Rivers

Featured Articles
November 25, 2022 These maps at the watershed scales have been made to not only ensure inclusion of different freshwater ecosystems, their connectivity and hydrological processes, but can also provide a spatial context for conservation decisions.
A stream at Anini, Arunachal Pradesh (Image Source: Roshni Arora)
October 30, 2022 This book by Dr. Mitul Baruah presents a fascinating, ethnographic account of the challenges faced by communities living in Majuli, India, one of the largest river islands in the world, which has experienced immense socio-environmental transformations over the years, processes that are emblematic of the Brahmaputra Valley as a whole. This is an excerpt from the book.
Floods are recurrent phenomena in Assam (Image: Mitul Baruah)
October 11, 2022 In an effort to inform the general public, especially citizen activists, policymakers, researchers, and students, about the current status of the Vrishabhavathi river, Paani.Earth has created the necessary maps, data, analysis, and information to drive conservation awareness and action around the river.
Vrishabhavathi river (Image Source: Paani.Earth)
October 6, 2022 Rapid urbanisation and faulty land use policies are rapidly destroying forests, grasslands and wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir, India and the ecosystem value services they provide. Can these valuable ecosystems be saved?
Deteriorating ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir, India (Image Source: tkohli at Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)
September 5, 2022 In an attempt to present a perspective on how rivers are used and abused, a map of the Bengaluru rivers illustrate how waste flows through natural river corridors, polluting the rivers and altering their status.
Vrishabhavathi river flow at Thagachguppe Bridge, Kumbalgodu (Image Source: Paani.Earth)
August 11, 2022 This could lead to water quality crisis reinforcing the need for basin-specific management strategies
Around the world, more than a fifth of nitrogen released by human activity ends up in aquatic ecosystems (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
We are not doing a true cost-benefit analysis of hydropower dams in India - Interview with Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala
The benefits from generation of electricity are grossly overstated while the costs of generation are understated. Posted on 28 Jan, 2011 05:46 PM

Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala, past faculty at IIM, Bangalore, holds a doctorate in Economics.  He has been working persistently on economic impacts of hydropower dams, applying the concepts of environmental economics to arrive at some interesting results.

His latest book, ‘Economics of River Flows: Lessons from Dam Removals from America’ analyses dam decommissioning examples from the United States and raises some pertinent questions about costs benefit analysis of dams in India. His earlier book, ‘Economics of Hydropower’ raised questions about economic efficiency, viability and sustainability of Hydropower Dams in India.

Parineeta Dandekar, IWP, talks with him on some of these issues.

Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala can be contacted at: bharatjj@gmail.com

Flaws in CWC database on Athirappilly project over Chalakudy river, Kerala revealed through RTI by Chalakudy River Protection Forum
The attached RTI filed to the Central Water Commission (CWC) regarding the river flow data of the Chalakudy river, reveals flaws in the river flow database. Posted on 25 Jan, 2011 04:36 PM

 

Towards adopting nanotechnology in irrigation: Micro irrigation systems
Excessive and unbalanced use of water is a common practice to grow more; to earn more. Micro Irrigation System helps reduce water loss occurring through evaporation, conveyance and distribution. Posted on 21 Jan, 2011 07:36 PM

India is predominantly an agricultural country and even with current orientation towards services, still agriculture contributes ¼th of total GDP of the country, 15 percent of total export and 65 % of total population’s livelihood.

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

Briscoe on the Indus treaty - A response from Ramaswamy Iyer - Economic and Political Weekly
The paper supports and sheds light on the efforts made by India to reach a solution on water issues with Pakistan Posted on 21 Jan, 2011 09:11 AM

This paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly, provides a critique of the writings by John Briscoe on the implementation of the Indus Waters Treaty and argues that it is a biased and a one sided presentation of issues, which ridicules and ignores the attempts made by India at negotiating with Pakistan and reaching a peaceful agreement over the water issue.

Building the Tehri Dam in India - A video from EarthReport
The Tehri Dam was commissioned in 1972, promising to provide electricity to Indians in the Northern States, drinking water and irrigation. Posted on 20 Jan, 2011 03:55 PM


Building the Tehri Dam in India - 

Eastern Himalaya freshwater biodiversity assessment report released by IUCN and Zoo Outreach Organisation
The Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot contains exceptional freshwater biodiversity and ecosystems that are of vital importance to local and regional livelihoods, but these are under threat from the developmental and use pressures arising from the 62 million people living in the area.
Eastern Himalaya freshwater biodiversity assessment report released by IUCN and Zoo Outreach Organisation
Posted on 18 Jan, 2011 11:44 PM

Dear all,

IUCN, with Zoo Outreach Organisation, have today published a new report, 'The status and distribution of freshwater biodiversity in the Eastern Himalaya', which is available online here

The report of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II (2010)
The three-member Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II, constituted in 2004 headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar gave its judgement on December 30, 2010. Posted on 18 Jan, 2011 08:26 PM

KWDT-II freshly assessed the yearly yields in the Krishna and determined the award on the basis of the yearly yield at 65 per cent dependability which was assessed at a total of 2,293 tmcft. 

In its order, announced in an open court, the tribunal allocated a total share of 1,001 tmcft to Andhra Pradesh, 911 tmcft to Karnataka and 666 tmcft to Maharashtra with certain restrictions imposed on each State in keeping with the dependable flows of the rivers on which the allocations have been made. The allocation under the first award (KWDT I) was 811 tmcft for Andhra Pradesh, 734 tmcft for Karnataka and 585 tmcft for Maharashtra.

Managing Natural Resources -A report by IDSAsr
Managing the scare natural resources better and how space programme plays a role in this, a seminar of country's brilliant minds take the issue head on. Posted on 18 Jan, 2011 04:24 PM

The scarcity value of natural resources has risen due to rising pressure of human population and demands made by modern economics progress. As such managing these resources has become very important.

Articles on rainwater harvesting and river pollution by Janhit Foundation
Articles on rainwater harvesting and river pollution by Janhit Foundation Posted on 18 Jan, 2011 04:18 PM

These Articles analyse and detail the issues of rainwater harvesting and river pollution