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The blog was launched as an attempt to make IWP portal more useful to our visitors. Through our helpful and informative blog articles, we wish to provide the opportunity for participants to discuss important water related issues with IWP members. If you’re unfamiliar with our blog, take a few moments to read a few posts..We also encourage you to consider commenting and subscribing on our articles.
How soil and water conservation transformed the lives of people in a remote village - The case of Gulliyada village in Talavadi block of Erode district, Tamil Nadu
Author: Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Soil and water conservation are necessary to make agriculture self sufficient, sustainable and viable especially in hilly regions that are hard pressed for these resources. MYRADA (Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency), as an institution, is involved in a big way in various activities that engage local people in planning for the development of their area in the three southern states. In Erode district of Tamil Nadu, the Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) has been instrumental in bringing about a marked change in the topography of the region.
MYRADA and the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in Erode district, Tamil Nadu
Mysore Resettlement and Development Agency - MYRADA - was founded in 1968 to assist the Government in resettling Tibetan refugees. By 1982, MYRADA moved out of resettlement and began to focus entirely on farmers and the marginalized communities in rural areas.
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Posted on: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 16:12 | Responses: (0)
Privatisation of urban water supply in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh - An update from Manthan Adyayan Kendra
Guest post by: Gaurav Dwivedi and Rehmat, Manthan Adhyayan Kendra
Background
Khandwa is a medium-sized town located in western Madhya Pradesh. The 'Khandwa water supply augmentation project' has been awarded to Vishwa Utilities Pvt. Ltd., a Hyderabad based company under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis for water supply augmentation to the town, for the next 25 years. The project has been under execution since October 2009. The private party would supply water to the town @ Rs 11.95 per KL. The raw water for this would be pumped from a reservoir 51 km, away from the town.
Startling conditionalities
Manthan has been studying the project for the last 3-4 years and has been able to bring out startling conditionalities based on which the Khandwa Municipal Corporation (KMC) has signed the concession agreement with Vishwa Utilities Pvt. Ltd. The study Manthan has done in this regard, has been in the public domain for quite some time and can be accessed here.
The study and evaluation of the Khandwa Water Supply...
Posted on: Wednesday, May 9, 2012 - 09:53 | Responses: (0)
"Excreta Matters" - A profile of the water and sewage situation in 71 Indian cities - A report by the Centre for Science and Environment
By: Amita Bhaduri
The just released Citizens’ Seventh Report on the State of India’s Environment, “Excreta Matters: How urban India is soaking up water, polluting rivers and drowning in its own excreta” deals with where Indian urban centers get their water from and where their waste goes.
The report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) calls for using correct technology, planning for cost recovery and resource sustainability, building and renewing local water resources and designing sewage systems differently. It also calls for a law on the right to clean water.
Source: Excreta Matters, Centre for Science and Environment, 2012
Posted on: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 - 12:24 | Responses: (3)
Citizens voice alarm over recent Supreme Court judgement on interlinking of rivers: The directive urges the Government to begin work on the proposal
Guest post by: Amita Bhaduri
The Supreme Court of India has in its judgment of 27 February 2012 on the interlinking of rivers project, given categorical directions to the Executive Government to implement the ‘project’ as a whole in a time bound manner and has also asked the Centre to appoint a Special Committee to work out the modalities and oversee the implementation of the project. Prominent experts, concerned citizens and neighboring countries have raised concerns over the recent judgement and have urged the Supreme Court to put this order on hold and reconsider the matter.
Posted on: Wednesday, April 25, 2012 - 10:39 | Responses: (12)
Challenges, prospects and conflict management for vitally needed inter-linking of rivers in India - Critical review of basic objectives, controversies, social & ecological impacts
Guest post by : Er. Radhey Shyam Goel
Hon’ble Supreme Court in its judgment of 27th February 2012, directed union and concerned states governments, to implement ambitious interlinking of the rivers project (ILR) in a time bound manner and also asked Union Government to appoint a high-powered committee for planning and implementation of the project. Social tensions, political instability and street fights are already being experienced in India, on account of fast deteriorating situation of availability of qualitative water in adequate quantity.
This article presents a critical review of basic objectives, controversies, social & ecological impacts besides concrete suggestions to overcome the blockades in Inter-basin Transfer of Water (IBTW), now commonly known as Inter-linking of Rivers (ILR).
