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Gold nanoparticles to remove lead from wastewater
A new technique makes use of minuscule particles of the yellow metal and their property to change colour in the presence of metal particles such as lead. Posted on 14 Sep, 2017 08:03 PM

Gold, the favourite metal of Indian women, is increasingly becoming popular among scientists as well, though for a different reason. A group of Indian researchers has used gold nanoparticles to develop a simple method to detect lead in wastewater.

IMMT researchers who conducted the study.
Wetlands wait to be saved
No wetlands have been notified in Delhi-NCR since the wetlands rules were brought out in 2010. Meanwhile, draft wetlands rules are set to decentralise its management to states. Posted on 14 Sep, 2017 10:52 AM

In the afternoons these days, Basai wears a deserted look. Known as a bird’s delight and privileged by the protected status of a national park, the wetland is located just eight kilometres from Sultanpur bird sanctuary in Gurugram in Haryana. No birds can be spotted foraging the soil of the Basai wetland or its waters.

Sun sets on a water body inside Keoladeo National Park. (Image: Swati Sidhu, Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Laws are good, implementation not so much
Despite the existence of laws to carefully dispose of faecal sludge in Tamil Nadu, they are not implemented effectively. Posted on 14 Sep, 2017 05:41 AM

As a child back in the village, I had always cherished the sight of clear water running below bridges. But moving to Chennai, the car windows are always drawn up and the car zooms across bridges in a bid to avoid the stench emanating from the river. This begs the question, why are we in urban India so deprived of a clean environment?

Faecal sludge gets illegally dumped in a water body.
Maharashtra gets Rs 60,000 crore for river interlinking
Policy matters this week Posted on 13 Sep, 2017 06:34 AM

Centre allocates Maharashtra Rs 60,000 crore to link its rivers

A map shows how rivers would be interlinked. (Source: NIH)
Floods take a heavy toll on Assam farmlands
News this week Posted on 13 Sep, 2017 06:04 AM

Assam bears huge agricultural loss from floods

A man wades through knee-deep water with his belongings during the flood. (Source: 101Reporters)
Flood and after: Water recedes, worries mount
Increasing epidemic scare, loss of livelihood and no place to defecate. There seems no end to the miseries of the flood affected in Assam and Bihar even when the water recedes. Posted on 12 Sep, 2017 12:39 PM

In August this year, the states of Bihar and Assam witnessed the worst flooding in a long time. The water level is slowly receding now but it is not giving much respite to people as the aftermath of the devastating floods has brought upon miseries of its own. 

A boy stands in front of houses destroyed by flood in Karimganj district, Assam.
Does farm loan waiver save farmers from loan sharks?
It's the rich farmer who benefits from the government's loan waiver. As long as moneylenders lend money to the poor farmer, he would continue to be mired in debt. Posted on 12 Sep, 2017 10:43 AM

The Devendra Fadnavis government in Maharashtra has decided to expand the coverage of Rs 34,022-crore farm loan waiver scheme to extend the benefit to farmers indebted since 2009. The government had earlier said 89 lakh farmers would benefit from the scheme. The expansion of the scheme's ambit means the number of farmers, as well as the amount, will rise.

A poor farmer is always at the mercy of loan sharks. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Therapy for India's distressed farmers
VISHRAM's psychological interventions to farmers under mental stress in rural Vidarbha provide a fitting solution to increasing farmer suicides in the country. Posted on 12 Sep, 2017 10:40 AM

Large swathes of cotton farms in the central India have been the epicentre of a debt crisis that has gripped the rural population. For years now, it has driven thousands of farmers to commit suicide.

Psychological intervention can help reduce farmer suicides. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Let’s buck up and deal with deluge
Massive floods have made a comeback this year. What can we do to be better prepared for this new normal? Posted on 12 Sep, 2017 06:00 AM

It was supposed to be a normal monsoon as Indian Meteorological Department had predicted. But barring the central plateau, the rest of India may be forgiven for thinking that the Biblical deluge has come a second time.

Members of the national disaster response force evacuate residents of a flooded village in Bihar. (Source: NDRF)
Tel Aviv, we are looking for water
Wondering why India went to Israel for water? Here’s the reason and why we should be worried. Posted on 09 Sep, 2017 08:23 PM

After a gap of 67 years, the Indian Prime Minister made an official visit to Israel this year.

The prime ministers of the two countries, Netanyahu and Modi at Olga beach to attend a demonstration of Israeli mobile water desalination technology. 06/07/2017 Photographer- Kobi Gideon/ GPO
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