Health

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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)
Lets paint our cities green ! - Issues of collective effort come to the fore at the organic urban gardening conference in Chennai
A three day national conference on urban gardening seeks to answer city dwellers' quest for green with simple try-them-yourself options Posted on 06 Mar, 2013 10:25 AM

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.

An evaluative study on the informal water distribution system in Kaula Bandar slum in Mumbai- A paper in BioMed Central Public Health Journal
The paper evaluates an informal water distribution system in Kaula Bandar(KB), slum in Mumbai. Posted on 03 Mar, 2013 07:22 PM

As a result of rapid urbanisation, majority of migrated population is forced to settle in places which are not legally recognised by state authorities. These areas thus lack in basic services like water supply and sewerage. Consequently, the slum dwellers often resort to illegal methods to avail these services.

Anthropogenic activities leads to deterioration of groundwater quality: A study of Mayyanad and Edamulakkal panchayats of Kollam district in Kerala
Kerala is a rain blessed state in the country, but due to its slanting topography there is significant decline in the ground water levels leading to severe water scarcity. This paper sheds light on groundwater quality issues in two panchayats of Kerala Posted on 22 Feb, 2013 10:07 AM

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.

Some strategies for managing groundwater by Aditi Mukherji, IWMI
Groundwater is essential for India's agricutural economy. In her blog 'Waterscapes', Aditi Mukherji discusses the need for regional strategies to manage groundwater economy. Posted on 22 Feb, 2013 09:53 AM

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.

Dealing with arsenic in rural Bihar - Evaluating the successes and failures of mitigation projects
Arsenic is a toxin that is commonly found in the ground water of shallow aquifers in the Ganges River Delta.This research focuses on the social and economic factors that influence the successes and failures of different arsenic mitigation projects and will provide a strategy on how to handle the arsenic issue in the upcoming years. Posted on 21 Feb, 2013 11:51 PM

Article Courtesy: Delft University of Technology

Author(s): Matthijs Brouns, Merijn Janssen, Andrew Wong

Video documentary on the work done by Dr. Sudarshan for the upliftment of Soliga tribes in BR Hills, Karnataka- A webisode in Chai with Lakshmi
This webisode gives an insight into Dr.Sudarshan's work with the indigenous forest dwellers, Soliga tribes in Biligiriranga Hills, Southern Karnataka. Posted on 20 Feb, 2013 11:47 AM

Source of video: Chai with Lakshmi

Assessing the land use change and its impact on water resources: A study on the Mula and Mutha rivers catchment area in Pune
Analysing the changes in land uses between 1989 and 2009, this paper assesses the impact on water balance in Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of the city of Pune Posted on 17 Feb, 2013 09:11 PM

Land use changes  hydrologic system and have potentially large impacts on water resources. An assessment in an area with seasonally limited water availability and which is subject to rapid socio- economic development and population growth will provide an exemplary view on the local impacts of major recent developments in India. In this backdrop this paper analyzes past land use changes between 1989 and 2009 and their impacts on the water balance in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of Pune. The aim of the paper is:

  • assess the land use changes between 1989/1990 and 2009/2010
  • analyze the impacts of these changes on the long-term water balance components in the Mula and Mutha Rivers catchment upstream of the city of Pune.

The role of sanitation in girl child education - A documentary film by HEEALS
Through the medium of documentary film and art, HEEALS tries to create awareness among the masses about girl child education, menstrual hygiene, sanitation and safe drinking water Posted on 15 Feb, 2013 08:31 PM

 

The role of sanitation in girl child education - A documentary film by HEEALS

HEEALS is a vibrant civil society organization that aims to safeguard health, environment, education and livelihood to promote sustainable development of society. Through the medium of documentary film and art it is trying to create awareness among the masses about girl child education, menstrual hygiene, sanitation and safe drinking water and attempting to relate how girl child education directly suffers due to bad sanitation facilities, unsafe drinking water and lack of knowledge to obtain the same.

Influence of anthropogenic contamination on fluoride concentration in groundwater: A study of Mulbagal town, Kolar district, Karnataka
Groundwater contamination is a serious, but relatively ignored issue in the country. This contamination occurs in either through geogenic or anthropogenic means. This paper analyses the Fluoride contamination, one such example of geogenic contamination, widely found in the Kolar district of Karnataka. Posted on 15 Feb, 2013 04:53 PM

Groundwater contamination is a serious, but relatively ignored issue in the country. This contamination occurs in either through geogenic or anthropogenic means. Fluoride contamination is one such example of geogenic contamination that is widely found in the Kolar district of Karnataka. However, the fluoride levels in the town of Mulbagal are lower than those in the surroundings. Earlier, a study was conducted on the impact of pit toilets on the groundwater in the area. The present paper investigates the presence of any link between these two phenomena.View of Mulbagal Town, Kolar District, Karnataka

Assessment of exposure, intake and toxicity of fluoride from groundwater sources in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh
A research paper on fluoride contamination of groundwater in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh. It assesses the exposure to fluoride through drinking water consumption and also elucidates fluoride endemic areas. Posted on 28 Jan, 2013 01:40 PM

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.