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This image was uploaded with the post Amateur weather monitoring in Kausani, district Almora, Uttarakhand: A summary of David Hopkin's observations over the last two decades.
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This image was uploaded with the post Amateur weather monitoring in Kausani, district Almora, Uttarakhand: A summary of David Hopkin's observations over the last two decades.
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This image was uploaded with the post Amateur weather monitoring in Kausani, district Almora, Uttarakhand: A summary of David Hopkin's observations over the last two decades.
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Vasudha Vikas Sansthan with the help of Water Aid and with the technical support of Peoples’ Science Institute undertook fluoride testing and fluorosis mitigation programme in Tirala, Dharampuri and Umarban blocks of Dhar district in Madhya Pradesh. The program began on November 5th, 2008. The data generated and major results of the research undertaken under the programme is presented in this report.
Background: 62 million people in India, including 6 million children suffer from fluorosis....
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This image was uploaded with the post Fluorosis mitigation in Dhar (MP): Experiences of monitoring fluoride levels in drinking water and human urine, creating awareness, and providing safe drinking water.
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The Supreme Court judgement of 27 February 2012 directed the executive government to implement the river inter-linking project through a special committee which will take precedence over all other administrative bodies. In this article, first published in the Economic and Political Weekly, Ramaswamy Iyer explains why this backing of a 'potentially disastrous' project is disturbing. The article then calls for a reconsideration of this judgement.
1. IntroductionTwo writ petitions were filed in...
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The Global Scientists and Technocrats Forum (GIST) organised a convention on ‘Scientific and technological approaches for sustainable use of water resources’ in Pune on the 27 and 28 of December 2010 . The keynote address was presented by Hon. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, and the conference was attended by about 600 delegates. The sessions were as follows:
River basin hydrology and climate change
Water for irrigated agriculture
Research and development initiatives by industries
Water for energy
Water...
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Water issues are rapidly acquiring a global dimension, while water laws remain rooted in specific regions. In this paper published in the Journal of Environmental Law, Philippe Cullet examines the need for a new framework for water law that allows for linkages with the global water cycle as well as human rights and environmental law.
1. Introduction
With the exception of cooperation over international water courses, most laws related to water have regional and sectoral focus. Water law also...
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With mountain communities dependent of springs for both domestic uses and for irrigation, conservation of these springs is crucial. However several factors, of which climate change is one, are leading to a drying up of springs. This paper reports on Sikkim's experience with using geo-hydrological knowledge to plan recharge structures. It concludes that this increases the efficiency of recharge measures.
Introduction
The paper begins with a description of Sikkim. The sources of water in...
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The paper begins with listing the importance of water to communities. It then goes on the describe the water crises in South Asia which are exacerbated by high demand, variable supply, and political volatility. The importance of water in all three pillars of sustainable development economic, social and environmental is noted.
The two concepts required for analysis of water as regards human consumption are availability and access. Availability refers to the physical presence of...
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Article courtesy: CGNet Swara
People get together to build a stop dam themselves
The people of Khariar road town in Odisha have long requested a check dam across the river Jonk. Khuturam Sunani describes how they have now begun constructing it through shramadaan.
Fluoride in drinking water in Daltongunj, Jharkhand
A student reports on the contamination of drinking water in Daltongunj and the lack of alternative sources.
Borewell leads to fluorosis in Naupada, Odisha
A borewell accessed...
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IUCN organised a two-day e-flows training workshop in Kathmandu between 5-6 August 2011 that focused on the means of ensuring sufficient water in rivers, for all stakeholders including the environment. This article collates the various presentations made during that workshop, with a short summary of each.
Bagmati River at Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal (Photo: IUCN\Stefano Barchiesi)
The objectives of the workshop are as follows:
Understand the links between river flow regimes and...
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Settlements in the area that is now Bangalore have a recorded history that dates back to the 5th century CE. Water for these settlements was made available through multiple series of tanks, which numbered 19,800 around the year 1830.
This lake system is now decaying with lakes either taken over for urban uses, or choking due to neglect. ATREE and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have been engaged in attempting to understand how to restore these lakes for urban use, while...
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In view of the number of hydro-electricity projects being commissioned on the free-flowing Lohit river and its tributaries, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) recommended the development of a basin-level impact assessment. This work was awarded to M/s Wapcos Limited, and the cost shared by the various project developers.
The work is divided into the following chapters:
Overview
Chapter-1 begins with an overview of the concept of a basin study, emphasizing that it is an integrated...
