Research - Wastewater
Planning as commoning - Transformation of a Bangalore lake - Paper published in the EPW
This paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly argues that the transformation of human settlements over time can affect the relationship between communities and commons when, for example, social geographies change from rural to urban, or from traditional systems of management to modern bureaucratic systems. Communities that were dependent on particular commons could become less dependent, or abandon those commons. New communities of interest might emerge.
Read MoreGlobal change, wastewater and health in fast growing economies - Paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
This paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability draws attention to the serious issue of poor water quality in the developing economies and argues that among the water challenges in the 21st century, the water quality health nexus is one of the most serious challenges that will need to be addressed at an urgent level.The paper directs attention at the rapid and unequal growth and development patterns emerging in developing economies and the impact of this development on the environment and human populations. The paper directs attention to the negative impact of this development on one of the important natural resources such as water and the linkages between water quality and public health of populations.
Read MoreWater: Policy and performance for sustainable development - India Infrastructure Report 2011
The India Infrastructure Report (2011) brought out by the Infrastructure Development Finance Company focuses on 'water' and seeks to 'evolve an appropriate policy framework from the perspective of rights, entitlements, and conflict resolution mechanisms'. The report aims to answer the following questions:
- How clear is the strategic vision for water resource management and sustainable development?
- How effective and equitable is the legal framework?
- Given that only the supply-side approach will not help in meeting future demand, what legal, regulatory, institutional, and pricing mechanisms will be necessary to efficiently manage and restrain demand?
This information-rich report has data on various topics such as water resources in India (present and projections), irrigation, groundwater, rainfall, urbanization, water institutions, water infrastructure(urban and rural), water economics, and waste water.
Democratisation of water management - The experience of Tamil Nadu with governance reforms
Through these three papers, the authors argue that the solutions to the global water crisis do not lie in investing more and more money into the water sector or in the introduction of better technology. Nor is the introduction of the private sector and the reduction in the role of the government going to help. Rather, the time has come to introduce changes at the basic or the fundamental level in the way in which the water sector functions.
There is an urgent need to bring about reforms in governance by moving towards decentralisation and democratisation, leading to involvement of people from all the sections of the society, who know and understand that they are responsible for the system and its functioning, as well as by introducing principles of equity and social justice. The papers demonstrate the successful implementation of this approach by describing the experience of Tamil Nadu at democratising water management through introduction of reforms at the level of governance, through involvement of the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD).
Read MoreNational action plan on climate change (NAPCC) and supporting mission documents (2008-11)
The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) is a policy document prepared by the Prime Minister's Council on Climate Change. It gives the direction which India needs to take, to mitigate and adapt to climate change. It has been prepared keeping in mind that India's economic need to tap its natural resources needs to be tempered with the need to maintain ecological balance.
Read MoreStatus of groundwater quality in India- Report of the survey conducted in metropolitan areas by the CPCB
The reports titled 'Status of groundwater quality in India (Part I and Part II) present the results of a detailed survey of groundwater quality in metropolitan areas (population >100,000) in India. The report recognises that most groundwater quality problems are anthropogenic in origin, caused by a combination of over-exploitation and infiltration of wastes. Inadequate infrastructure and resources mean that waste generated by cities and industrial areas is not properly collected, treated and disposed, thus leading to grondwater contamination.
Read MoreStatus of water quality in India – Reports by the Central Pollution Control Board for 2007, 2008 and 2009
This post presents reports on the status of water quality in India by the Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests for the years 2007, 2008 and 2009. These reports present the outputs of water quality monitoring done under the project on Monitoring of Indian Aquatic Resources (MINARS). This helps in evaluating the nature and extent of pollution control required, and effectiveness of pollution control measures already in existence. It also helps in drawing the water quality trends and prioritising pollution control efforts.
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Use of ICT for effective urban governance and service delivery in India - A selection of cases - ASCI and CISCO
This compendium published by Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) and CISCO presents selective cases on the use of ICT for effective urban governance and service delivery in India. The document includes the following chapters/sections:
Read MoreDecentralised treatment and recycling of domestic wastewater - An integrated approach to water management - A pilot project - CPCB (2008)
This report by the Central Pollution and Control Board (CPCB) describes the various intervention measures chosen to reduce the ecological footprint of the Sangamam housing project at Auroville. These measures include water harvesting, recycling and waste management.
Auroville is located in Tamil Nadu, south India, about 12 kms north of Pondicherry and 150 kms south of Chennai/Madras, adjacent to the Coromandel Coast. Auroville’s development is closely related to that of the surrounding villages. There are 13 such villages in the immediate vicinity of Auroville, and altogether 126 villages in the wider bioregion of 825 sq.kms.
Read MoreEvaluation of operation and maintenance of sewage treatment plants in India - Control of urban pollution series - CPCB (2007)
This study commissioned by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) evaluates the operation and maintenance of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) established under the centrally funded National River Action Plan. This study was commissioned recognizing the fact that discharge of untreated sewage occurs not only because of inadequate installed capacity of sewage plants, but also due to the inadequate maintenance of existing plants.
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