Groundwater

Featured Articles
August 29, 2021
Poisoned waters, deadly outcomes!
A study shows that high arsenic contamination of groundwater in Bihar is linked with increase in cancer cases. Districts located near the Himalayan river basins have more people with cancer.
Drinking water in Bihar, linked to cancer (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
August 26, 2021
Poisonous encounters: Nitrate contamination of groundwater in Rajasthan
This study from Rajasthan found that anthropogenic factors led to nitrate contamination of groundwater. High nitrate levels in drinking water posed major health risks to children.
A well in Rajasthan (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)
July 29, 2021
Demystifying groundwater for collective action
Experiences from participatory groundwater management efforts in Maharashtra
Unless work on managing the demand is undertaken, the notion of ‘infinite’ groundwater will be hard to address. (Image: Rucha Deshmukh, ACWADAM)
July 19, 2021
Will urban India gain respite from its water woes?
Urban India is hurtling towards a major water crisis. What are the important considerations that the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) should take into account to meet the water needs in urban areas?
Will urban India get respite from its water woes? (Image Source: Aathavan Jaffna via Wikimedia Commons)
July 8, 2021
Solar irrigation policies in India
A compilation of different state level solar irrigation policies provides a quick snapshot of institutional development of solar irrigation in India.
Different solar irrigation policies in India (Image: IWMI)
June 22, 2021
Toxic chemicals: A barrier to safe drinking water
Nonylphenol and its ethoxylates in drinking water: A health challenge
Water treatment facilities are incapable of removing many chemical compounds and need to be upgraded (Image: PxHere)
Pumping groundwater to harnessing rainfall: A tale of two states
Saurashtra, and Vidarbha and Marathwada have similar climatic and aquifer characteristics. Why do the latter suffer from droughts when Saurashtra has been able to improve its groundwater levels? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 2 months ago

Groundwater depletion, a growing challenge for India
Groundwater decline in India (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Repurposing microirrigation to deal with water woes
Microirrigation does not often bring about a change in cropping patterns, with farmers continuing with water-intensive crops. Amita Bhaduri posted 1 year 2 months ago

India is likely to face stark water scarcity in the coming decades as a result of excessive use, according to the World Resources Institute (WRI)’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas - a tool to visualise and assess water stress and drought and flood risk covering
Irrigation pump supplying water for drip irrigation (Image: IWMI Flickr, (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0))
Digital tools to tackle water scarcity
FRANK Water and Arup launch the WASH Connect mobile app and WASH Basins Toolkit to empower local government and communities to jointly manage water resources. Amita Bhaduri posted 1 year 2 months ago

India has the highest population of any country in the world without access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation. According to WaterAid and the World Health Organisation (WHO), 163 million people still lack access to safe water and millions still defecate in the open.
About 200,000 people die each year in India from diseases related to unclean water (Image: FRANK Water)
Boosting rural livelihoods using agriculture and MGNREGA amidst Covid-19
Strengthening farm and non-farm livelihoods can pave the way for food and nutritional security. Amita Bhaduri posted 1 year 2 months ago

As the Covid-19 pandemic was leaving deep scars around the globe, it forced governments to take measures to protect citizens and ensure food security for its people. In India, initially, it looked as if the remote rural areas would skirt the pandemic.
MGNREGA can play an important role in integration of migrant labour in the rural economy (Image: Ashutosh Nanda)
India to have more rains, floods and warm days in the coming century: Report
News this week Swati Bansal posted 1 year 2 months ago

India's first climate change assessment report warns of heavy rains, more floods and warmers days
Country is going to face more rains, floods and warm days in the coming century (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Groundwater depletion in Punjab: Time for a major policy overhaul
The time for quick fixes is over; a comprehensive policy overhaul is urgently needed to impede the juggernaut of Punjab's groundwater depletion. Amita Bhaduri posted 1 year 3 months ago

Punjab, a small state in northwest India, derives its name from the Persian words panj (five) and ?b (water), meaning the "land of five rivers". Ironically, this state is now regularly in the news for its rapidly depleting groundwater levels.
Pumping groundwater with the energy generated from solar panels (Image: Prashanth Vishwanathan/IWMI; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Villagers in Rajasthan show resilience during national lockdown
Continuing to prepare rural communities for the most unprecedented events in Alwar. Amita Bhaduri posted 1 year 3 months ago

India’s national lockdown to curb the fast-expanding community transmission of coronavirus led to life coming to a standstill across the country. The long pause of over three months is starting to ease, and the new shift towards “normal” gives health and hygiene ultimate attention.
Repairing the school infrastructures before students return to their classrooms (Image: Sehgal Foundation)
Priorities for the Revised National Water Policy
There is need to evolve a National Water Policy that establishes a framework and pathway to sustainable, efficient and equitable management of surface and groundwater resources. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 1 year 3 months ago

The Department of Water Resources, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, has constituted a drafting committee on 5 November 2019 to revise the existing National Water Policy (NWP). Dr. Mihir Shah, a renowned water expert and a former member of the Planning Commission is chairing the committee.
The need for sustainable, efficient and equitable management of surface and groundwater resources (Image Source: India Water Portal)
Fire in Assam to have catastrophic effect on ecozones: Experts
News this week Swati Bansal posted 1 year 3 months ago

Fire breaks at an oil well in Assam damaging ecozones around the site
Migratory birds flock Maguri Beel, which is 500 m away from the incident site (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Need to protect the unique geological features in the Upper Ken basin
An attempt to document the geological features, water potential, and traditional wisdom around them in the Upper Ken basin. Amita Bhaduri posted 1 year 3 months ago

Kathayi, a scheduled tribe (ST) dominated village in the midst of the forested stretches of Shahnagar block in Panna district faces acute water scarcity during the 3-4 summer months. Through the government schemes, three wells and two hand pumps were installed in this 75 household village in the last 10-15 years, but most of them are dysfunctional now.
Panghata Kund in village Aloni, Panna (June 2014, after initial monsoon) (Image: Seema Ravandale)
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