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India's environmental history (Volume 1: From ancient times to the colonial period and Volume 2: Colonialism, modernity and the nation) edited by Mahesh Rangarajan and K Sivaramakrishnan discuss the various facets of India's engagement with its environment over the years. 'India's ecological past' by Meena Bhargava reviews the book and was first published in Environment and Political Weekly.
The book considers environmental history through the medium of the following themes:
Ecology and...
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"The miracle of rain : Let the earth overflow"
This is the assertion of an All India Radio Chitradurga series on rainwater harvesting. Sponsored by Arghyam, this series of 13 episodes has valuable information by Mr. Devaraj Reddy on the various aspects of rainwater harvesting. Several people who have implemented these systems also narrate their stories. These episodes are detailed in this article and can be downloaded below.
Episode 1This episode begins with describing a farmer's longing for...
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Close to 30 hydroelectric projects are being planned on the Teesta and its tributaries. Not only is this river an essential part of Lepcha identity and life, but it also flows through a fragile zone. In this article first published in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), Kanchi Kohli examines the ramifications of this policy.
After the earthquake that shook Sikkim in November 2011, the safety of the dams being constructed on the Teesta is being questioned by the communities that live along...
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Video courtesy: VideoVolunteers
The rice fields of Kulgam district in Kashmir have provided the people of the state with sufficient harvest of this staple. However, illegal appropriation of farmland for construction has led to a state-wide rice shortage,says IndiaUnheard.
Despite a law banning all construction on cultivable rice farms, both the government as well as the farmers persist on construction in these fields. The Agricultural department is trying to help farmers yield higher economic...
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Author: Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)
Article courtesy: The South Asian
The economic feasibility of river interlinking is still debatable, while studies show that it will cause social and ecological harm. Despite this, states are still taking this program forward. Gopal Krishna examines this phenomenon.
Supreme Court heard the Networking of Rivers Case (Writ Petition Civil 512 of 2002) on October 17, 2011 which entails diversion of rivers for linking them in both Himalayan and...
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India has set high targets for solar energy through its Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar mission. However, this may take focus away fromother renewable energy sources, especially small hydro which is a high densiry resource. This brief by the Observer research foundation examines whether small hydro qualifies for a national mission.
Small hydropower plant (source: Ministry of new and renewable energy)
Solar energy ranks the lowest in terms of financial viability, capacity...
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This post presents five papers that were recently published on the physico-chemical properties of water. These papers present the water quality data and analyse these figures. Locations in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam and Gujarat are studied. Download the papers by clicking on the titles.
Assessment of physico-chemical quality of groundwater in rural area nearby Sagar city, Madhya Pradesh
This paper presents the results of forty groundwater samples collected from June 2007 to July 2010...
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'Lakes of Mahadevpura constituency, Bengaluru- current status, changes in distribution and recommendations for restoration' by Harini Nagendra, Ramesh Sivaram, and S Subramanya presents the current status of the lake and canal system in Bengaluru’s Mahadevpura constituency, with details of individual lakes as well as recommendations for the restoration of these lakes as well as the entire system. This report has been shared with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike,...
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The 2012 Khoshoo Memorial Lecture was delivered by 2009 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, Dr Elinor Ostrom. In this presentation, she explains the need for a framework to assess complex socio-ecological systems.
Social and ecological systems are inherently complex and unique as they are composed of multiple variables.One way of understanding these is to build a common framework to conduct research related to socio-ecological systems (SES). This presentation discusses such a framework, first...
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Author: Jayanta Bandopadhyay
Article and image courtesy: The Telegraph
In this article published in the Telegraph Jayanta Bandopadhyay discusses the draft national water policy 2012.
Available literature on the new perspectives defining the recommended interdisciplinary water policy need to accessed by the ministry of water resources before finalizing the document.One of the prime goals of this policy needs to be to recognize safe drinking water as a basic human right. This article details the...
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Recent policy has encouraged a shift towards community management of water infrastructure through the creation of decentralised institutions.This also implies a shift from large to small structures and institutions. This however presumes the existence of a homogeneous 'community', and does not necessarily acknowledge the effect of various separate groups within such a community on these institutions. This paper published in Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) examines the impacts of this...
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This article collates and presents 26 of the 37 environment impact assessment (EIA) manuals brought out by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). These manuals are aimed at expert appraisal committees, and hope to improve the quality of appraisal of projects. These will also provide a template for use by organisations and consultants developing the EIA reports.
The Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006 notified 39 developmental sectors that require prior environmental...
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The paper examines the issue of water governance- its key elements, applicability, and influence on service levels.Problems in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector have their roots in socio-political issues rather than in technology. This paper presents the report of a survey in 107 villages in rural Andhra Pradesh to illustrate the influence of governance systems.
