Green Files Vol

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Green Files Vol Green Files Vol. 31 Volume- 31 Green Files September 2019 INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENT AUDIT AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT JAIPUR Green Files Vol. 31 GREEN FILES (Newsletter on Environment Audit and Sustainable Development issues) EDITORIAL Green Files, a quarterly newsletter published by iCED features glimpses of recent environment news, events, publications, persons and environment projects in focus. Emerging trends, innovation, initiatives and efforts of different organizations to protect the environment also find reflection in this newsletter. During the quarter July-September 2019, iCED organized five National Training Programmes (NTPs) on subject such as “Audit of Forestry and Biodiversity issues”, “Audit of Air Pollution and Environmental issues associated with Transport and Energy sectors”, “Audit of Waste Management”, “Audit of Water Pollution and Conservation of Lakes, Rivers and other Wetlands” and “Audit of Mining and Other Extractive Industries”. A six day Training Programme on Environment Audit for IA&AS Officer Trainees (OTs) of 2018 Batch was also held from 08 – 13 July, 2019 at iCED, Jaipur. Apart from world environment news and brief about the High Level Political Forum meeting held in 2019, this newsletter also features three articles on Meeting India’s Bonn Pledge, Green Initiatives undertaken by Tarun Bharat Sangh and Making Water and Sanitation a part of the Nation’s economic development. We at iCED, look forward to your suggestions to make Green Files more useful and appealing. Contributions in any form within the broad scope of the newsletter are encouraged. These may be mailed to [email protected] With regards, Manish Kumar Director General, iCED 1 Green Files Vol. 31 CONTENTS EDITORIAL .........................................................................................................................................................1 I. iCED News........................................................................................................................................................3 II. ASOSAI/ INTOSAI News ...............................................................................................................................3 III. State in Focus: Andaman & Nicobar Islands ..................................................................................................4 IV. Environmental News ......................................................................................................................................5 V. International Event: High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF 2019) ........................9 VI. Critical discussion of Rules/Laws: Coastal Regulation Zone Notification ..................................................10 VII. National Audit Report: Performance Audit of Pollution by Industries, West Bengal (Report No. 5 of the year 2018) ...........................................................................................................................................................11 VIII. National Audit Report: Performance Audit of Preparedness for the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals [Union government (Civil), Report no. 8 of 2019] .............................................................14 IX. International Audit Report: Combating desertification in the EU: A growing threat in need of more action ............................................................................................................................................................................17 X. Article: Meeting India’s Bonn Pledge ...........................................................................................................18 XI. Article: Green Initiatives undertaken by Tarun Bharat Sangh .....................................................................19 XII. Article: Making Water and Sanitation a part of the Nation’s economic development ...............................19 2 Green Files Vol. 31 increasing vegetation and conservation of I. iCED News biodiversity in the hot arid regions of Rajasthan. Five National Training Programmes (NTPs) were Participants interacted with volunteers of Jheel conducted during July-September 2019 on Sanrakshan Samiti, an NGO actively working for following topics: conservation and cleaning of lakes of Udaipur to Programme Duration understand the role of civil society organizations i. Audit of Forestry and Biodiversity 22 – 26 July, in conservation of lakes. issues 2019 ii. Audit of Air Pollution and 05 – 09 Two training programmes for teams assigned with Environmental issues associated August, 2019 with Transport and Energy Sectors audits of UNPKO, UNICEF and UNOPS iii. Audit of Waste Management 19 – 23 