chicu

Fluid rivers but concrete mindsets

Flooded rivers may be a problem in Bihar, but diverting them is not a solution; neither is building embankments. Example: Sitamarhi. chicu posted 10 years 7 months ago

Big dams create big conflict

Hydropower development is creating various types of conflict in Northeast India. How can we contain the unrest due to this spate of dam construction? chicu posted 10 years 8 months ago

Maneri Bhali dam- Source:Peoples Science Institute

A new vision for Himalayan streams

Fish found in streams and rivers are a source of food to about 40% of the households in parts of the Himalayas. Including fisheries in local watershed management is crucial. chicu posted 10 years 9 months ago

Fish harvested from a pond in Doon Valley

The primary caretakers of water?

Women have always had an important role in water management. A study in South Sikkim aims to find out if topography, in addition to gender, influences access to water. chicu posted 10 years 9 months ago

The women of Sikkim manage their water resources

Pooling borewells and opportunities

Groundwater use is synonymous with individual rights. Malkaipeta Thanda, a village in Andhra Pradesh, has shown the opposite-that a community can share and benefit from it too. chicu posted 10 years 9 months ago

Can the effects of mining be undone?

Coal mining in Meghalaya has ruined the landscape and the water sources. Even if there is a will to restore these water bodies, there are several obstacles in the way. chicu posted 10 years 9 months ago

Coal mines in Meghalaya (Source: The Hindu)

The profitable toilet

Eco-sanitation, or compost toilets have helped achieve nearly 100% sanitation in Rupauliya, a small village in Bihar. chicu posted 10 years 9 months ago

An Eco-san toilet with a kitchen garden next to it

Which way will the water flow?

The 12th Five Year Plan recognises that our current methods of water management have led to inequity. It suggests an approach that involves more input from non-government sources. chicu posted 10 years 10 months ago

Ramaswamy Iyer, former Secretary Water Resources

Sikkim's citizens say NO! to dams

90% of people living around dams in Sikkim testify to environmental damage, increased hazards and decreased resources. Can their situation be changed? chicu posted 10 years 10 months ago

Dams intensify the impact of earthquakes

Separated by a spring

Two villages used the same spring as their source of water for generations but over time, it divided rather than unite them. What caused it and was it ever resolved? chicu posted 10 years 10 months ago

Yamuna Nama: a book review

Born out of citizens' concern for the Yamuna, the bi-lingual Yamuna Manifesto presents a lucid and succinct snapshot of the river, it's troubles, and the potential for its resuscitation. chicu posted 10 years 10 months ago

Yamuna river (Source: www.pilgrimageindia.net)

Stellar, yet inadequate

Manipal University has a comprehensive environment management programme but its water conservation efforts could be better. Involving students could give it the extra punch it needs. chicu posted 10 years 11 months ago

Think like a forest

Deforestation and climate change are only two of the issues that confront Himalayan forests today. What are the others and are there solutions to protect these forests? chicu posted 10 years 11 months ago

Quality of a forest matters as much as quantity

Floods need not equate disasters

A mix of high-tech and low-tech systems, government initiatives as well as a community level approach is needed to manage floods in the Himalayas. chicu posted 10 years 11 months ago

Can we build an alternative society?

There is no balance between the resources we demand and their available supply. Can we do something to halt and reverse this suicidal trend? chicu posted 11 years ago

A wastepicker sorts through waste (source: Chicu)

The inhospitable Indus

This photo essay illustrates how the historic river offers sustenance to the residents of the high Himalayas. Could 'development' end its age-old relationship with the people of Ladakh? chicu posted 11 years ago

The Indus between Domkhar and Skurbuchen

A tale of two STPs

In Lucknow, two sewage treatment plants ostensibly prevent pollution of the river Gomti but are they really doing their job? The photos tell the entire story. chicu posted 11 years 2 months ago

The only working STP in Lucknow -Daulatganj

A special yet unequal relationship

Women work hard to get and use water every day but they lack easy access to it and are also not involved in decision making processes. How can we change this? chicu posted 11 years 2 months ago

Women walk long distances to fetch water

Resurrecting the dying 'gharats' of Uttarkashi

Once thought to be common property of the village, these traditional water-powered grinding mills are disappearing. Can reviving them restore a sense of community as well? chicu posted 11 years 2 months ago

The improved gharat (watermill) at Ganeshpur

Tug of war on the Gomti

A river, which once unified people, is now being manipulated in the name of 'river conservation'. All it is, is an excuse to create a divide and further caste conflict. chicu posted 11 years 2 months ago

Gomat Taal is reputedly the source of the Gomti