Political

Description:
The ninth in the series of lectures titled "Living Rivers, Dying Rivers" that aims at understanding what has been happening to rivers across India and drawing appropriate lessons is scheduled to be held on February 29, 2012 at the India International Centre, New Delhi. The series is coordinated by Prof. Ramaswamy R. Iyer. The lecture will be delivered by  Himanshu Thakkar. A number of different rivers, some sick or dying, some living and healthy, and some showing early signs of sickness, are being taken up for presentations and discussion, and it is attempted to understand what has gone wrong in many cases, what has gone right in some, and what needs to be done to revive and restore dying or sick rivers.

Organizer: National Institute Of Rural Development (NIRD)

Venue: National Institute Of Rural Development
             Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad 500030

Description:
Keeping in line with the tradition of the NIRD in organizing Annual Melas, the Rural Technology Park (RTP), NIRD is organizing a “Rural Technology Mela” for four days from February 25 to 28, 2012. A large number of rural technologies, products developed by various technology developers will be displayed in the Mela. There will be about 200 stalls for displaying various rural technologies and rural products from all over the country. It is expected that a large number of technology developers, technology users, technology institutions, Universities, scientific and research organizations, Public Sector Undertakings, Departments, Self Help Groups (SHGs) from states, namely, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and many other parts of the country are expected to participate in the Mela.

Close to 30 hydroelectric projects are being planned on the Teesta and its tributaries. Not only is this river an essential part of Lepcha identity and life, but it also flows through a fragile zone. In this article first published in the Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), Kanchi Kohli examines the ramifications of this policy.

Video courtesy: VideoVolunteers

Author: Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)

 Small hydropower plant  (Source: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy)

Assessment of physico-chemical quality of groundwater in rural area nearby Sagar city, Madhya Pradesh

This paper presents the results of forty groundwater samples collected from June 2007 to July 2010 in Gambhira and Baheria villages in Madhya Pradesh. The authors conclude that the ground water quality is degraded due to anthropogenic causes.

Map of the lakes in Bengaluru, source: ATREE

The study also analyses the direction in which the sector is heading with respect to private sector participation. Since most PPPs are at early stages of operation, this study focuses only on learnings from PPP design and transaction. This study does not seek to assess the operating or financial performance of PPPs.