chicu

India Unshackled: A book discussion

The editor of a new book that lays out alternative futures for India discusses India, democracy and development with a noted journalist. chicu posted 7 years ago

ACT one: Anti-dam, pro-people

Along with protesting against dams, the ACT leaders are leading by example and showing people of Sikkim more constructive ways to live. chicu posted 7 years ago

Tenzing Lepcha sits at the hearth of his farmstay. (Pic courtesy: Chicu)

Village heads come together to save Dzongu

In a rare show of solidarity, the panchayat leaders of Dzongu have formed a group, Save Dzongu, that cuts across political differences to save their river. chicu posted 7 years 1 month ago

River Rongyoung which is sacred to the Lepchas is not yet dammed.

Are people in villages less thirsty?

Veteran journalist P. Sainath says we are living in a time of inequality--of wealth, water and income--driven by policies. Shouldn’t we be more angry about this? chicu posted 7 years 6 months ago

An upcoming building in Mumbai has a pool on every floor. At the same time, migrant labourers rely on tapping municipal leakages for their drinking water. India has more inequality than the rest of the world.

What it means to be water rich

Next Diwali, you will have the option of buying a bottle of water for Rs 65 lakh. Here are some other ways you can spend that money. chicu posted 7 years 6 months ago

One bottle of water or 65 open wells? That's the Rs 65 lakh question!

Let’s buck up and deal with deluge

Massive floods have made a comeback this year. What can we do to be better prepared for this new normal? chicu posted 7 years 7 months ago

Members of the national disaster response force evacuate residents of a flooded village in Bihar. (Source: NDRF)

Tel Aviv, we are looking for water

Wondering why India went to Israel for water? Here’s the reason and why we should be worried. chicu posted 7 years 8 months ago

The prime ministers of the two countries, Netanyahu and Modi at Olga beach to attend a demonstration of Israeli mobile water desalination technology. 06/07/2017 Photographer- Kobi Gideon/ GPO

Catch them young

An initiative in Uttarakhand aims to inculcate knowledge of water management in school children. chicu posted 7 years 8 months ago

Children gather around Ashvath Singh as he demonstrates hydrogeology.

While large projects offered more bang for India's buck at the time of independence, the idea hasn't evolved over time affecting the sustainability of natural resources. chicu posted 7 years 8 months ago

Described as 'the temple of resurgent India', Bhakra displaced many people.

Bad times at Baddi

Unless industries clean up their act and authorities take it up seriously, Baddi’s water will continue to be polluted causing hardship to its residents. chicu posted 7 years 9 months ago

The state pollution control board insists that none of the factories in the area allow any pollutants to be discharged into the environment. The state of the surface water bodies, however, belies this statement.

Renuka raises crucial questions

Nobody is clear about the need for a dam in Renuka valley. Despite this, the people of the valley are being displaced without adequate compensation. chicu posted 7 years 9 months ago

The opening of the header tunnel for Renuka dam has already been constructed.

River health goes south

In a two-part series, we look at the health of rivers across India. Here's a comprehensive assessment of the condition of rivers in the south and the west. chicu posted 7 years 11 months ago

These iconic falls at Athirapally are threatened by a hydroelectric project upstream. (Source: Arathi Kumar Rao)

Why rivers don’t flow anymore

In a two-part series, we look at the health of rivers across India. Here’s a comprehensive assessment of the rivers of the north and the east. chicu posted 7 years 11 months ago

A villager washes utensils in the black water coming out of the coal mines at Kodkel in Raigarh district, Chattisgarh.

Waging the war within

Sexism is as glaring in development sector as it is in any other professional field. Feminist activist Nandini Rao says both causes cannot be mutually exclusive for the development to be holistic. chicu posted 8 years 2 months ago

Election update: Rivers can wait in Uttarakhand

Though natural disasters and destruction of rivers are major concerns of the people of Uttarakhand, they fail to move the contesting parties. chicu posted 8 years 2 months ago

A woman with her grandchildren in her Munsyari home.

Election update: Small state, big promises

Assembly elections will be conducted in Goa on February 4. What do the contesting parties say about managing its waters? chicu posted 8 years 3 months ago

The Mandovi that flows through the state.

Curious case of disappearing fish

Fish species are rapidly disappearing from Himalayan rivers. Dams are not the reason. Human activity is. chicu posted 8 years 4 months ago

Mahseer swim in the bracing waters of the Ganga in Uttarakhand.

On a wing and a prayer

Renuka lake is a Ramsar site but also has a temple near it which makes it a battle site of conflicting interests. Is a solution possible? chicu posted 8 years 4 months ago

Peaceful on the surface, Renuka lake is a battleground between conservation and religion.

Saving Tso Moriri

Pristine Tso Moriri attracts hundreds of visitors, both winged and biped. Today, it is the human visitors that threaten the survival of this Ramsar wetland. chicu posted 8 years 5 months ago

Black-headed gull is one of the 40 species of birds at Tso Moriri. (Photo: Keith Goyden)

Get your facts right, get them to act right

Compliance with environmental laws has been a matter between the company and the government. It is changing with a group of people urging communities to participate in the process. chicu posted 8 years 6 months ago

People attend public hearing late into the night at New Anaya, Arunachal Pradesh.