Gujarat

VIKSAT (Vikram Sarabhai Centre for Development Interaction), established in 1977, is an activity of the Nehru Foundation for Development (NFD), Ahmedabad. VIKSAT, engaged in promotion of participatory management of natural resources, believes that the goal of sustainability in natural resources development and management can be achieved only through decisive participation of the local communities aided by an enabling role of the government agencies.

VIKSAT is looking for a Project Associate (Agriculture) to be based at the Kheroj Field Office, in Sabarkantha District.

The terms of reference of the study for formulation of guidelines included:

 A large number of farmers and well operators were interviewed in the process. Data was also collected from the power utility that supplies power to this region. Along with this the climatic peculiarities of the region, farmers and well users perceptions on ground water management and use were also collected.

This Current Science paper uses secondary data to discuss the disappearance of the river Saraswati. The enigma that was the disappearance of this river, which according to the author once upon a time greened Rajasthan and had nurtured civilizations on its shore, brought archaeologists, geologists, geophysicists, and climatologists to find answers. The author uses the body of work created by these scientists to solve the puzzle of the disappearance of the Saraswati.

Organizer: Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd.

Venue: Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) Auditorium, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Topics:

• Water for Inclusive Growth

Organizer: South Asian Fund Raising Group

Venue: Gandhi Labour Institute, Ahmedabad

 This book is being read by wider professionals all over the globe with interest and many people have also offered their review on the same.  Keeping in view the activities of India Water Portal, we feel that it may be of interest for the portal readers to know more about this.  One such review of the book written by Prof. D. T. Shete, Former Director, Water Resources Engineering and Management Institute, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara is attached herewith.

It was the kick-off event of an ambitious project to find solutions to the groundwater crisis in Gujarat, funded by the PepsiCo Foundation. More details of the project will follow this overview post.

Gujarat and the Mehsana region, India Source: Columbia Water Center

How SGWISS could support the Rainwater Harvesting? 

The main source of sweet water is Rain, but the water available from the rain is not regular and uniformly spread throughout year. So the rainwater could be stored by any method in rain. When the rainwater is stored on the surface but there would not be sufficient capacities of structures developed for the rainwater harvesting. Little quantity of the rainwater is recharged in the subsurface and underground.

Dr Rupela in his keynote address to the organic farming association of India does mention SRI along with several other desirable practices for a 'cool' or climate friendly agriculture. Some of us met him recently at the national workshop. Let us hope this article and his work will inspire many more researchers to work closely with farmers on sustainable agriculture.