Methodology
As part of the WASHCost (India) project, a participatory survey was carried out in 107 villages in Andhra...
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Marginalized communities are excluded from a say in the creation of policies. This paper examines social exclusion of resource-poor groups in developmental programmes targeted at them through the lens of watershed programmes.
In India, as in all communities, certain social groups are marginalized and have poor access to government supports and benefits. The need to include these groups in benefit-allocation is mentioned in policy documents. However, they have not been recognised in the...
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This paper looks at the impact of urban pollution on the Eastern Kolkata wetlands where fish farming is carried out. The impact of sewage pollution on these fish ponds and on the ecosystem is evaluated. Similarly, remedial measures to maintain water quality and to improve resource recovery efficiency are suggested.
Aims:
The aims of the current study are as follows:
Environmental behavior of nutrients, solids and organic substances in waste water canals and status of natural ...
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The new nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy policy provides implicit incentives to farmers to test soil samples regularly and get crop-wise recommended doses of nutrients, and offers prospective benefits from the agro-environmental management point of view. A study of six villages in the lower Bhavani Basin in Tamil Nadu by Sacchidananda Mukherjee in Economic and Political Weekly reveals that despite a strong willingness on the part of farmers to adopt agricultural best management...
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The Draft National Water Policy 2011 was released on 31st January 2012, for public comments and is available here. A section of the water sector practitioners and experts, have been engaged in the process, and a summary of the discussions so far, is available here.
Work on the National Water Policy has been in progress for nearly two years, starting in 2010 when the announcement was first made. Consultative meetings with academia, water professionals and the corporate sector were organised in...
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Guest Post by: Chicu Lokgariwar
Image Courtesy: The Hindu
Just two months away from the deadline, the draft of the new national water policy has now been made publicly available for comment. This post recaps discussions that have been initiated by citizens in 2010 and 2011 regarding the direction that a new water policy needs to take.
Villagers near Khuri in Jaisalmer on their way to fetch drinking water. Photo: Subir Roy
It was in 2010 that the Ministry of Water Resources determined to...
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Tank irrigation in Karnataka, authored by GS Dikshit, GR Kuppuswamy, SK Mohan, and first published in 1993, provides a historical overview of this ancient method of water management. The book covers entire eras from the ancient to the current period. It also gives information about the structural, financial and institutional aspects of tank construction and management.
The full book is available for download on the India Water Portal. Please right-click on the cover page image of the book, and...
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This paper begins with the slow rate of progress in achieving the millennium development goals of environmental sustainability, especially in the areas of water and sanitation. This is due to the disconnect between the global rhetoric (which often focuses on water as an economic good) and social realities (such as the cultural attitudes towards water)
Understanding liquid dynamics
Here, the interaction between the social, technological, ecological and hydrological aspects of water and...
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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...
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This study uses GIS to assess the potability of groundwater and the spatial variation of groundwater parameters in Chinnar sub-basin, Tamil Nadu. The study found that the groundwater of the basin is extremely hard with total hardness, magnesium and potassium contents being above the permissible limits. Thirty nine out of 57 samples exceed the allowable limits for fluoride.
Introduction: The paper begins with an explanation of the parameters on which the quality of groundwater depends. These...
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The Durban climate negotiations have set into motion new negotiations, with the possibility of re-opening old and contentious issues, while at the same time leaving the global climate regulatory framework unchanged. While disappointing, this does create a possibility of starting anew. In this paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly, Navroz Dubash argues that 'India needs to re-articulate and enrich its position on equity in climate negotiations'.
The author begins with...
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A western disturbance caused a cold wave to sweep across the northern part of the country, claiming several lives and disrupting normal conditions. Reports of water pipes freezing, roads becoming unmotorable have come in from several parts of the country. This might affect crops this winter.
North India
Western disturbances cause biting cold in north India: This rain-bearing system has its origin in the Mediterranean sea
Death toll reaches 140: Few states comply with court orders...
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This paper was commissioned as an input to the study “Development and Growth in Northeast India: The Natural Resources, Water, and Environment Nexus” by the World Bank. The main objectives of the hydropower study are as follows:
An analysis of the hydropower potential in the Northeast and key elements of the strategy that should be followed for optimal realization of this potential
An overview of the hydropower development options in the Northeast with...
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This report by Ritwick Dutta presents an overview of the legislation on the river Yamuna, which has attained the distinction of being perhaps the river attracting the most judicial attention in india, after the Ganga. This report analyses the various laws and judicial decisions pertaining to the Yamuna and their effects on the river.
The report is organised into the following chapters:
1. The Yamuna in the Supreme Court
Over the last three decades, the Supreme Court has attempted to goad the...
