Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister alluded to gaon, garib and kisan as the centre of all policies of this government, while announcing a clutch of schemes aimed at the rural and urban poor. Her budget speech last week reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring piped water supply to all households in India.

Though some have hailed this as an attempt by India to break into the middle-income league and become a global economic power, the facts on the ground tell a different story at least for the Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM), the government's push to achieve total sanitation in India. While SBM did increase the national spotlight on the issue of sanitation, the scheme saw patchy implementation and India is far from being a Swacch Bharat today. Official estimates state that over 9 crore (90 million) toilets were constructed from 2014 when the Swacch Bharat Mission was launched under the Modi government as one of its flagship schemes. Yet, a government survey in 2017 showed that 6 out of 10 toilets built under the Swacch Bharat Mission did not have water supply, and were hence unusable.

Focus on water

This year’s budget tries to bring back the focus on water. For this, the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) and the Ministry of Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR) have been merged into the Jal Shakti Ministry, which will execute the government's mission to provide clean and piped drinking water to every household in the country.

"Given that close to half of Indian districts and several cities are facing a severe water crisis, the 2019 budget’s clear focus on water is promising and this is the right time and situation where such a policy press is very important," says Raman VR, Head of Policy, WaterAid India, New Delhi.  

Do we have the money to provide water for all by 2024?

Considering the prevailing water crisis in the country, the government has identified as many as 1,592 blocks in 256 districts which are facing acute water crisis, and where over-exploitation of groundwater has been reported. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minster was emphatic about dealing with the issue of water security.

“The government took steps like creation of Jal Shakti Ministry by way of integrating several ministries with the mandate of water supply or management. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched for ensuring India's water security. Identification of water stressed districts, blocks, towns and cities is being done for the mass campaign on water conservation. Very senior officials have been appointed as nodal officers for these areas and the Jal Jeevan Mission was declared to fulfill the concept of Har Ghar Jal or piped drinking water to all households by 2024 as a priority. All these are definitely timely and encouraging measures for the water sector," says Raman.

Ensuring equity and sustainability remains a concern

“Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the government will focus on rainwater harvesting and water conservation in 256 districts in the first phase and carry out other initiatives including renovation of traditional water bodies and tanks, reuse of water and recharge structures, watershed development and intensive afforestation,” said U P Singh, Water Resources Secretary at a workshop organized by Arghyam at New Delhi recently.

Himanshu Thakkar, co-ordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, is cautiously optimistic about the seemingly greater political attention to water as a national issue. "The finance minister said that the Jal Jeevan Mission would include creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture. This is welcome and one has to see how it will be planned along with ensuring equity and sustainability." 

New ministry, old water problems

"There needs to be a realisation that such important missions like the Jal Jeevan Mission will need higher levels of resource allocation, compared to what is available in the current budget outlay. The overall allocation for the new Jal Shakti Ministry is Rs. 28,323 crore, which is marginally higher compared to Rs. 28,094 crore that was received by both the previous water ministries together in 2018-19. The outlay was Rs. 27,107 crores the year before (2017-18). Also, no specific allocation has been made for the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which leads to an assumption that this mission will be mostly drawing from budgets for other development programs," Raman points out. 

Thakkar points to the Finance Minister’s budget speech, where Nirmala Sitharaman said the government would also explore the possibility of using additional funds available under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for this purpose. In his view, the legal tenability of using CAMPA funds for non-forest activities is questionable.

It is thus an anomaly that while India is grappling with one of the most severe water crises in decades, with a number of states reeling under drought-like conditions, there has been no sharp increase in budgetary support for the water sector. Raman VR from WaterAid elaborates:

"The budget for Jal Jeevan Mission seems to be continuing under the erstwhile National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP), and not under the name of the new scheme. This may appear like a higher allocation, but would require a much higher annual allocation than this, for achieving the goal by 2024. It is to be noted that the NRDWP used to have close to Rs. 10,000 crore rupees annual allocation till 2015-16."

Piped water supply to all likely to cost upwards of Rs. 5 lakh crores

Based on estimates from the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2017, provision of piped drinking water for all households required close to Rs. 500,000 crores. Even if states are expected to put in around half of what is required, the per annum allocation requirement for a 4-year period will be over 60,000 crores, to cover hardware, human resources, water quality infrastructure, operations and maintenance costs, citizen’s engagement, and special arrangements for quality affected as well as other marginalised populations, according to Raman.

Rahul Bannerjee, an Indore-based social activist and development researcher, concurs too.

"The outlay for the National Rural Drinking Water Programme is Rs. 9,150.36 crores. Now according to the Census 2011 there are 6,40,867 villages in India, with a population of 83.31 crores. Assuming a 10 percent increase in population since then and an average household size of five, the outlay per household works out to Rs 500. This outlay is highly inadequate." 

Raman further elaborates that it is unclear how much of the budgetary allocation for water will go towards ensuring access to piped drinking water for the urban poor, as no earmarked allocation could be found in the budget document. Presumably this would also draw from AMRUT or the Smart Cities programme. Further, the allocation of Rs. 800 crore under the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission may help peri urban areas, census towns and urban growth areas too, to some extent. While the current allocation appears to be only a good start, the mention that the government will look for additional funds from other sources for this purpose is promising. However, this will depend on how much can be pooled from other potential sources.

Budget ignores sustainability of agriculture

Vikrant Tongad, a Greater Noida based environmental activist is concerned about how farmers will respond, if at all, to these water conservation measures. "From water conservation under the watershed programmes, the focus has shifted to direct irrigation outcomes at the farm level. Yet no new incentives have been brought in to reduce water footprint by way of micro-irrigation. There is a dire need to promote sustainable uses of water by weaning away farmers from water-intensive crops like rice and wheat. In the absence of incentives to use less water and power, farmers are unable to move to a 'more crop per drop' regime." 

Rahul Banerjee agrees that agriculture has been passed over in the Centre's grand water plan for India in the next 5 years. "In agriculture the subsidy provided for the use of chemical fertilisers is Rs 79,996 crores and the outlay for other aspects of green revolution agriculture is Rs 12,560 crores. There is no subsidy whatsoever for organic manure and the outlay for organic agriculture is a paltry Rs 2 crores. The subsidy for short term credit to farmers is only Rs 18,000 crores and the outlay for the "per drop more crop" irrigation scheme is just Rs 3,500 crores. Soil and water conservation have a farcical outlay of Rs 28.7 crores and rainfed area development and climate change mitigation have been provided a laughable Rs 250 crores."

"Thus, the agriculture budget is one that will lead farming more and more into the abyss that it already is in instead of turning it towards a more sustainable future." 

So, from the perspective of the water and agriculture sector, the 2019 budget is high on optics even with a meagre allocation and lack of clarity on how the actual delivery will happen. "The budget is an overall disappointing one. Despite clear indications of a looming water crisis both on surface and groundwater front, it fails to address the issue squarely in the face. Nal se Jal would remain a pipe dream only for want of requisite water in the system," sums up Manoj Misra, forestry and wildlife expert, and the head of Yamuna Jiye Abhiyaan. 

Chikkaballapur is a district in the state of Karnataka, just north of the capital Bengaluru. A peri-urban area that was once an agricultural centre for this region, today Chikkaballapur is facing a unique problem. 

Decreasing rainfall has meant increasing periods of drought for this area, which in turn has caused residents to dig deeper and deeper in search of water. In this pursuit for groundwater, they have found water… but it is contaminated with fluoride.

The administration tries its best to provide tanker water to supplement the piped water supply in the area. But when the tankers are not able to reach the entire district, and overhead tanks have long dried up, people here have to walk as far as 10 kilometres just to get water.

Reverse Osmosis or RO plants have been put up in Chikkaballapur, to remove the fluoride from the water. In Bagepalli taluk of Chikkaballapur, where INREM Foundation is working on the fluoride problem, these RO plants are on an average, at a distance of 5 to 7 kilometres from many fluoride affected villages. The cost to get water from these RO plants comes to about Rs. 20 for a can of 20 litres of water, which includes Rs. 15 for transportation. However, many do not like to drink this water because they don’t like the taste. On an average around 30% of people use the RO water for drinking, while others continue to use groundwater with high levels of fluoride, coming through pipes to public standposts.

There is a high prevalence of dental fluorosis among children in this area, of degrees varying from mild to severe. There is reasonable awareness about dental fluorosis and fluoride in drinking water in the area, thanks to the efforts of INREM and the Fluoride Network.

INREM used Safe Water Learning Cards in anganwadis in Bagepalli, to spread awareness on fluoride contamination in groundwater. And they didn’t just stop there - they went a step beyond just awareness generation, assessing what anganwadi workers had learned in the session, and whether or not they had understood the knowledge imparted to them.

A small safe water quiz was conducted with the children after the learning session, with the help of a free app called OMR Evaluator. OMR is an efficient and useful tool for assessments, particularly in areas with poor internet infrastructure and large numbers of learners. How it works is that assessment questions are entered into the app, and an assessment sheet is printed out for each student. The students respond to the questions on the sheet, which is then scanned on the OMR app. The results are instantly tabulated through the app, reducing the need for manual checking of answers.

Schools in Bagepalli receive RO water for drinking, for which teachers personally contribute transportation money so the water reaches the schools. INREM Foundation is also attempting to improve access to safe drinking water to these children from nearby RO plants, with the help of the District Administration, by meeting the expenses of buying the cans from the RO plant as well as delivering the cans to the schools, through a combination of public and private funds. This would mean that well-meaning teachers don’t have to pay for such vital necessities from their own pockets.

The nutrition link

Nutrition plays an important role in mitigating the adverse health impacts of fluoride in water. Basic dietary improvements to include calcium rich green leaves, milk, eggs, and rich sources of Vitamin C and antioxidants such as amla (gooseberry), lemon, palak (spinach) and local sources such as moringa (drumstick) and Cassia Tora, go a long way in reversing the effects of fluoride in the long term. 

In these schools in Bagepalli, because awareness on the fluoride contaminated water in the area has increased, schools are doing what they can with support from groups like the Fluoride Network, to put such solutions in place. Morninga (drumstick), amla and other saplings are being planted in the schools, as nutritional reinforcements for the children.

