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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
Lake congestion worsened Kerala floods: CWC
News this week Posted on 12 Sep, 2018 08:05 AM

Clean chit to dam management, CWC says congested Vembanad lake worsened floods in Kerala

Vembanad lake in Kerala (Source: ATREE via IWP Flickr photos)
Dealing with disasters in the Valley
Frequent disasters the Kashmir Valley witnesses are both man-made and natural. What’s the solution? Posted on 10 Sep, 2018 11:57 AM

Witnessing a multitude of disasters from destructive floods to catastrophic earthquakes, the vulnerabilities arising out of natural disasters are ever increasing in Jammu and Kashmir.

Destruction caused by September 2014 floods at a posh locality in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajbagh. Over 300 people lost their lives, thousands were rendered homeless and property worth billions was damaged during the floods. (All photos courtesy: Afsana Rashid)
The art of saving a river
Artist and environmentalist Madhavi Kolte is on a mission to save the dying Mutha in Pune through her drawings and sculptures. Posted on 03 Sep, 2018 03:01 PM

River Mutha, the pride of Pune, lovingly called 'Muthai' or 'mother Mutha', is dying a slow death, thanks to the rapidly urbanising city which is depositing huge amounts of untreated sewage and dirt in its water. The pollution of the river is consistently rising.

The highly polluted Mutha river as it flows through Pune. (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Kerala, TN fight over Mullaperiyar dam water release
Policy matters this week Posted on 29 Aug, 2018 11:45 AM

Kerala blames Tamil Nadu for massive floods in the state

The Mullaperiyar dam (Source: Jayeshj via Wikipedia Commons)
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) - Grasslands
What are grasslands and why are they important? Here is a simple Q&A to understand the grasslands in India better. Posted on 26 Aug, 2018 11:11 AM

This is a simple guide that lists out the most popular questions related to grasslands, to understand what they are and their ecological significance. Please click on a topic for detailed information.

Shola grasslands, Kudremukh National Park, Karnataka (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Kerala battles the worst flood since 1924
As Kerala comes to grips with the worst floods in its recent history, here’s a look at what led to the calamity and what can be done to avoid it in the future. Posted on 25 Aug, 2018 05:34 PM

When the five overflow gates of the Cheruthoni dam, a part of the Idukki reservoir comprising Cheruthoni, Kulamavu and Idukki arch dam were opened one by one on August 9, 2018, a torrent of water and mud gushed out. Heavy, unceasing rains had led to the dam reaching close to its maximum capacity, forcing the dam authorities to open all its gates.

The floods in Kerala have taken nearly 400 lives and have displaced around 1.2 million people. (Image: Ranjith Siji, Wikimedia Commons: CC BY-SA 4.0)
Footwear industry pollutes, villagers put their foot down
When the environmental pollution caused by the footwear industry in a growing Haryana village goes unchecked, villagers gather to demand their rights. Posted on 23 Aug, 2018 08:09 PM

As per the regional plan 2021 chalked out by the national capital regional planning board in 2005, Bahadurgarh, a small town in Haryana is a part of the Delhi metropolitan area. The town, located in Jhajjar district, is growing at a fast pace.

Leftover materials tossed out by the factories at the footwear park. These will end up in landfills and pollute the environment. (Image: India Water Portal)
Goa wins Mahadayi water dispute
Policy matters this week Posted on 22 Aug, 2018 09:12 AM

Mahadayi water dispute: Goa to get maximum share of water

Mahadayi river in Goa (Source: Amol.Gaitonde via Wikimedia commons)
Delhi stands up for its trees
As Delhi gears up for expansion, concerns regarding the environment and the poor continue to be overlooked. Posted on 20 Aug, 2018 11:28 AM

Recently, Delhi saw an urban Chipko movement of sorts with the people coming out in large numbers with a single agenda—save the last of the trees left in the city. In the famous Chipko movement of 1973, local communities in Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand emblematically embraced trees to demand an end to deforestation through forest exploiting contractors.

People of Delhi came out in large numbers recently and kick-started a movement to save trees. (Image: Delhi Trees SOS)
Desertification: Not just a North Indian problem
A new study finds that manmade activities such as deforestation and mining are to blame for the rise in desertification in the south of India. Posted on 16 Aug, 2018 10:30 AM

India is highly vulnerable to desertification.

Increasing desertification is a challenge India needs to tackle. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
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