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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
Delhi's groundwater overexploited: NGT
Policy matters this week Posted on 27 Sep, 2017 11:56 AM

NGT concerned about overexploited status of Delhi's groundwater

A shallow groundwater site. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
Saving kunds of Vrindavan
An NGO comes forward to restore the forgotten kunds of Vrindavan which are not just historical marvels but are also freshwater sources. Posted on 23 Sep, 2017 12:16 PM

Vrindavan, the small dusty twin town of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, has a special place in the Hindu mythology. This is where Lord Krishna is believed to have spent most of his childhood and adolescence. The river Yamuna straddles through the town, a hot destination for thousands of devotees lining up for a dip in it every day.

Ancient man-made small water bodies known as kunds are being revived through an NGO's efforts. (Image source: Braj Foundation)
Sardar Sarovar dam to submerge 40,000 families
Policy matters this week Posted on 19 Sep, 2017 08:44 PM

PM Modi inaugurates the controversial Sardar Sarovar Project

Sardar Sarovar dam (Source: Shahakshay, Wikipedia)
Citizens participate in mapping Bengaluru’s groundwater
A partnership between Biome, ACWADAM and WIPRO brought stakeholders together to map Sarjapur's aquifer. Posted on 14 Sep, 2017 11:34 AM

The problem of Bengaluru’s water is well known.

Talapariges, the small traditional water bodies of Karnataka. (Source: IWP Flickr photo by Mallikarjuna Hosapalya)
Wetlands wait to be saved
No wetlands have been notified in Delhi-NCR since the wetlands rules were brought out in 2010. Meanwhile, draft wetlands rules are set to decentralise its management to states. Posted on 14 Sep, 2017 10:52 AM

In the afternoons these days, Basai wears a deserted look. Known as a bird’s delight and privileged by the protected status of a national park, the wetland is located just eight kilometres from Sultanpur bird sanctuary in Gurugram in Haryana. No birds can be spotted foraging the soil of the Basai wetland or its waters.

Sun sets on a water body inside Keoladeo National Park. (Image: Swati Sidhu, Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Does farm loan waiver save farmers from loan sharks?
It's the rich farmer who benefits from the government's loan waiver. As long as moneylenders lend money to the poor farmer, he would continue to be mired in debt. Posted on 12 Sep, 2017 10:43 AM

The Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has decided to expand the coverage of Rs 34,022-crore farm loan waiver scheme to extend the benefit to farmers indebted since 2009. The government had earlier said 89 lakh farmers would benefit from the scheme. The expansion of the scheme's ambit means the number of farmers, as well as the amount, will rise.

A poor farmer is always at the mercy of loan sharks. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
A Data Journey in Odisha
How Balasore became recognised as a fluorosis-affected district in Odisha Posted on 06 Sep, 2017 02:22 PM

Back in 2015, the Member of Parliament (MP) from Balasore, Odisha got to know about a strange problem in his constituency. There were reports of a number of bone deformities and crippled people in areas surrounding Patripal village of Remuna block. They seemed to be related to fluoride in water, causing a disease called Skeletal Fluorosis.

2015–16 Fluoride data of Remuna, Balasore, Odisha
Tackling encephalitis: The sanitation connect
Recent encephalitis deaths in Gorakhpur put the spotlight back on the disease and the importance of better sanitation as a preventive measure. Posted on 04 Sep, 2017 04:58 AM

Gorakhpur is back in the news with 42 more children dying in 48 hours at one of the biggest hospitals here--Baba Raghav Das Medical College Hospital or BRD hospital.

Sanitation plays an important part in preventing encephalitis. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Ganapati idol immersion continues despite ban
News this week Posted on 30 Aug, 2017 05:28 AM

Despite ban, immersion of Ganpati idols made of PoP continue in Bengaluru lakes

Ganesh Visarjan (Source: Wikimedia commons via Chetan Gole)
Mangroves: The green coast guard
Mangroves in the country are under threat from rapid development. A video tells us how investing in nature can reverse this ecological crisis. Posted on 23 Aug, 2017 07:09 PM

In our effort to make space for infrastructural developments, India's green cover is declining at an alarming rate. The overall mangrove cover in the country stands at 4,740 sq. km., which is 0.14 sq. km of India’s overall geographical area. 

Mangrove nursery (Source: India Water Portal)
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