Mid day meals provide milk 5 days a week in these schools as well. The milk is made with Nandini milk powder mixed with water; however the water used for this is not RO, but is from the fluoride-affected water from borewells.

While this may sound counter-intuitive to the implementation of solutions that mitigate the harmful effects of fluoride contamination, we must understand that simple things like the taste and colour of water greatly influences people's choices. Human behaviour is not always rational. As development practitioners, we must design and conceptualise for solutions that take such variabilities into account.

Innovating awareness building

Going beyond the traditional methods deployed by NGOs to spread awareness among local communities, the Fluoride Network came out with a Speaking Wall or Suno Bolo - building on traditional wall paintings that are often used in rural areas to communicate with local communities. The Speaking Wall in Bagepalli enables two way communication between people on the ground and knowledge on fluoride contamination in water.

As depicted in the pictures above and below, the Speaking Wall is designed in four quarters. The top two focus on the problem and solution, or the problem statement and the awareness message to be communicated to the people of Bagepalli, in the local language. 

The bottom part of the wall depicts a map of the village marked with coloured dots indicating the levels of fluoride found in the village. The bottom right quadrant has interactive features like a QR code, which when scanned with a smartphone camera, leads to multimedia learning resources on fluoride contamination in water, localised to that particular place. One QR code leads to a multimedia learning resource that disseminates an audiovisual message on the importance of safe water - hence called Suno or listen in Hindi - where the user can listen to the message. The other QR code is called Bolo (speak in Hindi), where users can share a pre-recorded audio.

While interacting with Suno and Bolo, users can be continuously engaged and encouraged to share their thoughts or grievances, or even ask questions.

On ground implementation of the Speaking Wall has thrown up some challenges. For one, Internet speeds across rural India are still slow or non-existent, so the multimedia content that the wall takes the user to, takes time to load or is difficult to access. Smartphones are also not very frequently used, with most people in rural areas using feature phones.

Yet, this is an innovative and fresh approach to generating awareness on issues such as water contamination, which is often the leading cause of public health problems and which can be easily prevented, with knowledge and awareness of the root cause. More thinking like this is critical, if we are to collectively solve for our society’s most complex problems.

Special thanks to Kiran Kumar Sen and Dr. Sunderrajan Krishnan from INREM Foundation and to Karthik Seshan from Arghyam, for this story.

Learn more about the Fluoride Network here.

Meghalaya's draft water policy gets approval

To address conservation and protection of water sources in the state, the Meghalaya cabinet has approved a draft water policy for the state. The policy was drafted by the state water resources department in consultation with experts in water conservation and protection of water bodies. The policy outlines all issues related to utilization of water and livelihood and how to preserve water bodies.

It also calls for community participation in implementation by constituting a water sanitation village council at the village level. 

(The Hindu)

Union Cabinet clears Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019

To streamline the adjudication of inter-state river water disputes, the Union Cabinet has approved the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The Bill will help resolve disputes relating to waters of inter-state rivers and river valleys, envisaging the constitution of a single tribunal with different Benches that will have a permanent establishment complete with office space and infrastructure. A standalone tribunal will obviate with the need to set up a separate Tribunal for each water dispute, which has proven to be a time consuming process. The Bill also proposes to set up a Dispute Resolution Committee by the central government for amicably resolving inter-state water disputes within 18 months. (The Hindu)

Government unveils plan to rid villages of garbage and sludge

In its effort to take the open defecation free (ODF) status of villages to the next level, ODF Plus, the government has launched the Gobar-Dhan scheme.

Under the scheme, the government plans to set up at least one plant in each district to generate electricity and compost from cattle dung and other biodegradable waste by 2023-24.

Also, a plastic waste management unit in each block or district will also be set up along with installation of one storage facility for plastic waste in every village. Apart from this, the other two components of the scheme are tackling of wastewater generated in rural households and safe handling of faecal sludge. (Times of India)

Maharashtra cabinet approves irrigation programme for chronic drought-hit districts

The Maharashtra state cabinet has approved the Mukhyamantri Shashwat Krushi Sinchan Yojana (Chief Minister’s Assured Agriculture Irrigation Scheme), with a budget of Rs 450 crore for the 2019-20 financial year. The scheme aims to provide assured and protected irrigation in 251 rain-fed talukas hit by chronic drought, farmers’ suicides and left-wing extremism.

Under the scheme, farmers will be given a direct subsidy equal to 50 percent of the actual cost, up to a maximum of Rs 75,000, to install plastic lining in their farm ponds, and a subsidy of Rs. one lakh per beneficiary to build a 1,000 square metre greenhouse or shade-net up. 

(LiveMint)

Tamil Nadu announces river restoration for Chennai

Taking note of the looming water crisis in Chennai, Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has announced the restoration of rivers in the city at a cost of Rs 2,371 crore over the next four years. A detailed project report has been prepared to arrest sewage flow into the Cooum and Adyar rivers and Buckingham canal. Along with this, the state government is also evolving a comprehensive policy to prevent pollution of water bodies and reuse treated sewage for industrial and other needs. Besides reusing 260 million litres of sewage, a detailed project report would also be prepared to increase the groundwater table and find long-term solutions to augment water sources. (Times of india)

This is a roundup of important policy matters from July 10 - 16, 2019. Also, read news this week.

Bihar and northeast India reel under floods

As the water level of the Brahmaputra River rose above the danger level across Assam, 30 of the 33 districts in the state were deluged by floods, affecting nearly 43 lakh people and claiming 15 lives. In Bihar, incessant rains in neighbouring Nepal caused floods  affecting 25 lakh people across 12 districts in the state. The death toll has risen to 24. Union minister Amit Shah has reviewed the current flood situation in different parts of the country and has directed the senior officers to extend all necessary assistance to the flood-affected states. (Times of India, India Today)

Hyderabad follows in Chennai's footsteps, stares at looming water crisis 

As compared to previous years, water levels in all of Hyderabad's reservoirs have decreased by 12 feet this year. Weeks after the monsoon officially entered Telangana, there have been no fresh inflows in the drinking water sources of Hyderabad.

As of July 13th, drinking water supply for one crore people in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are estimated to last only till the end of August.

Moreover, in case of monsoon playing truant, the city might start facing a water crisis from second week of September and the water board will be left with no option but to enable emergency pumping at Godavari, Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs. (Times of India)

Tamil Nadu recorded highest sewer cleaning deaths since 1993

Since 1993, nearly 620 sewer cleaning deaths have been reported in 15 states in the country, with the highest number of cases from Tamil Nadu, followed by Gujarat and Karnataka. Other states and Union Territories where sewer deaths have been reported are Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh and Telangana. As per the government, so far full compensation has been paid in 445 cases out of 620. However, a total of 53,598 manual scavengers have been identified between 2013 and 2019 but there has not been a single conviction in any of the cases. (Times of India)

As groundwater perils, government set to study water use

The government has informed the Lok Sabha that as per a 2017 assessment, out of the total 6,881 assessment units in the country, 1,186 of them have been categorised as over-exploited in groundwater. However, to tackle the water crisis, the agriculture ministry and NITI Aayog are planning to carry out an extensive study on agricultural use of water. As agriculture is a major consumer of groundwater, the study will help farmers opt for cultivation based on water consumption levels. The study report is expected to be submitted by the end of October. (Times of India, The New Indian Express)

70 percent of all water bodies polluted in Gujarat

As per the Gujarat Pollution Control Board's annual report on the quality of water bodies in the state, only seven locations have clean water. The samples collected for the study indicate that 70 percent of all water bodies tested had slight to moderate pollution.

Moreover, some spots in the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad showed just moderate pollution while environmentalists have been protesting the deteriorating quality of the river due to dumping of effluents.

According to the environmental activist Mahesh Pandya, the result of the report comes as a surprise as it indicates slight to moderate pollution at locations which were categorised as extremely polluted earlier by the Board. (DNA)

This is a roundup of important news published between July 10 - 16, 2019. Also read policy matters this week.

One-day Pre-conference Workshop

Introduction to Water Ethics

Organised by: Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India (Pune)
Water-Culture Institute (New Mexico)
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (Bengaluru) 

Where? Bengaluru

When? 23rd of September, 2019

Increasing water stress in many countries is driving social and environmental conflicts. Unless we have a better and more reliable way to find consensus amongst different stakeholders and conflicting parties as how water should be shared and managed, it would be rather impossible to transform conflicts. Water ethics is emerging globally as a distinct approach to conceptualise water and also manage conflicts. When each stakeholder understands what s/he values most, and when s/he also understands what the other stakeholders want, the stage is set for finding creative solutions that can meet many of the most critical priorities. Water ethics can drive innovations and motivate creative solutions by establishing values-based parameters and helping each party reflect on the long-term implications of their decisions. It provides both conceptual tools to address questions about water values, and uses arts to engage the emotions and relate to water issues viscerally and creatively.

Water ethics as a distinct approach to water governance is one of the themes of the "Towards a Sustainable Water Future" conference (24 – 27 September 2019, Bengaluru), and will be discussed in several sessions.

In addition, a 1-day pre-conference workshop on water ethics is being organised to delve into the theory and practical implementation of ethics in planning and water-related decision-making. The pre-conference workshop is structured as a training-cum-sharing workshop, where we would introduce the concepts of water ethics, and discuss how to apply the concepts in real cases.

The workshop will be held on 23rd September 2019 from 9am to 5pm, with about 30 participants spanning across disciplines and backgrounds. It would have the following sessions:

• Session 1: Intro and overview of water ethics (discussion of categories and contexts)
• Session 2: Application of water ethics approach to cases
  - Plenary presentation of Mahanadi and water allocations across competing sectors and interests, as an example of how conflicting values about water can be sorted out systematically through an ethics framework
  - Small group discussions of four case studies, each led by a resource person familiar with the case: a) water provision and environmental justice in informal settlements in Chennai, b) contestations around urban lakes in Bengaluru, c) water pollution and tribal rights in Nilgiri Hills, and d) further discussions on the Mahanadi case
• Session 3: Feedback from the groups about what the ethical issues are and how a values framework can facilitate mediation and solutions
  - Discussion about how to identify and discuss values among conflicting stakeholders
  - Wrap-up and conclusions

Who can and how to apply?