1. Introduction
India accounts for 2.4% of the world’s surface area but supports 16.7% of the world’s population. Further, our country possesses meager 4% of world’s water resources, that too highly uncertain in time and space due to its monsoonic climate. Still, India possesses highly dismal per capita storage capacity compared to even those countries; where rainfall is more or less evenly distributed in time and space...
Posted on: Monday, April 23, 2012 - 12:17 | Responses: (1)
The sanitation crisis in India - An urgent need to look beyond toilet provision
Guest post by: Aarti Kelkar-Khambete
Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Recent evidence indicates that India is heading towards a major sanitation crisis in the coming years. Efforts made at meeting the sanitation challenges have been found to have very limited results, with as high as 65% of the population not having toilet facilities coupled with very low use of existing toilets in urban and rural areas.
It is perhaps the right time to critically evaluate and move beyond the excessive focus we have on 'provision' and pay attention to the underlying complexities of the mechanisms involved, that influence sanitation behaviour among people. If we dont do so, we stand the risk of "missing all the trees for the forest", i.e. missing the social and economic dimensions of the sanitation needs of the people, in the hurry to count the number of toilets provided !
The sanitation crisis and the recent evidence on lack of toilet facilities
Recent evidence indicates that India is heading towards a major sanitation crisis in the coming years. The fastest growing economy seems to have missed out on having adequate toilet facilities for as high as 65% of its population. For example,...
Posted on: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 12:14 | Responses: (1)
Maharashtra Water Resource Regulatory Authority’s approach paper on criteria for determination of bulk water tariff - Draft put out for inviting comments
The Maharashtra Water Resource Regulatory Authority (MWRRA) has in March 2012 circulated its approach paper on criteria for determination of bulk water tariff for the period 2013-2016. The draft is now put out for public consultation, which is the next step in the exercise as per the regulations.
Posted on: Saturday, April 14, 2012 - 21:46 | Responses: (0)
Arghyam announces transition in leadership - Jayamala Subramaniam to take over from 1st June, 2012
Guest post by: Rohini Nilekani
Dear friends of the India Water Portal,
Seven years after Arghyam began its work on water and sanitation issues in India, Sunita Nadhamuni who has led the organization from a standing start to an entity with values, commitment, varied experience and a reach which spans not only across India but internationally, is leaving to rededicate herself to the cause of development but in new areas of endeavour. She has been supported for the past few years by Arghyam's partners, well wishers and her team, all of whom have recognized her skills and her dedication.
Taking up the leadership from the 1st of June, 2012, will be Jayamala Subramaniam who comes to Arghyam with a background in the corporate and not for profit sectors, both in India and abroad; a record of achievement in taking initiatives to scale in the financial and education sectors and substantial experience as a coach and mentor.
I am confident that Jayamala will build on Arghyam’s strong foundation to take Arghyam to the next stage, enable a deeper engagement with the sector, and...
Posted on: Friday, April 13, 2012 - 17:44 | Responses: (0)
A student uses India Water Portal on Twitter (@indiawater) for research
Pranietha Mudliar, a student in the United States recently connected with India Water Portal on Twitter. She found Twitter to be a useful place to conduct her research on issues of governance and institutions in watershed management programs in India and the U.S., because it enabled her to pick the resources she found useful without having to go through lots of articles and research papers.
We at India Water Portal find it heartening to see new channels like social media being used for things like researching academic assignments, and that Twitter does indeed make the knowledge on India Water Portal more accessible to a larger number of people.
Pranietha has blogged about her experience using India Water Portal here.
Posted on: Thursday, April 12, 2012 - 16:10 | Responses: (0)
'Resources, tribes and the State' - Report on an international seminar, organized by the Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, in February 2012
Guest post by: Raju Mimi
Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, an affiliate body of the Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh organized a three day international seminar on Resources, Tribes and State from 13th to 15th February 2012. The seminar was sponsored by Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi and NER, Shillong, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIS), Kolkata, Anthropological Survey of India (ASI), Kolkata and Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hill, Doimukh.
RGU Vice Chancellor, Professor David R Syiemlieh
Background
Tribal communities around the world have played a vital role in the preservation and management of natural resources within the frame of their indigenous knowledge system. About 80 per cent of the world’s cultural...
Posted on: Wednesday, April 11, 2012 - 16:10 | Responses: (0)
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