>-- you have to dam all rivers simply at 1m elevation differences >with Shannon Dams-
*** Is this an engineered solution to ALL water problems? A panacea? What happens to these rivers silted up by damming like this? What happens to all the low lying farm areas and homesteads , when the vast areas of almost flat lands thru which these flow with water a meter high inundating them better part of the year? What happens to the plants and animals whose lives are regulated and impacted by the natural cycles of water flow and dry period that these numerous reservoirs will forever change? What happens to the environment when these water reservoirs turn into vile, stagnant fens breeding mosquitoes and turning into reservoirs of rotting vegetation and cesspools? What happens to navigation of the rivers ? I realize little happens now, but should we block it forever? Good engineering is not one dimensional. Damming up rivers --never mind high or low; rampant embankment building, rampant city building without planning -- are all examples of BAD engineering undertaken to solve one problem, but creating many more in their wakes and destructive of the balance that is so sorely lacking all around us, all over the world. While it is good to examine alternative ideas, it erodes our credibility when we offer solutions that are as poorly considered as recommending 1 meter high dams on ALL rivers all over their trajectories. At 8:09 AM +0530 3/19/08, mc mahant wrote: ><Groundwater in India is the life line for Indian agriculture and >formeeting the rural drinking water needs. Over the years surface >waterbased sources have become unreliable due to preferential >transfer ofsurface water to urban cities> >Dear Nitya Jacob, >May I add a few thoughts to your well -arrived -at observations: > >life line for Indian agriculture: --- this lifeline can not >eternally feed you without recharging.As RAIN cannot recharge >enough -- you have to dam all rivers simply at 1m elevation >differences with Shannon Dams-locally built with 100%local >initiative-- not Delhi sending Central Ground Water Board. This will >ensure 365x24 availability of water in the rivers-small and >big-->fish.ducks>birds>boating>angling--. And effectively recharge >the riverside Ground with water!! >rural drinking water needs: if majority India is Rural -- do not >use the 'rural' paternalistically. Bring Technology to everybody. >Please visit my site--www.innovation2survive.com-- all there. >become unreliable due to preferential transfer ofsurface water to >urban cities> -You mean gone the way Ganga Yamuna has? REVERSAL is >the way out .All possible. Where there is a will, there is a way. >Your urban cities> do not need fond protection any more. They Go >Green or perish . >mm > > > > > > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Tue, >18 Mar 2008 08:40:45 +0000Subject: [WaterWatch] Need for a paradigm >shift in groundwater governance > > > >Dear Members,I work as Director, Operations, in the Andhra Pradesh >Farmer ManagedGroundwater Systems (APFAMGS) Project's, that operates >on the keypremise that behavioral change is necessary for voluntary >selfregulation. APFAMGS is a partnership with farmers for >implementingDemand Side Groundwater Management. In seven drought >prone districtsof Andhra Pradesh, India, thousands of farmers in 638 >habitations havetaken the lead to reduce exploitation of >groundwater. During the Visioning Workshop of the Water Community >last year, we haddiscussed the need for a paradigm shift in >groundwater governancebased on community participation. This will >ensure sustainability ofgroundwater as well food and livelihood >security of rural communities.It was suggested that we collate >information on examples of where thishas happened to evolve a >working model that could be taken up byinterested parties in other >areas of the country.Groundwater in India is the life line for >Indian agriculture and formeeting the rural drinking water needs. >Over the years surface waterbased sources have become unreliable due >to preferential transfer ofsurface water to urban cities. Likewise >surface irrigation sources arefast declining and currently more than >65% of farmers have come todepend on the unseen subsurface water for >all their drinking water,irrigation and cottage industry water >needs. Thus Groundwater emerged as the principle drinking water >andirrigation source which has reached to untouched and >environmentallydifficult terrains. Expansion of groundwater >development will continueto play a lead role in meeting drinking >water supply, healthsanitation and food security needs. Evidence >indicates that access toprotected drinking water and irrigation >needs generate many positiveexternalities in the overall household >micro-economy. Thus thereliability and sustainability of groundwater >sources is emerging as