"Water harvesting here is nota technique, but a culture"
ANUPAM MISHRA'S association with the Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF) dates back to 1969. After working with the late Jai Prakash Narayan and the …
Lava-ka-Baas: The blame game
When one contests the dominant, it is of utmost importance that all actions and their outcome be above doubt. There isn't the faintest margin of …
Rain check
The column width dedicated to rain in the mainstream print media has hit an all-time high. A few days ago, television news reporters with that …
Cutting out waste
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has recently initiated ecofriendly pilot projects at its Bangalore aircraft division, which will not only …
Waters of life
Tarun Bharat Sangh of Alwar is well-known for its work on reviving traditions of waterharvesting. But few know about the economic advantages of …
Dying wisdom
Rise and fall of traditional water harvesting systems in India They are called kuhals in Jammu, kuls in Himachal Pradesh and guls in Uttarakhand.…
Chronicle of a journey foretold
Water trains aren't a strange sight anymore. Not the least in the parched areas of Gujarat. But while many villages await their erratic supply, …
Murder mystery in Bihar
The killing of two social activists has left behind a series of unanswered questions. On the evening of January 24 social activists Sarita and …
The negotiators
Of India's 18 major rivers, 17 are inter-state. In all cases, the water is intensely fought over. In all cases, there seems no resolution. In …
Standing the test of drought
After the 1999 monsoon failed in several areas of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, there is a serious drought. Summer is a good four months away, and …
A midsummer dream
Anyone will tell you that follow-ups are not a story. Journalism is not about following stories of specific villages and how they fare year after …
A watershed plan
Recurrent droughts and floods coupled with mass poverty, chronic unemployment and pervasive malnutrition are the major challenges before India. …
A belief in tradition
It was a unique ceremony for a unique award given to a unique rural community of India. In what is perhaps the first ceremony of its kind, …
On privatising water
What about privatising water? Should India move to do it? What tips the scales in its favour, and what doesn't? In 2003, two editorials in Down …
Saga of two villages
Sukhomajri was a dirt-poor village in Haryana. It started pulling itself out of its hole in the late 1970s, making a dizzying ascent to …
I am green by choice , not by chance
Probably the first chief minister of Delhi to have taken a keen interest in the environment, Shiela Dixit has got a mixed response for her …
How green is your building?
The building's green credentials have been recognised internationally, most notably by the us Green Business Council (usgbc). The Washington-…
The past and present of rivers
Author(s): Karuna Futane We are a generation that has turned flowing fresh water rivers to rivers of sewage and garbage. We have lost rivers. …
From Morocco to Yemen, many squeeze water out of fog
The system of collecting water from low-hanging clouds has brought respite to residents in water-stressed regions around the world
Anupam Mishra: the man who dreamt of water-sufficient India
As a devout water conservationist, he urged people to learn from ancient ingenuity of water harvesting techniques
Water: The clock is ticking
Day Zero has been postponed to next year for Capetonians. When is your turn? Are you ready?
Saving traditional water harvesting systems in Uttarakhand
If India’s hilly areas such as Uttarakhand have to be protected from any major water crisis, it is very necessary to maintain and protect …
Karnataka wants to drill more borewells, but where’s the water?
Despite groundwater depletion and huge expenditure incurred, the state government seeks answer to water scarcity in borewells
Community-driven management systems offer new options to these semi-arid Gujarat villages
All the structures in these villages were constructed by Shram Daan (voluntary labour)
Rainwater harvesting: Way ahead to encash the alternative water resource
Depending on the agroclimatic region the strategy may be different but the idea is the same — catch water where it falls