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Rapid investigations to assess impacts of aquifer recharge - Tumkur district (Karnataka) - A report by ACWADAM and BIRD-K
This report by ACWADAM is a synopsis of the hydrogeological study carried out for BIRD-K in Pavagada, Sira and Bagepalli areas of Tumkur District, Karnataka. The study aimed at an impact analysis of recharge through borewells as well as suggesting new sites for the same.
The principle objectives of the study were:
Impact analysis of aquifer recharge through borewells done by BIRD-K in Pavagada and Sira Clusters
Suggest new sites for aquifer recharge through borewells in Bagepalli cluster.
The methodology used a background study of the area through images from Google Earth. A detailed geological fieldwork in the area was carried out. Various structural and hydrogeological measurements were made to map out the aquifer systems within the area. Water levels in borewells and dug wells were measured. The study area included seven watersheds and falls in two clusters namely Pavagada and Sira. Both these clusters are located in the Tumkur district of Karnataka.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Inspiring progress: Learning from Exnora Green Pammal's solid waste management partnerships in four localities
This booklet by Exnora Green Pammal (EGP) begins by highlighting the grave situation in relation to solid waste management in the country and the steps undertaken by the government to tackle this issue. The document presents a review of the efforts undertaken by EGP, an NGO based in Chennai, which has been implementing solid waste management projects with a variety of local bodies in accordance with the government’s rules.
India’s solid waste crisis is undermining the nation’s efforts to improve public health, protect the environment and stop climate change. India produces a staggering amount of municipal solid waste every day and the rate of production is expected to climb steadily as the nation becomes more populated, urbanised and economically developed.
Although the Indian government has enacted rules for management and handling of municipal solid waste, the results as per the year 2010 indicate that most localities have not fully complied with the rules and the situation has found to be getting worse day by day. Widespread, prolonged noncompliance with the rules and the rapid, highly-visible environmental degradation has led to calls for a changes in the nation’s waste management policy.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Babhli water conflict: Less water, more politics - EPW article
This paper published in the Economic and Political Weekly highlights the recently growing conflicts over water sharing between states in India and argues that the intensity and periodicity of these conflicts are increasing and that these conflicts are expected to get worse with the increasing uncertainty of rainfall and water availability. The document goes on to describe the latest one in the news, the conflict between Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh over the Babhli barrage.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Rainwater harvesting initiatives in Bangalore - A paper by KSCST
This paper by AR Shivakumar of the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), presented at a national seminar organised by ISRO at NIAS Bangalore in 2010, begins by highlighting the increasing problem of scarcity of water that the city of Bangalore has been experiencing in recent years and suggests a required plan of action for a sustainable water supply system in the city.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Environmental flows in river basins: A case study of river Bhadra - Current Science
The quantity and seasonality of water flow in a river may greatly change from its normal condition between a major storage and downstream, thus paving the way for drastic changes in the riverine ecosystem. ‘Environmental flow’ refers to the amount of water considered sufficient for protecting the structure and function of an ecosystem and its dependent species.
The paper goes on to describe the case of river Bhadra, which is the site of a dam that has significantly altered the natural flow of the river and describes the study that aimed at conducting the environment flow analysis of the river.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Groundwater externalities of surface irrigation transfers under national river linking project: Polavaram – Vijayawada link
This document published by IWMI and CGIAR describes the details of the Polavaram project, which has been planned by the state of Andhra Pradesh as a multi-purpose project:
to provide irrigation benefits to the upland areas
to provide a water supply to the industries in Visakhapatnam city, including the Steel Plant, for the generation of hydropower
for the development of navigation and recreation facilities.
The project envisages the construction of an earth-cum-rock filled dam that is 1,600 m long across the Godavari River at Polavaram, and about 42 km upstream of the Godavari Barrage at Dowlaiswaram.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Water quality status of historical Gundolav lake - Kishangarh - South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage
This paper published in the South Asian Journal of Tourism and Heritage describes the water quality status of Gundolav Lake in Rajasthan, which was once used for drinking water as well as for recreational activities under the tutelage of the princely state of Kishangarh. This has now become a site of wastewater disposal and facing a critical threat for its sustenance.
