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An overview of the water-related aspects of the islands from CGWB Eastern Region

Progress towards achieving internationally agreed goals on drinking water and sanitation, shows the progress achieved over 1990-2002, of nations across the world, towards achieving safe drinking water and improved sanitation for its citizens. The map shows that India is on track in achieving its drinking water goals, but is not on track in its progress towards achieving improved sanitation.

The http://rainwaterharvesting.org site has a map of Delhi showing geology, water level, water quality and giving recommendations for rainwater harvesting in different areas.

View the map here: http://www.rainwaterharvesting.org/index_files/intro_map.htm

The information may be out of date.

Image source: http://rainwaterharvesting.org

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Guest Post by: Deepak Bharti, SSVK

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Download here: Rapid assessment report - Tilak Tajpur Panchayat

Photograph of flooding due to breach in Bagmati's embankment, taken by NGO: Ghoghardiha Prakhand Swarajya Vikas Sangh, Madhubani"

Image & Content Courtesy: Solution Exchange Solution Exchange for the Water Community in India is a group of professionals from a wide range of organizations and perspectives who are dedicated to addressing water and environmental sanitation challenges in rural and urban areas in India - including access, quality, management and service delivery. Regular Community Updates from the Solution Exchange for Water Community helps provide a consolidated outlook on the current water scenario coupled with updates regarding trainings, vacancies, funding agencies & much more! Water Community Update - No. 35 is the latest from Solution Exchange, some highlights from the same are: Upcoming Events include: Gender, Water and Equity Training Workshop, 18th World Congress of Environmental Journalists & much more. Upcoming Trainings: Application of Earth Observation - GIS in Integrated Water Resource Management, Water Leadership.

The 21^stEuropean Conference on Modern South Asian Studies (ECMSAS) is scheduled for July 26-29 2010 at the University of Bonn (Germany). As part of the conference a Coordinated Session focusing on Human Health in Urban & Peri-Urban South Asia is being organized to highlight the examination of human health to provide a powerful lens into the social, economic, political, cultural and ecological transformations of rapidly urbanizing societies in South Asia. The coordinated session proposes two sessions. With the first session focused on urban health patterns and urban health systems in South Asia. The second session explores the relation of peri-urban dynamics and health. Shifting environmental burdens in the name of cleaning cities, changing land use practices, poor regulatory authorities, industrialization, market forces and demographic pressures have placed enormous stress on water resources in peri-urban societies of Asia. The Session is inviting papers reflecting the current situation, focused on identifying the linkage between several underlying conditions & their contribution to water transmitted diseases in peri-urban areas.

This article is about an experiment taken up by Sambhaav Trust with communities in Barmer (district of Rajasthan), which tells us about the development of the rural area and how to bring about self sustainability to rural society. Readers may kindly write in with their feedback in the comments or to portal@arghyam.org. Comments & emails will be forwarded to Sambhaav Trust by the India Water Portal.

Introduction

The word rural is synonymous with backwardness in the eyes of the upper urban community. A general impression that has been created is that people living in rural areas are economically poor, uneducated, do not have any sense of business, are not hardworking and hence they are much below those who live in urban areas who are monetarily rich. This perception is a biased one. We have never asked ourselves - what are the indicators that make a man backward or advanced? We have measured everything in terms of monetary advancement. In our experience there are a number of indicators one can associate with development like social, political, value system etc. It is therefore important that we check our perception before we talk of rural development. We are not debating on the urban-rural divide. However, from our experience in the rural field we believe that if we are interested in national development and not just sectoral development, then it is essential to assess the potentiality of the rural sector to move forward. Our contention is that this potentiality has not been probed into. On the contrary, a policy to downgrade this sector continues year after year. We have to broaden our perception if we truly want a just state.