Chicu Lokgariwar

Chicu Lokgariwar
Has the revised draft of the National Water Policy 2012, released by the Ministry of Water Resources in June 2012 incorporated the public's feedback ?
This article by Chicu Lokgariwar presents the salient features of the revised draft of the National Water Policy and compares it to the previous version
Posted on 21 Jul, 2012 07:45 PM

On 31st January 2012, the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) had released the draft of the National Water Policy 2012 and invited comments till 29 February. Following the meeting of the National Water Board on 7th June 2012, the MoWR has now put up a revised draft on their website.

"Burning mountains": A first-hand account of the forest fires in summer in Uttarakhand
This article by Chicu Lokgariwar presents some information of the scale of forest fires in Uttarakhand, and a first-hand account of their impacts.
Posted on 19 Jun, 2012 06:38 AM

Forest fires occur with distressing regularity in the Himalayan states in the summer. This article presents some information of the scale of forest fires in Uttarakhand, and a first-hand account of their  impacts.

Draft of the National Water Policy 2012 released by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) on 31st January 2012 invites comments from the general public till 29th Feb 2012
The Draft National Water Policy 2011 was released on 31st January 2012, for public comments and is available here.
Posted on 01 Feb, 2012 02:01 PM

A section of the water sector practitioners and experts, have been engaged in the process, and a summary of the discussions so far, is available here.

Cold wave in North India claims several lives, disrupting normal conditions, heavy snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir
Chicu presents an update on floods, disasters, extreme weather events (1 to 15 January 2012).
Posted on 17 Jan, 2012 09:12 AM

A western disturbance caused a cold wave to sweep across the northern part of the country, claiming several lives and disrupting normal conditions. Reports of water pipes freezing, roads becoming unmotorable have come in from several parts of the country. This might affect crops this winter. 

satellite map of India showing the western disturbance

Cyclone Thane hits landfall between Puducherry and Cuddalore districts in Tamil Nadu, Heavy rainfall expected over Kerala in the next 24 hours - An update on floods, disasters, extreme weather events (1 to 31 December 2011)
The news for the month of December 2011 is presented below -
Posted on 01 Jan, 2012 04:50 PM

It has been dominated by reports of  a major cyclone Thane that lay centered on the the 29th December 2011 near latitude 12.30N and longitude 83.00E, about 300 km east-southeast of Chennai (Tamilnadu) and 480 km north-northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka). Earlier reports related to the cyclone Thane indicate predictions and cyclone warnings made by the IMD for the north of Tamil Nadu and the south Andhra Pradesh coast along with possibility of heavy rains and severe winds and warnings for fishermen to refrain from going into the sea.

Later reports indicate that Cyclone Thane has hit the landfall between the Union territory of Puducherry and neighbouring Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu at about 9 am leaving behind a trail of devastation followed by later reports of weakening of the cyclone activity and predictions of heavy rainfall over Kerala, south interior Karnataka and north interior Tamil Nadu

Northeast monsoon causes floods in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, some snowfall in Kashmir: News Roundup (01 to 15 November 2011)
Chicu presents the news roundup for 1 to 15 November 2011.
Posted on 22 Nov, 2011 07:26 AM

The news this fortnight has been dominated by the north-east monsoon in South India, mainly in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Periyar, Vagai, Krishnarajasagar, Mettur and Chemberampakkam reservoirs have either reached full capacity or are expected to in the next few days. Areas downstream of Vagai reservoir received flood warnings.

In the cities of Tamil Nadu, heavy rains and inadequate infrastructure have led to damage to life and property, with 10 people dead in two separate incidents. 

Winter precipitation has begun in Kashmir, with the higher reaches receiving snowfall. 

Orissa, Bihar and Sikkim assess the damage done by floods and the earthquake - News Roundup (01 to 15 October 2011)
Orissa and Bihar are dealing with floods and their aftermath. While the floodwaters are receding, several villages are still marooned in both states.
Posted on 12 Oct, 2011 02:13 AM

The work of repair and rehabilitation begins now. Assessments are being done of the assistance –and funds- needed in these two states.

Sikkim is beginning to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the 18th September earthquake. In addition to the loss of life, livelihoods have been severely impacted. The earthquake is also raising questions about the safety of the many dams planned on the Teesta.

Basanti and the Kosi: How one woman revitalized a watershed in Uttarakhand
Chicu writes about the river and a woman's tireless effort to protect it.
Posted on 07 Sep, 2011 03:22 PM

Guest post by: Chicu

River basin planning deconstructed
Chicu presents the report of the dialogue on mainstreaming river basin planning, 9th to 11th August, Delhi.
Posted on 20 Aug, 2011 08:33 AM

Guest post by: Chicu

Changing with the seasons: How Himalayan communities cope with climate change - A report by Peoples’ Science Institute
This report presents the findings of a participatory study in the Bhagirathi and Pindar valleys of Uttarakhand to determine the effects of climate change that have the most impact on rural livelihoods Posted on 14 Jun, 2011 10:51 PM

 Mountain areas and communities are susceptible to climate change. This work also yielded evidence of the coping strategies developed by the communities to deal with an unprecedented and only partially understood threat. This paper describes these strategies and attempts to assess the vulnerability of the communities in each valley.