acritical parameter in socio economic and >irrigation development.Overdependence on groundwater is a grave >risk, as its continuedavailability in required quantity and quality >is closely linked to themanagement of the rainfall received, >quantity of water harvested,recharged, quantity of fertilizer, >pesticide uses and more criticallythe handling of the industrial and >domestic waste water againstpolluting the aquifers. Groundwater >management is still considered the purview of thegovernment, while >all investments towards groundwater development havebeen privately >funded. Governance continues to be driven byregulations rather than >rational understanding of the groundrealities. Groundwater acts >passed by the different states have nottaken off due to difficulties >in field level implementation. Thisstalemate needs to be broken and >viable alternatives need to beexplored. Continued delay will >directly affect rural drinking water,sanitation, health and food >production. With the issues of ClimateChange knocking on our door >step one cannot but paint a grim pictureof the future of groundwater >availability.Number of alternative approaches on water governance >need to beexplored by International funding agencies and UN partners >involvedwith rural drinking water, sanitation, health , food and >nutrition. The FAO-funded Andhra Pradesh Farmers Managed Groundwater >systems(APFAMGS) Project is an enabling intervention for reinforcing >theinternal strength and coping mechanism of groundwater >dependentcommunities through new knowledge and skills to collect >data ongroundwater, rainfall and water use for different crops to >explore andfind out stable solution to the issues of managing ground >waterdepletion through self regulation. The project integrates >scientifictechnology with social transformation, women's economic >empowermentand institutional change. Over four years of involvement >with thecommunity has led to reduced groundwater pumping (without >coercion)for agricultural use (principle water use) to impact the >totalgroundwater draft in 19 of the 31 Hydrological Units spread >over 7districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh. A 50% reduction in >areaunder paddy from 10915 acres to less than 5000 acres has >beenwitnessed. Adopted crop diversification and improved economic >returnsper unit of water pumped. Overall improvement in drinking >wateravailability, reduced groundwater pollution, improved food >andnutrition status and set into motion new groundwater governance >thatis acceptable while taking care of individual needs.To this end, >the e-discussion will attempt to identify the variousoptions for >ensuring groundwater sustainability and governance withcommunity >participation that can be built into drinking water, >health,sanitation, food and nutrition programmes. Specifically, >members maylike to respond to the following:1. What models are >members aware of for community-managed groundwaterresources? Are >there case studies available that describe theapproach, results and >lessons learned?2. What are your own experiences with these models? >For example, canyou describe problems they faced and how were they >overcome? Whatsuggestions would you give to someone interested in >starting up asimilar initiative?3. Do you know of cases where >groundwater laws have been adopted andadapted by communities? Why >did the community pick a particular law?What aspects were modified >and used, and why? What were experienceswith the process of >adoption/adaptation?Members are also invited to study the APFAMGS >field areas whileexploring other alternatives. The model evolved >from this action groupwill be shared with the Community members.K A >S ManiProject Leader Andhra Pradesh Farmers Managed Groundwater >Project (APFAMGS)Hyderabadwww.apfamgs.org__._,_.___ >Messages in this topic (1) Reply (via web post) | Start a new topic >Messages | Files | Photos | Links | Database | Polls | Calendar > > Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required) Change settings >via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to >Traditional Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | >Unsubscribe > > > >Recent Activity > > > 20 >New Members > > 5 >New FilesVisit Your Group > > >Yahoo! Finance >It's Now Personal >Guides, news, >advice & more. > >Y! Messenger >Quick file sharing >Send up to 1GB of >files in an IM. > >Cat Fanatics >on Yahoo! Groups >Find people who are >crazy about cats. >. __,_._,___ > > > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Post free property ads on Yello Classifieds now! www.yello.in >http://ss1.richmedia.in/recurl.asp?pid=221 >_______________________________________________ >assam mailing list >assam@assamnet.org >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org _______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