Anybody who is involved in water issues – students, researchers, activists/NGOs, teachers, media persons, government officials, private sector personnel – can apply. There is no registration fee. Lunch and tea/coffee would be provided. If you would like to apply, then send an email by 25 July 2019 to waterconflictforum@gmail.com along with:

1) a 1-page CV with details of gender, nationality, educational qualifications, institutional affiliation (if any), experience in water sector, etc., and

2) a brief write up (not more than 1 page) about why you would like to participate in the workshop.

Selected candidates would be informed by 31 July 2019.

K. J. Joy, Forum for Policy Dialogue, Water Conflicts in India 

David Groenfeldt, Water-Culture Institute 

Siddhartha Krishnan, Veena Srinivasan - Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and on Environment (ATREE)

Organising institutions

1. Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India
   Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India (Water Conflict Forum to be brief) is a network of individuals and organizations interested in the water sector, particularly, conflicts and cooperation, since 2004. The Water Conflict Forum has about 800 members mainly drawn from civil society, academia and media. It is committed to the core values of equity, justice, environmental sustainability, efficiency of resource use and democratization of water governance. It has evolved over the years, from simply documenting conflicts to actively participating in preventing and resolving conflicts and creating conditions like knowledge generation and building common platforms for negotiations between conflicting partners in order to backstop conflicts. The core strength of the Water Conflict Forum has been in stakeholder interaction, knowledge creation, policy advocacy, networking, training and outreach. The Forum has completed three phases of work; each phase ranging from three to four years. The Forum is a critical voice in the water sector and will continue to work towards its mission of namely, a) influence policies and actions at all levels, b) help prevent and resolve water conflicts in an environmentally and socially just manner, and, c) achieve participatory, equitable and sustainable water use. It is housed in Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM), Pune. 
   
   
2. Water-Culture Institute
   The Water-Culture Institute (WCI) is a non-profit think tank in Santa Fe, New Mexico (USA) working globally and locally (Southwest US) to promote a new water ethic that is socially just, environmentally sustainable, and culturally meaningful. Our activities revolve around networking (through the Water Ethics Network, waterethics.org), awareness-raising (through books, blogs, op-eds, social media, and talks), and applied research. Current research programs focus on (a) establishing a field of water ethics within the water sector, (b) Strategies for supporting Indigenous water sovereignty, and (c) reconnecting communities to their local water ecosystems. 
   
   
3. Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE)
   Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) is a non-profit research organisation. For over two decades, ATREE has worked to generate rigorous interdisciplinary knowledge for achieving environmental conservation and sustainable development, to enable the use of this knowledge by policy makers and society, and to train the next generation of environmental leaders. ATREE has consistently ranked in the top 20 environmental think-tanks globally. The ATREE Academy for Conservation Science and Sustainability Studies’ doctoral programme, with over 50 students, offers interdisciplinary coursework covering both natural science as well as social science theories and methods. 

Anyone  interested in the water sector/ issues can apply for the workshop before 25th July, 2019. There is no registration fee.

The state of Rajasthan has an immense range of ancient and ingenious water harvesting systems, like the famous johads or step wells managed by communities in the arid Thar desert, which receives very low rainfall. A recent book 'Wise water solutions in Rajasthan' by Om Prakash Sharma, Mark Everard and Deep Narayan Pandey documents the enormous array of water harvesting systems, that have survived the test of time and are still in use.

Communities continue to access and efficiently use the waters from these time-tested water harvesting systems across the state’s villages and towns. The authors, who have worked in the field of environment and water conservation for several decades, put this book together to help communities identify geographically and culturally context-specific water harvesting solutions to suit their unique needs.

The book underlines the need to achieve the most optimal results by using local knowledge about the myriad, well-organised ways in which communities managed water traditionally. Dr. Nicholas Grey and Professor Mary Grey, Honorary Presidents and Founders of WaterHarvest, mention in the foreword to the book that the water harvesting structures documented in the book are optimal according to slope, soil structure, and the village's needs.

“In the Aravalli hills the focus is to hold back rainwater flow to allow it to percolate into the ground and thus recharge the well. In the Thar desert where the water percolates straight through the sandy soil and is lost, the focus must be on water storage.”

Demonstrating the effectiveness of water harvesting systems

These traditional practices and their modern adaptations have often helped people tide over periods of drought.

Differing based on the region’s physiography, hydrogeology, rainfall and culture, these small-scale systems offer decentralized water access to water.

Section 3 of the book, ‘Water wise solutions’ details how specific solutions are adapted to local conditions, including their design and maintenance aspects. Both, surface water systems (such as talaabs including large lakes / sagars and small naadis / naadas) and groundwater access and recharge systems (wells, taankas, kunds, baodis, johads etc) have been documented here. Notes are presented on each system including directions on construction and management requirements. A matrix maps each purpose (primary or secondary) of each solution, further categorising them into harvesting/recharge, access and use efficiency. 

“The book documents modern solutions to harvest and improve use efficiencies and argues that ancient solutions alone may not be sufficient. The challenge is to integrate and perhaps develop further traditional structures with modern solutions,” says Om Prakash Sharma, one of the co-authors of the book.

The book also features a recent innovation in the form of ramp wells that provide year-round access to water for wildlife in the Kumbhalgarh sanctuary in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The ramp has a gentle slope so that wildlife of all sizes can easily access the water in the well or sump.

There are also various adaptations of modern rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in rural and urban areas of Rajasthan for recharging groundwater, which are thereafter accessed through open wells and tubewells. Factors considered in their installation include the availability of suitable roof catchments, soil foundation characteristics near the house, location of overhanging trees over the roof and the availability of construction material. In the desert regions of Rajasthan, some households have integrated rooftop rainwater harvesting systems with taankas, with the roof replacing or augmenting artificial catchments to fill the underground taanka.

The book outlines the governance arrangements behind the design, operation and maintenance of these systems. “Before the onset of the annual monsoon, naadi, tank beneficiaries would clean the agor (catchment) serving it. The system of water distribution took into account the water demand - the number of humans, cattle and goats. Payments were made in the form of cash, kind as well as voluntary labour. Upstream users were prohibited from planting water intensive crops while for direct beneficiaries water intensive crops were rotated from year to year. Penalties were imposed for violation of rotational irrigation arrangements,” says Sharma.

The book also touches on individual and collective accountability within the community. “Every person could hold a certain amount of land within the irrigable area, with additional landholdings entitled to less water. Policing was achieved at the community level, through sometimes also using guards and other enforcement arrangements. Water managers were sometimes drawn from the landless class.”

This book is a valuable guide to anyone working on water harvesting in Rajasthan. It has a lot of pictures, diagrams and tables to help understand the basics and to get started on designing water harvesting systems.

Click here to download a few pages of the book.

A Future Earth Conference

Opening new frontiers in water system diagnostics and innovative solutions to mitigate the 21st-century global water crisis

The Sustainable Water Future Programme (Water Future) of Future Earth is organizing its first international conference in partnership with Divecha Centre for Climate Change titled 'Towards a Sustainable Water Future' in Bengaluru, India. The conference will be hosted by the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.

The conference will address the current state of global water resource challenges, future pathways and scenarios, and different technological, institutional solutions to accelerate the implementation of water-related Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda targets with an aim of 'leaving no one behind'. Around 700 participants all across the globe are expected to attend the conference thus giving a major opportunity for academics, water practitioners, policymakers, scientists, civil society and government officials to discuss the direction that the global science community should take in order to solve myriad of challenges affecting our water systems in real time, and develop new frontiers for innovative solutions. The conference will be a forerunner to a high-level political event called the Budapest Water Summit scheduled a month after this conference. The outcome of the conference is expected to be a valuable input to this summit in Budapest.

Register for the conference here: https://www.waterfutureconference.org/

Large dams, back in the game?

Recent years are seeing the re-emergence of large dams as sources of hydropower generation in global development policy. Large dams are being propagated as clean, green, climate-mitigating and a major source of renewable energy in emerging markets in the Global South.

A paper titled 'Masculinities and hydropower in India: a feminist political ecology perspective' in the International Journal of the Commons says that this dramatic comeback of large dams marks a significant reversal in global environmental policy, ignoring earlier much-contested environmental and social risks of large dams and supporting the commodification of rivers and forests. This can not only lead to huge social, environmental and economic risks, but also threatens the survival of local populations whose identity, sense of belonging and livelihoods are connected to these ecosystems.

While the social impacts of large dams with respect to displacement and resettlement have been documented, there is very little information on the direct and indirect impacts of dams on different people living across the entire river basin. Even less is known on how gender and dams are correlated.

Large dams can be damaging to rivers, river basins and riverine ecosystems, impacting the lives and livelihoods of diverse groups of people. Large dams have been found to have worse impacts on women as compared to men, in contexts where women have very little or no agency to voice their demands or make their needs heard. Women suffer more due to displacement and relocation from hydropower development. They are especially vulnerable when gender sensitivities are ignored or overlooked in the project design and planning phases of hydropower development. These vulnerabilities range from losing their traditional means of livelihood when they lose access to their land, for instance, which in turn affects their food security and often their access to water and sanitation as well. They lose access to and control over resources such as land, rivers, forests, fodder, and have to thus deal with increasing workloads. Displacement often causes fragmented social and familial ties, a loss of mobility, poor health and little or no access to health care facilities or services.

While this impact of dams on gender has been acknowledged, the new focus on dam development now also includes attempts to be more inclusive and engender the process of planning and implementation of large dams through the use of gender toolkits. Gender-sensitive planning could include public consultations with women to better understand power dynamics. It could also include assessments of sex-disaggregated data to develop a gendered project baseline.

However, how much do the organisations that are supposed to include gender in the planning and implementation of hydropower projects, themselves understand and practise gender in their day to day functioning?

The paper presents the findings of a study that explores factors that shape gender attitudes and everyday practices by talking to male and female employees from two hydropower organisations - one, a public sector enterprise and the other a private company - in Sikkim. The study aims to explore gender identities, attitudes, perceptions and practices in these two organisations to understand if gender plays a role in the day to day functioning of these organisations, and whether it can affect the design and implementation of hydropower projects.

