Socially constructed notions of the different roles and responsibilities of men and women have a huge bearing on access to and control over resources, and subsequently on their vulnerabilities. More often than not, this leads to vulnerabilities that are skewed towards women, more than men. Gender ma...
A new research study by Climate Central, a US-based non-profit research group has projected that 300 million people could face annual coastal flooding triggered by climate change by 2050. Scott A Kulp and Benjamin H Strauss, the authors of the study suggest that the choices made today will like...
Focus on water conservation in MGNREGA: Rural Development ministry to states
The Ministry of Rural Development has asked states to give special focus to works related to water harvesting and water conservation, including river rejuvenation while preparing the MGNREGA labour budget for the 2020...
The link between water and Delhi's air pollution crisis
A study, "Tradeoffs Between Groundwater Conservation and Air Pollution From Agricultural Fires in Northwest India," published in Nature Sustainability, reveals how water-use policies require farmers to transplant rice later in the year, which ...
A majority of India’s water problems are those relating to groundwater—water that is found beneath the earth’s surface. This is because we are the largest user of groundwater in the world, and therefore highly dependent on it. At just over 260 cubic km per year, our country uses 25 p...
A study by Toxics Link, a Delhi-based environmental research and advocacy non-profit identified 15 e-waste processing hotspots in Delhi operating with impunity without safeguards. These hotspots house over 5,000 illegal e-waste processing units directly and indirectly employing over 50,000 people. T...
Madhya Pradesh, promoted as 'The Heart of India' by the state's tourism board is aptly named so because of its central location. The campaign made me keen to visit the state, for the last many years. I was therefore extremely fortunate that during my internship with the Watershed Organization Trust ...
Soon a national framework for e-flows in all major rivers
To ensure minimum and uninterrupted flow of water round-the-year in rivers across the country, the government is working to have a national framework for implementation and monitoring of e-flows (environmental flows) in all major rivers. The...
Drinking water availability should be a top priority: NGT
In response to a plea filed by Association of the Industrial Manufactures, the National Green Tribunal has said that the availability of drinking water is the first priority and it is for industries and authorities concerned to find out alte...
Land-related conflicts in India are on the rise despite some of the most progressive legislations to protect people’s rights over land and forest. Land and forest rights experts and activists from 13 Asian countries including India attended the annual Asia Land Forum, organised by the Interna...
To many in the water sector, K. J. Joy needs no introduction. An activist at heart, Joy is known for his untiring rights based work in mobilising communities in rural Maharashtra, and for his research work on water and water related conflicts including inter-state riparian water conflicts.
In a con...
Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in North East India is also known as the ‘floating lake’ for the numerous phumdis or masses of vegetation it supports. The phumdis float around on the lake’s surface due to decay from the bottom. Some are so large that the indigenous fishing folk Meitei...
Study finds Pune's groundwater extraction doubles in 9 years
A survey conducted by the Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM) with assistance from the Centre for Environment Education (CEE) and Mission Groundwater, reveals that groundwater extraction in Pune has do...
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, state to bear half the cost and local bodies to decide water charges
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, all states except the North East and Himalayan states, will bear half the financial burden of the scheme. While the funding pattern for Centre and non-Northeast and non-Himal...
Last week saw protests of a different kind in Mumbai. Activists and citizens from all walks of life came together to protest the cutting of trees in Aarey Milk Colony, one of the few surviving green lungs of the fast growing and polluted city of Mumbai.
This green zone extends from Powai to the Wes...
SC comes to the rescue of Aarey trees in Mumbai
Last week the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL) started axing trees at Aarey colony in Mumbai where the car shed for the Metro III project has to come up. Several activists who protested against the tree felling were jailed by the Mumbai Polic...
Goa government, farmers against MoEF for proposing re-designation of the state’s low lying lands
In its proposal, the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), a scientific body under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, has redefined coastal areas in Goa as 'land...
The execution of India’s institutional framework for preventing and solving conflicts over river water is still evolving. A new thinking on federalism in the field of water management to meet local aspirations and national ambition is needed. A one-day conference 'Towards water federalism 2.0 - Pe...
It’s ironic that detergents, which are meant for cleaning, flow into water bodies and pollute them with chemicals. A study released recently by Delhi-based non-profit Toxics Link, ‘Dirty Trail: Detergent to Water Bodies’, has found startling levels of the toxic chemical nonylphenol in detergen...
Bihar, Jharkhand and Arunachal Pradesh are at the bottom of NITI Aayog's SDG Index, released recently.
Kerala retains the top slot with a score of 70, followed closely by Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana in the latest edition of NITI Aayog’s annual assessment of progress made by states in achieving the sustainable development goals (SDG). “Kerala is well on track to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals,” tweeted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The film looks at corporate grab of forest and private lands in the Scheduled Areas of Chhattisgarh.
Maheen Mirza’s film ‘Agar wo desh banati/ If she built a country’ looks at the widespread displacement on an unprecedented scale for mines and industries in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. The devastation of the environment, the cutting-off of the relationship of the people with their forests, the appallingly scant resettlement and compensation for the local adivasi people and the devastating consequences for their livelihoods is dealt with.
Centre approves Atal Bhujal Yojana, worth Rs 6,000 crore Considering the acute groundwater shortage in the country, the Union Cabinet has approved the Atal Bhujal Yojana with a total outlay of Rs 6,000 crore to manage the critical resources of water through multiple activities.
This unique low cost fluoride removal technology is not only affordable, but is also easy to operate as a water treatment filter with high efficiency suitable for rural application.
Groundwater contamination has emerged as an alarming issue in India and a recent UN report reveals that India ranks 120th among the 122 countries in terms of water quality index. As high as 70 percent of the water supply in India is contaminated, resulting in nearly 0.2 million deaths each year.
Poisoned waters: Fluoride contamination of groundwater
A study by CSE rings the alarm bells on processed food responsible for obesity and non-communicable diseases.
A new study by the Centre for Science and Environment has exposed that levels of salt and fat in junk food is far higher than proposed thresholds in the country. The tests at the New Delhi based non-profit’s Environment Monitoring Laboratory indicate that food manufacturers sell packaged food and fast food products with unhealthy levels of nutrients.
India leads the world in pollution-linked deaths: Study According to a report by the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution (GAHP), India and China led in the number of deaths linked to pollution, with about 2.3 million and 1.8 million respectively, followed by Nigeria, Indonesia and Pakistan.
