River restoration is not just an ecological act
Despite decades of restoration efforts by a rich ensemble of state-development actors, cultural heritage votaries and rights activists, the …
Ganga bazaar
The Modi government has invested hugely in its mission to clean the Ganga, inviting companies and countries to offer their technological expertise.…
`Industries easily find political protection whenever we are strict'
Uma Bharati, Union minister of water resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation, speaks to Sushmita Sengupta on the challenges of …
Drinking water audit report by March 2011
In addition to conducting financial audits, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), VINOD RAI, has decided to conduct a social and …
A civilisational loss
For more than two decades, Huta Ram Baidya has led the Save Bagmati River campaign. An affable, octogenarian activist and Nepal’s first …
Manual scavenging: Non-existent for govt, yet people die 30-ft under ground
The recent deaths of five manual scavengers again raises the question of how far will India let this problem go
Sewage pond called Mansarovar
To restore Shahpura lake, also known as Mansarovar, Bhopal Municipal Corporation must innovate its sewage treatment system
Cleaning India’s polluted rivers
More than 38,000 million litres of waste water enters the major rivers, water bodies and even percolates into the ground every day
After long denial, Haryana recognises Najafgarh lake as water body
The NGT has now directed Delhi government to take appropriate steps in accordance with law for revival of the lake
What a waste: Reviving India’s sanitation systems
Indians often confuse toilets with sanitation; but they are mere repositories to receive waste
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (October 17, 2019)
Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, the high courts and the National Green Tribunal
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (September 20, 2019)
Projects worth Rs 1,050 crore commissioned under Namami Gange in Patna
Union Minister Uma Bharti had pledged to speed-up the programme after recent criticism by the National Green Tribunal
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (May 8, 2019)
Minister claims Ganga will be 70-80% cleaner by March 2019, but is it realistic?
So far, the government has focussed largely on curbing flow of untreated sewage into the river, but not on managing faecal sludge
The power of sewage
Maharashtra is all set to use treated sewage water in thermal power plants. Can this move be scaled up?
Sewage treatment plant failure leads to jaundice outbreak in Shimla
More than 1,000 people get jaundice as city’s sewage mixes with the drinking water supply
The flush, the city and the river
For the modern Indian city, the principle behind management of water and waste is a simple one: flush and forget. Not surprisingly, most cities …
Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (December 3, 2022)
How to sustain municipal sanitation: Delhi’s Aya Nagar offers some lessons
The pilot project is a prototypical model for evolving a sanitation management programme in a high density settlement
Tirumala doesn’t let its water go waste
This temple town treats 83 per cent of its wastewater and uses it for a number of non-potable purposes
Sewage treatment plants can turn E Coli into superbug
In samples collected from Sabarmati river, two lakes and three effluent treatment plants, researchers find microorganisms to be drug resistant
Court digest: Major environment hearings in February
While every week, Down To Earth brings you the top environmental cases heard in the Supreme Court, high courts and National Green Tribunal, here …
Court digest: Major environment hearings of the week (Feb 22-March 1)
Heightened risk
“Superbug” gene levels in microbes are 60 per cent higher in the upper Gangetic areas during pilgrimage season