Here are some interesting findings from the study:

Dam building activities are perceived as masculine

Engineering work in hydropower is perceived as highly masculine and immensely risky, requiring re-shaping and re-ordering of "rugged terrains". The ability to undertake such risks is believed to be stronger in men as compared to women. By working in remote locations, blasting tunnels through solid mountains of rocks, stopping and containing the flow of mighty rivers, male technicians across the hierarchy of these hydropower institutions are believed to demonstrate their ability to take risks and achieve the unachievable.

The men who were interviewed in the study proudly talked about their competence and risk-taking ability, which they claimed made them distinct and different from others, including women. They presented their job as masculine and challenging, socially and physically risk-prone and needing adaptation skills and capabilities. They also frequently used masculine metaphors such as 'army life" and 'forced bachelorhood', to describe their work.

A culture of hierarchy and subordination prevails

This idea of masculinity is not only about being a man. It also extends to a larger culture of hierarchy and subordination within the organisation. Thus male respondents interviewed for the study saw women in their organisation as subordinate and less capable. These notions of subordination and hierarchy served to maintain power differences not only between women and men, but also among men. Staff at different levels in the organisation rarely mingled with each other, except when male staff were from the same state and of the same ethnic background. Women and men avoided interactions across hierarchical levels and maintained a safe distance from each other. Men in junior positions usually spent time with men in senior positions, did not leave the office until the seniors left, tried hard to please them by attending to their professional as well as personal needs, and ensured their visibility for a successful career. Men also engaged in masculine sports like tennis and cricket. Further, being emotional was considered out of place at work and both men and women in these organisations prevented any displays of emotions and controlled their feelings to appear physically and mentally tough.

These hierarchies within the organisation were found to limit access to information, opportunities and benefits for staff working at lower positions in the organisation, most of which were women. This masculine culture also inhibited transparency, kindness, empathy and thoughtfulness in the workplace. It was evident from this qualitative study that existing power structures and hierarchies could be seriously disrupted and turned on their heads, simply by being more inclusive towards female employees. 

Women in such institutions often conform to masculine norms

Female staff also tried to conform to masculine norms. For instance, a female human resources manager identified herself as no less than men and pointed out how she managed her work in a challenging situation without showing any emotions. She was highly critical of feminine behaviours like breastfeeding, seeking help, expressing emotions and feelings and dissociated herself from other women. She tried hard to be a 'model employee' and regretted not being allowed to do field visits despite making multiple requests. While this female employee felt that her work was not acknowledged enough, she did not question the existing gender norms in the organisation.

Shifts in organisational culture needed

The authors argue that it is not possible to promote gender equality in the planning and implementation of hydropower projects without addressing masculinities and the associated hierarchies within the organisational culture and everyday practices of the hydropower sector itself. Changing behaviours, attitudes and practices in the hydropower sector will require major shifts in organisational culture and societal values and gender toolkits alone will be unable to transform these entrenched masculine norms in these organisations

It would be highly unlikely that this work culture would encourage emotions, sensitivity and equality. Neither would it take into consideration alternative points of view, nor would it address the environmental and livelihood concerns of affected people, women and issues such as land rights of tribals and minorities adequately. And such issues cannot be addressed without adequate inclusion and representation of women within the hydropower industry.

The authors argue that with or without gender toolkits, the hydropower sector in India has little to show for, when it comes to equality and inclusion. This is because the emphasis on dominant masculine norms in the day to day functioning of hydropower organisations reinforces the denial of the ethics of caring and distributive justice as organisational values. It will not be possible to end one without recognising and tackling the other.

A copy of the paper can be downloaded from below.

Regionally and globally, soil erosion is a major contributor to total land degradation. Its impact is more pronounced in rainfed areas and it is amajor threat to agriculture in India, with a significant economic cost amounting to about 0.35% of GDP in 2014-15 as per estimates by TERI (2018).

Continuous soil erosion diminishes land productivity, in turn threatening livelihoods, particularly in rainfed areas.

A study -“Farmer’s perception on soil erosion in rainfed watershed areas of Telangana, India” by Dayakar Peddi and Kavi Kumar from the Madras School of Economics investigates this issue. Based on a detailed survey of 400 households in two rainfed sub-watershed areas in Siddipet district in Telangana, the study looks at how farmers perceive the severity of soil erosion and the factors influencing these perceptions.

Soil erosion is quite high in the state of Telangana, with about 26 percent of cropland degraded in 2011-13. The area is highly vulnerable to drought, with an annual average rainfall of 650 mm. The area falls under the Godavari river basin with low and moderate levels of soil erosion assessed through satellite data (Bhuvan & Department of Land Resources, 2017).Biophysical, topographical and hydrological conditions are broadly similar among selected villages.

6 of the 12 villages chosen under the study are part of the Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP)through which numerous activities are undertaken to restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving, and developing degraded natural sources such as soil, vegetation cover and water. The remaining 6 villages are not covered by the IWMP programme.

Need for a bottom-up process

In India, information about land degradation and soil erosion is generated typically through top-down processes, whereas farmers have considerable knowledge to identify and classify soil erosion severity on their plots. Land management and conservation measures undertaken by farmers depend on their understanding of the extent of erosion; for effective planning towards soil conservation it is thus imperative that indigenous knowledge and the ground experience of farmers be given its due importance.

The present study aims to help in formulating effective policies to prevent soil erosion particularly in rain-fed areas of India, and focuses on two objectives:

• to assess whether farmers’ perception of soil erosion matches with other objective measures; and
• to examine the factors that shape farmers’ perceptions of soil erosion, which in turn influence soil conservation measures they tend to undertake.

Traditional practices related to soil and water conservation

The selected villages in the study are dominated with red loamy, red sand loamy, saline and black soils. Paddy, maize, cotton, red gram and vegetables are major crops cultivated in the area. Soil erosion leads to nutrient loss, which ultimately reduces agriculture productivity and yield. Therefore, farmers traditionally practice soil and water conservation measures to control their perceived level of soil erosion.

Field level observations reveal that farmers adopt counter ploughing, grass bund, soil bund, drainage ditch, silt application and plantation to prevent soil erosion.  

The determinants of the perception of farmers, of the severity of plot-level soil erosion were analysed using qualitative response statistical models. Farmers rated the perceived level of severity of soil erosion of their plot on a scale that took different discrete ordinal values. In the present case, farmers were asked to answer two questions: (a) whether they perceived a soil erosion problem in past five years, and if yes, (b) rate the extent of soil erosion problem along the scale: very low, low, medium, high and very high. These ratings were then converted into a numeric score, from 1 (very low) to 5 (very high).

Apart from biophysical aspects, the study also considered socioeconomic, demographic and institutional variables. The present study used the perceived level of soil erosion as the dependent variable, while explanatory variables included:

• plot-level characteristics such as area of the plot, total area owned, soil slope, soil depth, type of soil, and crop intensity (i.e. ratio of grass cropped area to net cropped area);
• socioeconomic characteristics including age of household head, sex of household head, formal years of education of the household head, source of irrigation, and social status;
• connectivity factors including distance to the dwelling, road connectivity, and distance between the plot and the market, and
• village level characteristics such as percentage of pastures in the total village area, percentage of current fallow land to the total village area, and annual total rainfall received by the village.

Farmers’ perceptions of soil erosion severity

Farmers’ perception of the severity of soil erosion differed significantly across the survey villages. Across all the villages, around 21 percent of farmers perceived soil erosion severity to be very low, whereas a little over 10 percent of the farmers perceived the severity of soil erosion as high and very high.Almost equal percentages of farmers (about 33 percent) perceived soil erosion severity as either low or medium.

Close to 50 percent of farmers from IWMP villages perceived the soil erosion severity on their plots to be either medium, high, orvery high, whereas only 39.5 percent of farmers from non-IWMP villages reported the soil erosion severity on their plots in these categories.

The present analysis based on the information on whether the plot had irrigation facilities or not, argues that farmers perceived lower soil erosion severity when there was irrigation. It is possible that plots having access to irrigation facilities are also those where soil is conserved more; hence leading to lower perceptions of soil erosion severity among farmers.  

Farmers from villages that received IWMP intervention have shown greater inclination to undertake land degradation prevention measures on their plots. Such plot level soil conservation measures are often considered as supplemental to the measures implemented on common and private lands by the government and non-government agencies under the IWMP programme.

Farmers belonging to villages where IWMP is implemented, have undertaken more number of soil conservation measures than their counterparts in villages not covered by IWMP.

A larger percentage of farmers in watershed covered villages have undertaken more than three soil conservation measures compared to the farmers in the non-watershed implemented villages, suggesting farmers have more awareness and complementarity between farm level soil conservation measures and the sub-watershed level interventions to prevent soil erosion. While formulating policies to address the soil erosion problem in developing countries, the integration of local traditional knowledge in to SWC planning provides scope to overcome the behavioural constraints faced while advocating top-down SWC measures.

The study argues that farmers’ expertise is important while assessing soil erosion severity. The farmer‘s knowledge of the plot level soil erosion could complement the assessments made through secondary sources. The study findings further highlight the importance of using participatory approaches when working to reduce soil erosion.

The study findings suggest that farmer‘s perception of soil erosion severity corresponds well with expectations of soil erosion determined by site specific factors such as slope of the plot, soil depth, soil texture, road connectivity, irrigation, crop intensity, and type of crops. The findings from the study also corroborate several empirical studies from different parts of the world.

Maharashtra is reeling under drought this year too, with the situation in Marathwada particularly bad. As high as twenty four out of thirty six districts in the state are facing deficient monsoons and about 4,920 villages and 10,506 hamlets are now completely dependent on water tankers for drinking water. And this, despite the intensive implementation of the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan (JSA), launched back in 2015 to help Maharashtra cope with severe droughts that have seriously affected the livelihoods of farmers in the state.

To date, Rs. 7,692 crore have been spent and 2,54,000 water and soil conservation projects have been implemented in 16,522 villages in the state under the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan, a scheme that claims to have created 24,000 million cubic feet of water storage.

JSA works have been implemented through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds involving non-profit organisations, and through initiatives such as Paani Foundation's Water Cup that creates mass awareness about drought mitigation and calls for hands on participation from the people.

