Articles

The unsung women fishers of Wular lake
Fisherwomen’s experiences and perspectives about their livelihoods based on the Wular lake.
The survival of many fisher households living nearby is entirely dependent on Wular lake. (Image: Manju Rawat)
The fast disappearing traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan
Lack of community ownership and local governance are spelling doom for the once royal and resilient traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan.
Toorji Ka Jhalara, Jodhpur (Image Source: Rituja Mitra)
What does it mean to use open source?
Misconceptions about open-source software we should put to rest for non-profits.
In case of open-source software, both the software source code and installable files are available free of cost publicly and anonymously. (Image: Kirisa99, Freepik)
Delhi smog can’t be blamed on crop fires
There is more to Delhi's air pollution than stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
The small window of a fortnight between rice harvesting and wheat sowing compels farmers to burn the crop residue (Image: Neil Palmer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY SA-4.0 Generic)
Digital water infrastructure to help India become water independent
Digital water infrastructure has a great potential in solving India's water crisis by preventing wastage and encouraging optimum use of water.
Smart water meters for efficient use of scarce water resources (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Challenges to India’s urban water security and future growth patterns
Water resources in most Indian cities are overworked and overused, and not adequately replenished.
Cities in India are marked by unequal distribution of water, lack of access, outdated infrastructure and minimal enforcement of rainwater harvesting and other means of supply. (Image: Anish Roy, Pixabay)
Sanitation workers amid the pandemic
The pandemic has exacerbated the issues of exclusion and vulnerability of sanitation workers.
Despite the risks and the dire conditions of their work, sanitation workers continued to do their job (Image: C S Sharada Prasad, India Water Portal)
Measures to usher in a low-carbon and equitable future
A sustainable low-carbon and equitable pathway would entail comprehensive changes in how we manage energy supply, forest, and agriculture.
The developing countries are bearing the bulk of the burden of the emission cuts. (Image: Pxhere)
Responsible consumption and production key to fighting climate change
What are the lessons learnt from COVID-19 pandemic on effective waste and resource management?
The management of waste is vital to minimize long-term risks to human and environmental health. (Image: Pasi Mäenpää, Pixabay)
Land and environmental approvals needed for faecal sludge treatment facilities
There is an urgent need for specific guidelines and rules for the selection of sites for setting up faecal sludge treatment facilities.
The site for the FSTP should be able to accommodate pres­ent and anticipated future requirements. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
Over 97 million Indians were currently being exposed to extreme floods: Report
News this week
75 percent districts in India are hotspots of extreme climate events (Source: IWP Flickr photos))
Submit report on the need for clearance of National Waterway-1: NGT to MoEF
Policy matters this week
Motor-driven ferries at Varanasi (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Getting communities engaged in faecal sludge management
Community engagement structures, espe­cially at the slum and ward level, can take on roles with adequate capacity building and training inputs.
Community engagement structures at the slum level have ensured that the most mar­ginalized and vulnerable sections of a city, that is, the slum communities now have a voice. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
Air pollution: Filling the gaps
Controlling air pollution needs long-term holistic solutions such as a reduction in the usage of biomass, coal and lignite, and agricultural residues.
All Indian cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Hyderabad surpass the air quality standards by a significant margin (Image: United Nations; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Lost to fluorosis
Fluoride contamination is leaving villagers in Barhet block of Jharkhand crippled, while authorities struggle to find solutions.
The state needs to play a key role in identifying fluorosis as well as in developing and executing an action plan to control it. (Image: Rab Nawaz Alam)
Strengthening institutional arrangements for faecal sludge management
Project Nirmal created sub-city level (slum and ward) engagement structures to enable meaningful participation of all house­holds, in the planning and management of sanitation service delivery.
An assessment at the beginning of Project Nirmal indicated the absence of institutional mechanisms for effec­tive coordination and collaboration among the various government departments across state, district and local levels (Image: SuSanA Secretariat)
Putting faecal sludge management on track
The cost and revenue projections for both on-demand and scheduled desludging scenarios were elaborated upon in the faecal sludge management plan for Dhen­kanal Municipality.
Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant at Dhenkanal, Odisha
Crafts bloom in the parched Thar desert!
Communities from the harshest part of the country, the Thar desert, cope with drought, through their art.
Art, to deal with drought (Image Source: Rituja Mitra)
Science, fiction and sustainability
Can science-based fictional narratives help us develop a vision of a sustainable future?
Science fiction is interrelated to sustainability because it highlights to us about possibilities. (Image: Peter Fischer, Pixabay)
Faecal sludge management policy environment for small towns: Taking a wider view
Project Nirmal helped Odisha to become a front runner among states with a comprehensive policy framework on faecal sludge management.
Odisha is trying to fa­cilitate adoption of FSM by Urban Local Bodies so that sewage, septage/ faecal sludge, and liquid waste is safely managed, treated, and dis­posed. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)