Rainfall and other forms of Precipitation

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September 13, 2022 Heavy rains and floods have battered Bengaluru yet again. Uncontrolled and unregulated development and concretisation of the city that pays no heed to the ecology and hydrology of the region needs to stop!
Urban flooding in Bangalore (Image Source: Thejas via Wikimedia Commons)
March 29, 2022 The intensity and duration of heat waves is predicted to increase in India and human induced anthropogenic changes are to blame.
A man sits under the scorching heat of the sun in front of Amer fort in Jaipur (Picture courtesy: Prabhu B Doss, Flickr Commons: CC-By-NC-ND-2.0)
February 10, 2022 47% of India’s population is vulnerable to floods, says IMD's Climate Hazards Atlas
(Image: J Surya, CC-SA-4.0 International)
July 4, 2021 A study finds that while forests existed in peninsular India, they were replaced by savanna grasslands over time. And the weakening monsoon was the culprit!
Savanna grasslands at Nannaj Bustard Sanctuary, Solapur, Maharashtra (Image Source: Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons)
June 30, 2021 Climate analysis predicts mismatch in rainfall and temperature patterns with crop phenology: Soybean, Cotton, Wheat and Gram crops at risk, finds Institute for Sustainable Communities study across three major regions of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra faces an increasing risk from climate change which is likely to impact the production of four major crops - Soybean, Cotton, Wheat and Gram.  (Image: BAIF Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
December 13, 2019 A study highlights the need to scale down the export of rice, maize, buffalo meat and other items to conserve groundwater in India.
A farmer uses a hosepipe to irrigate crops at her farm in Nilgiris mountains, Tamil Nadu (Image: Hamish John Appleby for IWMI, Flickr Commons, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
How local democracy is solving water issues in southern Rajasthan
People come together to dig community ponds in Dungarpur, to fight water scarcity. Posted on 09 Sep, 2019 09:48 AM

While most parts of the country are facing a water crisis, here’s a case from the arid state of Rajasthan, where decentralized initiatives are solving water issues. Dungarpur in southern Rajasthan has exemplified how community participation with local level planning processes are working towards improving rainwater harvesting and recharge of groundwater.

Community pond in Doja after the first pre-monsoon rain. Pic credit: Rajat Kumar
Monsoon set to abate: SkyMet Weather
Rainfall likely over central, western India; Mumbai & Chennai to receive no rains; light to moderate rainfall in Delhi this week; no extreme weather events expected across India. Posted on 28 Aug, 2019 11:49 AM

Since the 25th of July, there have been four consecutive weeks of surplus rainfall which have compensated for the delayed onset of monsoon and the deficient rains recorded in June and early July.  July had ended with a countrywide deficit of 9%, but vigorous Monsoon conditions took the rains to a surplus of 1% as on August 25.

Picture for representational purposes only. Picture courtesy India Water Portal on Flickr
Vanishing water bodies behind Ahmedabad’s warm climate
A study shows how the open space on the western bank of the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad acts as a heat sink. Posted on 28 Aug, 2019 10:48 AM

A study published in the Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, analyzing the cooling effect of the city of Ahmedabad’s water bodies, has thrown up some interesting findings. The east bank of the Sabarmati river, which flows through Ahmedabad, was found to be significantly cooler than the west bank, witnessing a greater drop in temperature even during summer.

Silverbill enjoying the cool feeling of breeze on the wet feathers in the scorching heat (Image: Koshy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)
Heavy rain and floods hit North India
News this week Posted on 22 Aug, 2019 12:00 PM

Rains wreak havoc in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab

Following the southern states witnessing heavy rainfall and floods this monsoon, the northern parts of India are now also experiencing incessant rains.

Gori river in Uttarakhand in spate during 2013 floods (Source: Chicu Lokgariwar, India Water Portal)
Government to spend Rs 3.5 trillion to provide potable water
Policy matters this week Posted on 21 Aug, 2019 11:14 PM

Government to spend Rs 3.5 trillion under Jal Jeevan Mission: PM Modi

Women filling water from a tap (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
In photos: How temple tanks are helping Chennai conserve rain water
During the monsoon, temple tanks in Chennai fill to the brim with water, helping in groundwater recharge. Posted on 21 Aug, 2019 03:05 PM

Besides showcasing the architectural expertise and aesthetics of their time, temple tanks also play an extremely important role as water storage systems in Chennai.

Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane has the biggest tank. Recently, volunteers belonging to the Central Industrial Security Force cleaned the tank. Pic: Laasya Shekhar
When crocodiles roamed city streets: The real reason behind Vadodara floods
Urban flooding in Gujarat has led to some strange developments in recent weeks. Posted on 21 Aug, 2019 01:30 PM

The videos were all over the Internet and social media. Expectedly so, because you don’t often see crocodiles swimming in flooded urban streets, sneaking up on strays. But that’s precisely what happened shortly after news of ‘urban floods’ in Vadodara hit headlines in early August.

Flash floods following extreme rainfall left Vadodara inundated in Early August. Pic: Concerned Citizens of Vadodara
Beyond the death toll: The everyday violence of Assam’s floods
Mitul Baruah from Ashoka University narrates personal experiences of people affected by floods in Majuli, Assam. Posted on 19 Aug, 2019 12:53 PM

Floods are an annual phenomenon in Assam. They are as integral to the state as the Brahmaputra River is, and each monsoon, we are reminded that Assam exists (or is drowning). As I write this piece, Assam is slowly recovering from the first wave of flood this monsoon.

Floods in Majuli Assam. Photo credit: Mitul Baruah
Growing crops, one byte at a time
Mobile agri-advisory services provide timely and relevant advice to farmers. But do they translate to practice in the field? Posted on 19 Aug, 2019 12:09 PM

Agricultural extension and advisory services facilitate the transfer of knowledge, information, improved technologies and practices to farmers, farmer organizations and market actors. Research has shown positive effects of extension access when it came to knowledge, adoption, productivity, and economic returns for farmers.

CCMobile App compatible with Android and iOS, tends to connect farmers with their crop (Image: YourStory)
Floods claim 227 lives; Centre proposes river basin management bill to check floods
News this week Posted on 14 Aug, 2019 01:37 PM

Southwest monsoon claims 227 lives

Rescue efforts underway during the floods in Chennai in 2015 (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
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