Society, Culture, Religion and History

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January 13, 2022
Water management in the times of Gonds of Central India
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
The fast disappearing traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan
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
Not in the interest of women farmers!
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
Scientists intervene to save dry toilets
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
In wake of climate change, prioritise and invest in water security and clean drinking water
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 approach to minimizing risks for businesses
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
Breaking the silence: World Menstrual Hygiene Day
Posted on 30 May, 2016 08:43 PM
World Menstrual Hygiene Day - May 28
Aimed at breaking myths and taboos surrounding menstruation, May 28 is celebrated as Menstrual Hygiene Day across the world.
‘Bharat Mata’ weeps in dry Marathwada
Women reel under the dual onslaught of unprecedented drought and failed public policy in Marathwada. The government must wake up to this reality.
Seema Kulkarni
Posted on 30 May, 2016 09:25 AM

The image of a woman walking for miles with a pot of water on her head, another pot in one arm and a frail child clutching on to the other arm does not surprise anyone in Marathwada.
Women wait for water in Latur (Source: Roshan Rathod)
Towards a trash-free period
Posted on 27 May, 2016 08:11 PM
For centuries, women have fashioned receptacles from locally available absorbants to soak up menstrual discharge. Softened papyrus was used by women in ancient Egypt, while in other parts, materials like wool, paper, vegetable fiber, grass, animal skin, and moss were used to create makeshift tampons and pads [1].
Breaching barriers towards better menstrual hygiene
Efforts have been on to spread the message of menstrual hygiene. But we are not even half way into achieving it fully
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 27 May, 2016 04:06 PM

The female menstrual cycle is the intricate work of hormones. Usually, girls start their cycle anywhere between 12 and 17 years of age when a series of changes prepare their uterus for child-bearing. The body produces the hormone oestrogen which stimulates the growth of a protective lining inside the uterus to cushion the baby in preparation of pregnancy every month.
An IWP fellow talks to girls about menstrual hygiene at the Nirmal Bharat Yatra in Gorakhpur
Changing seasons and diarrhoeal diseases
This study in urban and rural areas of Vellore, Tamil Nadu found that seasonal fluctuations had an effect on water quality and diarrhoeal disease risk.
Alexandra V. Kulinkina et al
Posted on 19 May, 2016 09:07 AM

Access to safe drinking water and diarrhoeal diseases in India
Water quality, seasonality and diarrhoeal diseases (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Collateral damage: Buffalo herders and privatisation of water
Livestock herders are the unreported victims of unpredictable rainfall, denied access to existing sources of water, and xenophobia. India Water Portal speaks to one such set of refugees.
Chicu Lokgariwar
Posted on 17 May, 2016 11:23 AM

Kishan Yadav has a lot in common with the popular flute-playing god whose namesake he is. They share a name, a caste, a profession, and the land they live on.
Buffaloes huddle in the meagre shade offered by roadside trees in their search for water
Two states, a canal and a river
A solution to the problem of sharing Yamuna waters continues to elude Delhi and Haryana even as the river dries up and caste issues flare up.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 17 May, 2016 11:21 AM

‘Jat’ reservation and the rampage on a canal
Munak canal to check seepage losses along the Western Yamuna Canal and to augment its supply
A lac cooperative’s success story
A lac cooperative in Jharkhand strengthens and streamlines the lac-production system
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 17 May, 2016 11:04 AM

The farmers of Jharkhand have long been depending on lac farming for their livelihood. Lac, a resin extensively used in preparation of a range of products - from cosmetics to ammunition - is cultivated on a variety of trees, mostly fruit-bearing and shady trees like Ber, Kusum, Palash and Sal.
TRCSC promoting lac based products like bangles through training of over 200 women members of SHGs
Water management for climate resilient agriculture
Water management should be given number one priority in agricultural policy to prevent droughts, minimise risks due to droughts and build a climate-resilient agriculture.
S Mahendra Dev
Posted on 12 May, 2016 11:04 AM

Although agriculture is the largest source of livelihood for people in India, its share in the gross domestic product (GDP) has been declining over time with

Agriculture and climate change (Source: India Water Portal)
River dispute: Haryana manages water better than Punjab
Data shows Haryana has done better than its parent state, but the positives are getting lost as both states clamour for more.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 03 May, 2016 02:30 PM

Rapid growth in population, agriculture production, industrialisation and urbanisation have put an extreme burden on India's dwindling water resources. Water-guzzling paddy covers maximum gross area under cultivation at 44 million hectares.
A bridge over Satluj river in Punjab. Source: Harpreet Riat/Wikimedia Commons
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