Health

Groundwater continues to be extracted at frightening proportions in India and the fear of severe depletion of groundwater resources in the coming years is real. As if this is not enough, the available groundwater is also deteriorating in quality posing a severe threat to the health of the population.

India drinks water poisoned with uranium

This manual (third edition) in Hindi developed by Rajinder Chaudhary on natural farming, also known as organic, zero budget or alternative farming, is an attempt to spread awareness among Indian farmers about the above sustainable agriculture methods.

While groundwater is an important source of drinking water worldwide, contamination of groundwater sources is on the rise. Arsenic contamination of groundwater has been found to affect as high as 300 million people worldwide exposing them to a number of health risks.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater in India

Groundwater in arid and semi arid regions continues to be a valuable and often the single most source of freshwater and conservation of this resource remains crucial for the survival of communities residing in the area. At the same time, a serious decline in the quality of groundwater is adding pressure on these water resources.

A new study by the Delhi-based environment NGO Toxics Link reveals the presence of microplastics in all samples collected from the river at Haridwar, Kanpur and Varanasi.

COVID-19 has been spreading fast in rural areas while issues related to its management and the government’s response to the pandemic remain.

The onset of a second wave of COVID-19 has inflicted havoc in urban centers and even in the national capital which has somewhat sound state-of-the-art health system.

In recent times, India has been routinely experiencing abnormally hot days during the summer months of April and May. These deadly heatwaves marked by excessively hot weather along with high humidity are on the rise and are causing a record number of deaths of humans and livestock.  

The second wave of COVID-19 has now spread to the rural pockets of the country at a much faster rate than it did during the first wave of the outbreak.

While it is known that women and girls experience considerable challenges than men and boys in accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) resources, there is minimal discussion on bathing spaces for women while the focus continues to be on toilet construction.