Aarti Kelkar Khambete

Parched lips, barren lands and the scramble for water in Maharashtra

What are the factors that have caused the Marathwada region to be known as the 'suicide capital for farmers'? More importantly, do farmers here have some respite before the monsoon disappears?

Posted on 13 Sep, 2015 07:44 AM

Rainfall map of India (Source: IMD)

Staring at drought (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Half of India's interstate rivers plagued by pollution and poor water quality

While the Central Pollution Control Board's recent study highlights the problems with rivers today, it does not have clear cut recommendations or actions to resolve them.

Posted on 23 Aug, 2015 03:42 PM

According to a recent study by the Central Pollution and Control Board (CPCB), almost half of India's

The poop scoop: Diarrhoea data in graphs

The coverage of 'safe drinking water' in India increased from 62.3 percent in 1991 to 94 percent in 2011 but why has the incidence of diarhoeal diseases not reduced?

Posted on 04 Jul, 2015 04:22 PM

Lack of access to safe drinking water coupled with poor sanitation often causes water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea. Come monsoons, and the situation worsens due to increased flooding and sewage mixing with drinking water sources. Diarrhoea is one of the

There is a link between the quality of toilets and incidence of diarrhoeal diseases.

The Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Act 2009

Shashank Deshpande, Deputy Director GSDA, talks to the India Water Portal on the background and features of the recently passed Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Act 2009.

Posted on 25 Apr, 2015 02:16 PM

Please provide us some background on the hydrogeology of Maharashtra and its special features, which make it stand out as compared to the other parts of the country.

Water, through an artist's lens

Photographer Arjun Swaminathan speaks to India Water Portal about his journey so far, which includes filming water stories.

Posted on 30 Mar, 2015 08:36 AM

How did your interest in filming water stories come about? Is there any particular issue on water that has interested you? What has guided your selection?

Search for water (Source: Arjun Swaminathan)

Droughts in Maharashtra: Lack of management or vagaries of climate change?

None of our policies seem to be designed keeping in mind the farmer and his convenience, says Suneel Joshi, State Coordinator for Jal Biradari, in an interview with India Water Portal.

Posted on 18 Dec, 2014 08:24 AM

Recent news has been flooded with reports of the severe drought situation in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra. Even more shocking are the reports of large-scale suicides by farmers due to crop losses.

Severe droughts (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Budget 2015-16 likely to have huge cuts in social sector

Policy matters this fortnight

Posted on 16 Dec, 2014 12:27 PM

Social sector likely to get less funds in Union Budget 2015-16

MNREGA workers building check dam in Gujarat

Hydropower projects aggravated the Uttarakhand disaster

News this fortnight

Posted on 16 Dec, 2014 12:08 PM

Government admits that hydropower projects aggravated the Uttarakhand disaster

It's not just about rape

It is time we realise that sanitation is not just a development target that can be achieved by increasing the number of toilets. It is a reflection of how we view ourselves, both men and women, as equal members of society.

Posted on 22 Nov, 2014 10:30 AM

Nandatai and her 16 year old daughter Phula creep out of their houses quietly in the wee hours of the morning into the dark fields to relieve themselves before everyone wakes up. It is an everyday story as this is the only time in the day that they have privacy. “It is so shameful to go out in the fields during the day”, says Nandatai. “We have to hold our urine till it gets dark.

Sanitation access among women is a fundamental human right (Image Source: surrealpenguin via Wikimedia Commons)

White, Green and now a ‘Blue Revolution’!

Policy matters this week

Posted on 10 Nov, 2014 10:35 PM

India plans to launch the 'Blue Revolution' to boost fish production

Subscribe to Aarti Kelkar Khambete