Why then, does Maharashtra still continue to suffer from drought despite the the JSA? Why has the JSA been unable to find a sustainable solution to droughts in the state? A research paper titled ‘Can Jalayukt Shivar Abhiyan prevent drought in Maharashtra?’ published in Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) dwells on these questions and explores the factors responsible for the poor performance of JSA.

The paper makes these interesting observations:

Confusion over the use and purpose of the JSA prevails

There has been too much emphasis in the JSA on deepening and widening of rivers and streams to create structures for water storage, while other holistic aspects included in the JSA such as upper catchment works from where the stream originates, bank stabilisation (protection of the stream banks and restoring ecology such as trees around it), repairs, desilting and cleaning of tanks have not been given enough importance while implementing the scheme.

While the Joseph Committee report (the High Court had directed the state government to form a committee to evaluate the claims made on the success of the Jalayukt Shivar Abhiyan. Thus, a committee was formed, chaired by former secretary of state Johny Jose and eight other experts, to study the report. According to the committee, "The JSA was proposed as an immediate measure to address the recurrent problem of water scarcity and crop failures arising due to low rainfall". Farmers and even government officials believe that a normal monsoon is critical to the success of the JSA, because the usefulness of the constructed structures can only be seen during periods of good rainfall.

The constructed structures are not perceived as recharge structures, but more as storage structures to hold water when it rains heavily. The paper argues that the JSY then is not, in reality, a "strategy to drought proof Maharashtra" because the structures will not be able to provide water during periods of scanty rainfall.

Poor planning and implementation of projects hinders progress

An important step in the implementation of work under the JSA is the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the village, which includes a water budget and treatment maps that need to be approved by the Gram Sabha. However, DPRs are often neither available at the Gram Panchayat office nor at the government offices. Most of the people in the villages where the JSA is implemented, continue to be unaware about the process of implementation and the progress achieved, if any.

Work done under the JSA continues to be of questionable quality at most of the sites and includes poor quality of construction.

For example, Cement Nala Bunds (CNBs) constructed under the scheme continue to leak and have loose foundations. The main body of these CNBs are either corroding badly or broken in some cases, exposing the rebars. Most of the flank walls near the banks erode due to poor design of the flank and wing walls. There are no institutional mechanisms in place for the repair and maintenance of these structures, nor does the community have any role to play in the construction, which is entirely done by contractors.

In fact, many of the works under the JSA have been done using machines, replacing manual labour and thus restricting participation from local communities. This in turn, has created a situation where there is less work available in villages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Good practices developed under watershed management in the state also continue to be absent in the design and implementation of JSA.

No planning for water-scarce years

The focus of JSA has mainly been on supply side solutions, while demand management measures are non-existent in the current drought mitigation measures undertaken. Demand management measures include participatory water management, crop planning, understanding the science of hydrology before planning, regulating water use, ensuring equitable access to water and introducing better agronomical practices.

Thus, during periods of good rainfall, most of the water is used up to increase agricultural yields. As a result, negligible water is left in the aquifers, which exacerbates ensuing drought years. Sustainable solutions are known – for instance, improving soil moisture which is of great help during dry period. Yet, little attention is paid to such tried and tested solutions.

It has become quite apparent that the JSA has not incorporated learnings from past mistakes, nor has it taken into account long term solutions that have shown impact on the ground. This lack of planning reflects in the continued emphasis on growing sugarcane – a water-intensive cash crop - in this perpetually drought prone region. While the Government of Maharashtra has mandated the use of drip irrigation for sugarcane cultivation, it does not help much as the saved water is again used to bring more area under sugarcane cultivation.

While farmers in the state continue to depend on bore wells and dig deeper in search of water to desperately cope with the ongoing drought, there are no institutional mechanisms in place to regulate water use and decide upon norms for water extraction and use.

A poor understanding of the principles of hydrology, the water cycle and water balance has further led to the mismanagement of water at the watershed and sub-basin/basin scale. This has, in turn led to an emphasis on overdesigning and creating more water harvesting structures to store water without considering the impact of these storage structures on other larger reservoirs. A thorough water balance assessment at the sub-basin and watershed scales to manage external and local water use optimally and in an integrated manner, is conspicuously absent.

Quick fix solutions for drought management will not work

The paper argues that rain is crucial for agriculture and decentralised solutions for water security are very important, but they alone cannot solve the issues of water security unless they are supplemented with regulation of water use. Long term solutions such as participatory planning, implementation, monitoring and regulation of water use need to be incorporated.

In their absence, spending huge amounts of money on programmes like the Jalyukt Shivar Abhiyan will not help in mitigating drought in Maharashtra. The JSA aptly demonstrates that there can be no quick-fix solutions to droughts!

Please view a detailed response to this article published  in the Economic and Political Weekly by Eshwar Kale, Ganesh Rajapure, Abhijeet Kavthekar, Janardan Pawar here

A copy of the paper can be downloaded below.

India is, by far, the world’s largest groundwater economy. India’s annual withdrawal of fresh groundwater (253 Billion Cubic Metres in 2013) amounts to one fourth of the global total and is more than that of China and the US combined. Over 80% of water extracted is used in agriculture. The share of tubewells in net irrigated area rose from a mere 1% in 1960-61 to over 40% in 2013-14.

Tubewells now are the single largest source of irrigation in India. More significantly, 66 percent of the wells and tubewells in India are owned by small and mar­ginal farmers, indcating just how much farmers in India depend on groundwater for their survival.

Over the years, many regions of India have seen a worsening of the groundwater situation on account of excessive withdrawal of water.

As large swathes of the country face water scarcity, it has become clear that the crisis cannot be resolved without mobilizing communities to protect groundwater.

In this context, many grassroots organisations have started using a game as a participatory tool, that triggers discussion within com­munities to improve the local governance of groundwater. Nobody is too old to learn or play, especially the kind of games that are woven around themes that are central to their being. This groundwater game has seemingly created a ripple of excitement amongst water practitioners and communities that they work with. There are no fictitious role plays here, only simulation of real life situations for the farmers who play the game.

Recent action research indicates that collective ac­tion games can be used to improve understanding of groundwater interconnectedness, and provide a catalyst for collective action in local groundwater management. The invisible nature of this resource adds to its mystique and allows several myths and misconceptions to prevail. Further, the governance of groundwater is very closely tied to land rights in India, where the water below a piece of land can be extracted and used used in any manner the extractor deems fit. Regulatory frameworks around groundwater, as well as accountability is thus still weak, in this scenario where groundwater is tied to land ownership. This is one of the main reasons why groundwater is so vastly exploited, despite it being a common pool resource.

Playing participatory games in the community debunks many such perceptions, and creates spaces to bring forth col­lective action in governing natural resources in the common pool.

The game exists in different variations differing with its design. The games are devised to bring out the characteristics of groundwater as an open access and subtractable resource ("subtractability" refers to the degree to which one person's use of a resource diminishes someone else's use of the same resource). It also allows for simulation of crop choices and shows the implications for the health of the aquifer. For example, the game brings out the acute stress that aquifers in water deficient environments undergo when farmers start growing water-intensive crops like sugarcane, onions or other vegetables. On a positive note, the game also shows how the stressed aquifers in hard rock areas benefit when water users adopt sensible and less water-intensive cropping patterns. The games are devised in a manner that practitioners across different geographies are able to modify them to suit specific contexts. However, the intent underlying them remains the same i.e. to highlight the collective stewardship of groundwater.

Foundation for Ecological Security (FES), a civil society organisation headquartered in Anand, Gujarat, has taken the initiative in developing and using experimental games for sustainable management of natural resources. Ramesh Babu Bethi, FES Program Manager from the Papagni River Basin Regional Office, highlighted the impact of the game across multiple locations: "We were using both of the tools to get information to farmers in 21 villages. In a few villages, there was a ban on digging more borewells. In a few villages, there was a ban on cultivating paddy in the rabi season. In a few villages, farmers switched from paddy and tomato to finger millet and groundnut. This saves a lot of groundwater."

Groundwater levels and usage behaviour are influenced by bio-physical conditions, state policies and market incentives. The game helps local communities analyse endogenous sources of factors impacting groundwater behaviour and explore methods to regulate or better use groundwater.

As Ruth Meinzen-Dick and colleagues at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) remarked, "Games alone will not end groundwater depletion. However, games can contribute to social learning about the role of crop choice and collective action, to motivate behavior change toward more sustainable groundwater extraction."

This article has been republished with permission from the Water Practitioners Network. View the original post here. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author/s and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of India Water Portal.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a New Delhi based non-profit has rated the country’s fertilizer sector on several parameters, in a first of its kind study. The rating, done over an 18-month-long process, covered 28 of the 32 functional fertilizer units in the country. The findings of this green rating project were shared during the release of this rating report on 29th July, 2019 in New Delhi.

“Groundwater pollution is a serious problem and the plants need to be held accountable. The government will look into excessive groundwater use and nitrogen pollution caused by fertiliser plants and will find a way to address the issues,” said Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change while releasing the report.

The report reveals that while some fertiliser plants such as Yara Fertilizers in Uttar Pradesh are among the best in the world in terms of energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions, the sector as a whole fared poorly on other environmental parameters, especially water consumption and water contamination. Some plants were also adversely affected by depleting water sources.

Overall, the sector scored 43% in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. On an average, the plants surveyed consume nearly 30 percent higher energy than the global best practice of 4.8 GCal/tonne. Emissions from production are only a small part of the greenhouse gases released from fertilisers.

The bulk of carbon dioxide as well as potent nitrous oxide emissions come from the use of fertilisers in the field. The fertiliser industry emits air pollutants such as particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen, sulphur and carbon dioxide.  

“CSE has been rating industrial sectors through its Green Leaves Award with “5 Leaves” recipients being the best performers. The fertiliser sector received a score of 42% and “3 Leaves”— an average performance. The comprehensive analysis based on parameters that cover the complete life cycle of the fertiliser industry found that the Indian fertiliser sector was among the best in the world in energy use and GHG emissions. The fertiliser sector as a whole has turned out a better performer than any of the other sectors rating by green rating project so far,” said Chandra Bhushan, CSE Deputy Director General who also heads the green rating project.

