India

Water Alternatives (WaA) is an interdisciplinary journal addressing the full range of issues that water raises in contemporary societies. Its ambition is to provide space for alternative and critical thinking on such issues. WaA welcomes contributions that address any dimension of water resources development, management and use, and their relations with society and the environment.

The Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Water Resources met recently under the Chairmanship of Shri Salman Khurshid, Minister of Water Resources. Minister of State for Water Resources, Shri Vincent H. Pala was also present along with the secretary and other senior officers of the Ministry. 

Newsletter of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) for April - May 2011 (Volume 9 Issue 3-4), focuses on the following topics.

• Analysis of TAC guidelines and decisions in recent meetings
  The Advisory Committee in the Union Ministry of Water Resources for consideration of techno-economic viability of Irrigation, Flood Control and Multi Purpose Project Proposals (TAC in short) is supposed to discuss the techno-economic viability of the irrigation, flood control and multi-purpose project proposals as per the Resolution published in the Union of India Gazette Notification No. 12/5/86-P-II dated Nov 27, 1987.

Established in 1919, the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) is one of the oldest philanthropic institutions in India, and has played a pioneering role in changing traditional ideas of charity. The Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust, formed in 1974, works together with SRTT to bestow grants.

The Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Mumbai, offers one-year scholarships at the Masters’ level for students who wish to study in the UK or two-year scholarships in the USA in the broad field of Development Studies, with special focus on Developmental Economics, Public Health or Science-Technology-Society (STS) Studies.

Content Courtesy: 

Main highlights in this update:

• Shit Matters: The Potential of Community-led Total Sanitation: This book looks at the potential and challenges of CLTS by drawing on research in Bangladesh, India and Indonesia, as well as experiences in Africa. It includes chapters by leading scholars and practitioners in sanitation policy and practice as well as critical reflections from key players in CLTS. Shit Matters considers CLTS in terms of the social, ecological, technological, financial, and institutional dynamics and draws out wider lessons for sanitation policy and practice.

Main highlights in this update:

• NREGA implementation in State not satisfactory: The report card on implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a mix bag for Assam, with at least 62 per cent households being provided employment under the flagship schemes, while ombudsman has not been constituted for any district and State fund.

 Rainfed areas account for nearly 57 per cent of the agricultural land in India. These areas assume special significance in terms of ecology, agricultural productivity and livelihoods for millions. With proper management, rainfed areas have the potential of contributing a larger share to food grain production.

The budget allocates Rs 300 crores under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for this scheme. This project will supplement the ongoing work on pulses development under the National Food Security Mission. There is also an emphasis on building institutions that would provide market linkage to the grower of pulses. The states of M.P, U.P, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, and Tamilnadu were chosen for this programme. These states together constitute nearly 96% of area where pulses are grown.