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Draft notification: "Regulatory Framework for Conservation of Wetlands", National Environment Policy (NEP), 2006
Draft notification: "Regulatory Framework for Conservation of Wetlands", National Environment Policy (NEP), 2006 Posted on 03 Dec, 2008 08:25 PM

Recognizing the value of wetlands and taking cognizance of the fact that there does not yet exist a formal system for conservation and management and wise-use of wetlands, the National Environment Policy (NEP), 2006 seeks to set up a legally enforceable regulatory mechanism for identified valuable wetlands to prevent their degradation, enhance their conservation and wise-use by all the stakehol

Groundwater map of India & farmer suicides
Groundwater map of India & farmer suicides Posted on 03 Dec, 2008 11:48 AM

Suvrat Kher from the What's With The Climate? blog has an interesting post about the correlation between the groundwater map of India & the incidence of farmer suicides in India. The post takes a look at the incidence of groundwater, the lack of proper management of available resources & the resulting socio - economic losses.

National Urban Sanitation Policy
National Urban Sanitation Policy Posted on 01 Dec, 2008 01:16 PM

The Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development recently released the National Urban Sanitation Policy. We attach the document below, as well as key excerpts. We request you to add your comments below regarding the provisions of the Sanitation Policy. Click here to view the National Urban Sanitation Policy The document is quite comprehensive and detailed. It lays out a vision for urban sanitation in India. It instructs states to come up with their own detailed state-level urban sanitation strategies and City Sanitation Plans. It moots the idea of totally sanitised and open-defecation cities as a target and the setting up of a multi-stakeholder City Sanitation Task Force to achieve this. Environmental considerations, public health implications and reaching the unserved and urban poor are given significant emphasis in the policy. Funding options are laid out including direct central and state support including through existing schemes, public-private partnerships, and external funding agencies. It directs that atleast 20% of the funds should be earmarked towards servicing the urban poor. The Center also plans to institute awards to the best performing cities, reminiscent of the Nirmal Gram Puraskar awards for villages. Important Excerpts from the Policy: 

MINARS -- Comprehensive Water Quality Report, 2007
MINARS -- Comprehensive Water Quality Report, 2007 Posted on 27 Nov, 2008 11:38 AM

This is a report from the Central Pollution Control Board  https://www.indiawaterportal.org/tt/wq/res/NWMP-2007.pdf (approx. 6 MB). Since the report extensively covers all parts of the country, we are soliciting comments and discussion about the results therein.

Himalayan glaciers 'decapitated' ? Alarming climate change news
Himalayan glaciers 'decapitated' ? Alarming climate change news Posted on 27 Nov, 2008 11:17 AM

A 'major new study' brings alarming news that the Himalayan glaciers are melting at a faster rate than earlier estimated. A study of the Naimona'nyi Glacier in Tibet found that "the glacier had melted so much that the exposed surface of the glacier dated to 1944".

Dalit Watch's report on Bihar flood relief camps in the wake of the devastating floods on the India-Nepal border in 2008
Here's Dalit Watch's report on the relief camps in the wake of the devastating floods on the India-Nepal border Posted on 25 Nov, 2008 05:33 AM

In September 2008, Dalit Watch published a report on its findings while monitoring 205 relief camps in the wake of the devastating floods on the India-Nepal border. This report records the damage caused by the breach on the embankment of the Kosi river in August 2008 and appraises the quality of relief efforts in the aftermath of the floods.

Source South Asia 2008, Issue 11 (11 Nov 08)
Source South Asia 2008, Issue 11 (11 Nov 08) Posted on 16 Nov, 2008 03:51 AM

Since its foundation in 1968, the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) has facilitated the sharing, promotion and use of knowledge so that governments, professionals and organisations can better suppor

Bottled water for Rs. 12/ : Can the environment afford it ?
Bottled water for Rs. 12/ : Can the environment afford it ? Posted on 15 Nov, 2008 10:09 AM

An average trekker leaves behind approximately 100,000 kgs of water bottles per year. During average trekking of a week , trekker drinks up to 50 litres of water. Each trekker leaves behind 50 PET bottles along the track. PET bottles can take 1,000 years to biodegrade. Nine out of 10 water bottles end up as garbage or litter, and that means millions per day. PET bottles require massive amounts of fossil fuels to manufacture and transport, leaving behind carbon foot prints. Billions of bottles show up at landfills every year. The entire energy costs of the lifecycle of a bottle of water are equivalent, on average, to filling up 250 ml of each bottle with oil. "Making bottles to meet Americans' demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 US cars for a year," according to the study. "Worldwide, some 2.7 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water each year."

Rainbow Drive Layout -- A model for urban water management ?
Rainbow Drive Layout: A Case Study of Sustainable Decentralized Urban Water Management Posted on 10 Nov, 2008 10:10 AM

Bangalore's sprawling expansion outpaces the public utility's ability to accommodate skyrocketing demand for water and sanitation services, and it is increasingly common for new residential communities to assume total management for their own water and sanitation services through their resident welfare associations.

Report from Kosi flood affected Murliganj Block of Madhepura in Bihar: Asha Parivar and NAPM
Report from a visit to Kosi flood affected Murliganj Block of Madhepura in Bihar on 31st October and 1st November, 2008 Posted on 09 Nov, 2008 08:57 PM

Mahendra Yadav and his team of Asha Parivar is stationed in Babhangama, 15 kms. from Muraliganj Block headquarters of Madhepura Dist. of Bihar for over two months now to carry out relief operations and help people access relief from government schemes. Muraliganj is 80 kms. from Katihar railway station.