Society, Culture, Religion and History

Featured Articles
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
10% of Odisha coast prone to erosion
News this week: 10% Odisha coast highly prone to erosion, reveals study; Unseasonal rain destroys agriculture in Andhra; Centre plans to conduct socio-economic survey of forest villages.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 12 May, 2014 08:38 AM

10% of Odisha coast prone to erosion: Study
Coastal erosion (Source: GFGD)
UP Pollution Control Board issues notice to 956 units for polluting Ganga
Policy matters this week: NGT seeks to examine 956 units for causing pollution in Ganga; POSCO allowed to draw water from Mahanadi and Hansua rivers; SC favours TN in Mullaperiyar dam case.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 12 May, 2014 08:19 AM

956 units in UP gets notice for polluting Ganga
Ganga river in Varanasi, UP (Source: Wikipedia)
Tribals of Tawa reservoir left leader-less
Sunil Bhai, who fought for the rights of the tribals and other displaced people of the Tawa reservoir in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, is no more but the initiative he kick started remains.
Amita Bhaduri
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 07 May, 2014 11:19 AM

Tawa reservoir in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh, irrigates several thousand hectares of land. It is here that Sunil Gupta, popularly known as Sunil Bhai, rose to prominence in 1995 when he led the struggle of the tribals displaced by the reservoir.
Sunil Bhai; Source: Samarendra
Punjab wades in troubled waters
During the Green Revolution, Punjab became the biggest contributor to India's food basket but at a cost-groundwater decline. Can its farmers figure out a way to stem this and boost productivity?
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 03 May, 2014 12:23 AM

Many great civilisations have thrived near rivers with people moving in search of water across swathes of lands. The same holds true for present day Punjab, especially its farmers.
Groundwater is falling by 1 metre every year
Call for participation in the training program on 'Understanding Water and Water Resources Management: Issues, Struggles and Solutions', Water Conflicts Forum and Sambhaavnaa Institute, Himachal Pradesh
The training program is specially designed for young people who wish to work or are working on water related issues, and want to expand and deepen their knowledge and understanding about water.
Posted on 01 May, 2014 07:43 AM

Theme of the training program: The theme of the workshop will focus on the crises around water and water resources management. It will highlight key issues of water as a common property resource – its exploitation, privatisation and the resulting impacts like conflicts around water and its access for the common people.
Understanding Water & Water Resources Management
Call for Proposals, Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation, India
Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation (BRLF) invites proposals from civil society organisations for projects that seek BRLF support.
Posted on 23 Apr, 2014 01:44 PM

About Bharat Rural Livelihoods Foundation:
Goa-Karnataka dispute over Kalasa-Banduri project resolved
Policy matters this week: Tribunal resolves Goa-Karnataka dispute over water project; TN protests Karnataka's water scheme in Cauvery basin; Resolve Delhi-Haryana water dispute: HC to Centre.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 22 Apr, 2014 11:07 PM

Tribunal's order over Kalasa-Banduri Project brings respite to Goa and Karnataka
Mahadayi River in Goa (Source: Wikipedia)
Invitation to the monsoon school on 'Perspectives on Environment, Society and Well-Being', Kalpavriksh, Pune, Maharashtra
Kalpavriksh is organising a week long monsoon course on 'Perspectives on environment, society and well-being'.
Posted on 09 Apr, 2014 02:40 PM

Get more information on the event.

Know more about Kalpavriksh.

Download the announcement of the event from below.
Kalpavriksh
Water privatisation, a failed model?
JUSCO, India's largest water supply developer, has failed to provide water connections in many parts of India. Water must be treated as a non-commercial entity if there is to be equity in access.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 05 Apr, 2014 03:12 PM

Since water reforms were introduced in India in the 1990s, water privatisation has been propagated as a panacea to the sector's problems. 
JUSCO disconnected Nirmal Basti's water connection
Ancient engineering marvels of Tamil Nadu
Eris, a system of cascading tanks, were once completely managed by local communities. With centralisation came disuse and lack of maintenance but an organisation is working to revive them.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 05 Apr, 2014 02:06 PM

South India has a rich tradition of tanks with the three southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contributing to close to 92% of the total irrigation by tanks in the 1970s. Two decades later, this number dwindled to close to 53%. A decade after that, in 2001, the total contribution of tank irrigation in all of India was estimated to be just around 5.18%.
Small tank near Thalambedu in Kanchipuram
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