Society, Culture, Religion and History

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January 13, 2022 The water structures constructed during the Gond period continue to survive the test of time and provide evidence of the water wisdom of our ancestors.
Kundeshwar lake, Kundam in Jabalpur (Image Source: K G Vyas)
January 2, 2021 Lack of community ownership and local governance are spelling doom for the once royal and resilient traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan.
Toorji Ka Jhalara, Jodhpur (Image Source: Rituja Mitra)
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)
December 11, 2019 Dry toilets have long been hailed as a sustainable solution to the sanitation and waste management crisis facing India today, but have been overshadowed by more modern toilet designs.
A traditional dry toilet. Image: India Science Wire
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 Water stewardship is an approach predicated on the concept that water is a shared resource and so water risks are also shared risks that everyone in a catchment will face
Picture credit: Romit Sen
Harvest of rain - A CSE film
This video by the Centre for Science and Environment is dedicated to India's traditional water harvesting systems and practices. Posted on 28 Nov, 2011 04:13 PM

The camera wanders through the states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra and records the profound traditional science of the people. “Harvest of Rain” analyses a wide variety of water harvesting systems as a function of differing ecological terrains

Bringing life back to Chilika lagoon in India
This video describes the efforts undertaken to restore the Chilika lake in Orissa, which is the largest lagoon on the east coast of India Posted on 28 Nov, 2011 10:34 AM

Content and Media Courtesy: International Union for Conservation of Nature

This 116,500 hectare brackish lagoon separated from the Bay of Bengal by a long sandy ridge was added to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance in 1981.This was because the lagoon was facing serious degradation due to siltation and choking of the seawater inlet channel, resulting in the proliferation of invasive freshwater species, the decrease in fish productivity, and an overall loss of biodiversity [1].

6 day course on "Re-imagining the world-class city", IIHS, December 1 - 6, 2011, New Delhi
Posted on 25 Nov, 2011 08:44 AM

Organizers: IIHS

 IIHS

The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a national education institution committed to the equitable, sustainable and efficient transformation of Indian settlements. IIHS is India’s first prospective independently funded and managed national university for Innovation that focuses on its ongoing urban and development transformation. It is a first-of-its-kind, practice and innovation-oriented knowledge institution that seeks to bridge the conventional excellence, scale and inclusion divide.

Gravity based spring water supply systems in Andhra Pradesh: Lessons and steps towards the future
Current studies and activities indicate that indigenous knowledge is appropriate for local situations and that it is efficient and sustainable to springboard from such knowledge and practices. Posted on 22 Nov, 2011 07:35 AM

Guest post by – Rahul Bakare, Arghyam

 This article details an example where local knowledge has been used to develop access to safe water in the tribal areas of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh

Mining India: Sustainably for growth – A report by Ernst & Young and ASSOCHAM
This report by Ernst & Young and ASSOCHAM on “Mining India: Sustainably for growth” gives insights into the mining sector in India. Posted on 20 Nov, 2011 09:36 AM

MineralsIt deals with issues around capital raising, policy framework, efficiency and sustainability and provides a way forward for strategic acceleration of the benefits.

A river runs through us: An award-winning film on the threats faced by our rivers
A River Runs Through Us' by Carla Pataky offers hope and optimism to the many people struggling to save their rivers from being consumed by dams and other mega-projects. Posted on 18 Nov, 2011 03:32 PM

Article and media courtesy: International Rivers

Living rivers, dying rivers: Rivers in North East India
The fourth lecture in the ten-part series titled "Living Rivers, Dying Rivers" was delivered by Dr. Chandan Mahanta, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati on 'Rivers in North-East India'. Posted on 15 Nov, 2011 03:29 PM

Rivers in North-East India

The majestic Brahmaputra river (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
NIDR invites applications for Photo Contest & Exhibition ,Hyderabad – Apply by November 21, 2011
Posted on 10 Nov, 2011 07:23 AM

 NIRD

National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD) is the country’s apex body for undertaking training, research, action research and consultancy functions in the rural development sector. It works as an autonomous organization supported by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Integrated rural development through holistic approach is a national commitment. The mission of NIRD is to facilitate rural development vigorously through government and non-governmental initiatives.

Interstate river water disputes (IRWD) act (1956) and its legal provisions
N Sasidhar writes about the interstate river water disputes act and its legal provisions. Posted on 09 Nov, 2011 10:01 PM

This paper elaborates the techno – legal aspects of Interstate river water disputes act – 1956 which was enacted to resolve the water disputes among the basin states of an interstate river / river valley. This Act’s main purpose is to protect the interests of a downstream state when water resources available in an upstream state are put to additional use.

Interstate River Water Disputes Act – 1956 (IRWD Act) was first enacted on 28th August, 1956 by Indian parliament on the eve of reorganization of states on linguistic basis to resolve the water disputes that would arise in the use, control and distribution of an interstate river or river valley. This Act further has undergone amendments subsequently and its recent amendment took place in 2002. It also validates the previous agreements (if any) among the basin states to harness water of an interstate river/ river valley.

Assam’s strategy and action plan on climate change - Recommendations - First draft - ASTEC (2011)
ASTEC prepares Assam's action plan on climate change. Posted on 07 Nov, 2011 11:20 AM

This report by the Assam Science Technology & Environment Council (ASTEC) contains the compiled recommendation of three consultative workshops organized in Assam University, Gauhati University and

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