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Governance
How much water should flow in the Yamuna?
Posted on 26 Oct, 2015 05:17 PMRivers are the not just the lifeline of our country, but life itself. We may revere them, even worship them but we continue to pollute, choke, and poison their waters. A river, its catchment area, and its floodplains have evolved over millions of years, and once damaged, may not be easy to reclaim.
![For a river to be healthy & maintain all its associated functions, free flow must be close to 50-60% of the total flow all year round (Source: Wikimedia)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/yamuna1.jpg?itok=XaaQE0VA)
Bangalore needs to break class barriers if its lakes are to be saved
Posted on 25 Oct, 2015 12:15 PMLakes spewing foam and catching fire in Bangalore made big news for several weeks but this is just an indication of the times to come as we fill up water bodies with effluents or turn them into sewage dumps in most cities across India. India Water Portal talks to Leo F. Saldanha of Bangalore-based Environment Support Group on how to manage these precious resources.
![Foam from lake engulfs vehicles in Bangalore. Source: Yoga Priya](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/car_lake_pollution.jpg?itok=lJvHQdd9)
Community conservation of forests is successful when women participate
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 04:34 PMWhen I first spoke with Bhagoti Devi, I attempted to break the ice by telling her how warmly our mutual acquaintances spoke of her. She was nonchalant. "Of course they will recommend you speak to me”, she said. “After all, it took a lot of hard work to have such a thick forest standing here.”
![These two neighbouring oak trees, one untouched and the other over-lopped, are both managed by the women of one family and illustrate the impact that women have on forests](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/impact_on_forest_1.jpg?itok=cj9uMbpR)
Respect tribal goverments; conserve forests
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 04:31 PMThe Galo tribe has lived in the Eastern Himalayan forests for centuries. Like their neighbours, this tribe had a well-defined territory, the boundaries of which were marked by various topographical features such as rock formations or mountain ridges.
![Arunachal's tribes have a tradition of managing their natural resources (Source:Wikimedia Commons)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/640px-farms_and_forest_martali_village_eastern_india_2012.jpg?itok=NRr-l7Hk)
Can the ‘Pad Piper’ lure away social taboos related to menstruation?
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 02:38 PMA friend, who often tips me off on stories, sent me a message asking why I don't write about menstrual hygiene among rural women. I told her that it’s difficult for a male journalist to write about women issues in India.
![A Muruganantham shows the working of a sanitary pad to women. (Source: The Pad Piper)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/n005_m.jpeg?itok=bv6hyH6A)
Environment Ministry allowed to clear hydel projects in Uttarakhand, except in Alaknanda-Bhagirathi basins
Posted on 20 Oct, 2015 07:10 PMMoEFCC can approve hydel projects in Uttarakhand, except in Alaknanda-Bhagirathi river basins: SC
![Bhagirathi river at its source, Gaumukh (Source: IWP Flickr Photo)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/9139589493_270208eef1_z.jpg?itok=Ed54VvRp)
China operationalises one of the biggest dams on the Brahmaputra
Posted on 20 Oct, 2015 07:01 PMChina's Zangmu Hydropower Project, one of the biggest dams on Brahmaputra, is operational
![Brahmaputra river in Tibet (Source: Luca Galuzzi via Wikipedia)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/img_0839_yarlong_tsangpo.jpg?itok=ILmR5yaj)
Water warriors – Stories on people and their relationship with water
Posted on 20 Oct, 2015 06:49 PMWater sustains lives and livelihoods. It is a precious and finite resource that, in future years, is likely to become the main bone of contention between peoples, states and nations. Water – like every other finite resource – needs sustainable and equitable management, with equal focus on reducing demand, recycling and finding alternatives, as well as the usual emphasis on supply solutions.
![Prayers on the bank of the Kshipra](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/dsc_0007-3_0.jpg?itok=8WFDeoEW)
After Cyclone Aila, farming nurtures food, faith in Sunderbans
Posted on 14 Oct, 2015 09:53 PM“Another flood like Aila should never happen again, but if it does, we have the knowledge to start working on our soil again”, remarks Binota Munda of Nebukhali village in Hingalganj block, North
![Seed-banks are an effective instrument to preserve local varieties and keep people together](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/seedkeeping_0.jpg?itok=FXHpfuXA)