including remote access support to the teams August, 2019 conducting remote audit were also organised. iv. Audit of Water Pollution and 26 – 30 Conservation of Lakes, Rivers and August, 2019 Ajit Singh Choudhary other Wetlands v. Audit of Mining and Other 16 – 20 Extractive Industries September, II. ASOSAI/ INTOSAI News 2019 Memorandum of Understanding between Six day Training Programme on Environment INTOSAI and UNODC1 Audit for 25 IA&AS Officer Trainees (OTs) of INTOSAI Chair and the Executive Director, 2018 Batch (including 2 officers from Royal United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Audit Authority, Bhutan) was also conducted (UNODC) signed a Memorandum of from 08 – 13 July, 2019. Understanding (MoU) on 30 July 2019 in Vienna recognising INTOSAI as a fundamental partner to the UNODC to oversee the United Nations Convention against Corruption. INTOSAI has a significant track record in respect of anti-corruption. The MoU provides INTOSAI a greater opportunity for its expertise to be utilized IA&AS OTs with Director General, iCED to contribute to the effective improvement in anti- As part of this training, a study tour to Arid Forest corruption practices. The MoU would also Research Institute (AFRI), Jodhpur was organised provide an opportunity to open the dialogue with to provide exposure to the participants to scientific the anti-corruption authorities and the UNODC. research activities undertaken by the institute for 1 https://www.intosai.org/news/mou-odc Green Files Vol. 31 INTOSAI WGEA Assembly Meeting of these islands (about 550) are in the Andaman Group, 28 of which are inhabited. The 19th INTOSAI WGEA Assembly Meeting, was held from 6-9 August, 2019 at Bangkok, The smaller Nicobars comprise some 22 main Thailand. One-day training on Greening the SAIs islands (10 inhabited). A&N island are separated was also organized by the European Court of by the Ten Degree Channel which is 150 Km Auditors and the National Audit Office of Estonia wide2. prior to the meeting. Population (2011 Census) Population Male Female Total Panel discussion and WGEA Project presentations on the themes “Sustainable Andaman & 202871 177710 380581 Development Goals” and “Role of IT to accelerate Nicobar Islands the SDGs” was held on 7th August 2019. A presentation on 2017 - 2019 project “Output of Forests3 Training tool in Environmental Data” was made A&N islands have a geographical area of 8249 sq. by SAI India. SAI India also made presentation km, out of which an area of 7171 sq km (87%) is about iCED, Global Training Facility at Jaipur, notified as forest. Out of the total forest area, 70% Rajasthan. Output of INTOSAI WGEA Work is totally protected area. A net decrease of 9 sq km Plan 2017-2019 and the 2020-2022 Work Plan in forest cover in 2017 as compared to 2015 is was also discussed during the meeting. mainly due to developmental activities4. Manoj Kumar Flora5 The South Andaman forests have a profuse III. State in Focus: Andaman & Nicobar growth of epiphytic vegetation, mostly ferns and Islands orchids. The Middle Andamans harbours mostly Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands, located moist deciduous forests. North Andamans is in the east of the Indian mainland, float in characterised by the wet evergreen type, with splendid isolation in the Bay of Bengal. Once a plenty of woody climbers. hill range extending from Myanmar to The north Nicobar Islands (including Car Nicobar Indonesia, these picturesque undulating islands and Battimalv) are marked by the complete & islets numbering around 572, are covered with absence of evergreen forests, while such forests dense rain-fed, damp and evergreen forests and form the dominant vegetation in the central and endless varieties of exotic flora and fauna. Most southern islands of the Nicobar group. Grasslands occur only in the Nicobars. While deciduous 2https://www.andamantourism.gov.in/html/andamans.html 4 http://fsi.nic.in/isfr2017/andaman-nocobar-island-isfr-2017.pdf 3 http://ls1.and.nic.in/doef/WebPages/History.html 5 http://www.and.nic.in/andaman/#floral 4 Green Files Vol. 31 forests are common in the Andamans, they are There are 96 Wildlife Sanctuaries, 9 National almost absent in the Nicobars. Andaman forest is Parks and one Biosphere Reserve. abound in timber species numbering 200 or more. Environmental Concerns: Wildlife6 Sustainable Tourism Nature has endowed these islands with a unique A&N islands are famous for being one of the most and varied animal life both on land as well as in visited tourist destinations. Swaraj Dweep, or sea. Large mammals are absent in A&N islands. Havelock Island, is perhaps the most visited part Geographic isolation of these islands has resulted of this archipelago. in high degree of endemism. The island is struggling with the growing burden Mammals: Out of 55 terrestrial and 7 marine of managing waste7.
