Water, People, and Culture - India Water Portal

People and Culture

Arun Sahni displays his first catch of the day on the banks of the Bagmati River in Hayaghat, Darbhanga, Bihar. The early morning light reflects off the water as he begins another day of traditional fishing.

On the banks of Bagmati River: Bihar’s forgotten fisherfolk

Sharat Chandra prasad

30 Jun 2025

9 min read

Tiny, sticky mahua flowers cling to Kunti’s hands — a sweet reward from the forest.

People and Culture

Gathering Mahua: A seasonal flower, a perennial lifeline for the adivasis in Central India

Balkishan Kaumarya

10 May 2025

7 min read

Babita Devi prepares the furnace carefully, placing bricks in perfect alignment. This helps spread heat evenly so that the kulhads (clay cups) become strong and don’t crack during firing.

People and Culture

Pot, potters, and the vanishing soil: Bihar’s clay artisans on the brink

Sharat Chandra prasad

16 Apr 2025

8 min read

A bustling scene at Sassoon Dock Market, where Koli women, dressed in vibrant sarees, are seated with baskets filled with fresh fish. The air is filled with the sounds of bargaining as customers select their daily catch.

A day in the life of Mumbai’s Koli women: From dock to market

Sharat Chandra prasad

28 Feb 2025

7 min read

Pilgrims taking a dip at the confluence of the Sangam.

Can we celebrate Kumbh while ignoring the health of its rivers?

Sharat Chandra prasad

19 Feb 2025

6 min read

A woman carrying fresh fish in a basket walks through the bustling Cuffe Parade fish market in Mumbai.

People and Culture

Mumbai’s Kolis: Guardians of the city's shores and fishing heritage

Sharat Chandra prasad

08 Feb 2025

5 min read

How Faith and Pollution Collide on Delhi’s Yamuna River

People and Culture

How Faith and Pollution Collide on Delhi’s Yamuna River

Sharat Chandra prasad

03 Dec 2024

4 min read

Grazing fields in a village in Ladakh

Role of traditional institutions in natural resources management in Ladakh

23 Nov 2024

4 min read

A woman stands in the Bagmati River, offering her prayers to the rising sun on the second day of Chhath Puja. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Chhath Puja - A celebration of sun, rivers, and community in changing times

Sharat Chandra prasad

04 Nov 2024

4 min read

Community wells: A shared groundwater resource

Beyond the boundaries: Reimagining our shared resources

21 Sep 2024

3 min read

Equality and equity concept illustration (Image: juliabatsheva; publicdomainpictures.net)

EquiLead 2024: Forging paths to gender equity

11 Aug 2024

3 min read

Bhuj's fight for land rights (Image: Rita Willaert, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

PMAY paradox: Policy gap leaves Bhuj's poor homeless

Homes in the City

29 Jul 2024

3 min read

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