Governance

Featured Articles
January 4, 2021
Should we bet more on historians than engineers to sort flooding?
How the historian's method is invaluable in developing an understanding of floods.
Need to consider the perspective of the historians who see floods as a naturally occurring event. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)
January 1, 2021
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)
December 29, 2020
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Cities in India are marked by unequal distribution of water, lack of access, outdated infrastructure and minimal enforcement of rainwater harvesting and other means of supply.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)
December 12, 2020
Embracing planning for faecal sludge management: The tale of two towns
How to plan for and implement FSM related initiatives in small towns?
Project Nirmal demonstrates appropriate, low-cost, decentralized, inclusive and sustainable sanitation service delivery solutions for two small towns (Angul and Dhenkanal) in Odisha. (Image: SCI-FI, CPR)
December 8, 2020
District development, data and diversity: Lessons and the way forward
Though we have highly sophisticated ways of depicting data nowadays, we have gone backwards on linking data with decision making.
The quality of the government data for schematic reporting has improved as compared to 20 years ago, that does not necessarily mean that planning has improved (Image: Pikist)
December 7, 2020
Not in the interest of women farmers!
The new farm related bills will spell doom for women workers who form the bulk of small and marginal sections of Indian agriculture, warns Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM).
Farm women, overworked and underpaid (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Creating an Atma Nirbhar Bharat amid the Covid-19 pandemic
There is an urgent need for a comprehensive National Employment Policy based on responsive real-time data analysis integrating sectors amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Amita Bhaduri posted 5 months 4 weeks ago

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), about 63 countries across the globe have prepared National Development Framework or National Employment Policy (NEP) to decide the roadmap for employment generation mainly after the global financial crisis, 2008.
Brick kiln workers (Image: ILO Asia-Pacific)
Kamla, Kosi and Bagmati rivers in rage, disrupt life
Incessant rains in Terai region of Bihar and Nepal causes floods in North Bihar as many rivers rise above the danger mark. Swati Bansal posted 6 months ago

Due to intermittent rains in the Terai region of Bihar and Nepal, the water level of Mahananda, Kosi, Kamla and Bagmati rivers of North Bihar is continuously increasing and flood conditions have started to build in the region.
Locals provide aid to people hit by floods in Bihar
Floods in Bihar: Government prepares to shift people to safer places
As flood situation hits the state, the government is working towards taking people to safer places and preparing itself for the rescue efforts. Swati Bansal posted 6 months ago

Due to incessant rains, many rivers in Bihar are in spate and there is a situation of floods in the state. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecasted heavy rains for the next two-three days, which may worsen the situation.

Heavy rains predicted
Children drinking milk at a flood relief centre in Bihar (Source: Bhartiya Jan Utthan Parishad)
Private sector engagement for scaling up small water enterprises
Small water enterprises cannot rely on the earlier models of operations due to diminishing CSR funds in the light of the pandemic. Amita Bhaduri posted 6 months ago

Understanding the drivers and key risks for the private sector is of critical importance in their engagement in owning, operating, and managing safe water supply through small water enterprises.
Owning, operating, and managing safe water supply through small water enterprises is a tangible way for women to transform their lives. (Image: Safe Water Network)
Bringing springs to life: Ensuring water security for Baigas in Madhya Pradesh
To ensure year-round availability of drinking water for the Baigas, an initiative bring back springs to life in the region through community participation. Swati Bansal posted 6 months ago

Nested amongst the Satprura hills lies Kapoti, a village in the Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. This region is known as Baiga Chak and is inhabited by Baigas, a vulnerable tribal group.
Children wash hands at a stand post installed in a Primary school at Kapoti Village in Karanjiya, Dhindori, Madhya Pradesh, India (Source: WaterAid India)
Drone to help monitor embankments and save people trapped in floods
This year, along with working at the grass root level to deal with floods, the Bihar government is also focussing on the full use of state-of-the-art technologies. Swati Bansal posted 6 months ago

#HelloWRD: A social media campaign
Completed flood protection in Naruar, Bihar (Image Source: Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar, Twitter handle)
Reinventing waste management during Covid-19
There is an urgent need to revamp our municipal waste management systems. Amita Bhaduri posted 6 months ago

India stares at a Covid-19 induced waste management crisis and there is a need to strengthen waste management services. An important sanitary barrier to prevent the dissemination of illnesses and diseases, waste management’s impact on the world’s healthcare systems, and the economy are significant.
A lab technician discarding disposable gloves (Image: CDC/Kimberly Smith, Christine Ford acquired from Public Health Image Library)
Tank desiltation scheme in Maharashtra: Policy concerns and way forward
Maharashtra has been implementing the Gaalmukt Dharan, Gaalyukt Shivar Yojana (GDGS) scheme since 2017. How has it fared and what needs to be done to improve it further? aartikelkar posted 6 months 1 week ago

Tank systems of India
Desiltation activities undertaken under the GDGS in Maharahstra (Image Source: NASHIKONWEB.COM)
Bhuj cattle rearers face the heat of lockdown
Glimpses into the impact of Covid-19-related policies on the lives of cattle rearers in Bhuj, Gujarat. Amita Bhaduri posted 6 months 1 week ago

Akbarbhai (35), a Maldhari (semi-nomadic cattle herder) is struggling to survive as the lockdown to check the spread of coronavirus has hit demand of dairy products badly and led to prices crashing in Bhuj. He lives in Gandhinagari, an informal settlement in Bhuj that is home to around 30 cattle herders. His joint family of 15 members includes his two brothers and three sisters.
Image: Homes in the City
Environmentalists voice concerns against the draft EIA notification 2020
Policy matters this week Swati Bansal posted 6 months 1 week ago

Draft EIA notification 2020 attracts criticism from experts
Work in progress in coal mines in Jharsuguda (Image source: IWP Flickr album)
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