Recommended publications
  • Breaking the Ice
    Published on Down To Earth (http://www.downtoearth.org.in Breaking the ice Issue Date: 2000‐10‐15 The long‐standing people‐wildlife dispute in Sariska Tiger Reserve is closer to a resolution Sariska villages hope for bet (Credit: Amit Shanker / CSE) people of villages in and around the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Alwar district of Rajasthan have taken a vow to protect wildlife, mainly tigers, by joining hands with the forest department. A decision to form a public body called the Sariska Sansad (Sariska Parliament), which involve the village communities as well as the forest department in park management decisions, was taken at a workshop held on September 8‐10. It was organised by Tarun Bharat Sangh ( tbs), a voluntary agency that has been supporting the villages in building traditional earthen check‐dams called johad s for the past 15 years, which has revived the ecology and the economy of the region. Though the workshop was well attended, only two recommendations came out of it. The first is to put a blanket ban on all tourist activity in the tiger reserve in the July‐September period, which is the breeding season for wild animals. The second is to stop all mining activity in and around the reserve. Another issue that came up was the moving of some villages from the core area of the reserve and rehabilitating them outside. If it happens, this would hasten the elevation of the reserve to the status of a national park, which has been high on the agenda of the state forest department ever since it was proposed in 1982 and then again in 1984.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study in Alwar District, Rajasthan, India
    [ VOLUME 5 I ISSUE 3 I JULY– SEPT 2018] E ISSN 2348 –1269, PRINT ISSN 2349-5138 Community Driven Water Resource Management : A Case Study In Alwar District, Rajasthan, India Jayasree Sarkar Former Assistant Professor, Surya Sen Mahavidyalaya, Siliguri, West Bengal. Received: June 21 , 2018 Accepted: August 04, 2018 ABSTRACT India faces a tumultuous water scenario. Already 15% of aquifers are in critical condition, a number which is projected to increase to a frightening 60% by the year 2030. It seems that climate change will increase the variability of already highly variable rainfall patterns, requiring efforts in managing both scarcity and floods. Integrated water resource management will continue to an adaptation strategy for people living with rainfall variability. Integrated natural resource management comprises the planned, coordinated and sustainable use of water resources, agricultural resources, grazing lands and forests. Assured water supply causes increased crop yield, which results the achievement of food security and poverty alleviation. In Alwar district, the mostly drought prone district of Rajasthan, India, 8600 small water harvesting’ johads’ in 1086 villages have beenbuilt with the help of some NGOs, which result in rise water level in shallow aquifers, increase of area under single and double crop and increase in forest cover through social forestry, which prevent further out migration and bring back young working population to successfully change the ‘dark village ’into the ‘green village’ and the nature flows into a stable equilibrium state from the metastatic equilibrium state here. The villagers also formed ‘Arawari Parliament’ to frame rules for water uses. This paper outlines the community driven approach for artificial recharge using traditional techniques of water harvesting.Community participated action on natural resource management and conservation for rural development is the effective way to save the environment and bring the prosperity in village-life.
