Research Papers

Tropical rainforests of the sea, under threat!
The World Ocean Day this year has come with a dire warning, of the threat posed to coral reefs, important for ocean health as well as the livelihoods of millions of people! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 days 7 hours ago

Coral reefs are said to be one of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth and harbour a wide range of animals and plant species.
Coral reefs in the Andaman Islands (Image Source: Ritiks via Wikimedia Commons)
When the Ganges spews plastic!
Abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear not only forms a large portion of plastic waste that the Ganges pours into the sea, it also poses a major threat to the environment and biodiversity! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 weeks ago

Rivers, carriers of plastic
Ganga river at Gadmukteshwar (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Harnessing runoff to cope with droughts in South India
With north east monsoon playing truant, understanding the reasons for droughts in South India is crucial. Can harnessing runoff help to cope with the increasing dry spells that south indian cities are facing? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 2 weeks 3 days ago

The years 2016 to 2018 saw a major drought in the South of India due to low winter rainfall from the northeast monsoon – rainfall crucial for water availability, agriculture and livelihoods for the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
The scramble to collect water: Can it be prevented? (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Challenges in planning faecal sludge management systems
Containment design and construction deviations from norms impact sanitation chain Amita Bhaduri posted 2 weeks 5 days ago

Sanitation targets for SDG 6 can only be met if the focus expands from just access to the full cycle of sanitation – access, conveyance, treatment and re-use.
Empty faecal sludge drying bed (Image: Lars Schoebitz; Flickr Commons)
Crop diversification to address the water crisis in Punjab
While borewells and aggressive irrigation practices continue to suck Punjab dry, can crop diversification rescue the state from turning into a desert? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 3 weeks 3 days ago

Punjab, sucked dry
Unsustainable agricultural practices in Punjab (Image Source: IWP flickr photos)
Water, at a price!
The water woes of Darjeeling continue to grow with unreliable public water supply and highly elastic private water markets. Is there a way out? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 4 weeks ago

Darjeeling, a water starved town

Hill stations in India are increasingly getting water scarce. Darjeeling, a well-known Himalayan town, continues to face water scarcity every year during the dry season, despite the abundant monsoon rainfall and several perennial rivers and streams.
Darjeeling, in the grip of a water crisis (Image Source: Bernard Gagnon via Wikimedia Commons)
About time inland waterways feasibility is reassessed
Serious questions about the dependability of waterways Amita Bhaduri posted 1 month ago

In 2016, 106 rivers or river stretches were declared as national inland waterways, and the development of many of these new waterways along with the already existing ones was prioritized for large scale commercial navigation and shipping.

Dredging in progress on National Waterway-1 (Image: IWAI)
Bathing spaces for women - crucial for WASH!
Bathing spaces and not toilets alone, aid women in maintaining health and hygiene. It is time the Swachh Bharat Mission pays attention to bathing spaces as well! Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 month 1 week ago

While it is known that women and girls experience considerable challenges than men and boys in accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources, there is minimal discussion on bathing spaces for women while the focus continues to be on toilet construction.
A temperory bathing space with no water and privacy in a fishing village in Tamil Nadu (Image Source: India Water Portal)
When monsoon plays truant!
While the intensity of monsoon is predicted to increase, the accompanying hot and dry extremes due to temperature rise will greatly threaten food production in India, warns this study. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 month 3 weeks ago

A recent study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) found that very few (less than 4 percent) of Indian farmers have adopted sustainable agricultural practices and systems.
When monsoon plays truant (Image Source: India Water Portal flickr photos)
Mining affected areas and its impact on livelihoods: Meghalaya
Urgent need for a holistic policy on mining of minerals in Meghalaya Amita Bhaduri posted 1 month 3 weeks ago

Meghalaya has a predominantly agrarian economy.
There is a need for management of acid mine drainage and contaminated water in mining areas (Image: Environmental Change and Security Program/Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA)
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