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Communal versus neighbour-shared latrines: Which is better?
A study in Odisha found that communal latrines were less accessible, less likely to have water, were cleaned less frequently and were more likely to have visible faeces and flies. Posted on 31 Oct, 2015 07:58 PM

As many as 2.4 billion people lack access to improved sanitation globally. 710 million of these people live in urban areas. In India alone, 769 million people lack access to improved sanitation and as high as 597 million people defecate in the open.

Shared sanitation facilities in India

Sanitation and health outcomes (Source: Sourabh Phadke)
Why seeds sprout 'hope'
Seeds are not a just a gateway to the future but also a link between our today & tomorrow, and a harbinger of hope, says Biju Negi of Beej Bachao Andolan. Posted on 31 Oct, 2015 05:09 PM

Beej Bachao Andolan (Save the Seed Movement) is not an organisation nor is it a registered entity. It does not take on projects nor does it crave funding.

Forests, water & seeds are all interconnected (Source: India Water Portal)
Moving from the Kyoto protocol to INDCs: India's plan to address climate change
India says it should not be treated at par with developed and emerging economies by detailing the developmental deficits and disparities its people face in access to basic needs. Posted on 30 Oct, 2015 10:57 PM

Four years ago, the international community at the Durban climate summit agreed to establish an international binding climate agreement as the current Kyoto protocol is set to expire in 2020. Closer to the Paris summit, countries were to prepare a post-2020 action plan on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Climate Change (Source: Sourabh Phadke on IWP Flickr Photo)
Quarter million school children in Chhattisgarh lack drinking water
A report by the National University Education & Planning breaks down the situation of schools in Chhattisgarh. Posted on 29 Oct, 2015 07:21 PM

Nearly 1,700 public schools--approximately quarter million children in grades 1-12--of Chhattisgarh have no arrangements for drinking water.

Children attending school in Bilaspur
Adapting to floods and improving lifestyles could give us some clues to finding an alternative to embankments
Dr David Molden, Director General, ICIMOD, talks to Monoj Gogoi on his visit to flood-affected Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts of Assam and Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh. Posted on 29 Oct, 2015 01:46 PM

Dr Molden, you have visited Dihiri in Dhemaji district and Borsala in Lakhimpur districts. Both these villages are the worst flood affected villages of the region. You also interacted with the communities in these two villages. What was the purpose of this visit? Please share your experiences.

In conversation with Dr Molden (Source: Monoj Gogoi)
Environment Ministry to review Critically Polluted Areas
Policy matters this week Posted on 26 Oct, 2015 09:57 PM

Environment Ministry gets strict towards the compliance of green norms

CSEB power plant in Korba (Source: IWP Flickr Photo)
Srinagar's Dal Lake shrinks by 36% in the last 37 years
News this week Posted on 26 Oct, 2015 09:43 PM

Study shows half of Srinagar's water bodies have disappeared in the past century

Dal Lake in Srinagar (Source: McKay Savage via Wikipedia)
How much water should flow in the Yamuna?
Considered sacred, the Yamuna is gasping for breath today choking on the unprecedented load of sewage and industrial effluents that drain into it. Can its ecological flow be worked out? Posted on 26 Oct, 2015 05:17 PM

Rivers are the not just the lifeline of our country, but life itself. We may revere them, even worship them but we continue to pollute, choke, and poison their waters. A river, its catchment area, and its floodplains have evolved over millions of years, and once damaged, may not be easy to reclaim.

For a river to be healthy & maintain all its associated functions, free flow must be close to 50-60% of the total flow all year round (Source: Wikimedia)
Bangalore needs to break class barriers if its lakes are to be saved
The govt. has started reclaiming encroached lake beds in the IT city but unless citizens interact across class divides, these urban water bodies will continue to spew foam, says Leo F. Saldanha. Posted on 25 Oct, 2015 12:15 PM

Lakes spewing foam and catching fire in Bangalore made big news for several weeks but this is just an indication of the times to come as we fill up water bodies with effluents or turn them into sewage dumps in most cities across India. India Water Portal talks to Leo F. Saldanha of Bangalore-based Environment Support Group on how to manage these precious resources. 

Foam from lake engulfs vehicles in Bangalore. Source: Yoga Priya
Community conservation of forests is successful when women participate
Van Panchayats have only been successful in conserving their forests with the enthusiastic participation of women. This is how to increase women's leadership in forest conservation. Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 04:34 PM

When I first spoke with Bhagoti Devi, I attempted to break the ice by telling her how warmly our mutual acquaintances spoke of her. She was nonchalant. "Of course they will recommend you speak to me”, she said. “After all, it took a lot of hard work to have such a thick forest standing here.”

These two neighbouring oak trees, one untouched and the other over-lopped, are both managed by the women of one family and illustrate the impact that women have on forests
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