Voluntary Citizen or Civil Society Sector

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August 11, 2024
SeasonWatch: Citizens, trees, and climate change
Even in the face of daunting challenges like climate change, collective action and community engagement can lead to meaningful change
SeasonWatch tree walk at Rupa Rahul Bajaj Centre for Environment and Art (Image: SeasonWatch)
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)
October 6, 2022
Visualizing the Vrishabhavathi river to keep it alive
In an effort to inform the general public, especially citizen activists, policymakers, researchers, and students, about the current status of the Vrishabhavathi river, Paani.Earth has created the necessary maps, data, analysis, and information to drive conservation awareness and action around the river.
Vrishabhavathi river (Image Source: Paani.Earth)
October 1, 2021
Community videos: By the community, for the community
Community videos as a tool to influence behaviour change and adoption in rural communities
Community videos are produced by farmers themselves and feature local participants and agents from the rural communities themselves (Image: Digital Green)
September 17, 2021
Villagers’ shramdaan revives canal, enhances area under cultivation
Benefits of well-managed commons on livelihoods
Collective efforts revived the canal structure of Bichhiya dam bringing water to the village (Image: Foundation for Ecological Security)
September 4, 2021
How Paani Foundation harnesses the power of communication for social transformation
Committed to use the power of all forms of communication to bring about behavioral change and transformation at scale
Villagers participating in shramdaan for making watershed structures (Image: Paani Foundation)
Interventions of a voluntary agency: The MYRADA experience
Watershed projects have succeeded in varying degrees in the country. If they are weak in organisational management, it is due to the failure of the co-interveners in providing enough opportunities.
Aloysius P Fernandez
Posted on 08 Mar, 2014 02:37 PM

MYRADA has been working on watershed development projects since 1984-85. Through its efforts it had developed a climate of trust and confidence at the field level. Peoples' institutions have emerged and stabilised at various degrees of successes because of these efforts. 
Interventions of a voluntary agency
People's institutions managing natural resources in the context of a watershed strategy - A paper by MYRADA
This paper presents concerns and issues in the context of watershed projects promoted by government and NGOs and the role envisaged for Panchayat Raj Institutions in Hariyali guidelines.
Aloysius P Fernandez
Posted on 08 Mar, 2014 02:18 PM

This paper attempts to analyse the impact of several government guidelines related to watershed management on the People's institutions that have emerged in watershed programmes where NGOs have a role. 
People's institutions managing natural resources
Envisioning the future
Rural communities in Lakhimpur district of Assam engaged in an interesting exercise of visualising their possible futures in the context of climate change-to prepare themselves for an emergency.
Petra Tschakert
Usha Dewani
Posted on 07 Mar, 2014 10:33 AM

Looking through that peephole where the future seems dark and bleak conjures up discomfort. We would all rather envision a better, happier tomorrow but anticipating a possible bleak future is crucial for communities to plan in the context of changes, says Dr. Petra Tschakert, Professor of Geography at Pennsylvania State University, USA.
Floods in Jiadhol river (Source: Amita Bhaduri)
Princely' private ponds
The 'Apna Talab Abhiyaan' programme promotes the building of private talabs on peoples' lands to help improve groundwater recharge in Bundelkhand.
Amita Bhaduri
Prabhat Jha
Posted on 07 Mar, 2014 10:14 AM

Charkhari, a princely state of India in the colonial period was once a beautiful settlement founded by Saurabh Singh Bundela, a Rajput King. Acceded to India post-Independence, the town is now located in Mahoba, Uttar Pradesh. The place was home to intricate water management systems in the past.
A talab in the fort city of Charkhari
Water across Northern Railways highly contaminated
News this week: Report says tap water across the Northern Railways is highly polluted; Metal industry poisons groundwater of Chittoor; Allahabad's water table reducing by 62 cm every year.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 05 Mar, 2014 11:25 PM

Water across Northern Railways highly contaminated, says report
Water tap at a railway station
When natural forests prevailed in Himachal
Veteran activist Kulbhushan Upmanyu talks about how the people of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh campaigned to protect the region's natural forests as well as their own rights.
Kulbhushan Upmanyu
Manu Moudgil
Posted on 09 Feb, 2014 07:51 PM

The mountain states are at a loss when it comes to a defined livelihood option for its inhabitants. Himachal Pradesh is no different. While the upper reaches of the state have excelled in growing niche products like apple and chilgoza (a variety of pine nut), areas like Chamba that are below 4000 metres, have to depend on farming.
Himachal's forests help conserve springs
Painting Mumbai blue!
Drop Dead', a foundation started by Aabid Surti that offers free plumbing services to residents of Mumbai, saves water one drop at a time.
Hamsa Iyer
Posted on 02 Feb, 2014 10:12 PM

Aabid Surti who lives in Mira Road, a Mumbai suburb, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from Hindi Sahitya Sanstha by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 2007. He has multiple creative talents. He is a painter, cartoonist, author, playwright and water warrior.

Water warrior?!
Drop Dead Foundation Volunteers
Authority bans sale of packaged drinking water without BIS mark
Policy matters this week: FSSAI declares no selling of packaged drinking water without BIS mark; President gives nod to Maharashtra groundwater bill; Govt opposes tribals way of cultivation.
Swati Bansal
Posted on 02 Feb, 2014 10:07 PM

No sale of packaged drinking water without BIS mark: FSSAI
Packaged drinking water (Source: Ricardo Bernando)
More people power equals more progress
Cuttack, in Odisha, overcame the bane of open defecation, dirty water and unclean surroundings thanks to participation and involvement by the locals. The 'Silver City' is now truer to its name.
Sabita Kaushal
Posted on 20 Jan, 2014 09:42 AM

Clean surroundings, clean water and a clean toilet – as much as Cuttack, in Odisha is a thriving centre of trade and commerce, it lacked these three basic necessities. An exploratory survey was conducted in 2009 to understand why the city hadn't reached a better state of cleanliness.
Community based management (Source: NFI)
Pesticide 'thali'
A 2010 study by Consumer Voice found that Delhi's fruits and vegetables contain high levels of pesticide residue. Despite the high court getting involved, not much has changed since.
Amita Bhaduri
Posted on 20 Jan, 2014 09:39 AM

One doesn't have to look far to find pesticide contamination in food and water in India.
Toxins are used as ripening agents in vegetables
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