What is worrying is that there is a significant performance gap between the plants. Most plants need to upgrade on site and off site disaster management. Of the 23 urea plants rated, only one - Grasim Industries Ltd’s Indo-Gulf Fertilizers unit at Jagdishpur, Uttar Pradesh managed to bag the “4 Leaves” award with a score of 61%. This plant received the award for its superior performance in energy use and GHG emissions, its good environment, health and safety measures, and social responsibility, and above all, its transparency in sharing information.

The next three winners were Hazira (Gujarat) unit of Krishak Bharati Cooperative Ltd., Panambur (Karnataka) unit of Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilizers and the Babrala (Uttar Pradesh) unit of Yara Fertilizers India. About two-thirds of the plants received “3 Leaves” while four plants received just “1 Leaf”. The sector was found to be relatively non-transparent -National Fertilizers Limited and Indian Farmers’ Fertilizer Cooperative Limited, the biggest public sector companies, outright refused to voluntarily participate in the process. Nevertheless, they were rated based on secondary information.

Sector’s record on water pollution concerning

The study found that the Indian fertiliser industry’s ratings slipped on water consumption and water pollution parameters. Production of fertiliser is a moderately water intensive process and as per the rating the sector obtained an average score of 40 percent in water use efficiency. The plants were rated on indicators like water sourcing, trends in specific water consumption, groundwater stress, water accounting and reporting, cooling tower technology and rainwater harvesting.

As per the report, “the average specific water use was in the range of 4.55 cubic metres/tonne to 12.73 cubic metres/tonne of urea produced. Based on sector-wise comparison, public sector plants have the highest average specific water consumption of 8.13 cubic metres/tonne urea produced in which plants with coal-based captive power plants are the most inefficient. Use of groundwater is surprisingly high with about 26% plants relying on it. Four plants, all in Uttar Pradesh, rely entirely on groundwater. Together, these plants account for 94% of groundwater consumption by the urea manufacturing sector.”

Areas surrounding at least one-third of the fertiliser plants were found to have very high levels of nitrogen in groundwater.  

Wastewater generated at urea plants contains ammoniacal and Kjeldahl nitrogen, and cyanides in varying concentrations, which can lead to groundwater and surface water pollution, if not treated properly. The process condensate generated from the urea section (containing urea, ammonia and carbon dioxide) and oil-bearing effluent from pumps and compressors causes water pollution. So do plant utilities such as cooling tower blow-down, demineralised regeneration and water treatment plant back-washing.

As per the report “about 57 percent samples collected near 14 plants were found non-compliant with fertiliser effluent discharge norms set by the MOEF&CC, particularly with respect to cyanide concentrations in many of the samples and total Kjeldahl nitrogen levels in a few samples. About 83 percent groundwater samples collected near 18 plant sites had an ammoniacal nitrogen content of 0.51–93.5 parts per million (ppm), the upper limit of which is 187 times the permissible limit of 0.5 ppm for drinking water set by the Bureau of Indian Standards.”

As a part of their mandate to recycle used water, the plants were also using it to water horticulture and other crops in their premises. This led to nitrogen seeping into the water table, with nitrogen pollution being a huge concern. Some plants were getting affected simply because of lack of water.

And it isn’t just limited to production of fertiliser.

The widespread use of urea, a commonly used fertiliser in the agriculture sector, has led to alarming levels of nitrogen pollution of surface water and groundwater in many Indian states. Excess levels of nitrogen damage the environment and people's health globally.

The way forward

“The bottom line is that the fertiliser industry in India stands at a cross-roads today. The biggest issue it is grappling with is the future of nitrogenous fertilisers itself. India is the second largest producer, importer and consumer of these fertilisers (mainly urea), and with nitrogen pollution reaching alarming levels, the industry needs to rethink the way it produces and sells fertilisers,” said Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE.

The report calls for the government to liberalise the industry to make it more competitive, potentially leading to greater efficiencies and more environmentally sound production practices. The overall financial health of the sector is poor with even the best performing companies having profitability far lower than their peers in other core sectors of the economy.

The CSE report stresses the need to improve the environmental performance of the sector through multi-directional initiatives.  To reduce its water footprint, plants could invest in rainwater harvesting within and outside the premises to recharge groundwater and become water-neutral. Further, plants should try to achieve zero liquid discharge status. Plants currently use fossil fuels to produce fertilisers, but could switch to renewable sources.

Lok Sabha passes Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019  

The Lok Sabha has passed the Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to amend the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act of 1956.

The bill proposes to set up a central tribunal to help adjudicate inter-state disputes related to water sharing and rivers. Therefore, as soon as the bill becomes law, the existing nine tribunals looking at water disputes - including those of the Cauvery, Mahadayi, Ravi, Beas, Vansadhara and Krishna rivers - will be dissolved.

The new bill will help reduce the time it takes to constitute a tribunal each time a dispute arises between two states over river water sharing, as under the new system a permanent agency comprising of benches will be formed, that can hear more than one dispute at a time. (The Indian Express)

NGT gets strict over illegal sand mining

The National Green Tribunal has ordered the forfeiture of a 20 lakh rupee performance guarantee that the Goa Government had deposited with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) over its failure to tackle illegal sand mining in the state. In November 2017, the state government had assured the NGT that it would set up a network of CCTV cameras to help track down those involved in illegal sand mining taking place in the Chapora River in North Goa. However, till date nothing has been done in this regard. Along with this, the NGT has also showed dissatisfaction towards the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, West Bengal,  Haryana, UP and Rajasthan in their inability and lack of will to curb illegal sand mining. (Hindustan Times, India Legal)

Delhi's water conservation project in Yamuna floodplains gets a green nod

The Centre and the National Green Tribunal have given their approval to the Delhi government to launch its water conservation project in the Yamuna floodplains. Under the project, which aims to create a reservoir between Palla and Wazirabad in Delhi, small ponds will be created in the floodplains that will collect water from an overflowing Yamuna during the monsoon season. However, the project is subject to the condition that it be carried out as a pilot at one location only, to study the techno-economic viability and to identify the quantum of groundwater recharged. Along with this, the Delhi government has been asked to ensure that silt removal be carried out in a regulated manner. (Livemint, The Wire)

Maharashtra fails to comply with compensatory afforestation rules: CAG audit report

In a recent audit report, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has flagged non-compliance of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) rules by the Maharashtra government.

As per the report, the state diverted 65,363 hectares of forest land for 1,671 projects as on March 2018 but no information of non-forest land (NFL) or degraded forest land provided for compensatory afforestation was found.

Moreover, the audit revealed that the state forest department and the environment ministry have failed to ensure compliance of conditions imposed on user agencies at the time of granting forest clearance. (Down to Earth)

NGT panel head on Hindon river quits due to non-cooperation from UP government

The chairman of the monitoring committee formed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to look into pollution in the Hindon river has resigned, citing 'non-cooperation' from the Uttar Pradesh government and a new assignment from the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court. The committee was formed in August 2018 and was tasked with preparing an action plan to deal with pollution in the Hindon river. The latest report submitted by the committee to the NGT says that authorities majorly responsible for compliance of the tribunal's directions are not assisting the monitoring committee and their relaxed approach is affecting the very purpose of the committee. ( The Indian Express )

This is a roundup of important policy matters from July 25 - 30, 2019. Also, read news this week.

Vishwanath Srikantaiah, popularly known as the 'Rainman', has been in the news recently for his ambitious project to build one million recharge wells in Bengaluru. Given the dire situation we find ourselves in vis-à-vis water, the initiative could not have come at a better time.

While Vishwanath has been the face of this project, a tiny community has been helping with the groundwork – the Bovi community who are the traditional well-diggers of Bengaluru. Our guest on Citizens Live this week is Ramakrishna Bovi, who has been working with Vishwanath to recharge Bengaluru’s groundwater. So why is this important?

While the core areas of Bengaluru still enjoy Cauvery water supply, many of the newly-added areas – especially those that house the IT corridors and their employees’ residences – largely depend on exorbitantly-priced tanker water. The issue here is not just the cost of water. Tankers source their water from borewells in surrounding villages, without a care about replenishing what they draw. Hence we need to consider a scenario where we may run out of money, water, or both.

Our earlier water management systems, even those as old as 4000 years, worked on conserving local water resources. A system of boulis, kalyanis and bawdis were used to store and recharge water. An understanding of water cycle was extremely important then. Ramakrishna and Vishwanath are looking to bring together this native intelligence with modern science.

“Rainwater is the purest form of water we have. You need to conserve it, regardless of whether you are drinking Cauvery or borewell water,” Ramakrishna says. But will it bring us back from the brink? And then there is the obvious question – what does an almost defunct system of water storage really have to offer us?

Ramakrishna argues that wells aren’t a thing of the past, and are in fact better than borewells, if only we understand how to use them.

“Borewells are expensive and don’t offer certainty in finding water. But when we dig wells in the core city areas, we find water almost all the time. In the unlikely event we can’t find water, these wells can be converted into rainwater recharge wells. Even today, we don’t have dig beyond 10 to 30 feet to find water for a well in the core areas of Bengaluru. So you are recharging while you draw water.”

This dual method of supplementing your requirements while recharging the earth is the need of the hour, he says.

Ramakrishna is quick to point out that wells wouldn’t work in the newly-added areas of Bengaluru that face more water scarcity. “We need borewells in these areas. But while you drill borewells, you also need to dig rainwater recharge wells so that you replenish what you take. That’s the only way our city won’t run out of water.” (Read the Citizen Matters guide on how to dig a recharge well here)

Ramakrishna, who learnt the trade from his father, has an unparalleled understanding of ground water and topography, having worked in this domain since he was 15. He is 39 today, and has seen his profession die out slowly over the years. Nobody has the space or inclination to have a large well in their premises. Overhead tanks, underground sumps, super-strong motors, jet taps have not only meant convenience and luxury, but also a divide in terms of where we get our water from.

“When people drew water from wells, they took only as much as they needed, since was it physically taxing. Today you turn on a tap and you get your water. But the truth is, we can’t go back to the olden ways. So how do we get people to realise that they need to save water, before their taps go dry?” he asks.

