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
Rural schools in Rajasthan -The Barefoot College experience
Best Practices in Water Management-Case Studies from Rural India-2005 German Agro Action, 2005
Posted on 12 Sep, 2009 04:27 PM



In 2003, the Ministry of Water Resources sanctioned a pilot project to harvest rainwater in 100 rural schools across 13 states in the country through 20 village Community Based Organizations (CBOs). The project aimed to provide adequate water for drinking and sanitation by collecting rainwater from the roof tops of school buildings and storing this in underground water tanks. The Barefoot College, Tillonia outlines the simple and low cost traditional technique which can serve as a permanent sweet drinking water source for school children in rural areas.

Some critical issues on groundwater in India - Centre for Water Policy
A document on some critical issues on groundwater in India Posted on 04 Sep, 2009 09:12 AM

This document on the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People site by the Centre for Water Policy highlights the critical issues related to  groundwater in India and is divided into the following sections:

Gender, Water and Equity: Training Workshop, SaciWATERS,
Posted on 03 Sep, 2009 04:03 PM

genderequity The Third Gender, Water, & Equity Training Workshop in South Asia, is being organised from Nov 23-27, 2009. WHAT WILL YOU GAIN BY ATTENDING? The programme will help in - • Understanding the larger political context of water where in gender and equity issues are placed at the centre • Strengthening participants’ perspectives on gender, water, and equity issues • Examining analytical frameworks that could incorporate gender in the planning and implementation of programmes in the water sector

Minor irrigation for land owned by dalits and adivasis - A presentation to National Advisory Council (2007)
A presentation on the output of the review and discussion done on the provision of the National Common Minimum Programme of the current UPA government. Posted on 02 Sep, 2009 10:52 AM

This is a presentation is the output of the review and discussion done by the National Advisory Council (NAC) on the provision of the National Common Minimum Programme of the current UPA government. The mandate was managed by the Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR). The presentation looked at the scope and implementation aspects of minor irrigation schemes, potential for supporting schemes of Union Ministries for minor irrigation, existing schemes of MoWR, incentives for tribal and dalit communities, efforts for convergence, issues and points for consideration going forward.

Water for production - Women in decentralised irrigation systems in Maharashtra - Issues and recommendations
A brief on the findings of a study that attempts to understand the overall context and implications of women's participation in the irrigation sector. Posted on 02 Sep, 2009 09:56 AM

This policy  brief  has been jointly prepared by the Society for Promoting Participative Eco-system Management (SOPPECOM), Utthan and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and includes the findings of a study that attempted to understand the overall context and implications of women's participation in the irrigation sector.

Groundwater maps for Abdasa taluka of Kutch District in Gujarat
A set of maps that depict the groundwater situation Posted on 01 Sep, 2009 12:41 PM

This set of maps, give a picture of the groundwater situation in Abdasa taluka of Kutch District, Gujarat

Pani panchayat in Orissa: The practice of participatory water management
This paper published in the journal Development explores the impact of new institutions in participatory water management such as Pani Panchayat (PP) in Orissa in the context of equity and access to water, transfer of property rights and handling water conflicts. Posted on 29 Aug, 2009 11:32 AM

This paper, published in the journal Development argues that new policy interventions such as Pani Panchayat in Orissa, India ignore the local socioeconomic contexts and fail to ensure co

Rainwater harvesting in India: Traditional and contemporary
A brief look at the historical development of traditional rainwater harvesting systems of India ans also issues, need and relevance of RWH in the urban context Posted on 21 Aug, 2009 12:41 PM

The document informs that traditionally Indians worshipped both water and rain as “Jala” and “Varuna”. Even rivers were worshipped. Till 3000 B.C., RWH happened without human effort as rain got collected in rivers and natural depressions. Civilizations flourished on river banks all over the world Indus valley civilization in India.

Traditional rainwater harvesting structures of Karnataka - A Kannada book from CDL
Download the Kannada book brought out by Communication for Development and Learning, Bangalore on the traditional rainwater harvesting structures of Karnataka Posted on 21 Aug, 2009 11:29 AM

A book by Communication for Development and Learning, Bangalore about the traditional rainwater harvesting structures that have been in use in Karnataka.

"The wisdom that was !" - A talk by Anupam Mishra on the traditional water harvesting systems of the Thar desert, Rajasthan
The Wisdom That Was !, captures a very interesting and informative talk by Anupam Mishra, on traditional water harvesting systems of the Rajasthan desert. Posted on 20 Aug, 2009 05:57 PM

This talk is part of a multimedia course series developed by Arghyam for the India Water Portal. The talk is in Hindi, with some subtitles in English.

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