Society, Culture, Religion and History

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Featured Articles
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
Who gives a sh*t?
Skin irritations, respiratory distresses and sometimes even death, it is a life of suffering for the cleaners of human filth.
Seetha Gopalakrishnan
Posted on 20 Sep, 2016 05:47 PM

“My mother used to head out with a basket full of ash every day. She would visit dry latrines in the area one by one, sprinkle the ash on the night soil, scoop it up and carry the excreta-filled basket on her head to dump the contents into a small tanker. This was almost 40 years back in our 'Singara (beautiful) Chennai',” recounts Ravanaiah.
Despite the ban, manual scavenging continues. (Image courtesy: The Hindu)
Forgotten water bearers of Guwahati
Most of the ponds in Guwahati are in a sorry state now. They need to be preserved, not just as heritage sites, but also as drinking water providers and collectors of surface runoff.
Usha Dewani
Posted on 19 Sep, 2016 06:04 PM

Guwahati, one of the fastest growing cities in India, is thousands of years old. Once known as Pragjyotishpura or the city of eastern light, Guwahati has many ancient stories attached to it. This beautiful city finds mention in epics such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Puranas.
Jorpukhuri near Ugratara temple.
Release 12,000 cusecs of water to TN: SC to Karnataka
Policy matter this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 19 Sep, 2016 09:20 AM

Cauvery river dispute: Karnataka to share less water, SC raps the two states over protests
Cauvery river in Karnataka (Source: AmyNorth via Wikipedia)
A river on fire
Communication, based on sound scientific information, involving farmers as well as other stakeholders, is the only way to solve the Cauvery dispute. Political mandate, too, is important.
K J Joy
S Janakarajan
Posted on 17 Sep, 2016 05:52 PM

River Cauvery has been in the epicentre of agitation and violence in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu--both fighting over their share of the Cauvery water. Thanks to the deficit monsoon this year, the Cauvery basin reservoirs in both these neighbouring states are only filled half as much as they should be![1].
Cauvery river at Hogenakal, Karnataka. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos via Claire Arni and Oriole Henri)
Mapping the Swachh Bharat Mission process: A study of three states
Posted on 15 Sep, 2016 12:00 PM

To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation, the Prime Minister of India launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2 October, 2014. Following this, guidelines for the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) were issued by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India (GoI).
When Osaka comes to Lucknow
The UP government is on a mission to replicate Osaka's riverfront in Lucknow. This spells doom for the families dependent on the Gomti for sustenance.
Chicu Lokgariwar
Posted on 14 Sep, 2016 10:14 AM

Raghunath Lakhpat is a terrified man. He can only watch warily as the land on either side of his modest home is being dug up by huge earthmovers. “We are stuck in the middle. Sooner or later, we will have to leave. But where will we go? What will we eat?” he asks helplessly.
Earth movers cluster on the riverbed of the Gomti, engaged in channelizing the river
More than just toilets needed to clean India
Posted on 12 Sep, 2016 01:42 PM
Behaviour change and not just toilets needed for Swachh Bharat
A study conducted by the Global Sanitation Fund in the states of Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra has revealed that a number of
Majuli, world’s largest river island
News this week
Swati Bansal
Posted on 11 Sep, 2016 08:34 PM

Guinness World Records names Assam’s Majuli world’s largest river island
The Majuli river island in Assam. (Source: IWP Flickr Photo)
Water, water, everywhere
Despite the many beautiful lakes, Udaipur’s water crisis is baffling. Increasing tourism and pollution make the city dependent on external sources for water supply.
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 09 Sep, 2016 05:42 PM

The city of Udaipur is all about its lakes. If Pichola gets the maximum tourist footfall, the scenic beauty of Fateh Sagar invites solitude lovers. The Udai Sagar lake in the east, which remained the first line of defence for the city, now meets the industrial need for water. 
Pichola lake attracts maximum tourists.
The nature of trade
What can be done to nature’s commodification to save it from the onslaught of development? A new book delves into some pertinent questions related to current environmental crises
Aarti Kelkar Khambete
Posted on 07 Sep, 2016 11:30 PM

Kanchi Kohli is a researcher, writer and campaigner working on environment, forest and biodiversity governance in India and their interface with trade and industrialisation.
The environment, sustainability and business interests. (Source: India Water Portal)
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