Water Management

This report by  SDTT presents a case study on the traditional water management system of the bodo people in Assam and North Bengal, the dongs. Dongs are man-made structures akin to canals, to route water from available water sources, which are usually perennial, to the paddy cultivating fields. The water sources are small rivers, perennial swamps, beel, streams, etc. Dong can have a breadth of 7-15 feet on average or even more. The breadth gradually increases over the course of its flow from the source till the end point.

Wastewater/Sanitation

• India: Land of many cell phones, but fewer toilets
• Rural women help Himachal fight open defecation
• Eco toilets at the Pollutetech 2010 exhibition in IISc draw attention
• 6 districts in Karnataka achieve near total hygiene standards
• Poor sanitation lets super bug thrive in India

The document describes the Maharashtra Groundwater Act, which is an Act to regulate the exploitation of groundwater for the protection of public drinking water sources and includes the details of :

• Short title and commencement of the Act
• Definitions of the terms used in the Act
• Protection measures for public drinking water sources
  • Prohibition of construction of wells within certain limits
  • Declaration of water scarcity area
  • Regulation of extraction of water from wells in water scarcity areas
  • Declaration of over exploited watershed
  • Prohibition of sinking of well in over exploited watershed
  • Prohibition of extraction of water from an existing well for certain period
  • Closing down existing well
  • Power of entry upon any land for obtaining information
  • Power to stop contravention of the provisions of section 3, 5, 7, 8 or 9
  • Payment of compensation
  • Bar to claim compensation

We invite you to read and reflect on these stories. Teachers have expressed interest in using these stories in the classroom as a teaching resource.

Climate Change

• Gujarat farmers fight against climate change: Adopt technology to conserve resources and maximize benefits
• Higher-than-normal temperatures in Ladakh pose a threat to its glaciers and thereby life in the region
• South Asia is the world's most climate-vulnerable: India ranks second

Most of the rivers and streams in urban India are dead. With a very few and rare exceptions, these once-beautiful water bodies have been encroached upon, sources dried up or converted into sewage drains all over the country.Water is being sourced or pumped from sites upstream of the city for its needs or from long distances and the city administration has little incentive for cleaning its own muck. The dismal figures of urban sewage treated by sewage treatment plants, their installed capacity and efficiency stand testimony to this.

This report by ICRISAT deals with a survey of thirty-two tanks and farm data from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra states to assess the economic performance of irrigation tanks in semi arid tropics of India. It uses district-wise data on climatic and institutional variables to analyze the factors affecting tank-irrigation density. Results indicate that the spatial distribution of irrigation tanks is determined primarily by physical factors—hard rock substratum, post-monsoon rains, low moisture-holding capacity of soils and by population density.

Content Courtesy: DevNetJobsIndia

• Specialist (Community Management) - Female

N M Sadguru Water & Development Foundation