Bangalore in Karnataka, India was once a city of lakes (aka tanks). Around 1,792 lakes existed there 500 years ago (most built by the city’s founder). In the 1960s, about 280 lakes were left. An estimated 70 to 80 lakes remain today. Lakes were lost from development and surrounding commercial or household encroachment. The India [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘india’
October 25, 2009
Guest Post: Photo essay on water loss due to leaks
A guest blog post originally published on the India Water Portal (IWP) by my friend and colleague Praveena Sridhar. She has given me permission to re-publish her beautiful pictures and insightful post about water leakage in India. As I had been waking up to a leaky tap in my new house for quite some time, [...]
October 12, 2009
Kids and Songs for Safe Water and Good Hygiene in Tamil Nadu
About 6,000 children die EACH DAY from water- and sanitation-related illnesses. But, did you know, songs can save lives. One NGO in rural Tamil Nadu is teaching songs to children about the importance of safe water and good hygiene practices to help them and their families lead longer and healthier lives. Around 2.6 billion people [...]
September 23, 2009
The New and Improved India Water Portal
An updated India Water Portal was just released, and my internship is at the same place as the people that designed this great website. Here is what they have to say about the remade site: India Water Portal (http://indiawaterportal.org) is a knowledge and social portal for exchanging knowledge, experiences and ideas on the water situation [...]
September 16, 2009
Water for the Ages in India: Two Weeks at Arghyam
Two weeks ago I started my internship, and time has been traveling at unstoppable speeds. I am over my jetlag, learning to cross the road without getting pummeled, increasing my caffeine tolerance by drinking chai and coffee daily, making new friends, and experiencing life working at a dynamic water-NGO in India. The Arghyam office is [...]
August 31, 2009
Water for the Ages in India: Impressions of H20 in Bangalore
Thursday was my first day in Bengaluru (aka Bangalore). Before arriving, it was impossible for me to comprehend the size of the city. Bangalore is huge with a population of around 6.5 million people. This is the largest city that I have ever visited, and there are people, buildings, and vehicles everywhere. Quickly, I am [...]
July 25, 2009
My Soon-to-be Journey to India: An Arghyam Internship
Life has been bustling as I prepare for an internship in India. This year, I was accepted for an internship with Arghyam – an NGO that works on water and sanitation projects across India – in Bangalore. This internship is part of my master’s studies at Oregon State University (my major is Water Resources Policy [...]
July 9, 2009
Rainwater Harvesting at Wadia College
A group of engineering students have recently designed a rainwater harvesting system for their school in the water-thirsty city of Pune in Maharashtra, India. At full capacity, it will collect 87 lakh liters (around 2,298,297 US gallons) of rainwater each year. The students are collecting rainwater in tanks on several buildings, and the water is [...]
May 5, 2009
Update: 1,500 Farmers Commit Suicide in India
Recently, I drafted a post on a mass-suicide event (because of drought, dropping water levels, related crop failure, and mounting farm debt) in the state of Chhattisgarh based on news reports in the Belfast Telegraph, the Daily Times, and Alternet. Update: this event was not a mass-suicide as defined in these news reports. Rather – [...]
March 19, 2009
H20 Democracy Documentary: Writing on Water
This morning, I decided to watch a documentary called Writing on Water produced by the Transnational Institute. And, let me tell you, I’m sure glad that I did. This story provided uplifting, proactive, and capable solutions to the current world water crisis. The film detailed the recent meeting of the Pan-Asian Water Colloquium – attended [...]
