Research Papers

Aldo Leopold’s ‘Land Ethic’ defines the relationship between people and nature, and simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soil, water, plants and animals, or collectively: the land.

While developmental projects are beneficial for growth of an economy they do have negative impact on the environment. This impact varies significantly by project type, size and location. In order to identify, examine, assess and evaluate the probable impacts of a proposed project on the environment the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) in 2006, constituted different committees. The committees are called as Expert Appraisal Committees (EAC). An EAC committee on River Valley & Hydroelectric projects was also set up on these lines. In the backdrop this South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDARP) an informal network of organisation and individuals working on water issues has come up with an analysis on how have this committee performed till now? This document presents an analysis of the same.

The paper ‘Simple filtration and low-temperature sterilization of drinking water’, describes how a straight forward, simple technique can provide clean drinking water that is pathogen free, using a simple sari!

This article in Economic and Political Weekly,  by analysing various budget documents, attempts to capture the quantum of budgetary outlay for Water and Sanitation Services (WSS) in the slums of Bawana and Bhalaswa in Delhi. Further it captures various systemic weaknesses that impede the effective delivery of WSS in these two slum areas. 

In the recent times visual representation has acquired significant attention. These are in forms of photographs, sketches and schematic diagrams. At school level they are helpful in introducing abstract concepts in science. For this purpose they need to be appropriately integrated in the textbook. In the backdrop of this context this paper in Contemporary Education Dialogue is based on the analysis of the science textbooks of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the Maharashtra State Board (MSB) for Classes 3–10.

Water cycle- Illustration courtesy : Sourabh Phadke

This report presents information about the status of landslides in Sikkim. It was commissioned by the Department of Science and Technology and authored by the Wadia Institute of Geology. It draws upon several archives including that of the Directorate of Geology and Mining, Government of Sikkim. The report also presents recommendations for preparing an action plan for undertaking landslide studies.

Fluoride is one of the most commonly found elements in the earth’s crust. It is naturally found d in water and helps in healthy tooth development and cavity prevention. However its high concentration in water can be harmful to human health. The amount of Fluoride (F) occurring naturally in groundwater is governed principally by climate, composition of the host rock, and hydrogeology. As per the World Health Organization and Indian Council of Medical Research the permissible limit to fluoride in drinking water is 1.5mg/L. Anything more than this value can cause fluorosis (dental and skeletal), which can affect the bones and teeth. In the backdrop of this aspect of water quality, this paper in RASĀYAN Journal of Chemistry,  tries to assess the exposure to fluoride through drinking water consumption and to elucidate fluoride endemic areas through mapping in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh.

Any form of liquid waste discharged by domestic residents, industries, agriculture and commercial establishments into water is called a wastewater. This water contains different quantities of contaminants which pollutes water and makes it unfit for any productive or domestic use. Set against the backdrop of dire need for effective and efficient management of wastewater, this paper is a case study of Tiruchirapalli city in Tamil Nadu. The analysis provided in the paper is an outcome of the field work carried out in the city, which emphasises for developing a strategy for the management of wastewater.

This paper 'Wastewater irrigation in Hubli–Dharwad, India: I