    [Show full text]
  • Project on Reviving and Constructing Small Water Harvesting Systems in Rajasthan
    Sida Evaluation 03/40 Project on Reviving and Constructing Small Water Harvesting Systems in Rajasthan Pankaj Kumar B M Kandpal Department for Asia Project on Reviving and Constructing Small Water Harvesting Systems in Rajasthan Pankaj Kumar B M Kandpal Sida Evaluation 03/40 Department for Asia PROJECT ON REVIVING AND CONSTRUCTING SMALL WATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS IN RAJASTHAN – Sida EVALUATION 03/40 1 This report is part of Sida Evaluations, a series comprising evaluations of Swedish development assistance. Sida’s other series concerned with evaluations, Sida Studies in Evaluation, concerns methodologically oriented studies commissioned by Sida. Both series are administered by the Department for Evaluation and Internal Audit, an independent department reporting directly to Sida’s Board of Directors. This publication can be downloaded/ordered from: http://www.sida.se/publications Authors: Pankaj Kumar, B M Kandpal. The views and interpretations expressed in this report are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect those of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. Sida Evaluation 03/40 Commissioned by Sida, Department for Asia Copyright: Sida and the authors Registration No.: 1.13.3/TBS Date of Final Report: March 2003 Printed by Edita Art. no. Sida 3380en ISBN 91-586-8549-9 ISSN 1401—0402 SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION AGENCY Address: S-105 25 Stockholm, Sweden. Office: Sveavägen 20, Stockholm Telephone: +46 (0)8-698 50 00. Telefax: +46 (0)8-20 88 64 Telegram: sida stockholm. Postgiro: 1 56 34–9 E-mail: [email protected]. Homepage: http://www.sida.se PROJECT ON REVIVING AND CONSTRUCTING SMALL WATER HARVESTING SYSTEMS IN RAJASTHAN – Sida EVALUATION 03/40 Innehåll Executive Summary ..................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Ashish Kothari Project Director
    JPAM UPDATE News on Action Towards Joint Protected Area Management No’s 1 -17 September 1994 - July 1998 ...\ak\jtmng\update\final\onefile.doc Notes: • This file version does not follow page numbering, page layout, fonts, etc. as they appear in hard copies of the Update • The entire file has been reduced to GeoSlab703 Lt BT font in 10 point. (This will appear as Times New Roman in systems where GeoSlab is not installed) 1 Ashish Kothari Project Director 23 November,1994 Dear Friend, As was decided in our September meeting on Exploring Joint Protected Area Management, we shall be starting with a regular Update to inform you of all the activities being undertaken within the purview of joint or participatory management of protected areas. Enclosed please find the first of these Updates. This Update is based on the information received or gathered by us since the workshop in September. It is possible that we have missed out on other follow-up being carried out by some of you; please inform us immediately so that we can include it in the next Update. Your comments on the Update are also eagerly awaited. Most important, however, PLEASE DO KEEP INFORMING US OF RELATED ACTIVITIES AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION WHICH YOU THINK WOULD BE OF USE TO OTHERS AND WHICH SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN FUTURE ISSUES. Mean while, I hope you have received the notice and invitation to the Protect Forests Protect Forest Dwellers Yatra that some of us are proposing to hold in January-February. If you have not already responded, Please do so immediately, as planning time is very short.
    [Show full text]
  • Rajendra Singh Tarun Bharat Sangh, Tarun Ashram, Bhikampura, District Alwar, Rajasthan, India E-Mail: [email protected]; [email protected]
    Community Driven Approach for Artificial Recharge –TBS Experience Rajendra Singh Tarun Bharat Sangh, Tarun Ashram, Bhikampura, District Alwar, Rajasthan, India e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract In India, small water reservoirs in the desert area are a part of a complex inter-linking natural resource management system. Traditional methods of water harvesting were employed by the local communities led by TBS to rejuvenate a local river, recharge the ground water and re-green a village. In Alwar district, 8600 small water harvesting talabs in 1086 villages have been built since 1985. This has resulted in rise of water level in the shallow aquifer, increase of area under single and double crop, and increase in forest cover through social forestry and agro forestry. The villagers have also formed an ‘Arvari Sansad’ to frame rules of water use. The efforts towards water conservation have numerous positive impacts on the communities inhabiting the area. Employment opportunities have increased and migration has reduced substantially. The paper outlines the community driven approach for artificial recharge using traditional techniques of water harvesting. The paper emphasizes that mobilization of civil society and the community for action on natural resource management and conservation for rural uplift in India is the way to save the environment and bring prosperity to farmers in Indian villages. 1. Introduction This is a saga of complete ecological change through community action in the desert and semi desert regions of Rajasthan, brought about by water harvesting. Back in 1985 four young men resolved to take up the challenge of stalling the ecological disaster of desertification.
