Sedimentation

This paper published in the journal Conservation and Society reassesses/debates the decision taken by the government to dredge a new sea mouth in the Chilika Lake in Orissa, India, which was based on Geographical Information Systems (GIS) studies.Read More

The paper argues that decisions such as these need to be understood and evaluated by taking into consideration not only the underlying technical aspects, but by also exploring the political and historical contexts in which decisions are taken. 

This manual has been prepared by the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO), a department under the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) and aims at meeting the professional needs of practising engineers dealing with the sanitation sector in the country, that focuses on achieving the goal of 'sanitation for all' within a reasonable timeframe.

The manual  is a revised version of the earlier one, which was developed in 1977 and was widely used by field engineers engaged in sewerage and sewage treatment. However, a need was felt to revise and update the earlier manual taking into consideration the advancement in technology.Read More

This paper published in the South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage begins by highlighting the importance of the traditional small water bodies in Braj, commonly known as kunds, as important freshwater sources as well as an important part of the culture and the traditions of the area.

There were 1000 such kunds, which used to be the source of fresh water in Braj in earlier times. The water was used for multiple purposes like irrigated agriculture, domestic uses, drinking water for cattle, bathing etc. Due to rapid urbanisation, lack of maintenance and prolonged negligence in the last 50-100 years, most of the kunds today have become silted up and are nearing extinction.Read More

The impending crisis for fresh water has forced the planners and policy makers to take cognizance of these traditional water bodies and an urgent need has been identified for taking necessary measures to restore the kunds. The present study thus aims at understanding the reasons for deterioration of the kunds and makes some technical suggestions for revival of these kunds.

This report deals with the social conflicts emerging out of the encroachments owing to the change in course of the Ganga upstream and downstream of the Farakka barrage. The barrage was built with the intention of diverting water into the Hugli river with a view to flush the sediment load into the deeper part of the estuary and revive the navigational status of Kolkata port. During the last three decades of its operation, the silt-management in the barrage was given scant or no attention. The sediment movement in the tidal estuary of Hugli is a function of a complex fluvial system that can hardly be governed by inducing 40000 cusec of water.Read More