Ecology and Environment

The maddening pace of cities have the potential to drive one up the wall.  But, there are options - to unwind and to mend the disconnect. Tending to plants is a popular hobby and it is a fact that a sizeable number of city dwellers have taken to gardening in the past, finding solace in twines and tendrils.

A visit to Oddoor farms near Mangalore, Karnataka, provides an inspiring example of the efforts made by Rajesh Naik ji to transform 120 acres of barren land into a lush green farm through his persistent efforts of creating a two acre and fifty feet deep lake, which has not only transformed the surrounding area, but has also helped in improving the water table in the surrounding village, besides helping in the development of a self sufficient organic farm and a dairy.

Oddoor farms, around 25 kilometres away from Mangalore city is a great example of a very successful effort made by Rajesh Naik ji who has transformed 120 acres of barren land into a self sufficient organic farm by developing a 50 feet lake on two acres of land.  The journey has been a long one and not without its share of challenges, but persistence and constant optimism and hard work to overcome challenges has reaped results in the last twenty years, informs Rajesh Naik ji.

Rajesh Naik ji near the lake he has developed at the Oddoor farms near Mangalore

Budget 2013: Highlights from the water sector

The March edition of the TRINet has the following highlights:

About The Wildlife Institute of India (WII)

Venue

The Forest Conservation Act and Forest Rights Act have acquired significant attention ever since they were passed in 1980 and 2006. While the former restricts the alteration brought to the forestland, the latter extends the rights of forest dwellers to use its resources.

Imagine looking out of your window onto the blue sea, living in a building in the midst of water! Koen Olthius, a Dutch architect’s passion for water has transformed this magical image into reality.

Kerala is a rain blessed state in the country. It has highest  number of wells, when compared with other states. However due to its slanting topography there is significant decline in the ground water levels leading to severe water scarcity during summer months in most districts of the state. Further over extraction and dependence of groundwater for domestic use from the dug wells especially in rural pockets has resulted in several groundwater problems. In this backdrop the paper in  The Ecosan- An International Quarterly Journal of Environmental Science, sheds light on groundwater quality issues in two panchayats of Kerala.

Groundwater is essential for India's agricutural economy. However, there is a large variation in the groundwater resources of each region. Some regions are already over-exploited, while others can still tolerate more withdrawal. In her blog 'Waterscapes', Aditi Mukherji discusses the need for regional strategies to manage groundwater economy.