Voluntary Citizen or Civil Society Sector

Featured Articles
October 11, 2022
Visualizing the Vrishabhavathi river to keep it alive
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: By the community, for the community
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
Villagers’ shramdaan revives canal, enhances area under cultivation
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
How Paani Foundation harnesses the power of communication for social transformation
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
Learning about safe water practices and solutions
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
Not all heroes wear capes, some fight amongst us
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)
Government schemes converge at Sarda Panchayat in Sambalpur, Odisha
Thanks to the successful implementation of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) scheme, villagers began to believe in collective action and community development.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 24 Apr, 2016 11:41 AM

Since India became independent in 1947, the central and state governments have introduced various rural development schemes, and have been trying to get them to converge. While this effort hasn't been as impactful on a large scale, there are some success stories. Sarda Panchayat in Sambalpur, Odisha is one.   
View of Sarda village, Odisha
Draft of new Wetland Rules 2016 is out
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 12 Apr, 2016 12:37 PM

Environmentalists unhappy with the draft of new Wetland Rules 2016
Deepor Beel in Assam (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
The Dying Springs of Chirimiri'
Blasting and drilling around Chirimiri's coal mines have taken a toll on the area's water resources and environment. The film presents the community's perspective on this issue.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 01 Apr, 2016 06:04 PM

Chirimiri Coalfield is a part of Central India Coalfields, located in Koriya district, Chhattisgarh.
Coal mining in Chirimiri
Drinking water becomes a luxury for Maharashtrians
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 29 Mar, 2016 03:06 PM

Maharashtra reeling under its worst water crisis
Queuing up for water (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
The Yamuna, a song, and a dance
The AoL has claimed that its cultural extravaganza brought attention to the Yamuna rather than destroy it. But there is a difference between cleaning a river and restoring floodplains.
Rekha Raghunathan
Posted on 23 Mar, 2016 09:13 PM

The World Culture Festival (WCF) organised by the Art of Living Foundation (AoL) has been in the news ever since Manoj Misra, an environmental activist and convenor of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan, filed a petition with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in December 2015.
Front view of the giant stage under construction as of February 20, 2016 (Source: Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan)
Maharashra issues water advisory for Holi
News and policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 22 Mar, 2016 06:05 PM

Reservoir levels dip, Maharashtra urges people to celebrate dry holi
Holi being celebrated (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Courting catastrophe: Unplanned urbanisation and flooding
Urban floods and pervasive environmental pollution are living testimonies of unplanned and hurried urbanisation. With cities already stretched to their limits, how much more can they endure?
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 21 Mar, 2016 08:40 AM

South India's rivers are rain-fed unlike those in the North, which are glacier-fed due to the contrasting topography and climate. Unlike the Himalayan system, many of India’s peninsular rivers dry up during the hotter half of the year, leaving lips and fields equally parched.
Houses constructed on the fringes of the Ambattur eri in Chennai
Small scale fishworkers fishing for jobs elsewhere
Fishers livelihoods are being directly threatened by mechanised fishing methods and ecologically destructive fishing practices.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 19 Mar, 2016 01:31 PM

Chinna, 35, harvests fish and is engaged on a piece rate basis by the local contractor who has rights to fishing in the village tank in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh. At times, Chinna also uses family labour to complete his work.
Traditional fishers livelihoods are directly threatened by mechanised fishing methods (Source: Vikas Sahayog Kendra, Palamau)
Groundwater: Pressing problems and future prospects
As India grows to be the largest consumer of groundwater, a paper titled ‘Overview of Groundwater in India analyses the situation in the country.
Roopal Suhag
Posted on 12 Mar, 2016 10:35 PM

Groundwater is the major source of drinking water in both urban and rural India, and an important source of water for agricultural and industrial sectors.
Using a handpump to extract groundwater (Source: Wikipedia)
World Culture Festival poses threat to the Yamuna
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 07 Mar, 2016 10:11 PM

Activists oppose Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's World Culture Festival along the Yamuna flood plains
Yamuna river in New Delhi (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
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