Aarti Kelkar Khambete

Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Can Sewri get back in the pink?
Sewri wetland is known for many winged visitors including flamingos that come for blue green algae annually. It is under threat, thanks to rapid urbanisation.
Posted on 24 Mar, 2017 09:59 AM

Mangroves form an integral part of the landscape of Mumbai and are essential in maintaining the stability of the coastline.

The pink guests of Sewri. (Source: India Water Portal)
Cleanliness broom: A village keeps its water clean
Sangrun village near Pune sets an example to all upstream villages by keeping its rivers pollution free.
Posted on 07 Feb, 2017 10:36 PM

Located about 27 km from the city of Pune, Sangrun in Haveli taluka is a unique village. Situated in the rocky terrains of the Sahaydri hills, the village is at the confluence of three rivers--Mose, Ambi and Mutha--often referred to by the villagers as the Triveni Sangam or a place where three rivers unite.

Women get together for the cleaning drive at Sangrun. (Source: India Water Portal)
Stunting in India: The sanitation connect
India has the highest number of stunted children worldwide. Not just toilet numbers, but poor toilet use and hygiene behaviour too need urgent redressal at the policy level to reduce stunting. Posted on 22 Dec, 2016 11:57 AM

On Children’s Day on November 14 this year, two organisations in Odisha--Shramajeebee Sangathan (SJS), Malkangiri and Jeebika Suraksha Mancha, Kandhamal--organised a massive padayatra (street walk) in villages as an awareness drive and to mobilise communities to curb m

Rally on nutrition awareness by Jeebika Suraksha Manch, Odisha (Source: Amir Khan)
Wai celebrates Krishnabai Utsav
Celebrated over eight days, a festival pays homage to the Krishna river which is dammed, stagnant and polluted but still holds hope for many.
Posted on 29 Nov, 2016 01:22 PM

The Krishnabai Utsav, a festival celebrating and revering the river Krishna as it flows through Wai, begins tomorrow in the town of

The river Krishna at Wai (Source: Makarand Shende)
No land for nomads
The lives of Dhangars in Maharashtra is a perfect example of the threats faced by pastoralists in India due to rapid urbanisation and hostile state policies.
Posted on 24 Nov, 2016 10:38 PM

Dhangars, a semi-nomadic group in Maharashtra, are traditionally pastoralists.

Dhangars are pastoralists in Maharashtra. (Source: India Water Portal)
Use rain to beat drought
An analysis by IMD proves that rainwater harvesting is the best way to overcome the continuous dry spells the country witnesses.
Posted on 23 Nov, 2016 10:32 AM

A recent analysis by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) determined the rooftop rainwater harvesting potential of the districts in Maharashtra in a year by calculating the average amount of rainwater in litres that can be caught over one square foo

Mumbai in monsoon. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Those invisible farm hands
Farm women are often overworked and have several health issues. With no claim on their land or decision-making power, this gender-based discrimination needs redressal at the policy level.
Posted on 28 Oct, 2016 09:43 PM

Parvati, aged 40, is an agricultural labourer working on the outskirts of Pune. The sole breadwinner of her family, she has not been going for work for three days because of severe pain in the lower back. She asks me for some pills or ointments that could relieve her of her backache.

Women at work on a farm. (Source: India Water Portal)
The nature of trade
What can be done to nature’s commodification to save it from the onslaught of development? A new book delves into some pertinent questions related to current environmental crises
Posted on 07 Sep, 2016 11:30 PM

Kanchi Kohli is a researcher, writer and campaigner working on environment, forest and biodiversity governance in India and their interface with trade and industrialisation.

The environment, sustainability and business interests. (Source: India Water Portal)
Slum dwellers in Delhi to get individual water connections
News this week
Posted on 06 Sep, 2016 09:19 AM

DJB to give individual water connections in slums

Access to drinking water, a basic human right. (Source: IWP flicker photos)
SC urges Karnataka to share water with TN
Policy matters this week
Posted on 06 Sep, 2016 09:18 AM

Release water to Tamil Nadu: SC to Karnataka

Cauvery river at Hogenakal, Karnataka. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos via Claire Arni and Oriole Henri)
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