Eshwer Kale

Making the invisible, visible

The water stewardship initiative by WOTR that developed a tool to visualise aquifers has not only helped farmers understand groundwater as a shared resource, but also led to a behavioural change among water users and helped implement groundwater laws and policies.

Marcella D'Souza; Sarita Chemburkar

Posted on 26 Apr, 2022 11:10 PM

Excessive dependence and unregulated use of groundwater is draining India dry with 84 percent of groundwater being used for irrigation and 90 percent for drinking in rural areas.

Groundwater, a fast disappearing resource (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Gender mainstreaming in groundwater management

It is crucial to acknowledge the role of gender based power relations while addressing key barriers that women face while participating in water management efforts.

Marcella D’Souza

Swati Sinha

Posted on 21 Dec, 2021 12:02 PM

Several policies and programs in the water sector in India have provisions for women’s participation. However, the reality of gender mainstreaming continues to be dismal.

Gender in groundwater management (Image Source: www.kudumbshree.org, kudumbashree via Wikimedia Commons)

Water governance standard and certification system – An answer to the water problems of agrarian India

The recent 'Water governance standard and certification system' developed by WOTR can greatly help villages to develop good governance practices and manage their water needs equitably and sustainably.

Bhakti Harchekar

Posted on 22 Mar, 2021 08:28 AM

Water, belongs to everyone, managed by no one

While watching a film on WOTR’s Water Stewardship efforts, “Paani Kaarbhari – Water Stewards”, that won the Ministry of Jal Shakti's ‘Water Heroes: Share Your Stories’ contest¹, we came across the wise words of a village woman who says “Water does not belong to one person, it belongs to everyone”.

Long queues waiting for tankers are common in different parts of Maharashtra during water scarcity (Image Source: WOTR)

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?

Posted on 10 Jul, 2020 02:07 PM

Tank systems of India

Desiltation activities undertaken under the GDGS in Maharahstra (Image Source: NASHIKONWEB.COM)

Water strategy: Ponds need pondering

Unregulated construction and use of farm ponds in Maharashtra have further aggravated the drinking water situation in water-scarce areas in the state.

Posted on 23 Feb, 2017 06:23 PM

In the last few years, the water situation in Maharashtra has got worse resulting in severe droughts leading to drinking water scarcity and agricultural crisis. This has caused immense suffering for the rural folk in the state and saw instances of violence in the name of water.

A farm pond (Source: Renie Thomas, WOTR, Pune)

Draft National Water Policy 2012 and mainstreaming climate change adaptation

Now-a-days, climate change or global warming is one of the growing concerns in the natural resource management. According to the United Nation 2008 report ‘Humanitarian implications of climate change - Mapping emerging trends and risk hotspots’, India is one of the largest and most important regions of high overall human vulnerability. Climate change phenomenon is closely related to changes in monsoon behaviour and temperature. Variability in rainfall and temperature has a definite impact on water availability, groundwater recharge, agriculture and livestock production, livelihoods and health. Eshwar Kale of WoTR, Pune writes about the issue.

Posted on 27 Apr, 2012 01:58 PM

Climate change issue is being loudly debated on international level to reduce emission of various gases, and each nation’s responsibility to control the emission.

Social exclusion in watershed development: Evidence from the Indo-German watershed development project in Maharashtra - A LEAD paper

This paper examines social exclusion of resource-poor groups in developmental programmes targeted at them through the lens of watershed programmes.

Posted on 18 Feb, 2012 03:08 PM

Marginalized communities are excluded from a say in the creation of policies.

A bar chart illustrating level of participation in SHGs against landholding status

Groundwater management: The critical issue dealing with normative concerns of equity and sustainability in watershed development in India.

Right to water is closely linked to ownership of land in India and the person who owns the piece of land has have a full ownership right to use as well as exploit groundwater under his piece of land, as well as from neighbouring land. Due to this unfair rule, landless and resource poor are thrown out from various benefits of the groundwater which are generated through watershed development and water conservation projects.

Posted on 02 Jul, 2010 04:31 PM

ABSTRACT

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