Articles – WaterHealth

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Are water ATMs dispensing a viable solution to clean water?

Passengers receive safe drinking water at a water ATM, or water vending machine, installed by WaterHealth at Pune Train Station in India. Photo by: WaterHealth India. BARCELONA — Using an ATM is no longer a novelty to most people. The idea of inserting a bank card into a machine to withdraw cash has been around […]

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Managing Plastic Pollution I

Plastic Ban – a step in the right direction? Plastic has become ubiquitous, it is everywhere, on land, in water, in food and if recent studies are to believed, in snow and even in air! According to a report by National Geographic, microplastics (tiny plastic fragments), believed to be present in the air, have found […]

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Managing Plastic Pollution II

While the first part of the series in the previous issue discussed harmful effects of plastic and India’s plastic ban, the current issue discusses the extent of the problem, regional and industrial segregation of plastic pollutants and certain innovative ideas for remediation. Managing Plastic Pollution II Annual plastic production increased nearly 200-fold between 1950 and […]

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Rethinking Water Management -V

Water Trading: A Practical or Fantastic Idea? Growing population and climate change is not only causing water scarcity but also water inequity. In India, extreme situations of flooding in some regions and drought in others are also more frequent than ever. Globally too, while some countries are facing extreme shortage of water, others have excess […]

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Rethinking Water Conservation – IV

Preventing water misuse: Time to put the right value to water? World over, water is grossly undervalued and not priced as per its real cost, this leads to an overexploitation and wastage of water in all sectors, especially in Agriculture (as discussed in earlier parts of this series). To add to these woes, water resources […]

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Rethinking Water Management-III

Industries – Water use or misuse? The industrial sector is the second highest user of water in India, consuming about 22% of the total fresh water supply. Industries generally utilise water for fabricating, processing, washing, diluting and cooling (as part of the production process) or sanitation of the manufacturing facility. Despite an increasing demand for […]

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Rethinking Water Management- II

As per the 2011 census, India falls in the category of water deficient countries; a nation is considered water deficient if the per capita water availability drops below 1700 cubic meters per person. The per capita water availability in India fell to 1545 cubic meters during the first decade of this century, and further reduced […]

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Rethinking Water Management-I

To mark World Water Day 2019, Water Vartalaap is launching a series of editorials that lay out the water crisis and the remedies pursued by various countries globally. While this (the first) edition introduces the importance of water management and conservation, subsequent editorials will examine various water conservation and supply enhancement techniques. Rethinking Water Conservation-1 […]

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Wastewater management – a mere compliance issue?

Average availability of water is reducing steadily with the growing population and it is estimated that by 2020 India will become a ‘water stressed’ nation. Both drinking water supply and sanitation in the country continue to be inadequate, despite longstanding efforts by various governments and communities to control the problem. Treated wastewater is now being […]

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CWMI (Composite Water Management Index)

India is witnessing rising concerns regarding water paucity due to ever-increasing demand of the growing population and environmental issues such as climate change, water pollution etc. And while water management should encompass surface water (ponds, lakes, springs etc.), aquifers, wetlands, glaciers etc., currently it only includes primary river waters and irrigation (which too falls under […]

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Emerging trends for funding the Social Sector

Given the finite amount of philanthropic funds available in the system, the need of the hour is to devise new and innovative ways for global Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) to finance their social development programs. The key funding options and their nuances are listed below. Development Funds. One of the largest sources of funding for the social […]

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Nature-based Solutions-the remedy the world is looking for?

The media is replete with grim reminders of challenges related to water, a recent one being ‘Cape Town’ (in South Africa) running out of water in May 2018’. While governments, global organizations, academia and communities discuss and foretell such problems related to scarcity and pollution of water, none would have anticipated that a major global […]

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Unsung heroes of the Water World

Earlier issues of Water Vartalaap have dwelt upon various aspects of WASH – ranging from water treatment practices to means of facilitating drinking water to urban slums. While advocating the role of government and corporates to address this concern, we also applauded institutes who have been sensitizing the masses on this issue while discovering novel […]

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The quintessential question, is safe drinking water a fundamental right?

Whether it’s about the consumption of our daily eight (8) glasses of clean and safe water or using water for other human needs, the current supply infrastructure leaves much to be desired. In 2015, India adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development along with 192 other member countries of the United Nations (UN). Goal 6.1 […]

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viagra satış Viagra, emsalsiz en iyi

Viagra, emsalsiz en iyi bilinen erektil disfonksiyon tedavisidir ve mavi bir elmas şeklinde olmasıyla karakterizedir. Bunun önlenmesi adına cinsel gücü artıran ilaç fiyatları çok yüksek olsa da denenmelidir. İNTERNET ÜZERİNDEN SATIŞI ÜLKEMİZDE KESİNLİKLE YASAKTIR. Sipariş verdiğiniz viagra cinsel gücü arttırıcı ilaç iki iş günü içinde adresinize tarafımızca teslim edilmektedir. Merhaba arkadaşlar sizce ereksiyon ilaçları arasında […]

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Consortium CSR – the collective good?

The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility has evolved with changing times and needs, what began as family charity has now come of age and is increasingly being recognized as a responsibility towards owners, investors, employees and society at large. For social responsibility to yield the desired outcomes, however, the CSR contribution needs to be meaningful […]

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Separating wheat from chaff; selecting a suitable implementation partner (for social projects)

Ever since the Indian Companies Act made Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spend mandatory [at 2% of average of net profits of the preceding three (3) years] there has been a significant increase in the number of social entrepreneurs and development agencies in India, many of whom have set up Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to leverage this […]

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Recycling wastewater – II

Background While Recycling Wastewater – I (Water Vartalaap issue, dated May, 2017) discussed the dire impact that water scarcity is causing the world over, ‘Recycling wastewater II’ looks ahead and highlights certain initiatives undertaken by government and private players to help assuage this problem. At a macro level, the Indian government has started paying attention […]

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Recycling Wastewater – I

As most of the world grapples with a severe water scarcity situation, Malthus’ ominous warning about population growth surpassing (food and) water availability appears closer than ever to reality Other unforeseen occurrences like rapid industrialization, urbanization and global warming have only added to the problem. India’s population is 1.3 billion and is expected to grow by […]

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Parched times ahead for urban slums?

Has urbanization delivered its promise of a good life to people who migrate to the cities to pursue their dreams? While generally considered a symbol of progress, rapid and uncontrolled urbanization can lead to major socio-economic problems, which unfortunately is happening in many Indian cities today. While migrating to cities might evoke images of comfortable […]

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Social Enterprises v/s NGOs

The CSR landscape in India is evolving rapidly, various social programs undertaken by Corporates have expanded both in impact as well as geographies. Since it is important that such social projects are implemented effectively and sustainably, many companies are increasingly choosing to execute CSR programs through (external) implementation agencies to ensure better and more effective […]

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Urban Neglect – by default or by design?

It is increasingly being felt that ‘poverty in India is getting “urbanized”, cities are ‘cultivating’ destitution at a scale not seen earlier. Besides, while rural poverty is more widespread than urban poverty, the latter encompasses a host of avoidable hazards i.e. sickness, crime and disintegration of social fabric. The primary reason for urban poverty is […]

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CSR Conundrum: Backyard philanthropy or solving systemic ills of society?

In CSR, the fundamental aspect is ‘giving back’ to society, however what remains to be decided is the scope and reach of this social responsibility, whether it should apply merely to one’s ‘backyard’ and/or employees or should it endeavor to resolve the many systemic ills plaguing society? In line with the view that CSR is […]