    [Show full text]
  • JPAM UPDATE 6 File:///D:/Payal/Payal/ENVIS/ENVIS Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun/15.12.2011/ ENVIS W
    JPAM UPDATE 6 file:///D:/Payal/Payal/ENVIS/ENVIS Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun/15.12.2011/ ENVIS W... JPAM UPDATE 6, September 1995 News from Specific Areas Karnataka 1. Proposed Joint Management of Biligiri Rangaswamy Sanctuary (BRT): The Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple (BRT) Sanctuary is an important hilly forested habitat in southern Karnataka, well-known for its elephant population, medicinal plant diversity, the Soliga tribals, and the ancient temple itself. Several tribal hamlets have been in these forests for generations, and continue to stay there, possibly since the Forest Department realises that they do no appreciable damage to wildlife or its habitat. Proof of their sustainable ways is coming from the preliminary results of a study being conducted by the Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI) and other agencies, on the impact of non- timber forest product collection on biodiversity. Another group based inside the sanctuary, the Vivekananda Girijan Kalyan Kendra (VGKK), has been working among the tribals for over 15 years. Apart from health and education-related activities, and some marketing of tribal produce, VGKK is also helping with resettling tribals who want to move the sanctuary's periphery, and in promoting agro-forestry among them. Both TERI and VGKK are now exploring further possibilities of tribal entrepreneurship based on the area's biological resources, including local processing of medicinal plants (the ingredients of the famous Trifala come from these forests), honey, and other non-timber forest produce. On a recent visit to the area, IIPA had detailed discussions with members of these groups, as also with a senior forest officer at Bangalore.
    [Show full text]
  • Community-Based Groundwater and Ecosystem Restoration in Semi-Arid North Rajasthan (1): Socio-Economic Progress and Lessons for Groundwater- Dependent Areas
    Community-based groundwater and ecosystem restoration in semi-arid north Rajasthan (1): socio-economic progress and lessons for groundwater- dependent areas Dr Mark Everard, University of the West of England (UWE), Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK ([email protected], +44-(0)-7747- 120019) Abstract Groundwater is a vital resource in arid and semi-arid regions, increasingly relied upon for year-round access, though lack of both study and regulation contribute to unsustainable pressures potentially contributing to a negative spiral of ecological, social and economic decline. Using field visits, interviews with locals and experts, and literature reviews, we explored a successful programme of community-based groundwater recharge in three adjacent catchments (the Arvari, Sarsa and Baghani) in semi-arid north Rajasthan, India, led by the NGO Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) in order to determine how successes were achieved and could be replicated. TBS-led initiatives rebuilt traditional village governance structures and participation in community-designed and maintained water harvesting structures (WHSs), which were efficient both economically and in technical design using indigenous knowledge. Enhanced seasonal groundwater recharge enabled by WHSs regenerated aquatic, farmed and natural ecosystems, underpinning a positive cycle of interdependent social and economic regeneration. Locally appropriate, integrated social and technical solutions maintaining this positive cycle have increased the quality of ecosystems and the wellbeing of local people. We used the STEEP (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political) framework to stratify outcomes, exploring principles underpinning successful local and catchment-scale regeneration and drawing out lessons transferrable to similarly water-stressed regions. Keywords Rajasthan, semi-arid, groundwater, community, recharge, governance 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Aravalli Ecoregion Report
    . CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. Brief background: Biodiversity may be defined as the richness of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms in any given habitat such as land, water (fresh or saline including seas) or as parasites or symbionts. It is a product of evolution over millions of years. It may be subdivided into three categories – genes, species, and ecosystem. Genetic diversity refers to the variations in the genes within a species. This covers distinct populations of the same species (for example we have thousands of traditional varieties of rice in India.). The term Species diversity refers to the populations of different plants, animals, and microorganisms in a given habitat, existing as an interacting system. They are also referred to as communities. An aggregate of communities occurring as an interacting system in a given ecological niche makes an Ecosystem Biodiversity is the source of all living materials used as food, shelter, clothing, biomass energy, medicaments, and host of other raw materials used in bio-industrial development. Thus, the ecology & economy of the country depends upon the status of its Biodiversity. India is predominantly a biomass-based country with largely bio-industrial pattern of development. Our stakes in biodiversity are high. There is an increasing pressure on natural resources due to growing human population and enhanced pace of socio-economic development. This has led to degradation of habitats and has resulted in loss of biodiversity and agricultural productivity. Biodiversity is an irreplaceable resource: its extinction is forever. Such loss of species affects not only the plants, animals and microorganisms in nature together with those under cultivation / domestication and used in industry, but also species whose values are yet to be ascertained.
