Women in drought-hit Karnataka takes on the task to revive lakes

In Mandya district, nearly 3000 women across 31 villages are on a mission to revive lakes, ponds and irrigation tanks to tackle the water scarcity in the region. These women have even fought the administration to give them designated work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. Through protests, these women have also forced the authorities to pay on time and let them continue with the work. Due to crop failure, the women were devoid of any work and the task of lake rejuvenation has provided them an apt solution to this as well. Also, the movement is being spread to other districts and work has already begun in Kolar district. 

Maharashtra's rivers are dirty, thanks to its industries

With more than 75,000 manufacturing units in the state, Maharashtra's rivers are the filthiest with Pune-Chinchwad region having the worst offenders. Between 2011 and 2016, the state pollution control board has issued notices to over 5,200 industries, out of which 65 percent of the factories have been served a red-category notice for heavy pollution. The reason for industries violating the norms is the lackadaisical attitude of the state pollution control board; it has issued directives to erring units but had not taken any legal action against them.  

Assam is under the grip of fluoride contamination

According to the Assam Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), the fluoride levels in water in 11 districts of the state have been found to be above the permissible limit of 1 mg/litre putting an estimated 356,000 people at risk. Also, more than a thousand children under the age of five have been crippled in fluoride contamination in Hojali district. Moreover, due to the increase of groundwater usage in the recent years, the risk of fluoride contamination has also increased in other parts of the state.  

Despite farm crisis, record national harvest predicted for Tamil Nadu

Thanks to the worst northeast monsoon in 140 years, Tamil Nadu is going through a farm crisis. Despite the situation, however, the agriculture ministry has predicted a record national harvest of foodgrain--an increase of about nine percent in the crop year 2016-17 ending June. Moreover, the state government has claimed that only 82 farmers have committed suicide since October 2016 but according to farmers' representatives, as many as 106 farmers have died in January 2017 alone due to the prevailing drought conditions. 

Maharashtra eases Karnataka's water woes

To tackle the prevailing drought in Karnataka, the Maharashtra government has released 2.65 TMC water from Koyna dam. This is the second time that the latter has released water. Karnataka is reeling under drought for the past three years and this year only 20 percent water is left in nine of its 12 dams. Also, the available live storage of water in the reservoirs has touched an all time low. 

This is a roundup of important news from May 8 - 14, 2017. Also, read the policy matters this week.