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Water is more than a job for them
Celebrations for World Water Day 2016 in Nagaon, Assam personify passion by honouring grassroots water-workers for their thankless efforts. Posted on 21 Mar, 2016 08:39 AM

"A job isn’t just a job. It’s who you are". That quote seems to define the five people who are being honoured for their extraordinary dedication in ensuring water to the people in Nagaon and the newly declared Hojai district of Assam.

Contribution of water sector workers at the grassroots level goes unrecognised very often
Think livelihoods, not only jobs
Parineeta Dandekar of SANDRP speaks to India Water Portal about how healthy rivers--and not dams--are the best employment guarantees around. Posted on 19 Mar, 2016 04:33 PM

The theme for the 2016 UN World Water Day is 'Water and Jobs'. What is your opinion of the chosen theme?

Two men fish from a small rowboat on the placid Ramganga near Harewali
Toilet subsidy is not the answer to sanitation problems
Deepak Sanan, one of the flag bearers of community led total sanitation (CLTS), believes that collective behaviour change works more than individual grants. Himachal Pradesh is a case in point. Posted on 02 Mar, 2016 04:55 PM

In recent years, especially after the launch of major programmes like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, sanitation has become a hotly debated topic in India.

A public toilet in Shimla
Water for Profit: Experiences from America and India
Privatisation of water services has resulted in raised costs, poor quality and unreliable service--not just in India but around the world. The film tells India's and America's story. Posted on 27 Feb, 2016 12:15 PM

In January 2016, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) Employees Union and residents of Nagpur yet again protested the privatisation of water services in the city.

NMC Employees Union and residents of Nagpur protest water privatisation
Preparing for the Ujjain Simhastha Kumbh Mela
How is the MP government going to handle the water, sanitation and solid waste issues at the Mela? Diwakar Natu, Chairman of the Mela Authority talks to India Water Portal. Posted on 24 Feb, 2016 09:37 PM

The Ujjain Simhastha Kumbh Mahaparva is one of the four Kumbha Melas, which is held once in 12 years.

Diwakar Natu, Chairman of Simhastha Fair Authority
Art of killing a river
Manoj Misra speaks on the much neglected area of the Yamuna river and its floodplains and why its mere clean-up is not enough--especially as the World Culture Festival approaches. Posted on 22 Feb, 2016 01:19 PM

Recent permission granted to the Art of Living to hold the World Culture Festival in the Yamuna floodplains points fingers yet again at the fact that not much has been done to assure its safety. The rapid encroachment of the Yamuna floodplain has raised a few questions. Can the river sustain the rampant commercialisation of its floodplains?

NGT had in July 2015 slapped a fine on the Akshardham temple management for carrying out expansion without prior environmental clearance and without examining whether the expanded portion fell on the Yamuna’s floodplains (Source: Ramesh N G, Wikimedia Commons)
Right information and collective strength of people triumph!
The film titled 'A Hand Pump' tells the story of the villagers of Padapadar, Odisha and their struggle to finally get their right to safe drinking water. Posted on 04 Jan, 2016 08:25 PM

"More than eight villagers in Padapadar have died due to water-borne diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea, jaundice, etc.

A hand-pump installed at Padapadar village
The Last Builder of Naulas in Chatola, Nainital
Constructing naulas, the small structures that house springs in Uttarakhand, requires an intimate knowledge of many sciences. One of the last practitioners of this dying craft tells his story. Posted on 03 Jan, 2016 05:57 PM

No temple is as venerated in Uttarakhand as the little unassuming naulas. These small hut-like structures dot the mountains and hold within them a great treasure--water. Usually made of stone masonry with pyramid-like slate roofs, every naula respresents within it a residing spirit which can range from a simple stone piece to an ornately carved statue.

Ratan Singh Bisht is one of the few people today who constructs naulas
Using community support to battle fluoride contamination
Anita Sharma and Anil Gautam of Peoples Science Institute, Dehradun talk about their work with fluoride affected communities in Madhya Pradesh. Posted on 08 Dec, 2015 09:17 PM

What is the exact problem as regards fluoride contamination in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in Dhar district?

Several young children in Jhabua suffer from skeletal fluorosis (Source: INREM Foundation)
Water filter use in India: Safety, luxury or a threat to the environment?
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) share the findings of a study on water filter use in Ahmedabad, Gujarat and discuss its implications in India's overall context. Posted on 04 Dec, 2015 07:49 AM

Safe drinking water, a scarce resource (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
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