Voluntary Citizen or Civil Society Sector

Featured Articles
October 11, 2022 In an effort to inform the general public, especially citizen activists, policymakers, researchers, and students, about the current status of the Vrishabhavathi river, Paani.Earth has created the necessary maps, data, analysis, and information to drive conservation awareness and action around the river.
Vrishabhavathi river (Image Source: Paani.Earth)
October 1, 2021 Community videos as a tool to influence behaviour change and adoption in rural communities
Community videos are produced by farmers themselves and feature local participants and agents from the rural communities themselves (Image: Digital Green)
September 17, 2021 Benefits of well-managed commons on livelihoods
Collective efforts revived the canal structure of Bichhiya dam bringing water to the village (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
September 4, 2021 Committed to use the power of all forms of communication to bring about behavioral change and transformation at scale
Villagers participating in shramdaan for making watershed structures (Image: Paani Foundation)
September 3, 2021 Safe water learning cards being used to train a wide spectrum of stakeholders
Different combinations of safe water learning cards can be customised for a session based on the target audience (Image: INREM)
June 4, 2021 Meet these real-life heroes, who with their consistent and tireless efforts created an impact and turned their local areas into examples to follow.
Meet the water warriors who made a significant change in their own unique way (Image Source: Environment Club)
Western Ghats: The green gold of India
Increase in human activities in the Western Ghats is threatening the biodiversity. A video tells us why investing in nature is the need of the hour. Posted on 25 Sep, 2017 05:19 PM

The Western Ghats is one of the eight hotspots of biological diversity in the world and is spread across six states—Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The forests in the Western Ghats are the water towers of peninsular India.

Western Ghats as seen from Gobichettipalayam. (Source: www.wikipedia.org)
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)
Centre shows red flag to green court
The NGT that has made some landmark judgements to safeguard the environment, will lose its teeth soon if the government has its way. Posted on 21 Sep, 2017 04:28 PM

India is a pioneer among developing countries in establishing a “green court” to deal with environment-related litigations. Established through an Act by the government of India, the National Green Tribunal (NGT), a quasi-judicial body has ensured speedy justice on several green cases.

The National Green Tribunal has given a number of notable judgements. (Image source: SANDRP)
Risk of cholera increases with urbanisation: Study
A study finds uneven allocation of funds for water and sanitation as the major reason for cholera outbreaks in districts with higher levels of urbanisation. Posted on 18 Sep, 2017 02:37 PM

Districts with higher levels of urbanisation have a higher risk for the outbreak of cholera, a new nationwide study by the Indian and international experts has revealed. 

More urbanised districts are at a higher risk for cholera outbreaks. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
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)
Therapy for India's distressed farmers
VISHRAM's psychological interventions to farmers under mental stress in rural Vidarbha provide a fitting solution to increasing farmer suicides in the country. Posted on 12 Sep, 2017 10:40 AM

Large swathes of cotton farms in the central India have been the epicentre of a debt crisis that has gripped the rural population. For years now, it has driven thousands of farmers to commit suicide.

Psychological intervention can help reduce farmer suicides. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Catch them young
An initiative in Uttarakhand aims to inculcate knowledge of water management in school children. Posted on 04 Sep, 2017 10:29 PM

The children of Shri Ram Vidya Mandir in Dotiyal in Almora district of Uttarakhand were hushed as they entered the hall. Within 15 minutes, they were all giggling in anticipation of the fun of learning something new. This is one of the schools where students are taught the basics of hydrogeology and water quality.

Children gather around Ashvath Singh as he demonstrates hydrogeology.
Can grey and green coexist on urban landscape?
As cities spread wide, grey infrastructure projects flout green norms to provide affordable housing for all. Posted on 31 Aug, 2017 03:03 PM

Far in the distance, towards the edge of Noida and Greater Noida flows the Hindon river amidst clusters of modern highrise buildings. A few years ago, the landscape here was more countrified and quite distinct from the low rise neghbourhoods of Delhi dotted with its numerous parks and abundant institutional spaces. 

Building bye-laws mandate that builders adhere to environmental norms and install energy-saving mechanisms like solar installations, water harvesting and waste recycling methods.
Call for Nominations: Bhagirath Prayaas Samman & Shri Anupam Mishra Memorial Medal 2017
Bhagirath Prayaas Samman constituted in 2014, is an attempt to recognize inspiring, outstanding, sustained efforts of river warriors towards protection and conservation of India’s rivers.
Posted on 27 Aug, 2017 05:37 PM

Nominations

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