Aarti Kelkar Khambete

Safe drinking water in rural India: What do numbers hide?

While drinking water coverage in rural India has improved, has it also improved reliability and safety of drinking water? This CEEW brief explores and analyses the available data to find out. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 10 months ago

Adequate and safe drinking water, a valuable resource in rural India (Image Source: McKay Savage via Wikimedia Commons)

River Sharavathi - under siege from microplastics

A study finds that microplastic pollution in the river Sharavathi originating in the Western Ghats is growing. Urgent efforts to protect this biodiversity hotspot are needed. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 10 months ago

The pristine river Sharavathi (Image Source: Ashwin Kumar via Wikimedia Commons)

Assessing the health of river Ganga

How are dams affecting the river Ganga? What are phytoplankton and how can they help assess health of rivers? What is the connection between dams, barrages, river flows and phytoplankton growth? Read this recent study to know more. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 10 months ago

The polluted Ganges (Image Source: Lane Rasberry via Wikimedia Commons)

Small scale inland open water fisheries of India

What is the status of inland fisheries in India? Read these situational analysis reports to know about inland fisheries, the life of the fisherfolk, governance and tenure in inland fisheries and threats to the sustainability of inland fisheries. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 10 months ago

Fishing in an irrigation canal in Kerala (Image Source: Martin Pilkinton via Wikimedia Commons)

Categorising watersheds for freshwater ecosystem conservation in India

These maps at the watershed scales have been made to not only ensure inclusion of different freshwater ecosystems, their connectivity and hydrological processes, but can also provide a spatial context for conservation decisions. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 10 months ago

A stream at Anini, Arunachal Pradesh (Image Source: Roshni Arora)

The Cauvery - dammed and fractured

Inspite of the realisation that minimum flows are essential for rivers to maintain their health and biodiversity, water released from various dams in India continues to disregard minimum environmental flow requirements. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 11 months ago

Cauvery river at Hogenakal, Karnataka. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos via Claire Arni and Oriole Henri)

Addressing climate change impact on horticultural production in central India

This study shows that while the area and production of horticultural crops in Madhya Pradesh has grown in the last decade the state is susceptible to climate change which may affect crop production in the future negatively Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 11 months ago

A farm in Madhya Pradesh during monsoon (Image Source: Rajarshi Mitra/Wikimedia Commons)

Minimising the impact of floods: The role of income and governmental response

This study finds that higher income states are better placed to invest in flood precautionary measures as compared to low income states. Government expenditure on flood risk mitigation continues to be inadequate in India and needs to increase. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years ago

Floods, a frequent occurance in India (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Invisible informal groundwater markets

While informal groundwater markets cater significantly to the needs of smallholder farmers in India, they continue to be unacknowledged and understudied. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years ago

Groundwater, a finite resource (Image Source: TV Manoj via Wikimedia Commons)

Valuing mountain ecosystems

Mountain ecosystems in Ladakh provide a range of vital ecosystem services such as freshwater, food, fodder and fuel to people living in the region. Valuing these ecosystem services is crucial for their conservation. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years ago

Landscapes of Ladakh (Image Source: Reflectionsbyprajakta via Wikimedia Commons)

Deteriorating landscapes and threatened ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir

Rapid urbanisation and faulty land use policies are rapidly destroying forests, grasslands and wetlands in Jammu and Kashmir, India and the ecosystem value services they provide. Can these valuable ecosystems be saved? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years ago

Deteriorating ecosystems of Jammu and Kashmir, India (Image Source: tkohli at Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)

Dirty drains 'drain' health

This study found that the sanitary quality of neighbourhood drains, in addition to toilets, affected sanitation and hygiene and incidences of ill-health in rural households. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years ago

Dirty drainages, harbingers of illhealth. Image for representation only (Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat via Wikimedia Commons)

Dengue expands with climate change in India

Dengue is witnessing an alarming rise in India. And climate change induced changes are to blame. This study attempts to predict the present and future distribution of dengue vectors under different climate change scenarios in the country. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years ago

Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, beginning its blood-meal (Image Source: James Gathany, CDC via Wikimedia Commons)

The Chakla bavdi of Chanderi

The unique design and functioning of the Chakla bavdi in Chanderi Madhya Pradesh is another example of the water wisdom of our ancestors, which needs to be conserved and passed on to the future generations. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 1 month ago

Chakla Bavdi at Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh (Image Source: Shirole, S. 2022. Architectural eloquence: Water harvesting structure in Chanderi, Madhya Pradesh (India). Ancient Asia, 13: 9, pp. 1–13)

Chaos in a concrete jungle

Heavy rains and floods have battered Bengaluru yet again. Uncontrolled and unregulated development and concretisation of the city that pays no heed to the ecology and hydrology of the region needs to stop! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 1 month ago

Urban flooding in Bangalore (Image Source: Thejas via Wikimedia Commons)

Climate change and disappearing forests

Measuring climate change velocity can greatly help to provide additional information on spatial variability of climate change and its implications for forest loss. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 1 month ago

Threatened forests of India (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Fishing turns fishy as climate change plays truant

Climate change is here to stay. How will it affect freshwater resources and inland fisheries in India? A study explains. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 1 month ago

Fish in the Tunga river at Sringeri (Image Source: Dineshkannambadi via Wikimedia Commons) Li

Floods – a boon than a bane!

Floods are not feared, but rather welcomed by the Mishing communities from Majuli island in Assam as they bring bountiful fish- a rich source of food, nutrition and livelihood for the community. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 2 months ago

The Majuli island, a haven for fish (Image Source: Usha Dewani, India Water Portal)

Polluted water, hitchhiking microbes and the hidden threat of cholera in India

Better access to clean water coupled with health education to bring about changes in behaviour are critical to prevent exposure to dangerous cholera bacteria that lurk in untreated waters. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 2 months ago

The hidden threat of cholera in India (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)

Arsenic removal in groundwater

Use of low-cost Biosand filters and ceramic pot filters such as JalKalp and MatiKalp developed by Sehgal Foundation are greatly effective and promising options in providing sustainable solutions for arsenic removal in the country. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 2 months ago

Arsenic contamination of groundwater, a growing probelm in India (Image Source: India Water Portal)