Aarti Kelkar Khambete

Sacred groves, the water wizards of Uttarakhand

A study from Uttarakhand finds that water from sacred groves conforms to all WHO standards of potability and is of better quality than water from surrounding areas. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 3 months ago

Auli Bugyal, a meadow in Uttarakhand. Auli Bugyal, a meadow in Uttarakhand. (Photo courtesy: Sandeep Brar Jat via Wikimedia Commons)

The art of saving a river

Artist and environmentalist Madhavi Kolte is on a mission to save the dying Mutha in Pune through her drawings and sculptures. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 3 months ago

The highly polluted Mutha river as it flows through Pune. (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Desertification: Not just a North Indian problem

A new study finds that manmade activities such as deforestation and mining are to blame for the rise in desertification in the south of India. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 4 months ago

Increasing desertification is a challenge India needs to tackle. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Maharashtra’s plastic ban: Another missed opportunity?

The blanket ban on plastic has missed an opportunity to show how government and citizens can work together to deal with the plastic menace. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 4 months ago

Increasing plastic waste is a problem in Maharashtra. (Image Source: India Water Portal)

The mystery of the monsoon

While scientists try to understand this unique phenomenon, the moody and often mysterious monsoon continues to challenge us to explore its different facets. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 4 months ago

Monsoon remains a mystery even now. (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)

Maharashtra may exempt certain plastic items from ban

Policy matters this week Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 5 months ago

Maharashtra bans plastic. (Image Source: India Water Portal)

When solving one health problem triggers another

Studies reveal that efforts at guinea worm eradication have triggered the spread of hydrofluorosis in Rajasthan. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 5 months ago

A child drinks water from a hand pump. (Image Source: IWP Flickr photos)

Teesta: Stuck between conflict and cooperation

The ongoing conflict between India and Bangladesh over the Teesta is political with little to do with the river itself. Is there any hope for the river? Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 6 months ago

The Teesta, upstream of the Gajaldoba barrage in West Bengal. (Image Source: Gauri Noolkar-Oak)

Not a drop to waste

Composite Water Management Index developed by NITI Aayog can be a useful tool in the efficient management of water resources in India. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 6 months ago

Water needs to be managed efficiently. (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Sharing water, reaping benefits

This study finds that smallholder farmers who undertake group micro irrigation through pooling of land and water resources greatly benefit through increase in productivity and profit margins. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 8 months ago

Sprinkler irrigation in Narayanganj block, Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh (Image Source: WOTR)

Is your bottled water safe to drink?

A study finds that lack of coordination, poor stakeholder involvement, inadequate training and poor infrastructure hinder the enforcement of bottled water quality standards in India. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 8 months ago

Many illegal bottled water manufacturers exist in the market. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Tackling climate change in Maharashtra

Maharashtra needs to make its agriculture resilient to climate change, urges Watershed Organisation Trust on the eve of World Water Day 2018. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 8 months ago

Agriculture needs to be made climate resilient. (Image Source: India Water Portal)

Creating art from waste

Two young entrepreneurs have found a way to manage plastic waste by turning it into useful products. They have also created jobs and increased public awareness around plastic waste. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 9 months ago

Amita and Nandan have started a unique enterprise, Aarohana, that turns plastic from garbage into useful products.

Slow death of a river

River Mutha, which was once the lifeline of Pune, is in dire straits. Concerted and systematic efforts involving citizens, experts and administrators need to be made urgently to save the river. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 10 months ago

River Mutha, as it flows through Pune city. (Source: India Water Portal)

Coughing out coal

A study from Chhattisgarh finds that coal mining leads to severe health risks and environmental damage and questions the current policy emphasis on the use of coal for energy generation in India. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 11 months ago

A villager looks at the changing landscape due to coal mines at Kosampalli village in Raigarh (Image source: IWP photo by Makarand Purohit)

Hotels and industries polluting the Ganga to be sealed

Policy matters this week Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 11 months ago

Ganga river at Sangam, Allahabad (Source: IWP Flickr photos)

Cauvery loaded with toxins

News this week Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 6 years 11 months ago

Cauvery river at Hogenakal, Karnataka. (Source: IWP Flickr Photos via Claire Arni and Oriole Henri)

India faces superbugs

Superbugs can not only render antibiotics useless but lead to prolonged suffering and death in humans. Focus on better sanitation and public awareness is the need of the hour. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 7 years ago

Highly polluted rivers such as the Yamuna can breed superbugs. (Source: IWP Flickr Photo)

Toilet use in Uttarakhand: A mountainous issue

A study from remote villages in rural Uttarakhand finds that toilet use is influenced by geography, accessibility, availability of infrastructure and occupation of villagers. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 7 years ago

Tanks and canals form the water supply system in a remote Uttarakhand village. (Image source: Chicu Lokgariwar)

Drinking water: Access does not mean safety

A study from rural Maharashtra finds piped water supply does not guarantee safe drinking water. Water treatment, storage and WASH practices influence water quality. Aarti Kelkar Khambete posted 7 years 1 month ago

Better drinking water access does not always mean that the water is safe to drink. (Image source: India Water Portal)