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Panchayati Raj Institutions
Can Madurai's dying tanks be revived?
Posted on 19 Mar, 2015 09:34 PMMadurai, Tamil Nadu's second largest city, is now filled with buildings and roads which are eating into its age old network of tanks and canals. This change did not happen overnight. It began in the late 19th century by the British when they merged several hamlets to establish their headquarters in the region.
![A tank on the outskirts of Madurai, Tamil Nadu](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/10425612205_05c2e28e41_z.jpg?itok=W4TFW1Oa)
A hard look at the strategy of fighting open defecation
Posted on 05 Mar, 2015 10:31 PMWith over 620 million defecating in the open in India, do we need a new approach to curb this practice? The force of habit is such that even households with toilets have around forty percent of adults defecating in the open. But, does curbing open defecation necessarily lead to significant improvements in child health outcomes like diarrhoea, anaemia, parasite infection and growth?
![School sanitation at Mysore](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/school_sanitation_at_mysore.jpg?itok=TYKlv-NR)
Climate change: Slow it down or deal with it?
Posted on 15 Feb, 2015 02:38 PMShould the next Union Budget go all-in on climate change? Should clean energy, state incentives, mitigation and adaptation all emerge as priorities? How will the administration deal with extreme weather events that become more common with climate change?
![Climate change adaptation (Source: VSK, Palamau)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/agriculture_3.jpg?itok=WGk2Rh8x)
Citizens charter on drinking water and sanitation before Union Budget
Posted on 13 Feb, 2015 02:24 PMA National Convention on Union Budget 2015-16 by the Centre for Budget and Governance Accountability, New Delhi held on 8th and 9th January 2015 brought together around 200 Civil Society Organisations from more than 20 States to discuss the policy asks for water and sanitation sector.
![Water facility by WASMO in Gujarat](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/wasmo.jpg?itok=0QEUsnHy)
State Action Plans for climate change analysed
Posted on 21 Jan, 2015 06:20 PMRecent years have shown a growing awareness on the relevance of climate change for India within the government as well as civil society, business and media. India has prepared its National Action Plan on Climate Change amidst growing international pressure to devise domestic climate adaptation strategies.
![Mountains in the catchment area of Khadakwasla dam](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/climate_change_1.jpg?itok=3M3fxWHR)
Science-based changes to cope with water crisis
Posted on 09 Jan, 2015 08:35 AMIndia has almost 17% of the world's population and 4% of the global water resources – a situation that threatens to push it towards a water crisis in the coming years. To add to this, are other reasons such as:
![Girls carrying water (Source: Wikimedia Commons)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/faq_3.jpg?itok=vcYJuLZL)
Poisonous encounters in Maharashtra
Posted on 23 Nov, 2014 03:32 PMA decade ago, Jamwadi village in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, was a famous tourist attraction due to its beautiful lake. Now, there is no lake to speak of thanks to the Raymond factory in Yavatmal. Wastewaster from the factory flows untreated into the lake, which is located 15 kms away.
![Contaminated water from the Raymond factory](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/15230540627_18b0e3b27c_z2.jpg?itok=FnhvchWH)
Tribals in Jharkhand plan for water security
Posted on 14 Oct, 2014 03:15 PM"Clean water", emphasized the woman. "'Close to the house. Whenever it is needed", she added. She was speaking at a village meeting organised to determine what was needed to make the village water secure. The discussions had begun with an attempt to define water security.
![A planning meeting in Bhawani Chowki](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/harkhand_lead.jpg?itok=OKf8FAu6)
Holi-Bajoli hydropower project shifts banks
Posted on 21 Jul, 2014 04:59 AMI could just about see a small makeshift shelter with a yellow canopy. As I made my way through the small stream and climbed uphill, I saw a JCB machine trying to clear a path. Further up the road, female voices speaking the local dialect started to emerge. A small hearth surrounded by utensils and jars of tea, sugar and lentils greeted me at the entrance.
![Himachal women protest Holi-Bajoli hydel plant](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/dsc03655.jpg?itok=MsGWErML)