Mongabay series: The India Water Story
Water is an integral part of India's growth story, whether it is for the country’s growing energy needs or for maintaining food security. However, India is a water-scarce country and the overexploitation of water resources could turn into a barrier for this growth story. With The India Water Story series, Mongabay-India aims to document the status of India’s water resources and examine the link between political/economic activities and water. In this series we will look at the varied forms of water and the impacts on them, including the monsoon, pollution, access to water, business of water, aquatic biodiversity, or its industrial, domestic, and agricultural use. The series will also look into complex facets including the impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers to India’s monsoon, contamination of water to overexploitation of groundwater, droughts to floods, pollution of water bodies to sewage treatment plants, piped drinking water to sanitation, waterways to aquatic biodiversity, and ecological flow in rivers to hydropower projects. It will further analyse how the national and state governments are spending their budgets on water-related issues and the role of India's industry in innovating to address water-associated challenges.
Illegal fish poisoning threatens traditional fishers in Odisha; authorities say no complaints since 2020
[Commentary] Pokkali, a GI-tagged rice variety, could be on the verge of extinction
Risk-informed planning essential to prevent floods in Kochi
Gangetic river dolphins in Assam decline in the wake of anthropogenic pressures
Authorities announce “clean up” of Loktak lake; locals fear loss of fishing commons
How Punjab’s civil society prevented an ecological disaster in already polluted Ludhiana
An upcoming port in Karnataka is shrinking space for olive ridley turtles
A road for a port cuts through the livelihoods of fisherwomen in Uttara Kannada
Karnataka’s port-development spree ignores coastal communities’ concerns
Dual threat of drought-like conditions and flash floods puts Kashmir Valley’s food security at risk
Industrial water pollution threatens residents in Haryana’s Kundli area
Lucknow, a case study for permanently disappearing aquifers in north India
Accelerating rate of groundwater depletion in Punjab, worries farmers and experts
[Commentary] Water tariff could be a tool to improve water use efficiency in domestic sector
Industries dump chemicals into fields, pollute Ajnar river in Madhya Pradesh
Once the lifeline of villages, ponds in Haryana turn into garbage sites
[Video] When sand mining alters a river, flooding farmlands in Spiti
As Lohari village is submerged for a dam, homes, farms and memories are drowned
Hard constructions continue to erode Kerala’s coastline, leaving communities stranded
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Marine plastic pollution is not just a waste problem; reducing production is needed too
- Stitching sustainability amidst climate change challenges
- Gujarat bans exotic Conocarpus tree amid health and environment hazard
- Malaria-carrying mosquitoes shift homes from forests to rice fields
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Majuli’s shrinking wetlands and their fight for survival
- Saving India’s wild ‘unicorns’
- Indrella ampulla’s genetic tapestry unveils colour morphs isolated across the Palghat Gap
- [Commentary] Up close and personal with the fragility of the Himalayas
Beyond Protected Areas
- Pathogens find new pathways as agriculture, deforestation intensify
- Measuring the scavenging value of vultures
- New rules spell giant troubles for jumbos
- Climate litigation has entered the room. But could great Indian bustards be inched out?
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Pricey guests: Urban invasive species cost the world billions every year
- [Commentary] GROW with agroforestry, a step towards sustainable land management
- Millet tradition loses flavour among Madhya Pradesh’s tribals
- A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
Just Transitions
- How unplanned coal mine closures in India are affecting dependent communities, especially women
- Green Credit Scheme’s ‘methodology’ doesn’t inspire confidence among experts
- Conflict over critical mineral prospecting in Odisha signals need for better community involvement
- Fuel leak in Manipur raises concerns over water contamination