Rural Water
Reviving a lake transforms 120 acres of barren land into a self-sufficient organic farm: The story of Rajesh Naik and Oddoor farms, Mangalore, Karnataka
Posted on 05 Mar, 2013 03:39 PMA visit to Oddoor farms near Mangalore, Karnataka, provides an inspiring example of the efforts made by Rajesh Naik ji to transform 120 acres of barren land into a lush green farm through his persistent efforts of creating a two acre and fifty feet deep lake, which has not only transformed the surrounding area, but has also helped in improving the water table in the surrounding village, besides helping in the development of a self sufficient organic farm and a dairy.
Oddoor farms, around 25 kilometres away from Mangalore city is a great example of a very successful effort made by Rajesh Naik ji who has transformed 120 acres of barren land into a self sufficient organic farm by developing a 50 feet lake on two acres of land. The journey has been a long one and not without its share of challenges, but persistence and constant optimism and hard work to overcome challenges has reaped results in the last twenty years, informs Rajesh Naik ji.
Rajesh Naik ji near the lake he has developed at the Oddoor farms near Mangalore
Water in India: Situation and prospects: Book release by UNICEF, FAO and SaciWaters
Posted on 26 Feb, 2013 06:13 PMThe report released at UNDP, New Delhi on February 14, 2013 attempts to consolidate the significant amounts of information available on water and sanitation in India and also aims to examine the key current challenges in the sector; both the threats and opportunities for the water sector in India.
Dr Aidan Cronin, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist, UNICEF gives a sneak preview to the report
Video courtesy: UNICEF
Strategies for achieving environmental sustainability in rural development - A report by United Nations Development Programme
Posted on 23 Feb, 2013 10:22 AMThis report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) presents strategies for inclusive rural development embodying the principles of environmental sustainability. It recommends measures needed to achieve green, including measuring and tracking, the use incentives and the building of capacities. It also contains a number of case studies showing how green results can be achieved.
Anthropogenic activities leads to deterioration of groundwater quality: A study of Mayyanad and Edamulakkal panchayats of Kollam district in Kerala
Posted on 22 Feb, 2013 10:07 AMKerala is a rain blessed state in the country. It has highest number of wells, when compared with other states. However due to its slanting topography there is significant decline in the ground water levels leading to severe water scarcity during summer months in most districts of the state. Further over extraction and dependence of groundwater for domestic use from the dug wells especially in rural pockets has resulted in several groundwater problems. In this backdrop the paper in The Ecosan- An International Quarterly Journal of Environmental Science, sheds light on groundwater quality issues in two panchayats of Kerala.
Assessing the land use change and its impact on water resources: A study on the Mula and Mutha rivers catchment area in Pune
Posted on 17 Feb, 2013 09:11 PMLand use changes hydrologic system and have potentially large impacts on water resources. An assessment in an area with seasonally limited water availability and which is subject to rapid socio- economic development and population growth will provide an exemplary view on the local impacts of major recent developments in India. In this backdrop this paper analyzes past land use changes between 1989 and 2009 and their impacts on the water balance in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of Pune. The aim of the paper is:
- assess the land use changes between 1989/1990 and 2009/2010
- analyze the impacts of these changes on the long-term water balance components in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of the city of Pune.
Influence of anthropogenic contamination on fluoride concentration in groundwater: A study of Mulbagal town, Kolar district, Karnataka
Posted on 15 Feb, 2013 04:53 PMGroundwater contamination is a serious, but relatively ignored issue in the country. This contamination occurs in either through geogenic or anthropogenic means. Fluoride contamination is one such example of geogenic contamination that is widely found in the Kolar district of Karnataka. However, the fluoride levels in the town of Mulbagal are lower than those in the surroundings. Earlier, a study was conducted on the impact of pit toilets on the groundwater in the area. The present paper investigates the presence of any link between these two phenomena.
Provision of safe drinking water in rural Bihar: Paper in the Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development
Posted on 10 Feb, 2013 11:21 AMA practical paper that addresses vital gaps in water quality monitoring and institutional weakness, focuses on the role of access and interventions in severely contaminated areas and calls for a drastic shift in the monitoring and intervention strategy to address safe water provision for rural Bihar
Meghal river revival in Junagadh, Saurashtra, Gujarat: A documentary
Posted on 29 Jan, 2013 10:59 PM
Battle for water: A video on the daily struggle of rural India for water
Posted on 22 Jan, 2013 08:47 PM
Water: Towards a paradigm shift in the Twelfth Plan - A paper by Mihir Shah in the EPW
Posted on 22 Jan, 2013 10:37 AMA fundamental change in the principles, approach and strategies of water management in India has been proposed in the Twelfth Plan
Why is this paradigm shift needed ?