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August 16, 2024 A recent study finds that majority of the poor in India are likely to have open drains or no drainage systems to convey and treat their waste flows, threatening their health.
Open drains, harbingers of illhealth. Image for representation only (Image Source: SuSanA Secretariat via Wikimedia Commons)
August 10, 2024 While citizens need to play their part to prevent diseases such as Zika, municipal bodies/urban area authorities need to pull their socks up and set right the poor governance mechanisms that are slowly turning cities into hotbeds of diseases, filth and mismanagement.
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, the culprit for causing Zika (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
August 1, 2024 Recognising the limitations of relying solely on herbicides, a strategic shift towards preventive measures is crucial
Relying solely on chemicals to keep weeds at bay isn't sustainable and can harm the environment. (Image: Needpix)
June 12, 2024 Leveraging research to optimise water programs for improved health outcomes in India
Closing the tap on disease (Image: Marlon Felippe; CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
April 30, 2024 As temperatures soar, what should India do to adapt to changing conditions to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change?
Heat waves sweep across India (Image: Maxpixel, CC0 Public Domain)
March 30, 2024 A recent study finds that climate change induced extreme weather events such as droughts can increase the vulnerability of women to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).
Droughts affect women the most (Image Source: Gaurav Bhosale via Wikimedia Commons)
National Urban Sanitation Policy
National Urban Sanitation Policy Posted on 01 Dec, 2008 01:16 PM

The Government of India, Ministry of Urban Development recently released the National Urban Sanitation Policy. We attach the document below, as well as key excerpts. We request you to add your comments below regarding the provisions of the Sanitation Policy. Click here to view the National Urban Sanitation Policy The document is quite comprehensive and detailed. It lays out a vision for urban sanitation in India. It instructs states to come up with their own detailed state-level urban sanitation strategies and City Sanitation Plans. It moots the idea of totally sanitised and open-defecation cities as a target and the setting up of a multi-stakeholder City Sanitation Task Force to achieve this. Environmental considerations, public health implications and reaching the unserved and urban poor are given significant emphasis in the policy. Funding options are laid out including direct central and state support including through existing schemes, public-private partnerships, and external funding agencies. It directs that atleast 20% of the funds should be earmarked towards servicing the urban poor. The Center also plans to institute awards to the best performing cities, reminiscent of the Nirmal Gram Puraskar awards for villages. Important Excerpts from the Policy: 

Source South Asia 2008:Issue 10 (29 Oct 08)
Source South Asia 2008:Issue 10 (29 Oct 08) Posted on 02 Nov, 2008 09:09 PM

  Since its foundation in 1968, the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) has facilitated the sharing, promotion and use of knowledge so that governments, professionals and organisations can better supp

Handwashing Tips!
Handwashing Tips!
Posted on 16 Oct, 2008 10:33 AM

We talk so much about washing hands, when washing it the right way produces the safety from diseases as enunciated by most national / international organisations. Even washing with soap might not help. Handwashing with soap is one of the most easily available & effective methods to prevent diarrheal & related infections.

Bihar foods: People's mental well-being not being given the attention it deserves
Dr Onkar Mittal draws attention to the mental health aspect of people affected by the floods - something he feels is not getting attention in the current response Posted on 25 Sep, 2008 06:44 PM

A very large number of people are emotionally traumatized, constantly crying non-stop and in a state of utter shock. At least definite reports of suicide by a woman has also been received by me. I will appeal to you that a psycho-social help intervention should be higher in the order of priority.

Source South Asia Water & Sanitation News:Issue 7, September 2008
Source South Asia Water & Sanitation News:Issue 7, September 2008 Posted on 22 Sep, 2008 01:36 PM

Since its foundation in 1968, the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre (IRC) has facilitated the sharing, promotion and use of knowledge so that governments, professionals and organisations can better suppo

Report from the Disaster Management Division on the Southwest monsoon and the daily flood situation as on 13.09.08
The Ministry of Home Affairs, (Disaster Management Division) has released an summary of events regarding the Southwest monsoon and the daily flood situation Posted on 14 Sep, 2008 10:08 PM

The report ( current as on 13th September, 2008 ) provides a concise overview of the daily flood situation, action taken so far and provides detailed statistics on the issue. The report also includes meteorological forecasts and analysis of current and possible flood situations in the different areas of concern.

Offering services -- Alternative healers
Looking for opportunities in alternative healing. Posted on 09 Sep, 2008 03:49 AM

Along with two other friends, I am looking for opportunity to volunteer in Bihar.We are alternative Healers by profession with counselling skills. And open to any avenue where we could be of use.Lookin forward eagerly to your response.

Understanding the floods in North Bihar: Background and causes
North Bihar has a long history of flooding.Through the post here, we will attempt to explain the background of flooding in Bihar and what are the root causes Posted on 04 Sep, 2008 10:34 AM

North Bihar has a long history of flooding.Through a series of posts here, we will attempt to explain the background of flooding in Bihar and what are the root causes.

On the book shelf: Interlinking of Rivers in India, Issues and Concerns
On the book shelf: Interlinking of Rivers in India, Issues and Concerns Posted on 31 Aug, 2008 10:26 AM

untitled1.jpg Key Features: Reviews the risks of inter-basin water transfers warns of critical disadvantages with India's proposed ILR plan offers viable less-risky solutions for water resource development. Inter-basin water transfers are complex human interventions on natural systems that can have profound adverse as well as beneficial social, economic and environmental implications. India's plan to interlink its rivers (ILR) and to transfer water may, according to one set of views, generate positive benefits through improved and expanded irrigation and may also contribute to flood and drought hazards mitigation for India, although the magnitudes are debatable. However, there are opposing views, in the context of India itself, that the interlinking plan is economically prohibitive, fraught with uncertainties, and has potential for disastrous and irreversible adverse after-effects. Water deficit can be reduced through improved water management without large scale engineering interventions. Moreover many of the rivers involved, particularly in the Himalayan component, are international and, therefore, the scheme has major implications for other riparians. Indeed, the planned transfer of water from the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers will adversely impact Bangladesh socially, economically and environmentally---unless arrangements are made to maintain historical flows, which is unlikely to be feasible.

Microfinance for safe drinking water-ACCESS & HUL partnership
On the occassion of World Water Day 2008, ACCESS talks about its work in using microfinance to obtain safe drinking water. Posted on 21 Mar, 2008 12:12 AM

Drop by drop ACCESS & HUL in Base of Pyramid Partnership for Safe Drinking Water for Rural Poor:

Yakalakshmi lives in Nekkunda village, Telengana region in Andhra Pradesh with her husband and two children. Though she has water piped to her house by the village panchayat, her entire family fell ill for a month last monsoon season by drinking water directly from the tap. "We all got high fever and severe diarrhea", she says, "we had to spend around Rs. 4000 on health care, which was very difficult for us". So when she got the opportunity this January to buy an effective water purifier through her Self Help Group (SHG) on an installment basis she was one of the first to sign up. Yakalakshmi is just one of the beneficiaries of a unique tie-up between ACCESS Development Services, a microfinance technical services non-profit organization, and Hindustan Unilever Limited, one of the country's largest producers of fast-moving consumer goods, to provide safe drinking water to rural poor. "Most of these villages have piped water or boreholes", says Padma, Project Coordinator at a local NGO, PEACE, "the problem is that tests by UNICEF in this district show that up to 70 percent of these sources are contaminated."The contamination gets even worse during the rainy season, especially due to poor sanitation and waste-management practices.