Society, Culture, Religion and History

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October 8, 2023
India's rivers: From conservation movements to legal personhood
While the current push for legal personhood for rivers is facing obstacles and is stalled, it holds potential as a viable long-term strategy for the preservation of India's rivers
River quality deteriorates as demand for hydropower to support economic growth continues to expand. (Image: Yogendra Singh Negi, Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED)
June 16, 2023
Majuli Island: A tapestry of resilience and environmental harmony
Majuli serves as a symbol of both the delicate balance between human activity and the environment and the tenacity of its residents
Addressing various aspects of women's lives to enhance their social, economic, and political status (Image: Rebuild India Fund)
January 13, 2022
Water management in the times of Gonds of Central India
The water structures constructed during the Gond period continue to survive the test of time and provide evidence of the water wisdom of our ancestors.
Kundeshwar lake, Kundam in Jabalpur (Image Source: K G Vyas)
January 2, 2021
The fast disappearing traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan
Lack of community ownership and local governance are spelling doom for the once royal and resilient traditional water harvesting structures of Rajasthan.
Toorji Ka Jhalara, Jodhpur (Image Source: Rituja Mitra)
December 7, 2020
Not in the interest of women farmers!
The new farm related bills will spell doom for women workers who form the bulk of small and marginal sections of Indian agriculture, warns Mahila Kisan Adhikaar Manch (MAKAAM).
Farm women, overworked and underpaid (Image Source: India Water Portal)
December 11, 2019
Scientists intervene to save dry toilets
Dry toilets have long been hailed as a sustainable solution to the sanitation and waste management crisis facing India today, but have been overshadowed by more modern toilet designs.
A traditional dry toilet. Image: India Science Wire
Saving Ramgarh Lake
All efforts to rejuvenate the lake near Jaipur have failed as authorities continue to ignore obstructions to its natural flow.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 19 Jan, 2017 10:32 AM

Last year, a crocodile walked seven kilometres to reach Jamwa Ramgarh village near Jaipur looking for food. It had ventured out from Jamwa Ramgarh dam, which used to have around 100 of its species at one time. Since 2006, however, the dam is dry, leaving little fish or other prey for the aquatic reptiles. 
The reservoir that has been dry for the last 10 years.
Weather or not: Women workers need care in summer
There is a grave health concern around women manual workers who work under extreme conditions of heat with poor access to sanitary facilities. This needs urgent redressal at the policy level.
Vidhya Venugopal et al
Posted on 11 Jan, 2017 10:49 AM

In a tropical country like India, the summer months are hot which threaten the health of millions of people every year.
Women work under poor working conditions. (Source: Wkimedia Commons)
The doer from the Thar
There are many unsung heroes amidst us who go about their good work silently. Chattar Singh is one such hero who has revived traditional water management system of the parched Jaisalmer villages.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 10 Jan, 2017 10:53 PM

“Can you see the alternating bands of light and shadow in the sky?” Chattar Singh asks me. When I nod in affirmation, he continues, “This is Mogh. There are clouds where the sun is setting right now. If we get a favourable wind, these clouds will reach here and we may get rain by night. In desert, people live by such clues from nature.”  
Despite all the great work, Chattar Singh's demeanour remains unassuming. Source: Farhad Contractor
Cleanliness survey Swachh Survekshan 2017 underway
Posted on 09 Jan, 2017 11:00 AM

Sanitation, cleanliness indicators of 500 cities to be recorded and rated by Swachh Survekshan 2017
Maharashtra gears up for irrigation projects
Policy matters this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 09 Jan, 2017 10:14 AM

Maharashtra approves cost overrun in irrigation projects, set to complete Gosikhurd project
Irrigation canal from the Bhima dam, Maharashtra (Source: Nvvchar on Wikipedia)
A water worried year in a nutshell
From river disputes to the failure of the Ganga clean-up plan and the interlinking of rivers, water conflicts dominated most of 2016.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 07 Jan, 2017 08:13 AM

The year 2016 was eventful, to say the least when it comes to the water scenario in the country. The year saw severe droughts affecting 33 crore people across 10 states.
The Cauvery river at Hogenakkal, Karnataka
The sea mouths crisis
The opening of sea mouths in the Chilika is increasing the salinity of the lake, affecting the fish population and the livelihood of the fishing communities.
Makarand Purohit
Posted on 06 Jan, 2017 11:21 PM

Lingaraj Jena is a worried man. At 86, he is one of the older fishermen in Berhampura village, an island on the Chilika lake in Odisha. Though he no longer goes for fishing due to old age, he is worried about the opening of new sea mouths; he knows it is not good news for the fishing communities he is a part of that depend on the Chilika for their livelihood.
A view of the Chilika in the evening.
A book every city needs
Jal Aur Samaj' takes the readers through the pond culture of Bikaner that nurtured its past and holds promise for its future.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 01 Jan, 2017 07:46 PM

A scarcity of something makes it special. That’s the reason why Rajasthan has always sanctified water much more than any other place in India. Low rainfall and saline groundwater turned people into great conservers who not only built beautiful and durable structures but also developed sustainable practices around them.
One of the ponds in Bikaner.
‘Have a selfish interest in environment’
Lawyer Ritwick Dutta says we need to understand how minor changes in environment governance impact our lives in big ways.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 23 Dec, 2016 11:01 AM

Noted environment lawyer Ritwick Dutta received the Bhagirath Prayas Samman at the recently concluded India Rivers’ Week. We catch up with him on his journey so far and how we can further expand the constituency of environment.

Q. Who was your idol and what did you learn from him/her?
Ritwick Dutta (left) receives the Bhagirath Prayas Samman at India Rivers' Week.
Anupam Mishra: The Gandhian I know
Anupam ji’s work can’t be measured in words, least of all by me. Here are some of my memories of him over a few years.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 23 Dec, 2016 10:25 AM

“I remember I need to work on that article of yours. Will do that when I get better,” Anupam ji said taking my hands in his. He had gone weak, was in a lot of pain but still took out the time to attend the inaugural day of India Rivers’ Week (IRW) last month.
Source: Ted Talks
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