Lakes, Ponds and Wetlands

In Rajasthan Ki Rajat Boondein, Shri Anupam Mishra documents the myriad, well-organised ways in which the people of western Rajasthan have harvested and managed water over centuries, through work of the utmost dedication, painstaking detail and community-led action. These systems have survived the test of time, and are present in most villages and towns of the desert state even today.

This path-breaking work in the harsh water-scarce conditions of the desert, was completely managed by the local communities, and serves as a guide to the rest of us, in organising to face and tackle the water crisis, that we face across the world today.

Shri Anupam Mishra has worked in the field of environment and water conservation for many decades, and is currently with the Gandhi Peace Foundation New Delhi. His books on the work of people/society organising themselves, to harvest and manage water - Aaj Bhi Khare Hain Talaab and Rajasthan Ki Rajat Boondein, are considered landmark works in the field, and continue to inspire several individuals even today, to take up work on setting up and reviving such time-tested water harvesting systems.

The following guidelines give information about a new scheme to repair, restore and renovate 1 lakh water -bodies across the country. The outlay is Rs 4000 crore.

Portal visitors might find this of interest.  

Conservation and Management of Urban Lakes
Brainstorming Session on Conservation & Management of Urban Lakes 26th Sept 09

A document in Gujarati describing the situation of the Hamirsar Lake in Bhuj, Katch and the work being done by some community organisations towards improving the lake's condition.

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The ideal farm pond should be dug into the ground in a naturally low-lying area. Some of the soil that is removed can be used to construct an earthen berm around the pond, which should be planted with trees and grasses for stability. The shade and wind protection provided by the raised mound and vegetation will reduce evaporative losses.

The residents of Akshayanagar, Bangalore got together to save the Akshayanagar Lake situated inside the residential layout. Weeds had covered a major portion of the lake and it was also polluted with sewerage. The residents  multi-level initiatives are oriented towards reviving the lake and maintaining its purity.

The paper published in the Journal of Limnology begins by highlighting the problem of the gradual deterioration in the quality of lakes and informs that lakes are suffering from different stress factors and need to be restored using different approaches. The paper goes on to discuss the different approaches and technologies that can be used to restore lakes.

Image & Content Courtesy: CiSTUP Indian Institute of Science is conducting a Workshop on URBAN LAKE MONITORING & MANAGEMENT from 23^rd to 25^th of September 2009 and a Brainstorming Session on Conservation & Management of Urban Lakes on 26^th September 2009 Venue: CiSTUP seminar Hall (SID Building), IISc campus (location details are available at http://cistup.iisc.ernet.in) Workshop schedule:9:30 AM to 6:30 PM

The workshop is meant for Research Scholars and Master students. The age of the participant be less than 30 as of 30 August 2009 (no registration and accommodation charges for selected young researchers).

Interested applicant should send a write-up (less than 750 words each) on “Need and challenges of wetland Monitoring and Management in India” and “How wetland monitoring workshop would benefit their career” (One page on each title). Application and write-up is to be routed through their institution. Selected outstation candidates will be paid Rs 500/- as their travel support and accommodation and food during the workshop will be taken care by the organizers.

This set of maps shows the major rivers and lakes in the country.

Source:Wikimedia

Traditionally, water was seen as a responsibility of citizens and the community collectively took the responsibility of not only building but also of maintaining the water bodies. Since independence, the government has taken control over the water-bodies and water supply. This, over time, has led to the neglect of the water bodies and catchments areas.