    [Show full text]
  • Miracle in Rajasthan: Traditional Practice of Rainwater Harvesting
    Miracle in Rajasthan: Traditional Practice of Rainwater Harvesting Compiled by Jeewan P. Thanju and Bashanta D. Shrestha he people of the semi-arid region of Alwar, in Gopalpura, while his four friends were engaged TRajasthan, India, were in desperate need of water encouraging people to send their daughters to school. A for domestic use as well as for irrigating their farmland. sixty-year-old man, Mangu Lal Patel, advised Singh that Despite average annual rainfall of 600 mm per annum, village people are not interested in their social works the landscape was dry and the ground water was almost but, instead, the villagers would like their help to build nonexistent. This article explains how the landscape was a johad. Based on traditional wisdom and practices that changed for good by adopting the traditional system had been forgotten for various reasons, the johad is an of rainwater harvesting, which brought life to several earthen water pond designed to retain rainwater by the dead rivers. This transformation was possible through construction of a small dam across the waterways. Though dedicated efforts of Rajendra Singh and his friends from none of them was an engineer or knew much about water, Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS; Young India Association). they had a firm commitment to work as required by the Alwar, India is one of the poorest districts in the State villagers. of Rajasthan, at the foot of Aravalli mountain range in Gopalpura was called “dark zone” because it had northeastern Rajasthan. In the past it had no water, and been without groundwater for five years; but under some of the worst living conditions in India.
    [Show full text]
  • Dr. Devayani N. Kulkarni, ( Geography)
    Dr. Devayani N. Kulkarni, ( Geography) PERMANENT ADDRESS : OM SANTESH, CHAITANYA NAGAR, BEHIND ITI, SANGLI – 416416, MAHARASHTRA Ph. 0233 -2311593, Mobile - 9403630191 DATE OF BIRTH : 30.4.1968 ACCADAMIC PROFILE : Ph. D. GEOGRAPHY (2012) UNIVERSITY OF RAJASTHAN, JAIPUR M. A. GEOGRAPHY (1991-92) SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR, MAHARASHTRA B.A. GEOGRAPHY (1988-89) SHIVAJI UNIVERSITY, KOLHAPUR, MAHARASHTRA CERTIFICATE COURSE (1991-92) IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES, SANGLI, MAHARASHTRA DIPLOMA IN COMPUTER PROGRAMMING (C LANGUAGE) (1995-96) INFORMATICS COMPUTER SYSTEM, NEW DELHI CERTIFICATE COURSE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE (2000- 2001) BRITISH SCHOOL OF LANGUAGE, BRITISH COUNCIL, NEW DELHI LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY : ENGLISH, HINDI, MARATHI JOB PROFILE : RESEARCH ASSOCIATE 1. FIELD ORIENTED RESEARCH ON SOCIO-ECONOMIC APECTS OF WATERSHED MANAGEMENT, GARHWAL 2. TWO FIELD STUDIES IN EASTERN UP AND RAJASTHAN SOUTH SOUTH SOLIDARITY, NEW DELHI PROGRAMME ORGANIZER, EVENT ORGANIZER AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT TARUN BHARAT SANGH, ALWAR RAJASTHAN TRANNING (ORGNIZER AND TRAINER)-WATERSHED MANAEMENT, CAPACITY BUILDING OF NGO VOLUNTEERS, STUDENTS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OF THE DIFFERENT STATES OF INDIA AND DIFFERENT COUNTRIES RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION – REPORT WRITING, PREPARING MAPS OF WATERSHEDS AND RIVERS USING GSI , PUBLISHING PUBLICATIONS, PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEOGRAPHY OF WATERSHED OF ALWAR, JAIPUR, KARAULI, TIJARA, HINDON RIVER, GANGA TARUN BHARAT SANGH, ALWAR ASSISTANT SECRETARY (2005-2010) TARUN BHARAT SANGH, ALWAR RAJASTHAN PROJECTS : 1. INFLUENCE OF KOLHAPUR CITY ON SURROUNDING AREA 2. POPULATION GROWTH AND ITS EFFECTS IN ASHTA VILLAGE 3. GOA - A BRIEF STUDY 4. SPECIES OF FLOWERS IN SANGLI DISTRICT 5. ECOHEALTH IN GARHWAL REGION 6. HINDON RIVER (DOCUMENTARY) 7. REPORT ON FARMER’S SUISIDE IN WARDHA, MAHARASHTRA PAPER PRESENTATIONS : 1. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SEMINAR, KAWATHE MAHANKAL, MAHARASHTRA 2.
