Aarti Kelkar Khambete

Balancing water security with saving biodiversity in the river Beas

Will it be possible to achieve tradeoffs between meeting water needs of people and retaining river waters to sustain the rare and beautiful, but endangered Indus River Dolphin in the Beas river? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 years 11 months ago

Beas river at Kullu, Himachal Pradesh (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Does a drop per crop help groundwater extraction to stop?

This World Bank study from Andhra Pradesh found that drip irrigation did not limit groundwater exploitation. Farmers who had saved water continued to draw groundwater and sell it to farmers who were water constrained. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years ago

Groundwater depletion, a growing problem in India (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Global warming can spell doom for India's freshwater fish!

Climate change is warming river waters and changing their flows. These changes can spell doom for fish that live in these waters. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years ago

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

Shrinking forests, declining biodiversity - a ticking time bomb!

A fatal tick borne disease is on the rise in the Western Ghat states. Deforestation, declining biodiversity and increasing human animal conflicts are to blame. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 1 month ago

The Western ghats forests, under threat (Image Source: India Water Portal)

The holy composting unit

While preventing nirmalya (religious waste) from being thrown in the rivers along the ghats of rivers in India is a dire need, so is increasing public awareness and citizen involvement on the issue, urges Jeevitnadi from Pune. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 1 month ago

A composting unit installed in one of the temple premises in Pune (Image Source: Jeevitnadi Living River Foundation)

Uranium in drinking water: A growing concern for India

A recent report by CGWB reveals that uranium contamination of groundwater is on the rise with Punjab and Haryana being the most affected. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 1 month ago

Uranium contamination of drinking water on the rise in India (Image: Pxhere)

Poisoned waters, deadly outcomes!

A study shows that high arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bihar is linked with increase in cancer cases. Districts located near the Himalayan river basins have more people with cancer. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 1 month ago

Drinking water in Bihar, linked to cancer (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)

Poisonous encounters: Nitrate contamination of groundwater in Rajasthan

This study from Rajasthan found that anthropogenic factors led to nitrate contamination of groundwater. High nitrate levels in drinking water posed major health risks to children. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 1 month ago

A well in Rajasthan (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)

Urban inequalities and heat risks in Delhi

Delhi, the largest urban agglomeration in the country is predicted to experience episodes of extreme heat in the years to come. What are its implications for vulnerable populations in the city? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 2 months ago

An aerial view of Delhi, August 2016. (Image Source: Sumita Roy Dutta via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Biodiversity - crucial for survival of freshwater ecosystems!

Detritivores, scavenger organisms inhabiting freshwater bodies such as streams are crucial for the survival of water bodies. However, anthropogenic changes are killing them! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 2 months ago

View of a s stream in Kerala (Image Source: Firos AK via Wikimedia Commons)

Dams and floods

Do dams worsen floods? These videos by Jeevitnadi Living River Foundation highlight the role of dams in controlling floods and the emerging challenges to flood management in India. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 2 months ago

Hirakud, India's oldest dam (Image source: India Water Portal on Flickr)

Understanding floods to prevent them!

While floods are a normal part of the river ecology, can their impacts be minimised by understanding them better and changing our current practices? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 3 months ago

Flooding in cities is getting common in India! (Image Source: IWP flickr photos)

Will urban India gain respite from its water woes?

Urban India is hurtling towards a major water crisis. What are the important considerations that the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) should take into account to meet the water needs in urban areas? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 3 months ago

Will urban India get respite from its water woes? (Image Source: Aathavan Jaffna via Wikimedia Commons)

Did the moody monsoon shrink forests in peninsular India?

A study finds that while forests existed in peninsular India, they were replaced by savanna grasslands over time. And the weakening monsoon was the culprit! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 3 months ago

Savanna grasslands at Nannaj Bustard Sanctuary, Solapur, Maharashtra (Image Source: Raju Kasambe via Wikimedia Commons)

When monsoon plays truant!

While the monsoon will become more unpredictable, the accompanying hot and dry extremes due to temperature rise will greatly threaten food production in India, warn these studies. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 3 months ago

When the monsoon plays truant (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Urban waterbodies, treasure troves of biodiversity

A study on the Mula-Mutha river stretches in Pune reveals rich biodiversity with presence of a large number of freshwater invertebrate species, including a few reports to the region! Will preserving biodiversity help save the river? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 3 months ago

Mula-Ram river confluence stretch at Aundh-Baner link road, Pune (Image Source: Jeevitnadi)

East Kolkata Wetlands – fast turning death traps for aquatic ecosystems?

Freshwater ecosystems in India are known to harbour rich biodiversity, but their health is being increasingly challenged in recent years. And the East Kolkata Wetlands are no exception! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 4 months ago

Fishermen use wastewater from Kolkata to rear fish (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Tropical rainforests of the sea, under threat!

The World Ocean Day this year has come with a dire warning, of the threat posed to coral reefs, important for ocean health as well as the livelihoods of millions of people! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 4 months ago

Coral reefs in the Andaman Islands (Image Source: Ritiks via Wikimedia Commons)

Floods, a boon or a bane?

News on floods often triggers panic and dread in the minds of the people. But, was this always so? Are floods something to be dreaded? Our ancestors did not think so! So why have they become so destructive now? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 4 months ago

What is the price of water in the city of Mumbai?

Poor water governance has cut off several residents from Mumbai's water system, making equal access to all a distant dream. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 years 4 months ago

Water a rare resource in the informal settlements in Mumbai (Image Source: Suraj Katra)