While scientists can give you statistics to emphasise Bengaluru’s looming crisis, Ramakrishna has a simple analogy to explain why each of us has a role in water conservation. “MV built the KRS dam to act as a storage space for water, to tide us over the times when we don’t have rainfall. These recharge wells are tiny dams each of us needs to build, to store water for the times we will run out of it. Because every drop counts,” Ramakrishna says.

This article was first published in Citizen Matters, an online civic media website supported by Oorvani Foundation. View the original here.

Chennai had a severely deficient monsoon in 2018 with 40% less rain than normal. Since then, the city has been bracing itself for a water crisis. But clearly not enough had been done and the severe water scarcity this summer has been a wake-up call for people, highlighting the urgency of finding ways to use their water resources better.

Though rainwater harvesting was made mandatory in 2003 when the city experienced similar drought like conditions, the idea has been poorly implemented across the city. With the recent water crisis, the focus has shifted to efforts that the citizens can undertake to save water in these times of need.

Roadside rainwater harvesting

The latest in a line of citizen-led initiatives has seen Chitlapakkam Muthulakshmi Nagar Welfare Association launch the pilot project of erecting roadside rainwater harvesting (RWH) pits. Though roadside RWH had been under discussion for quite some time, the process received impetus from the idea and physical support given by members of the Youth Wing of Chitlapakkam Muthulakshmi Nagar Welfare Association.

A 5-ft pit, of 3 ft diameter, has been dug and five RCC Rings (Urai) of 2.5 ft diameter have been installed and covered with a lid with holes. A wire mesh has been placed below the lid to prevent garbage going inside and to enable rain water falling on the road to percolate to the pit. Each pit cost Rs 6750 and was funded by the residents’ welfare association.

Members had heard about roadside rainwater harvesting, but not much progress could be made earlier for want of know-how. The Association’s youth wing suggested active exploration of the idea of roadside rainwater harvesting in a meeting held in May 2019. After discussion with the youth wing executives, the project was selected to be taken up.

The next step involved drawing up of plans and the rainwater harvesting set up. Once that was completed, in my capacity as president of the Welfare Association, I briefed the Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat Executive Officer D.Gunasekaran, seeking permission to work on Bheeshmer street on a pilot project. Permission was granted on the same day and the work was completed by July 14th.

The beginnings

A small event was organised to inaugurate the rainwater harvesting pits. V.Ramajeyam, Vice President presided over the brief function in the presence of V.L.Narasimhan, fellow Vice President. Both of them emphasised the need for maintenance of the RWH pits and urged members not to throw garbage on the streets, to enable free flow of rain water from street to pit.

Speaking at the event inaugurating the setup, Secretary of the RWA, D R Shivakumar appreciated the efforts taken by the youth wing coordinators S Mugundan and P Mahesh and all members for bringing up the proposal and implementing it. He hoped such rainwater harvesting pits will now be installed in various parts of Muthulakshmi Nagar.

S.Mugundan, coordinator, highlighted that the severe drought this year jolted members into thinking seriously about conservation of water by installing such pits across the nagar, with the support of the parent association.

The members also thanked the Executive Officer of Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat who gave permission to undertake the project without any delay. The youth wing also received appreciation for coming out with a concrete plan and drawing for the set up quickly.

At the inauguration, the residents took a pledge to save water with the lines, “We, the members of Chitlapakkam Muthulakshmi Nagar Welfare Association, will not allow even a drop of rain water to be wasted from our house.”

The efforts of the community bore fruit immediately with good rains in the days that followed in the coming days. As the pits has been dug at the spots where water was known to stagnate the most, the rainwater harvesting facility came into play immediately after the set up was complete.

This article was first published in Citizen Matters, an online civic media website supported by Oorvani Foundation. View the original here.

Government to 3D map aquifers in all villages

Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekawat said that the Centre is carrying out 3D aquifer mapping of every village in India, to help target water conservation measures at a micro level across the country. Such an exercise will help the government carry out its recharge plan, which includes reuse of treated greywater.

"The ongoing exercise of 3D aquifer (underground layer of water-bearing rock) mapping at micro-level will assist the government in estimating quantity and quality of ground water in a particular village or cluster of villages and help in assessment of sustainable level of ground extraction. The mapping is being undertaken by the Central Ground Water Board on the scale of 1:50,000 in 3D. Currently, 1,034 blocks (ground water assessment units) out of 6,584 are over-exploited, which means withdrawal of ground water is more than recharge in those particular units."

(Times of India)

Plans afoot to replicate Maharashtra's water regulatory model in all states

The Jal Shakti Ministry is closely considering the voluntary replication of Maharashtra's water regulatory model across states to encourage and ensure more responsible water usage in the country through measurement, auditing and possible pricing mechanisms. A few months ago, the Centre conducted an interstate meeting in Pune to introduce state governments to the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority (MWRRA), which has been operating since 2005 and is empowered to fix water charges, resolve disputes, effect enforcement and oversee the role of the service provider and the relationship with water users. The Ministry is also looking at ways to bring in category-based measurement of water usage. (The Economic Times)

Bharat Lal from Gujarat forest service cadre brought on to spearhead Jal Shakti Abhiyan

Bharat Lal from the Gujarat forest service has been appointed by the Prime Minister to lead the Jal Shakti Abhiyan is expected to morph into a mission, captioned "Jal se Nal" (water to tap) next month to signify the Centre's intent to provide piped drinking water to all. Lal is reported to have caught the PM's attention after the Gujarat earthquake, when he said that water did not need "management", but "solutions" - those not contained in the humungous tankers and trains ferrying water to distressed places, but conserving it at its sources and reviving defunct water bodies with local help, from farmers and villagers. (Mumbai Mirror)

Polavaram project works stopped as government to go in for fresh tenders

The construction of the Polavaram major irrigation project on the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh has come to a grinding halt. The state government has terminated the contract given to Navayuga Engineering Company Limited, and has decided to go in for fresh tenders to complete the remaining work. This decision was based on the recommendation of an eight-member committee set up in June to examine the processes followed by the previous government for tendering, launching and executing engineering work. In the termination notice, the chief engineer pointed out that the previous government had terminated the original contractor and entrusted the balance work to Navayuga Engineering on a nomination basis, which was an inappropriate process. (Hindustan Times)

Gurugram creates GuruJal team to tackle groundwater crisis

Under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, Gurugram has appointed a team of young professionals to look into the city’s 'dark zone' status - a result of groundwater depletion. The GuruJal team is looking at five major interventions - water conservation and rainwater harvesting (RWH); renovation of traditional water bodies; watershed development; reuse and recharge of borewell structures; and intensive afforestation. Under the programme an aerial survey of all dying lakes in Kasan, Kukrala, and Damdama has been conducted and all big lakes in these areas will be conserved. (Hindustan Times)

This is a roundup of important policy matters from the past week. Also read our round up of the most important news this week.

 Over 3.5 lakh water conservation measures taken up in a single month as nationwide Jal Shakti Abhiyan hits ground

In a countrywide effort to enhance water security, especially in water stressed districts, the Centre initiated Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) has reported over 3.5 lakh water conservation measures in 256 districts have been taken up. Out of these, 1.54 lakh are water conservation and rain water harvesting measures, 20,000 relate to the rejuvenation of traditional water bodies, over 65,000 are reuse and recharge structures and 1.23 lakh are watershed development projects. An estimated 2.64 crore people have already participated in the Abhiyan and about 4.25 crore saplings were planted too. The outcome of the first phase of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan was announced at a review by Cabinet Secretary in New Delhi. (PIB)

India ranked 13th in list of most water-stressed country in the world 

The World Resources Institute has released the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, which revealed that 17 countries in the world face extremely high water stress. While Qatar tops the Aqueduct's list of extremely high water stressed countries, India is ranked 13th on the list. Using a global hydrological model, the Atlas has ranked water stress, drought risk, and riverine flood risk across 189 countries and their sub-national regions, like states and provinces.

As per the report, in an average year, agriculture, industry, and municipalities are drinking up 80 percent of the available surface and groundwater in the 17 countries facing extremely high water stress.

(LiveMint)

Is Bengaluru heading towards Day Zero?

In this informative deep dive into Bangalore's worsening water crisis, LiveMint rounds up opinions and perspectives from many of the city's well known water experts. From increasingly erratic municipal water supply to the proliferation of borewells that have increased groundwater extraction, leading to massive over exploitation and falling water tables, Bangalore city is headed down a worrying path. But the city and its residents are proving that where there is a will, there is way. (LiveMint)

Water scarcity poses serious challenge to Asia's economy and growth

The recent water crisis in Chennai has many lessons for other cities in Asia. It has also illustrated, perhaps more clearly than ever, that water scarcity will soon be a major barrier to industrial globalisation in Asia.

"Put simply, water scarcity may soon be as important as supplies of cheap labor in shaping the direction of Asia's next stage of globalization -- and it will do so in ways that damage both India's prospects and those of other, poorer nations around the region."

Natural scarcity and bureaucratic incompetence are both responsible for Chennai's water woes. However measures like water metering, rainwater harvesting and wastewater reuse can make a big difference. James Crabtree takes an in depth look at what Chennai's water crisis could possibly mean for Asia as a whole. (Nikkei Asian Review)

Kerala suffers sharp dip in rainfall this year

While Maharashtra, Odisha and Karnataka are battling floods, Kerala on the other hand is experiencing a 32% deficit in rainfall this year. It has been nearly two months since the southwest monsoon set in, but the state’s reservoirs have less than 20% storage. According to scientists, changes in wind flow patterns and Cyclone Vayu have resulted in diversion of monsoon clouds from Kerala to Central India. Kerala needs continuous rainfall in the next two months, in order to avert a serious water crisis next summer. (The New Indian Express)

This is a roundup of important news published between  July 31 - August 6, 2019. Also read policy matters this week.

 The East Kolkata Wetlands (EKW) are a truly unique ecosystem, presenting a very different sight from the normal urban landscape in India.

What is so unique and different about them, and how have they survived the aggressive growth of Kolkata city? The credit goes to Dr. Dhrubajyoti Ghosh, an engineer-ecologist, who studied this neglected part of the city and came across an incredible finding - that the EKW function as kidneys for the city, efficiently converting harmful matter from the sewage generated by the city, into useful by products that can be used to generate food for its residents! 