    [Show full text]
  • The Waterman of Rajasthan
    The water man of Rajasthan Volume 18 - Issue 17, Aug. 18 - 31, 2001 India's National Magazine from the publishers of THE HINDU AWARDS The water man of Rajasthan Rajendra Singh, who has undertaken extensive water conservation efforts in drought-prone eastern Rajasthan, wins the 2001 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. Table of SUNNY SEBASTIAN Contents in Jaipur RAJENDRA SINGH, the man who 'divined' water in the arid regions of eastern Rajasthan by building water-harvesting structures, is the winner of the 2001 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership. The non- governmental organisation Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), which Rajendra Singh leads as its general secretary, has since 1985 built some 4,500 earthen check dams, or johads, to collect rainwater in some 850 villages in 11 districts in the State. The TBS has also and helped revive five rivers that had gone dry. The award is not only a recognition of his conservation efforts but also an acceptance of the traditional wisdom of the people of rural Rajasthan. GOPAL SUNGER Rajendra Singh, winner of the Magsaysay Award. Incidentally, the honour has gone to an NGO working in rural Rajasthan for the second year in a row. Aruna Roy, whose Rajsamand-based Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS) spearheaded the campaign for the right to information and transparency in development works, was the recipient of the 2000 Ramon Magsaysay Award in the same category. In his reaction to the honour, Rajendra Singh said: "This is a recognition of the rural communities. The village society taught me the http://www.hindu.com/fline/fl1817/18170810.htm (1 of 6)9/1/2009 10:12:50 PM The water man of Rajasthan value of water.
    [Show full text]
  • Epistemologies of Community-Based Groundwater Recharge in Semi-Arid North Rajasthan: Progress and Lessons for Groundwater-Dependent Areas
    Epistemologies of Community-based groundwater recharge in semi-arid north Rajasthan: progress and lessons for groundwater-dependent areas Dr Mark Everard, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England (UWE), Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK Professor Chad Staddon, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of the West of England (UWE), Coldharbour Lane, Frenchay Campus, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK Abstract Increasingly relied upon, groundwater is nevertheless relatively underappreciated and understudied. Perhaps as a consequence of these facts, around the world unregulated exploitation is placing this resource under increasingly intense pressure, necessitating new governance systems if a negative spiral of ecological, social and economic decline is to be avoided. In this paper we examine, using Ostrom’s well-known framework for common pool resource (CPR) systems, a community-based groundwater recharge scheme based on Gandhian principles in the Arvari River catchment in semi-arid north Rajasthan. Literature reviews, field visits and interviews with local experts confirm that local initiatives are re- establishing previously defunct traditional village community structures alongside traditional community-designed and maintained water harvesting structures. This new socio-technical complex is increasing groundwater recharge during monsoon rains and thereby regenerating aquatic, farmed and natural ecosystems. The previous negative downward trajectory has been replaced with a positive spiral of environmental, social and economic regeneration. Keywords Rajasthan, semi-arid, groundwater, recharge, governance, common pool resources Community-based groundwater recharge in semi-arid north Rajasthan; Page 1 1. Introductio Groundwater is an especially important resource in arid and semi-arid regions, where surface water is scarce and subject to high evapotranspiration losses.
    [Show full text]