posted on 30 Jun, 2017 07:11 PM

With its pleasant climate and serene environment, Kovaipudur, a quaint township located in Coimbatore, was once known to be a haven for retired people. Kovaipudur is living out a nightmare now, one that has snowballed over the years.

Rainwater harvesting is the way to go in water scarce regions. (Source: IWP Flickr)
Every drop that matters!
A short film provides insight into the water sector situation in the Marathwada region in Maharashtra. Posted on 27 Jun, 2017 10:12 PM

The people of the Marathwada region have been facing severe water crisis for more than three decades. Despite adverse circumstances, the Akoladev panchayat in the Jalna district has set an example for other panchayats by solving their water woes through community participation and effective water harvesting measures that suit their geographic terrain.

Jivrekha river, Akoladev (Source:Dilasa)
Guidelines eased for India-Nepal Pancheshwar project
Policy matters this week Posted on 27 Jun, 2017 09:04 PM

India eases assessment guidelines for India-Nepal Pancheshwar project 

Mahakali River (Source: A. J. T. Johnsingh, WWF-India and NCF)
Chilka's health brings wealth
The Chilika Lake is Asia’s largest saltwater lake known for its biodiversity. The video, Going the Chilika Way provides insight into the importance of investing in nature and improving biodiversity. Posted on 19 Jun, 2017 12:44 PM

Spanning over 1,165 sq km, the Chilika Lake is Asia’s largest saltwater lake. Over 200,000 fishers and 400,000 farmers depend on the lake for their livelihood. But what makes this lake stand out is its biodiversity.Over a million migratory birds winter here, making it a bird watcher’s paradise in India.

The Chilika Lake. (Source: India Water Portal)
Can we save our farmers?
The economic condition of farmers is getting progressively worse resulting in increasing number of farmer suicides. Here's a look at possible solutions. Posted on 02 Jun, 2017 09:22 AM

The year 2009 was an exceptionally dry year for Maharashtra. There was an acute shortage of water. The farmlands went dry. The farmers, unable to pay their debts, were a worried lot. Lakshman Ambilkar of Kinni village in the Yavatmal district of Maharashtra was one such farmer who could not take it anymore. He killed himself, leaving a young, distraught wife to fend for herself.

A devastated farmer Kalu Ram Nishad of Mohamara village. (Pic:India Water Portal)
Their will, their way
Pune citizens come together to save their water resources, show ways to use water sustainably. Posted on 27 May, 2017 05:34 PM

Pune has a story similar to many other cities in India that grew exponentially without much warning. The unplanned development hit the water resources badly, increasing the city’s dependence on groundwater. Now, the city experiences water scarcity every year, even when the monsoons have been plentiful.

Dr Vishram Rajhans and Mr Ravindra Sinha
Flourishing informal water market
Informal water tankers are both a curse and a necessity. Should they be banned or integrated into the formal water supply system? Posted on 22 May, 2017 10:22 AM

Every study village of the project, Ensuring Water Security in Metropolitan Hyderabad, has a different situation and a different story to say about the informal water market. However, the most pertinent question remains partially answered: Are informal water tankers good or bad?

The dirty picture
A hard-hitting documentary film ‘Kakkoos’ looks at the politics behind the banned practice of manual scavenging and how the civil society connives to keep it alive. Posted on 12 May, 2017 11:27 AM

Kakkoos, a compelling documentary film on manual scavenging in Tamil Nadu is all about showing the practice as it is without any filter.

Manual scavenging is a caste issue. (Image: Divya Bharathi, Facebook)
In the name of development
The indigenous community of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been systematically alienated from their land by the colonial and post-colonial policies. A new book chronicles the change. Posted on 06 May, 2017 08:12 PM

Pankaj Sekhsaria’s recent book Islands in flux--The Andaman and Nicobar Story is a collection of around 20 years of his writings on the environmental and conservation concerns faced by the indigenous tribal communities of the region.

The forests and the tribal communities of the islands are being decimated. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
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