This natural wetland, spread over 12,500 hectares on the eastern side of the city of Kolkata is now recognised as a Ramsar site and is known to be one of the largest wastewater fed aquaculture systems in the world, providing fishing opportunities for locals and supporting paddy and vegetable cultivation in small plots in and around the wetland.

However, the growing needs of the urban population and a real estate development boom are now threatening to gobble up these ecosystems, that have helped the city survive for so long. A report, 'From conflict to co production: A multi stakeholder analysis' published by the Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India  provides an overview of the history of the East Kolkata Wetlands, their present status and what can be done to save them from further deterioration.

How do these kidneys function?

The city of Kolkata generates an estimated 750 mililitres of sewage every day. This wastewater is converted into food and used in fisheries and agriculture across the sprawling 12,500 hectares of wetland area. The process through which the waste gets converted into food is unique. The wastewater from the city is led by underground sewers to pumping stations in the eastern limit of the city and then pumped into open channels.

This sewage is then drawn by the local fishery owners into the fish ponds or bheris directly from the tributary wastewater canals. Bheris are a unique feature of the Kolkata wetlands, and are shallow fishponds fed by naturally treated wastewater rich in algae, which allows for low-cost fish cultivation.

Organic waste gets loaded in the bheris at the rate of 20 to 70 kg per hectare per day. It is allowed to stay in the sun and these sewage filled fishery ponds act as solar reactors.

The heat generated by the sun is adequate for photosynthesis to take place and helps in the growth of a dense plankton population in the bheri, which in turn grows on the organic matter in the wastewater. This high growing plankton serves as food for the fish population who thrive on this nutrient rich plankton. The fish play a two fold role – they maintain the balance of the plankton population in the pond and convert the available nutrients in the wastewater into readily consumable form (fish) for humans.

Organic pollution in the wastewater is thus reduced by 80 percent and the coliform bacteria in the wastewater is reduced by 99.9 percent in these ponds. Channels drain out the effluents and slurry from the treated wastewater, that is then used to grow rice and vegetables. Around a quarter of the city’s fish and vegetables are grown from the bheris. Not only do the wetlands help in providing cheap food and vegetables for the city, but also support the livelihoods of about 1,18,000 people. 

Current state of sewage fed fisheries in Kolkata

The majority of the fisheries in the East Kolkata Wetlands area are under private ownership. Though there are a few fishermen’s cooperatives, most of these are run informally. There are only two state-owned fisheries run by the State Fisheries Development Corporation in the East Kolkata Wetlands area. Seventy two percent of the sewage-fed fisheries in the East Kolkata Wetlands area are under private ownership, 27 per cent under Fishermen’s Cooperatives and 1 per cent State-owned.

Current threats to EKW fisheries in Kolkata

Today, the EKW wetlands and their fisheries are facing a number of institutional and governance challenges, besides the growing and most visible threat of urbanisation.

Survival of the cooperatives and fisherfolk is under threat

Corporatisation has been found to threaten the very survival of informal fishing cooperatives, as the fisheries department has now started the tender route of awarding licences. Sewage-fed fishing is unique not only India but also the whole world, and there is always the danger of the fisherfolk being pushed out of their occupations.

Decline in quality and quantity of sewage is a growing problem in EKW

Low amounts of sewage have negatively affected fish production and supply, as well as the well-being of the community that nurtures the fish. Poor governance also plays a part, and the lack of interest and poor management on the part of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation has also led to this problem, as it fails to ensure adequate sewage supply to the wetlands. 

No attention has been paid to sewage quality over the years. This has affected the availability of traditional fish varieties like the jiyol, which are gradually disappearing. The use of supplements and artificial fish feeds like jhilli are also increasing affecting the quality of fish. New fish varieties like Monosex Tilapia and Vietnam Koi are also increasingly being introducted, that grow more aggressively and are resilient to the change in sewage quality. They are thus fast replacing traditional varieties of fish. This, however is mainly in government-run fisheries.

Urban perceptions of fish quality

Many city residents believes that the fish from the bheris is of poor quality, as the wastewater pumped into the ponds goes through no pre-treatment or filtering. However, recent findings confirm that the traditional pretreatment and filtering processes that occur when sewage water passes through waste stabilisation ponds greatly help in making the water completely free from harmful agents.

Water hyacinths not only play a major role in removing metal toxins from sewage water, but they also serve as fish covers to arrest contamination when fish is carried by carriers.

Poor maintenance of fish ponds and sewage network

De-siltation of the fish ponds along with re-excavation of the canal distribution network is often ignored, leading to a decrease in the capacity of the bheris.

Threat from real estate developers looms large

While attempts were made earlier by private enterprises with support from the government to covert the wetlands into urban infrastructure, the NGO People United for Better Living in Calcutta (PUBLIC) went to court and won a verdict in favour of the wetland . This land mark judgment gained prominence all over the country, setting the tone for many other similar cases.

However, its relevance has gradually diminished as the local panchayat functionaries continue to be ill informed about the judgement. Even the Ramsar recognition has not helped in preventing the land mafia who have slowly and silently continued to build illegally.

Lack of support to the informal cooperatives and a lack of clarity on the part of the government regarding inter-departmental cooperation on the issue of conserving these wetlands has further made the wetlands vulnerable to land mafia.

Even more disturbing has been the amendment to the East Kolkata Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Act 2006, which now empowers the ministers to be at the top of East Kolkata Wetlands Management Authority by appropriating power, and can grant permission to build if they consider it appropriate.

The report argues that a more qualitative assessment of the ground realities of these wetlands is needed to help in their conservation. Thus there is a need for more research on:

•    Institutional practices in the management of sewage-fed fisheries and their changes over the years and the gaps
•    Challenges in the governance of the East Kolkata Wetlands
•    Status of wise use in East Kolkata Wetlands 

While the governance and institutional problems can be solved, the elements of external conflict look much stronger and the threat of real estate is more serious, lurking around for a chance to tighten its grip. Thus, no element of arbitrariness should be allowed to decide the future of the East Kolkata Wetlands, warns the report.

A copy of the report can be accessed here

P Sainath has been documenting stories from rural India for over three decades now. He is the founder-editor of People's Archive of Rural India (PARI), a digital archive dedicated to people whose voices and stories don't always find space in mainstream media. Sainath previously covered the rural beat at The Hindu, and his on ground reportage has drawn significant attention to the country’s farmers and the challenges they face. The Ramon Magsaysay award recipient is also the author of 'Everybody Loves A Good Drought' and the creator of two documentary films.

Following the farmers’ marches taking place across India, Sainath and PARI have been working towards generating awareness at both a public and government level. We recently had the opportunity to host an event in collaboration with PARI, where Sainath addressed the agrarian crisis, India’s water woes, and what we can do about it. Here are snippets from his talk.

1. Unpacking the agrarian crisis | 2.5 min

2. Defining drought and monsoon | 2 min

3. Questioning where agricultural credit is really going | 3 min

4. Deconstructing India’s water crisis | 9 min

5. Decoding farmer suicides | 6.5 min

6. Explaining what the middle class can do | 6.5 min

This talk was held at Dextrus, and sponsored by the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation.

This article has been republished with permission from IDR Online. View the original here.

Government rolls out plan to revive springs across the country

The Jal Shakti Ministry has proposed a pilot project for spring inventory and rejuvenation in the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, and has suggested that similar projects of springs management be taken up in rest of the country with the active involvement of several other ministries.

The spring rejuvenation roadmap envisages comprehensive mapping of springs and spring sheds, setting up of data monitoring systems, understanding socio-economic and governance systems related to springs, carrying out an impact assessment and developing spring shed management and governance protocols.

The programme will supplement the government’s efforts to provide clean drinking water to every household under the Jal Shakti Mission. (DNA)

Banning lead in water pipes: Environment ministry yet to notify rules

It has been more than two years since the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered the Environment Ministry to notify rules banning the use of lead in PVC pipes for water supply within four months. However, the latter is yet to issue a notification regarding the same. As per the ministry, the draft notification was approved by the Environment Minister and forwarded to the Law Ministry which has tentatively vetted the notification to ensure desired compliance. The redrafted notification is currently under submission to the Law Ministry for final vetting.

According to the petition filed in the NGT, lead pipes used for water supply pose a health hazard because lead, one of the most dangerous metals, leaches into water. 

(The Indian Express)

Plan for coastal zone management unveiled

The Environment Ministry has unveiled the draft Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) that lays out guidelines on how prospective infrastructure projects situated along the coast ought to be assessed before they can apply for clearance. The framework, which is part of a World Bank-funded project, will help the government in enhancing coastal resource efficiency and resilience, by building collective capacity (including communities and decentralised governance) for adopting and implementing integrated coastal management approaches. So far Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal have prepared Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plans with support from the World Bank. (The HIndu)

Chennai's biggest water reservoirs under threat

The Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited has submitted an application to the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) for the reclassification of 53 acres of the catchment area of Red Hills reservoir to build an industrial zone for women entrepreneurs. Spread across 4,500 acres, Red Hills is one of Chennai’s largest water sources that has been providing water for the city even during times of drought. According to experts, encroachment on this area will ultimately result in floods in the city similar to what happened in 2015. However, the CMDA has clarified that though they received many applications for reclassifying water bodies, many have been rejected as only the state government has the authority to reclassify a water body. (The New Indian Express)

Apply for forest clearances on behalf of companies: Centre to states

To accelerate the auctions of mineral deposits, the Centre has asked states to apply for forest clearances, on behalf of unidentified, prospective mining companies. The aim behind the move is to avoid a disruption in mineral production and its impact on the economy. With the new system in place, the user agency - or the miner in this case - will need to apply for forest clearances, and for these clearances to be strictly co-terminus with the lease period. Kanchi Kohli, head of the Environmental Justice programme at the Centre for Policy Research, says that instead of playing a regulatory role and ensuring accountability and justice, the government is creating a new administrative practice in favour of mining companies. (The Economic Times)

This is a roundup of important policy matters from August 7 - 13, 2019. Also, read news this week.