With the financial assistance from the German Government/Development Bank (KfW); the Rural Development & Water Conservation Department (RD&WCD); Govt. of Maharashtra (GoM), has undertaken a programme called Minor Irrigation Programme-Maharashtra (MIP-M). Under this, 28 Minor Irrigation Schemes (MIS) have been completed under Local Sector Wing of RD&WCD. Programme originally started in March 2001 and ended on 30 June 2011.
The Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR), Government of India (GoI) has recently prepared a National Water Policy whose draft has been put up on the Ministry's website for public comments by February 27, 2012. The MoWR also stated that it would incorporate reasonable comments and suggestions into the new water policy after discussions. NEER Foundation, Meerut organized a one day intensive dialogue on February 18, 2012 at Hotel Crystal Palace, Meerut on the policy draft in which experts from across the country and farmers participated.
MoEF, which holds the mandate of safeguarding country's environment, has given a completely unjustifiable wildlife clearance to the 1750 MW Demwe Lower Hydroelectric dam on the Lohit river in Arunachal Pradesh (http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/Demwe_Lower_Hydroelectric_project.pdf), in face of severe opposition from civil society, experts across country and all the independent members of National Board for Wildlife. This shocking decision has come at the heels of one more such clearance given by MoEF to 300 MW Alkananda project in Uttarakhand, which has been rejected twice by FAC and given a negative recommendation by WII.
This paper published in the Journal of Indian Water Works Association demonstrates how urban water management can be based on policies with the goals of effective water allocation, and its quality and quantity management, by making use of a water resource accounting framework and focuses on illustrating how urban water management can be achieved through water accounting through a case study of NCT-Delhi.
After the earthquake that shook Sikkim in November 2011, the safety of the dams being constructed on the Teesta is being questioned by the communities that live along it
The rice fields of Kulgam district in Kashmir have provided the people of the state with sufficient harvest of this staple. However, illegal appropriation of farmland for construction has led to a state-wide rice shortage,says IndiaUnheard.
The economic feasibility of river interlinking is still debatable, while studies show that it will cause social and ecological harm. Despite this, states are still taking this program forward. Gopal Krishna examines this phenomenon.
