By Himanshu Thakkar* India is facing an unprecedented and worsening water crisis. The rivers are getting more polluted, their catchments, water-holding and water-harvesting mechanisms are deteriorating, and groundwater levels are depleting at an alarming rate. A large part of western and southern India is facing a drought at present. Some of these areas, for example, … More Water sector: A story of missed opportunities with disastrous consequences for India’s future

By Chandra Vikash* “Adults keep saying we owe it to the young people, to give them hope, But I don’t want your hope. I don’t want you to be hopeful. I want you to panic. I want you to feel the fear I feel every day. I want you to act. I want you to … More Global school climate strike in Delhi: Rising up to take direct action when older generations have failed

Dr Mansee Bal Bhargava, a research entrepreneur at the Environment Design Consultants (EDC), Ahmedabad, has written an open letter on behalf of water allied researchers, educators, consultants, and enthusiasts*, titled “Water Matters: Appeal for Election 2019 Onward”. Text of the letter: This is an open letter from a group of water allied researchers, educators, consultants, enthusiasts … More Political will needed to effectively and efficiently conserve and manage water in India

By Mayank Aggarwal* Uttarakhand has vast water resources and is a lifeline for millions of people living in downstream areas. However, many areas in the state are facing a water shortage. The hill state is going to polls in the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on April 11. In some constituencies, voters, … More Uttarakhand’s rivers quench the thirst of millions while its residents face water shortage

Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), which is a Public Sector Undertaking, received an environmental clearance in 2003 for bauxite mining in the Kabirdham district of Chhattisgarh. Since the mine became operational in 2003, there have been studies and media reports which have highlighted instances of non-compliance of environmental safeguards. There have also been complaints by … More Impact of Chhattisgarh Bodai-Daldali bauxite mine on livelihood, environment: Evidence from below

By Joydeep Gupta  Anurag Verma is a rich and curious farmer. His gently waving fields of wheat are ready to ripen, but he is wondering why he has to dig over 200 ft to water them, when he is barely 2 km from the Yamuna River. As you drive just around 10 km out of Delhi … More Unwise use causes water famine in India in absence of law regulating groundwater extraction

By Katrina Nilsson-Kerr, Pallavi Anand* The past may be a surprisingly useful guide for predicting responses to future climate change. This is especially important for places where extreme weather has been the norm for a long time, such as the Indian subcontinent. Being able to reliably predict summer monsoon rainfall is critical to plan for … More Indian summer monsoon amplified global warming 130,000 years ago, helping end ice age