Society, Culture, Religion and History

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October 8, 2023 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 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 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 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 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 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
Chennai fisherfolk explain the connection between climate, oceanographic factors and fish catch
Understanding how fishing communities cope with and adapt fisheries to climate change can be useful to develop broader adaptation strategies. Posted on 15 Jun, 2015 09:33 AM

Climate change could have a strong impact on fisheries with far-reaching consequences on food and livelihoods of populations. It is likely to have a major impact on future marine fisheries production in India.

Fisherfolk and climate change
Puppets talk, people listen
A small colony of puppeteers in Delhi 'pull strings' and talk on issues that plague their lives: Water, sanitation and land takeover bids. Posted on 14 Jun, 2015 10:31 PM

All the world’s a stage and all men and women players in it, said Shakespeare. Kathputli Colony in Delhi is living testimony to this. ‘Kath’ means wood and ‘putli’ is the Hindi word for a doll or puppet.

Modern day puppets talk on issues pertaining to real life situations
Farmers field school in Jharkhand shows the way in integrated farming
The School has taught farmers how to use waste from their farms as inputs in their farming system. Other organic practices have improved the soil profile and water holding capacity of the fields. Posted on 14 Jun, 2015 03:38 PM

Chedua Bedia is a 47-year-old marginal farmer from Dubulabeda village, Angara block of Ranchi district. In addition to being a successful farmer, Chedua has founded a school and motivates other farmers from his village to attend classes!

A farmers field school at Angara
Two states and a dam row
Latha Anantha of River Research Centre, Thrissur speaks to India Water Portal on the latest developments on the Mullaperiyar dam controversy. Posted on 14 Jun, 2015 01:31 PM

While the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala have opposing stands on the Mullaperiyar dam, civil society actors have provided alternatives to the old dam whose decommissioning is bound to happen sooner or later. They have also pointed out the inappropriateness of building a new dam on Mullaperiyar.

Mullaperiyar reservoir (Source: Sibiperiyar, Wikimedia Commons)
How has water privatisation affected Chattisgarh?
The Mahanadi's longest tributary, the Shivnath, has borne the brunt of urbanisation and industrialisation but the impact has been felt the most by residents. We capture their story in pictures. Posted on 27 May, 2015 04:37 PM

The Shivnath River is the longest tributary of the Mahanadi River.

Shivnath river near Mahamara Barrage, Durg
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) - Menstruation and menstrual hygiene management
Here is an FAQ that answers some of the most pertinent questions on adolescence and menstruation.
Posted on 26 May, 2015 02:00 PM

In the world’s second most populous country with nearly 355 million menstruating women, 23% of adolescent girls drop out of school after their first period. Only 12% of females in the country use sanitary pads. 10% of girls in India believe that menstruation is a disease [1]!

Menstruation and menstrual hygiene
Protests in Arunachal as Centre clears Dibang project
Policy matters this week Posted on 26 May, 2015 09:22 AM

Green nod to Arunachal's Dibang project

People protesting Dibang Project (Source: SANDRP)
Heat wave claims over 500 lives in the country
News this week Posted on 25 May, 2015 08:24 PM

Over 500 people succumb to killer heat wave

Heat wave engulfs the country (Source: PTI)
Renovation insulates pond from its devotees
Rinmochan pond in the famous Kurukshetra area has become an impersonal spectator to human life rather than a benevolent host to devotees seeking salvation in its waters. Posted on 20 May, 2015 07:08 PM

I was in Rasina, my ancestral village. It was a solemn occasion - the death of my eldest paternal uncle, and it was only the second death in our extended family after almost 18 years of my grandfather’s passing. A lot has changed in the village over time thanks to its premier location on the busy Karnal-Kaithal highway.

Children look for water snakes in the pond
Swasth Seema: A village's journey towards ODF status
Posted on 20 May, 2015 12:55 PM

Not unlike most villages that make up rural India, Seema in Rajgir block of Nalanda district showed little interest in structured sanitation. Open defecation was rampant and a sizeable chunk of the village’s earnings was spent on tending to the ill and diseased. Little did the villagers know that a change in tradition was imminent.

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