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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
No impact assessment study done for Dibang hydropower project
The Idu Mishmi community in Arunachal Pradesh are strongly against the project. Public hearing finally held after being cancelled 14 times. Posted on 04 Aug, 2013 10:18 PM

The Dibang Multipurpose Project (DMP) proposed on the Dibang river in Arunachal Pradesh by NHPC Ltd (National Hydro Power Corporation), is slated to be India’s highest dam. A concrete gravity dam that will resist the pressure of impounding water through its own weight, its capacity is 3000 megawatts (MW).

Public hearing venue at New Anaya
Yamuna’s Delhi
Delhi was once well-planned along the course of the river Yamuna but it isn't so any more. It can reach a similar state with thoughtful and better urban planning, says Anupam Mishra. Posted on 04 Aug, 2013 07:55 PM

History tells us cities were settled and abandoned several times in Delhi. But I have not come across an explanation for why the city was repeatedly established at the same site. Surely, the presence of the river Yamuna to the east of Delhi would have been a reason. The Yamuna, though is not a small river; it flows for 1,300 km.

Yamuna; Source: www.pilgrimageindia.net
Touched by very little water
Anupam Mishra talks about how the desert societies of Rajasthan have managed their scarce water resources for over 1000 years. Posted on 01 Aug, 2013 11:54 AM

Author and conservationist, Anupam Mishra has spent decades promoting water conservation and management. Through his travels across various states of India, he has been studying and teaching the time-tested techniques of rainwater harvesting.

Kunds and tankas have been used to collect water
Fall in love with Tso Moriri
A monastery, a village, rare bird species and a high altitude lake in Ladakh - this is the beautiful setting of Tso Moriri. Posted on 01 Aug, 2013 07:59 AM

This brackish lake is located 4,595 metres above sea level, an altitude to tax the lungs of the most dedicated trekker. With two wetlands - the Nuro Sumdo on the North, and the Pare Chu on the South - the lake is a breeding ground for many rare bird species. It is a day's travel from Leh and a popular destination for the avid birdwatcher.

Tso Moriri during spring time
Help influence water and environmental policy for the Himalayan states: Sustainable Development Forum, Nagaland and India Water Portal invite contributions for the upcoming Mountain Summit at Kohima, Nagaland in September 2013
Send us technical papers, articles, photo essays or videos on topics related to water and development in the Himalayas, for inclusion in the Summit discussions by 01 September
Posted on 29 Jul, 2013 06:15 AM

The catastrophe at Uttarakhand in June 2013, was a hot topic of discussion for many of us across the country, but only those who live in the Himalayan states understand the significance and impact it has on their lives. Poor policies and governance were the root cause; much more than heavy rains.

3rd Sustainable Mountain Development Summit Kohima
Forest panel rejects highly opposed dam projects in the Northeast
Forest panel rejects dams in the Northeast, government releases new poverty statistics and citizens' refuse the '24x7' water supply scheme are the highlights of this week's news. Posted on 28 Jul, 2013 04:22 PM

Forest Advisory Committee rejects the controversial Tipaimukh and Dibang hydro-electric projects

The idyllic Barak river (source: Wikimedia)
Beware of genetically modified crops!
The passing of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India bill will hasten the arrival of genetically modified (GM) crops in India. Are we aware of all the facts around it? Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 01:36 PM

When the DNA of a plant is modified using genetic engineering techniques or biotechnology, the plant is said to have been genetically modified (GM). What does this mean to you and I? Quite simply, it means that the crop could have undergone this process in order to become something that it wasn't in the first place. 

Protest against BRAI bill Source: Greenpeace
Free the river! Let it flow!
Flooding in Assam caused by embankments on the mighty Brahmaputra is routine news. It makes the headlines every year but not for long. Political apathy however, continues. Posted on 25 Jul, 2013 12:46 AM

Floods are an annual event in the north-eastern state of Assam. The newspapers expect it at this time of year, every year. For the world, this is routine, something not even worth a front-page story like the Uttarakhand floods maybe because it does not involve pilgrims or religion.

The Brahamputra in spate (Photos: Amita Bhaduri)
The Dongria Kondhs' tribals bring the judiciary down on its knees
Niyamgiri tribals' decision to veto mining, environment degradation's effect on the country's GDP and Maharashtra's carbon trading scheme are the highlights of this week's news. Posted on 22 Jul, 2013 01:40 AM

Dongria Kondh tribals stand firm against mining of Niyamgiri

Celebration Dance (Source: Wikimedia)
Fighting the good fight using the Right to Information Act (RTI)
Sanjay Jaiswal of the Lok Vikas Samiti educates Mehdiganj (near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) to use the RTI in their fight against Coca Cola. Posted on 20 Jul, 2013 11:21 AM

What exactly does a 'campaign' look like? What do people actually do when they 'protest' against something? And how do the protesters get hold of all the facts that they quote? These questions surfaced every time I read about a campaign or a protest on environmental or human rights issues but I never got any answers that made me wiser. Until this summer.

Sanjay Jaiswal in Mehdiganj
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