Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched the 1st Census of Water Bodies in convergence with the 6th Minor Irrigation (MI) Census under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme “Irrigation Census”. The objective of the Census of Water Bodies is to develop a national database for all water bodies by collecting information on …
a move is afoot in the us to soft-pedal on the issue of disposal of dangerous radioactive wastes. The us Senate recently approved a measure included in the Defense Authorisation Funding Bill that would allow the department of energy (doe) to reclassify lethal high-level radioactive waste in South Carolina as …
There exist, in India today, at least two ways of resolving water-related conflicts. One is the way the conflict over river Cauvery is being managed. The river of woes for Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha and her Karnataka counterpart S M Krishna, not a single day has passed in …
Of the three farm water conservation programmes currently under way in Karnataka, the Jal Samvardhene Yojana (jsy) has comple ted a year of operation. The progra mme’s stated objective is to demonstrate the viability of community-based approaches to tank rehabilitation. For this purpose an Integrated Tank Development Plan has been …
The 2003 monsoon could herald a great change in the socio-economic landscape of village Birora Kheth in the Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh. Its 42-member fishery co-operative
The village Pokhlabeda in Patamda block near Jamshedpur is unlike most other villages in the tribal population-dominated districts of Singhbhum today. Fifteen years back, farmers here considered themselves fortunate if they harvested one healthy crop a year. Today, most farmers manage about three crops a year, and some households even …
recognising the worsening global epidemiological trends for dengue, the recently held 55th World Health Assembly of the World Health Organ isation (who) passed a resolution urging the international community to spend more funds and expend efforts on dengue research. who reports that every year, 50
It's that time of the year again when mercury rises and taps run dry. The acute water shortage forces residents of even metropolises such as Delhi to send Mayday messages to officials. But demand far outstrips supply. This wide gap is filled by the illegal extraction of groundwater
Traditional water harvesting systems, such as tanks locally called "talabs', are an integral part of every village in Madhya Pradesh. Varying in size from less than an acre to a hundred hectares or more, talabs were built by rulers and communities several hundred years ago using the traditional knowledge of …
SUSTAINABLE forest management has been practiced since time immemorial. The Arthashastra records management of forests and wildlife during Kautilya's rule. There were 18 forest laws during the Mauryan period. But the centuries-old indigenous knowledge, developed after careful observations of natural and physical environments, is today a victim of neglect or …
A great example of how decentralised approaches to water harvesting boost innovation comes from Ladakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Chewang Norphel, retired engineer of the department of rural development, has found a way to make
Everybody uses water for irrigating farmlands. But Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal, a voluntary organisation of Laporiya village in Dudu block of Jaipur district, Rajasthan, has evolved an innovative strategy to regenerate pasturelands. The rural economy relies on agriculture and livestock rearing. Regenerated pastures have given a tremendous boost to the …
In Kachchh district of Gujarat , the Vivekanand Research and Training Institute of Mandvi has designed a number of innovative water recharging structures to capture the meagre and erratic rainfall in this semi-arid district. These structures permit repeated recharge of aquifers by utilisation of the periodic stormwaters, made possible by …
In Dihra, a small village 28 km southwest of Bihar 's capital Patna, was facing water shortage. The canal that brings water from Sone canal river failed to meet their irrigation demands. Led by four young people, the village decided to construct the ahar-pyne system of water harvesting. A pyne …
In the parched region of Saurashtra, Gujarat , the Saurashtra Lok Manch, a voluntary organisation, has recharged more than 300,000 wells and tubewells. The organisation has been trying to create water literacy among the masses and motivate them to actively take up recharging of wells. Recharging wells is easy, inexpensive …
Everybody uses water for irrigating farmlands. But Gram Vikas Navyuvak Mandal, a voluntary organisation of Laporiya village in Dudu block of Jaipur district, Rajasthan , has evolved an innovative strategy to regenerate pasturelands. The rural economy relies on agriculture and livestock rearing. Regenerated pastures have given a tremendous boost to …
Despite several government programmes, Ramanathpuram district of Tamil Nadu faces severe water shortage. Vivekanand Kendra, a voluntary organisation, tries to convince villagers in Mudukulattur block to participate in reviving ooranis (traditional tanks) and harvest rain from the rooftops. The organisation set about motivating villagers through film shows and weekly group …
Despite several government programmes, Ramanathpuram district of Tamil Nadu faces severe water shortage. Vivekanand Kendra, a voluntary organisation, tries to convince villagers in Mudukulattur block to participate in reviving ooranis (traditional tanks) and harvest rain from the rooftops. The organisation set about motivating villagers through film shows and weekly group …
the skeletonised frame of 68-year-old Manglu Bhoi doesn't shiver with the chilly spring breeze on a bright February morning, but with the thought that he has to walk for two kilometres to fetch a bucket of water. A resident of India's poorest district, Balangir, he is one of the million …
