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Septic tanks or death tanks! We need to improve sanitation facilities to eradicate the inhuman practice of manual scavenging
Today India is looking at permanent membership in the UN, and is already a prominent member of several international organisations like SAARC and BRICS.Many big MNC’s have already made their homes in India and many are in the process to do so. India is also achieving great heights in industries and in the defence sector.
By looking at these developments we can say that indeed India is progressing at a very fast pace! But to an extent it is a artificial or illusion.
Still India is thousand years behind if we compare it with the developments of western countries , A country which is in 21st century is still bound by the shackles of caste & religious atrocities, honour killings , manual scavenging for thousands of years, then how can we say that this country is developing in a true sense?
Posted on 05 May, 2012 03:18 PM

Author : Gagandeep

“We have to end the biggest dehumanising activity called manual scavenging”

Occupational health hazards in sewage and sanitary workers - A paper published in the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
This paper published in the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine sheds light on the occupational health hazards among sewage and sanitary workers. The paper informs that manual scavenging still persists in our country and the situation of the manual scavengers has continued to remain unchanged, despite the fact that the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, is in enforcement. This Act provides for the prohibition of the employment of manual scavengers as well as construction or continuance of dry latrines and for the regulation of construction and maintenance of water-seal latrines for assuring the dignity of the individual. Posted on 04 May, 2012 03:59 PM

Working conditions of the sanitory workers have found to remain unchanged over the years and pose a considerable risk to the dignity and health of the workers.

The Supreme Court and its directions on Interlinking of Rivers (ILR): India and her people will be greatly benefited by its implementation
The Supreme Court has recently given direction to Government of India to implement Inter Linking of Rivers (ILR) within a time frame as it brings many benefits to our people. Many feel that ILR has some inherent problems including reluctance of the States. But Supreme Court wants the net working of rivers (NWR). This article by J Prabudoss looks into the issue. Posted on 03 May, 2012 07:03 PM

Author : J. Prabudoss

Importance of protecting and improving ecosystems for reducing disaster risk - A report by NIDM
Evolution in the paradigms of disaster management concept and framework from ‘response and relief’ to ‘mitigation and preparedness’ has brought in the light four major approaches, namely – (1) Engineering based solutions, (b) Community based disaster risk reduction, (c) Ecosystem approach to disaster risk reduction, and (d) Externality based response and relief approach. This report by National Institute of Disaster Management deals with this. Posted on 03 May, 2012 02:53 PM

The interception of ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approach manifests conflicting situations in ground despite of visible synergies in top level policies. ‘Sustainability quest’ is the emerging concern in disaster management as a consequence of improved understanding of ‘disasters’ as environmental processes or rather as ‘environmental extremes’.

Climate-change adaptation in rural areas of India
Climate change is already taking place. Rural areas will be particularly affected as it impacts water resources, agriculture, overall biodiversity and ecosystems like forests and coastal zones, as well as human health. This report by GIZ - Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit deals with the issue. Posted on 03 May, 2012 02:33 PM

The report suggests that -

Environmental knowledge for hydro-meteorological disaster management: Capacity development in disaster risk management
Hydro-meteorological disasters particularly floods, drought, desertification, cyclone, extreme weather events, pest attack, forest fire, man-animal conflict are inextricably linked with environmental systems, resources and ecosystems. Environmental challenges and their complexities have been growing with the advancement in human development and economic stewardship. This report by National Institute of Disaster Management deals with this issue. Posted on 03 May, 2012 02:27 PM

Poor understanding of the environment – its structure, function, resources, especially at the level of planners and policy makers, have resulted in increasing frequency and intensity of hazards in nature. Understanding of the environment, its processes and resources are important for the early detection of hydro-meteorological hazards, prediction of disaster risk and scenarios and in evolving m

"Excreta Matters" - A profile of the water and sewage situation in 71 Indian cities - A report by the Centre for Science and Environment
The just released Citizens’ Seventh Report on the State of India’s Environment, “Excreta Matters: How urban India is soaking up water, polluting rivers and drowning in its own excreta” deals with where Indian urban centers get their water from and where their waste goes. The report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) calls for using correct technology, planning for cost recovery and resource sustainability, building and renewing local water resources and designing sewage systems differently. It also calls for a law on the right to clean water. Posted on 02 May, 2012 12:24 PM

Guset post: Amita Bhaduri 

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Source: Excreta Matters, Centre for Science and Environment, 2012

People in National capital territory of Delhi are far away from safe drinking water: Role of governance and civil society
Dhobi Ghat, a slum area with a majority of Muslim population , is situated on the bank of river Yamuna, near Batla House, Jamia Nagar, New Delhi with around 150 families. These families are mostly deprived and poor, surviving with low literacy rate, malnutrition, hunger and lack of sanitation. This report by Ravi Nitesh deals with how people in Delhi do not have access to safe drinking water. Posted on 30 Apr, 2012 09:56 PM

Physicochemical assessment of water quality with respect to remote sensing and GIS techniques - Paper published in the journal Advances in Pure and Applied Chemistry
This paper published in the journal Advances in Pure and Applied Chemistry, sheds light on the serious problem of the increasing levels of pollution of water bodies in India due to escalating populations, urbanisation and increasing economic activity and highlights the urgent need to conduct effective and efficient water quality assessment measures. The paper highlights the limitations associated with the conventional water quality assessment methods and discusses the recent advances in Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques and their relevance as promising alternatives for effective water quality assessment to the conventional water quality assessment methods. Posted on 30 Apr, 2012 12:43 PM

The paper informs that current techniques normally used in the country for monitoring and assessment of the quality of water bodies involve in situ measurement and/or the collection of water samples for subsequent laboratory analysis of the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of water.

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.

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