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Society, Culture, Religion and History
The tragic tale of Erai
Posted on 30 Nov, 2018 10:56 AMThe Erai river, the main tributary of the Wardha river, is the lifeline for the people of Chandrapur in Maharashtra. It primarily supplies water to the Chandrapur city and Chandrapur super thermal power station (CSTPS). Since 1984, after the initiation of operations of M/s CSTPS and Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), the river has begun to get polluted and is now gasping for breath.
![The Erai river (Source: India Water Portal)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/_dsc0203s_0.jpg?itok=ifWixFO2)
Two states and a river: More power or more water?
Posted on 25 Nov, 2018 12:26 PMA new study, Mahanadi: Coal Rich, Water-Stressed sheds light on how both Odisha and Chhattisgarh have locked horns over the distribution of waters of the Mahanadi river. The 851-km-long river originates in the Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh, flows through the state and then Odisha before joining the Bay of Bengal at Odisha’s coast.
![The Hirakud dam (Image: Makarand Purohit, India Water Portal)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/mahanadi.jpg?itok=Ma4jlC1T)
Bengaluru drinks poisoned water
Posted on 22 Nov, 2018 11:17 AMIndia is running out of water fast. As if this is not bad news enough, it has been found that even the available water is highly polluted with organic and hazardous pollutants.
![Poor drinking water quality can pose a risk to health. (Image Source: India Water Portal)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/drinking_water1_0.jpg?itok=2HWKSyIK)
Wind turbines impact Western Ghats ecology
Posted on 07 Nov, 2018 07:33 PMWind energy, considered a clean source of energy, does have a carbon footprint and is also known to disturb bird life. Now a new study done in the Western Ghats has found that wind farms in biodiversity-rich areas can have deeper ecological consequences beyond already known impacts.
![Sarada superba lizard (Pic courtesy: Abi Vanak)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/rsz_p1000227_credit_abi_vanak.jpg?itok=EXWKMvSO)
The unique Himalayan wetlands
Posted on 03 Nov, 2018 08:33 AMWetlands are very important and productive ecosystems that support a wide range of plants and animals and provide livelihood opportunities to local communities in India.
![A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/himalayas3.jpg?itok=Qy43uwJd)
Tech to tackle sewer deaths
Posted on 21 Oct, 2018 11:44 AMAnil (40) died on September 14, 2018 while clearing a block in a sewage line at Dabri, a locality in north-west Delhi. Cleaners hired by state governments and civic bodies are supposed to be provided safety equipment like gas masks, goggles, gumshoes, gloves, safety belt etc. Yet, Anil was unprotected when he died of asphyxiation due to the presence of poisonous gas in the gutter.
![Women who took part at the India SaniTech Forum say that they want to ensure there are no more deaths from manual scavenging. (Image: India Water Portal)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/ms-lead.jpg?itok=s9BxfSYG)
Maintain minimum flow in the Ganga river: Centre
Posted on 16 Oct, 2018 12:57 PMCentre notifies minimum e-flow for the Ganga river
![Ganga river at Kaudiyala (Source: IWP Flickr photos)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/6172023818_988b81c090_z.jpg?itok=nrdcMCfM)
State of drinking water supply schemes in Rajasthan
Posted on 11 Oct, 2018 11:24 AMOn March 16, 2017, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India began a performance audit of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) by discussing with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation the scope and methodology of the performance audit. Records relating to the implementation of the programme in 27 states for the five-year period (2012 to 2017) were examined.
![Water schemes are not planned properly affecting their performance in Rajasthan. (Photo: IWP flickr photos)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/2553625235_27035761ed_o_0.jpg?itok=vbKHKpC6)
Swachh Bharat Mission: It’s all about numbers
Posted on 02 Oct, 2018 11:06 PMWe have just a year to go for Swachh Bharat Mission’s (SBM) deadline of making India open-defecation free (ODF). In the last four years, the government has built 86.08 million toilets (as on September 26, 2018) throughout the country as a part of this flagship programme on providing safe sanitation to all by October 2019.
![Sanitation is not just about constructing toilets. (Image: India Water Portal)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/toilet1_2_0.jpg?itok=KLv3wh45)
Kerala floods and after
Posted on 27 Sep, 2018 05:11 PMEvery time there is a huge flood in India with massive loss of lives and extensive physical damage, there is a hue and cry. Especially, if this takes place in an area not normally prone to such floods. Assam and Bihar, for instance, are regularly laid waste by floods and so, there is not much agitation over that anymore.
![The floods in Kerala have taken nearly 400 lives and have displaced around 1.2 million people. (Image: Ranjith Siji via Wikimedia Commons)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/800px-kerala_flood_2018_-_angamaly-_img_20180818_084500_0.jpg?itok=-ARq7XxK)