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500 year old water structure in Rameshwaram rediscovered!
After 30 days of digging and removing 6000 tractor loads of sand, the evasive Dharmar Theertham was found intact with fresh water being replenished in a pit in the middle of the structure. Posted on 03 Dec, 2014 10:12 PM

The word 'Theertham' literally means ‘water’ but in Hindu mythology, it is usually the physical holy water body associated with a temple or deity.

The 80 X 35 feet structure of Dharmar Theertham
Battling water scarcity with borewell recharge
“Best practices in water management are too scattered, and results are not clearly visible. A model village would be ideal to spread awareness”, says Devaraja Reddy, a hydrogeologist in Chitradurga. Posted on 03 Dec, 2014 09:27 PM

Chitradurga district in Karnataka receives the lowest rainfall in the state. According to the Drought Monitoring Board, most borewells are dry and where there is water, its quality is poor. According to Chitradurga-based Devaraja Reddy who is a hydrogeologist,150-200 borewells were drilled in 2013, with an unfortunate success rate of 2%.

Basavaraj on his field in Chitradurga
ICIMOD wins UNFCCC's award for flood warning system
News this week Posted on 03 Dec, 2014 09:55 AM

ICIMOD wins accolade for its flood warning system

Unsettling flood waters of Muzaffarpur, Bihar
Government to reconsider river interlinking project
Policy matters this week Posted on 03 Dec, 2014 09:47 AM

Government to scrap river interlinking project, if it will pose threat to environment: Uma Bharti

River Cauvery in Karnataka
NadiSutra: A 2000 km canoe ride to tell a river's story
A father-son team will follow the river Mahakali, which is proposed to be the longest and most radical link, to see and experience the effects of interlinking on the entire river system, and beyond. Posted on 01 Dec, 2014 01:19 PM

2000 km on a kayak to follow 'their' river, to see and experience firsthand the progressions from the glaciers to the ocean, and to bear witness, both through images and the written word, to the radical changes being wrought on the entire river system, and beyond.

A long, winding and confusing path

Theo and Zanskar set off on their canoe
A beautiful, equitable water management system
Khonoma village, which fought the British four times, is today also known for how it protects its ecological heritage. Watch how its indigenous water management system works. Posted on 30 Nov, 2014 08:18 PM

Khonoma village resisted British rule in the region from 1830s to 1880 and is therefore considered as the last bastion of Naga warriors against the British. But today, the village is also known for upholding its rich indigenous erudition.

Women in Khonoma tying beads to make necklaces
No toilet, no job
Panchayat presidents of Namakkal district get people to build toilets at home by banning them from work until they do so. Posted on 28 Nov, 2014 03:04 PM

Thipramahadevi Pudhur is a village in Erumapatti Block, Namakkal District with 115 households. In July this year, this village was declared as ‘open-defecation free’ (ODF), something that was aided by Leaf Society, an organization based in Namakkal and their effective strategy of awareness generation, and leveraging of government loans to communities via convergence. 

Billboard declaring Thipramahadevi Pudhur ODF
A non-violent anti-dam protest wins!
Unity, persistence, and non-violence are but a few lessons that we can learn from the successful Koel Karo anti-dam protest in Jharkhand. Posted on 27 Nov, 2014 10:21 PM

The Koel Karo Jan Sanghatana was awarded the first Bhagirath Award during the India Rivers Week 2014 for protecting the Koel and the Karo rivers.

The Karo dam site at Lohajimi (Jeevan Kuruvilla)
Dengue and chikungunya in India - High temperatures, humidity, rainfall and local practices to blame?
High temperatures, humidity, rainfall and local practices favour breeding and abundance of Aedes mosquito species increasing the risk of dengue and chikungunya Posted on 25 Nov, 2014 03:44 PM

Climate change has been predicted to have a tremendous impact on the health of populations leading to deaths as well as increase in the incidence of diseases such as dengue and chikungunya. Dengue and chikungunya have emerged as major public health problems making headlines in many states in India following the erratic monsoons.

Aedes aegypti mosquito (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
How will the Ramganga flow?
Since the 1970s, the Ramganga has been governed by dam releases. Now an ambitious project seeks to restore environmental flows in the river. Posted on 25 Nov, 2014 02:57 PM

We sat on a charpoy in Agwaanpur and talked of flood warning systems for the Ramganga. Of all the places I had visited, Agwaanpur, probably due to its urban nature, was the only one which boasted a rudimentary system. The police would inform the Maulvi that a flood release was expected, and he would repeat the warning using the  loudspeaker normally used to summon people to prayer.

Life along the Ramganga
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