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The doer from the Thar
There are many unsung heroes amidst us who go about their good work silently. Chattar Singh is one such hero who has revived traditional water management system of the parched Jaisalmer villages. Posted on 10 Jan, 2017 10:53 PM

“Can you see the alternating bands of light and shadow in the sky?” Chattar Singh asks me. When I nod in affirmation, he continues, “This is Mogh. There are clouds where the sun is setting right now. If we get a favourable wind, these clouds will reach here and we may get rain by night. In desert, people live by such clues from nature.”  

Despite all the great work, Chattar Singh's demeanour remains unassuming. Source: Farhad Contractor
Maharashtra gears up for irrigation projects
Policy matters this week Posted on 09 Jan, 2017 10:14 AM

Maharashtra approves cost overrun in irrigation projects, set to complete Gosikhurd project

Irrigation canal from the Bhima dam, Maharashtra (Source: Nvvchar on Wikipedia)
States fail to tackle groundwater crisis
News this week Posted on 09 Jan, 2017 09:52 AM

A majority of states fail to stop overexploitation of groundwater

A well in Rajasthan (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Curious case of disappearing fish
Fish species are rapidly disappearing from Himalayan rivers. Dams are not the reason. Human activity is. Posted on 07 Jan, 2017 09:41 PM

Jaman Ram, a resident of Bhikia Sain, a tehsil in Uttarakhand, remembers fishing with his father in the Ramganga. “We could catch 80-100 kilograms of fish a day. That is no longer possible,” he says. Shafiq of Haldwani shares an unsettling memory of the Ramganga. As a young man on a holiday, he was paddling in the river near Marchula when the rock he was standing on shifted.

Mahseer swim in the bracing waters of the Ganga in Uttarakhand.
A water worried year in a nutshell
From river disputes to the failure of the Ganga clean-up plan and the interlinking of rivers, water conflicts dominated most of 2016. Posted on 07 Jan, 2017 08:13 AM

The year 2016 was eventful, to say the least when it comes to the water scenario in the country. The year saw severe droughts affecting 33 crore people across 10 states.

The Cauvery river at Hogenakkal, Karnataka
Changing coast affects livelihood
While sundry development and infrastructure projects beautify the Chennai coastline, fishermen are left to fend for themselves. Posted on 07 Jan, 2017 07:05 AM

Going by the statistics from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Tamil Nadu’s coastline is densely populated with 573 fishing villages along 13 coastal districts. The story is slightly different around the urban and peri-urban coastline, thanks to the ongoing gentrification of the coastline in most parts of urban India.

Chennai coast on a busy day.
The sea mouths crisis
The opening of sea mouths in the Chilika is increasing the salinity of the lake, affecting the fish population and the livelihood of the fishing communities. Posted on 06 Jan, 2017 11:21 PM

Lingaraj Jena is a worried man. At 86, he is one of the older fishermen in Berhampura village, an island on the Chilika lake in Odisha. Though he no longer goes for fishing due to old age, he is worried about the opening of new sea mouths; he knows it is not good news for the fishing communities he is a part of that depend on the Chilika for their livelihood.

A view of the Chilika in the evening.
Ecologists challenge Bharti's remark on Ken-Betwa
Policy matters this week Posted on 05 Jan, 2017 11:20 AM

No final approval for Ken-Betwa river link as claimed by Centre

The Ken-Betwa river link shown on a map. (Source: Shannon via Wikipedia)
Worst drought in 115 years hits Kerala
News this week Posted on 02 Jan, 2017 10:33 PM

Kerala hit by worst drought in 115 years

Parched land during drought in India. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos)
When riverbed becomes real estate
The banks of Yamuna have witnessed many forced evictions of illegal settlers over the years. The officials, however, turn a blind eye to encroachment by massive infrastructures. Posted on 02 Jan, 2017 08:17 PM

Shalu’s household was evicted from Koyla Basti of the Yamuna pushta (embankment), a massive slum cluster on the banks of the Yamuna river in the year 2004. Earthmoving machines bulldozed thousands of homes at the site which was to host the Commonwealth Games of 2010.

Forced evictions before the Commonwealth Games. (Source: Housing and Land Rights Network)
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