Drinking and other Domestic Uses

A fundamental change in the principles, approach and strategies of water management in India has been proposed in the Twelfth Plan

Why is this paradigm shift needed ?

Udupi in Karnataka, sets standard for water management

Pragathi was founded in 1987, it is a non-government, non-profit and non-religious organization that works for the welfare and development of the tribal and marginalized sections of society, particularly targeting women and children. Pragathi is working in Mysore and Chamarajngar District, covering more than 100 tribal villages with approximately 9600 families.

It is therefore crucial that we look after this resource and ensure that it is managed properly.Over reliance on groundwater for both domestic and commercial purposes has led to over-exploitation and contamination of groundwater. In order to make groundwater sustainable, there is a need to understand the aquifer characteristics as well as its overall geological setting.

What happens when two or more states are dependent on same water resource for agricultural purposes ? Do the states compete for the resource or are their needs sufficiently different from each other? What are the consequences of the competition for this precious resource?

This article sheds light on the dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, for sharing Cauvery river water. The ongoing tussle between the two states has seen a lot of unrest amongst farmers in  form of dharnas, protests, rail roko and non-cooperation by citizens, and disagreement with the agreements made by their respective governments and unending negotiations by governments involved, to come to a mutually agreeable decision.

This report in Hindi by Rehmat and Makarand Purohit of Manthan Adhyayan Kendra deals with the water sector reforms, in particular with the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) scheme being undertaken in Badwani, Madhya Pradesh.

Guest post: Veena Khanduri, India Water Partnership

The Gangetic river basin in Eastern India receives heavy monsoon rainfall, much higher than the rest of India. Nonetheless, the region suffers from both the problem of year round water availability as well as poor quality of drinking water. Due to excessive exploitation, the groundwater aquifers in the region have been depleting alarmingly, surface water is highly limited & poorly maintained and consequently cannot count up as a major source of safe drinking water.

Industrial effluents and sewage water are being diverted to the river Ganga by the cities and towns through which it passes. Nestled on the banks of Ganga, Kanpur, a highly urbanized and industrial city is polluting it most. Apart from the Government of India’s recently constituted National Ganga River Basin Authority, civil societies and NGOs too are putting rigorous efforts to make Ganga pollution free. Though the city has several big and small industries, the leather industries located in Jajmau, the oldest part of the city add to the problem of pollution in the river to a large extent.