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Society, Culture, Religion and History
Intersectoral water allocation and conflicts
Posted on 17 Nov, 2015 05:28 PMBesides water scarcity, allocation of water has become an important concern in India over the last few decades.
![Water must be equitably distributed (Source: India Water Portal)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/img_0941.jpg?itok=ubxsfkkX)
Ponds--once a lifeline of India's agriculture--are being revived by some Punjab farmers
Posted on 16 Nov, 2015 10:45 AMThe northern region of India is facing drought for the second consecutive year.
![Harmesh Singh has taken to rainwater harvesting on his farm since the groundwater has gone down.](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/1._harmesh_chand_has_taken_to_rainwater_harvesting_on_his_farm_since_the_groundwater_has_gone_down.jpg?itok=OpXLT75g)
0.5% Swachh Bharat cess on all services from November 15, 2015
Posted on 09 Nov, 2015 11:32 AMCentre plans to impose 0.5% Swachh Bharat cess on all services from November 15, 2015
![](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/Swachh-Bharat-clean-india-re.jpg?itok=gvYcZUbM)
Sustainable practices in slash-and-burn lands in Nagaland
Posted on 01 Nov, 2015 11:02 AMA thick smog and haze eclipse the sun all through the day when jhum areas are burnt. Jhum, known as shifting cultivation a practice practice inv
![Shifting cultivation lands (Source: Prashant N S, 2006, Wikimedia)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/jhum-prashantns-2006-wikimedia.jpg?itok=kAJF7jYq)
Adapting to floods and improving lifestyles could give us some clues to finding an alternative to embankments
Posted on 29 Oct, 2015 01:46 PMDr Molden, you have visited Dihiri in Dhemaji district and Borsala in Lakhimpur districts. Both these villages are the worst flood affected villages of the region. You also interacted with the communities in these two villages. What was the purpose of this visit? Please share your experiences.
![In conversation with Dr Molden (Source: Monoj Gogoi)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/dr_molden1.jpg?itok=TeSeZel0)
How much water should flow in the Yamuna?
Posted on 26 Oct, 2015 05:17 PMRivers are the not just the lifeline of our country, but life itself. We may revere them, even worship them but we continue to pollute, choke, and poison their waters. A river, its catchment area, and its floodplains have evolved over millions of years, and once damaged, may not be easy to reclaim.
![For a river to be healthy & maintain all its associated functions, free flow must be close to 50-60% of the total flow all year round (Source: Wikimedia)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/yamuna1.jpg?itok=XaaQE0VA)
Bangalore needs to break class barriers if its lakes are to be saved
Posted on 25 Oct, 2015 12:15 PMLakes spewing foam and catching fire in Bangalore made big news for several weeks but this is just an indication of the times to come as we fill up water bodies with effluents or turn them into sewage dumps in most cities across India. India Water Portal talks to Leo F. Saldanha of Bangalore-based Environment Support Group on how to manage these precious resources.
![Foam from lake engulfs vehicles in Bangalore. Source: Yoga Priya](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/car_lake_pollution.jpg?itok=lJvHQdd9)
Can the ‘Pad Piper’ lure away social taboos related to menstruation?
Posted on 25 Oct, 2015 09:00 AMHe wore pads, he figured out how to make them, and he's given rise to social enterprises around making biodegradable pads. Meet the 'Pad Piper' in this film by the same name.
Authored by: Manu Moudgil
![](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/n005_m.jpeg?itok=bv6hyH6A)
Respect tribal goverments; conserve forests
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 04:31 PMThe Galo tribe has lived in the Eastern Himalayan forests for centuries. Like their neighbours, this tribe had a well-defined territory, the boundaries of which were marked by various topographical features such as rock formations or mountain ridges.
![Arunachal's tribes have a tradition of managing their natural resources (Source:Wikimedia Commons)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/640px-farms_and_forest_martali_village_eastern_india_2012.jpg?itok=NRr-l7Hk)
Can the ‘Pad Piper’ lure away social taboos related to menstruation?
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 02:38 PMA friend, who often tips me off on stories, sent me a message asking why I don't write about menstrual hygiene among rural women. I told her that it’s difficult for a male journalist to write about women issues in India.
![A Muruganantham shows the working of a sanitary pad to women. (Source: The Pad Piper)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/n005_m.jpeg?itok=bv6hyH6A)