Recent years have led to an increasing awareness of the importance of water bodies and the need for conservation of water bodies, especially freshwater wetlands. The Ramsar Convention (2002) identifies wetlands as the starting point for integrated water management strategies. This is because they are the source of fresh water, maintain the health of the water course and water bodies, have the capacity to supply water to meet the human needs and are a key to future water security.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
A framework for India’s water policy - Economic and Political Weekly
This article published in the Economic and Political Weekly begins by arguing that India’s annually renewable water resources are finite and are subject to uncertain climatic variability and that these resources need to be systematically monitored and managed to meet the needs of a diverse society.
India will thus benefit from a unifying national water policy that combines scientific knowledge of India’s water resource systems with the nation’s democratic ideals so as to achieve an equitable sharing of this vital resource among all segments of society.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
News
Engineering failures cause of Pakistan floods? - Article from Dawn
By Mushtaq Gaadi
Article Courtesy: Dawn
The devastating floods in Pakistan have once again ignited public debate on the necessity of new water reservoirs in the country. The proponents of Kalabagh Dam, including some prominent politicians, TV anchorpersons, and Punjab water engineers, hold that if Kalabagh dam had been built, we would not be facing the present disaster wreaked upon millions of people in the Indus Valley. According to them, the Kalabagh dam or any other water engineering project should not be politicised because these issues are essentially ‘technical’. Decisions on such vital issues should be left to the wisdom of engineers and technical experts. Implicit in this argument are three underlying assumptions, all three of which are incorrect. First, it is assumed that ‘technical’ engineering interventions in natural (water) systems have nothing to do with politics. Second, that the control of river flows through engineering structures is the best possible way to control flooding. Third, that the knowledge of the engineering community is conclusive and beyond any critical scrutiny. Nonetheless, mounting evidence and experiences throughout the world suggest that these assumptions are not only reductionist but also in fact part of the problem of river basin management.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Inviting public opinion on Western Ghats ecology - Ministry of Environment and Forests (Government of India)
How would we judge ecological sensitivity? Scientists view an ecologically sensitive area as an area whose ecological balance, once disturbed, is very hard to restore. Thus, steep Western slopes of Western Ghats, subject to heavy rains and winds, if deforested, are likely to be quickly stripped of soil cover and for ever lose their pristine vegetation. We do have a scientific understanding of the environmental attributes that render areas more sensitive; we also have insights into processes that have resulted in irreversible ecological damage.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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Lessons from the field — Rainwater harvesting in India - National Geographic
By Sunita Narain
Article and Image Courtesy: National Geographic
How will vast regions of India, where highly unreliable rainfall makes the difference between famine and sustenance, cope with climate change? Over 85 percent of the cultivated area in this country is either directly dependent on rain or depends on rain to recharge its groundwater. Seasonal rain provides water for irrigation, drinking, and household needs. It provides water to livestock and is necessary to grow fodder for animals. The question of how these areas will adapt as rainfall becomes even more variable with climate change is especially important now, as groundwater is being pumped from deeper and deeper wells to grow water-guzzling crops like sugarcane, rice, wheat and even flowers.
Photograph courtesy: Sunita Narain, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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National Geographic water footprint calculator - Every drop counts !
Content and Image Courtesy: National Geographic
A Water Footprint Calculator developed by National Geographic set in the US context.
Find out your water footprint, then pledge to dry it out, joining other nationalgeographic.com users who have already committed to saving thousands of gallons.
We live in a watery world, with the average American lifestyle fueled by nearly 2,000 gallons of H2O a day. What may come as a surprise is that very little of that—only five percent—runs through toilets, taps, and garden hoses at home. Nearly 95 percent of your water footprint is hidden in the food you eat, energy you use, products you buy, and services you rely on.
The more we save, the more water we leave for healthy ecosystems and a sustainable future.
Water-saving facts and tips
Water calculator sources and credits
Calculate your footprint
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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Make every drop count in New Delhi: Financial Express
By Garima Pant
Article Courtesy: The Financial Express
Delhi is in a critical state. Not just for the rising terror alerts or the crime graph. It’s ground water levels are receding at the rate of 8 to 10 metres every year. Water experts note that more than 70% of Delhi’s ground water is over exploited and on the verge of drying out. Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) figures reveal that the amount of water drawn out is 250 times more than what actually seeps in. The city also requires around 850 million gallons of water daily, whereas the supply is only 650 million gallons.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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Opening up defecation: Article from The Hoot
By Teresa Rehman
Article courtesy: The Hoot
Although millions of rural and urban Indians do not have decent sanitation and thousands die from diarrhoea, the issue is like an abandoned terrain that nobody wants to tread on.
