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
Understand water conflicts around India with the help of Google Maps - Water Conflicts Forum
This is a very modest first attempt by the Forum to spatially locate the important conflicts around water in India with the help of Google maps.
KJ Joy
Water Conflicts Forum
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 12:42 PM

We are beginning this effort with the conflicts that we have already documented by the Forum. You could also contribute to this effort by sending in abstracts of conflict cases that you know.
MoEF must stop canals in irrigated villages of Narmada valley - NAPM Press Release
NAPM expresses its anguish at the destruction of well-irrigated lands in the Nimad region of the Narmada valley due to the Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canals,
National Alliance for People’s Movements
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 12:24 PM


POSCO unplugged - Villagers of Jagatsinghpur, Odisha, have no choice
Sayantan Bera travels to Jagatsinghpur in Odisha to find that villagers labeled ‘pro’ POSCO do not have a choice otherwise
Sayantan Bera
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 11:38 AM


Study of ancient water storage systems on forts in Nashik district of Maharashtra - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Adapting ancient understanding of water collection, storage, supply and distribution in forts to present day urban needs.
Shriram Vaijapurkar
Siddharth Vaijapurkar
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 05:11 AM

This paper studies the water supply, distribution, collection and storage in the forts around Nashik with the idea of testing the viability of implementing such systems in areas of similar topography. The history of forts in Maharashtra and the forts around Nashik and the water collection and distribution systems thereof are described.

Two ancient irrigation systems of India - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper presents two different types of irrigation systems used in ancient India. Both are based on the overflow system of irrigation.
Mukund Dharashivkar
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 05:03 AM

The Phad system of irrigation, is found in Maharashtra over the rivers Panzara, Girna and Burai, which are tributaries of Tapi.

Khazana Bawali - Historical wisdom needing protection - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
The loss of ancient knowledge: the Kazana Bawali lost to the want or urbanization or sheer callousness
GD Deshpande
Pratibha Deshpande
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 03:57 AM

This paper presents the case of Khazana Bawali - a large ancient well that irrigated around 1000 acres in the past but is now in disrepair. The well is about 20 metres in diameter which stores rainwater from the neighbouring hills. The water is brought through underground tunnels that have ventilators at regular intervals to ensure fresh air and also to help in its manual cleaning. This well today irrigates only about 525 acres. It was built by the Jagirdar of Beed in 1582.

Palaeochannels as groundwater storage - A promising option to cope with hydro-hazards in Rajasthan - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Understanding the role of paleochannels to foresee, asses and meet the current and future requirements in the valley systems
A K Sinha
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 03:47 AM

This paper discusses the role of paleochannels, which are remnants of stream channels cut in older rocks/sediments and filled by younger overlying sediments, representing the distribution of valley systems, in meeting current and future water requirements.

Pampa Sarovara and its environs in Valmiki Ramayana - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
Understanding Water and its importance through ancient knowledge in mythology
B S Shamala Rathna Kumari
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 03:17 AM

This paper describes a lake in one of the forests through which the Hindu god Ram and his brother Laxman passed, during their search for Sita. A virtual picture of the forest and the lake (Pampa Sarovara) in it using the Valmiki Ramayana which is a religious biopic of Ram's life on earth is created. This lake is situated near the town of Hampi in Karnataka today, and the forest is a rich source of water to this day.

Revival of swadeshi, vedic and traditional wisdom of water - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
This paper highlights various ancient Indian texts which mention various ways to find, conserve, purify and harvest water.
DD Ozha
VN Mathur
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 02:36 AM

To highlight the value placed on water and to describe water supply systems, the authors quote from the Chandogyo-Upanishad, Yajurveda and other ancient Indian texts.

Water management in the Vijaynagar empire - Paper presented at the National Seminar on Water and Culture (2007)
The ancient systems were built with a reverence for the environment and water. Understanding these from the Vijaynagar Empire
RS Morwanchikar
Posted on 14 Feb, 2011 01:55 AM

This paper focuses on water management techniques used in two tanks constructed by the kings of the Vijaynagar Empire.

The first example taken, is that of the Anantraj Sagar built by the son of the minister of Harihar. The lake is still in use and there are inscriptions on stone near it which provide a thumb rule to constructing lakes. Construction of this lake began in 1369 and was completed in 2 years. The paper states that the length of the dam was 5000 dand, width was 8 dand and the height was 7 dand (One dand is about one metre).

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