“Where is your toilet?” A more polished version can be, “Where is your restroom?” I have learnt to consciously ask this question to almost everyone, including militants in camps whom I have met on my reporting assignments. The instant reaction is of embarrassment. Issues like open defecation, menstruation and sanitary pads, toilets, waste disposal are considered very private, something not to be discussed in public and definitely not with a journalist.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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Q&A: Thomas Bjelkeman-Pettersson connecting aid and water online at Akvo.org
Q&A: Thomas Bjelkeman-Pettersson on Water, Technology and Akvo.org
Article and Image Courtesy: Circle of Blue
This is an interview conducted by Circle of Blue Radio, as part of the Circle of Blue Radio’s Series, 5 in 15.
Bjelkeman-Pettersson talked to Circle of Blue during the Tällberg Rework the World Conference in Sweden about sharing information to change the global direction on water and sanitation issues.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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Freshwater jewels - An article from Sanctuary Asia
Article and Image Courtesy: Sanctuary Asia
In this article, the author Vidyadhar Atkore, describes his experiences of studying freshwater fish in the Himalayas and informs that freshwater ecosystems are under tremendous pressure, not just in the Himalayas, but across the country.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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India's groundwater challenge: Civil Society Magazine
By Amitangshu Acharya
Article and Image Courtesy: Civil Society Online
In 2009, reports from NASA, based on data from its Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace), caused much alarm in India. The reports showed that groundwater levels in Northern India have been declining at the rate of 33 centimetres per year over the past decade. The reports estimated that a staggering 108 cubic kilometres (26 cubic miles) of groundwater had disappeared from aquifers in areas of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi, between 2002 and 2008.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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When all else fails, catch raindrops: How an ex-lecturer from Udipi district turned around the land - India Together
Article courtesy: India Together http://www.indiatogether.org/
The article in India Together by Shrikrishna D describes the efforts of an ex-lecturer from Karnataka's Udupi
district who made a barren hillock into a model of rainharvesting. AR Farms is spread across 25 acres in
Heroor village, 25 kms from Kundapur in Udupi district. Two decades ago, drinking water was scarce here and
the soil was hard laterite. An open well, the only source of water, used to dry up by February. All including
water experts had lost all hopes of reviving the farm.
However, today, 15 acres are being irrigated on the same farm, which has plenty of water from two borewells
that were dry earlier and now provide plenty of water to the farm.
This was possible because of the relentless efforts of the owner of the farm, Mr Richard Rebello, who brought
about these changes through his pioneering efforts at rainwater harvesting. The article describes his story,
which has served as a source of inspiration for hunderds of farmers who are now following his methods.
The complete article can be accessed from here http://www.indiatogether.org/2010/jul/agr-rebello.htm
Article Courtesy: India Together
Photo credits: Shrikrishna D
The new rain pond that collects run-off water flowing in from 15 acres of land around it.
'Incredible' is what you would utter if you had visited AR Farms 20 years ago and revisited it now. Such is the transformation brought about by its never-say-die, 72-year-old owner Richard Rebello.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
India and Pakistan tussle over water : News roundup (8-14 August 2010)
Water Conflicts
The other Kashmir problem: India and Pakistan tussle over water
Work on Kishenganga hydroelectric project underway
Pak alleges India has released flood waters
Rs 30 cr for legal battle with Pak on Kishenganga
India taking up China dam issue
Damming The Brahmaputra: Setback To South Asian Stability?
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
Articles
Dams and development: A new framework for decision-making - A World Commission on Dams report
This report by the World Commission on Dams begins by arguing that the debate about dams is a much broader issue and is important for everyone since it is a debate about the very meaning, purpose and pathways for achieving development. It is complex because the issues are not confined to the design, construction and operation of dams themselves, but include a range of social, environmental and political choices that define development.
Dams fundamentally alter rivers and the use of a natural resource, frequently entailing a reallocation of benefits from local riparian users to new groups of beneficiaries at a regional or national level. At the heart of the dams debate are fundamental issues of equity, governance, justice and power. The report argues that the main challenge lies in reconciling the competing needs between different groups of actors and provides a framework to deal with these fundamental issues in the dam debate.
aarti kelkar kh... posted 9 years 10 months ago
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