Water

PFAS in pregnant women's drinking water puts their babies at risk: Study

Most current knowledge about the reproductive effects of PFAS comes from laboratory studies on animals such as rats, or from correlations between PFAS levels in human blood and health outcomes

Greywater reuse can save 30-40% of total water use: Ministry of Jal Shakti

The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Monday said that effective management and reuse of greywater could save up to 30-40 per cent of water consumption. Greywater is wastewater generated from kitchens, baths and laundries. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) held a virtual workshop on 'Greywater Management and Reuse' as part of the run-up to the Sujalam Bharat Summit, scheduled for November-end under the chairmanship of Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil. Senior ministry officials, state nodal officers, sector experts and development partners attended the workshop, which featured presentations from Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana and Jharkhand, along with WaterAid India. The states shared community-led models and innovations at the national workshop. The models which were highlighted ranged from decentralised reuse technologies to panchayat-led initiatives designed to strengthen climate resilience and ensure water security. "Proper greywater management can help

Only a third of world rivers had water within normal range in 2024: WMO

Only a third of rivers had normal flows in 2024 while glaciers shrank for the third year, WMO report warns, urging stronger monitoring and data sharing to avert future crises

Usha Shriram enters FMCG with Aquaero water, eyes ₹1,000 cr sales in 2 yrs

Usha Shriram on Friday announced its entry into the FMCG segment with the launch of its premium packaged drinking water brand, Aquaero, and outlined plans to double its topline to Rs 1,000 crore in two years before considering an IPO. "Aquaero marks our third brand and our foray into FMCG," Usha Shriram COO Satnam Singh Sandhu said. He added that the packaged water industry in India is valued around Rs 50,000 crore, of which 60-70 per cent remains unorganised. "This space holds immense potential and we see Aquaero playing a strong role in tapping that opportunity," he said and expected GST cut will help boost demand. Usha Shriram zonal manager (east) Rajarshi De said the brand has been launched in Kolkata before it is expanded to other eastern states. Currently, Usha Shriram has a topline of Rs 480 crore. "We are confident of reaching Rs 1,000 crore in the next two years. Once we achieve that revenue threshold, we will look at an IPO," Sandhu said. The company also indicated a r

Busting 5 Water Myths in 60 Seconds | Do You Really Need 8 Glasses a Day?

Think 8 glasses a day is a hydration rule? Think again. In this Fact-Check Friday, we bust 5 common myths about water, hydration, and detox.

India's $80 bn coal-power generation ambition is running short of water

The world's most populous country plans to spend nearly $80 billion on water-hungry coal plants by 2031 to power growing industries like data center operations

Mission LiFE may be merged into national action plan on climate change

Currently, the NAPCC has eight active missions across sectors like water, energy, and agriculture, aimed at addressing climate change

Cabinet okays ₹1,600 cr sub-scheme under PMKSY for piped water to farms

The sub-scheme will run on a pilot basis across 78 sites covering almost 80,000 farmers

Ken-Betwa river project: Balancing development with ecological concerns

India's ambitious river-linking plan faces criticism for environmental and human costs

Centre urges states to expedite tap water connections for 40 mn rural homes

The Centre is actively engaging with states that have yet to achieve 100 per cent tap water connection coverage for rural households, Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil said on Thursday. Speaking at a press conference here, the minister acknowledged that the 2024 deadline for ensuring tap water access in rural India has passed. "There are still four crore households without tap water connections. The ministry is in discussions with the respective states and has urged them to expedite the process," he said. Official data reveals that 79 per cent (15,37,22,950) of rural households have been provided with tap water connections so far. Over 19 crore rural households have been identified for coverage. Among the states, West Bengal has the lowest coverage at 53.9 per cent, followed by Kerala at 54.13 per cent, Jharkhand at 54.62 per cent and Rajasthan at 54.95 per cent, according to the data. Eleven states and Union territories have achieved 100 per cent coverage of tap water connections un

Reservoirs storage capacity at 82%, significant rise from last year: CWC

The Central Water Commission (CWC) reported that the live storage in 155 major reservoirs across India stood at 147.943 billion cubic metres (BCM) as of Thursday which represents 82% of the total live storage capacity. This reflects a significant increase compared to last year's 117.4 BCM during the same period. The current levels are also 117 per cent of the average storage over the past decade. According to the weekly bulletin issued by the Central Water Commission, the reservoirs, critical for irrigation, drinking water, and hydropower, displayed varying trends across regions. The northern states, including Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan, recorded storage at 57 per cent of capacitylower than the 70 per cent recorded last year. In contrast, the southern region, comprising Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, reported a robust 84 per cent of live capacity, showing substantial improvement from 43 per cent during the same period in 2023. In Eastern region,

No reason to scale back our domestic targets, says CEEW's Arunabha Ghosh

Expectations from this year's COP are clear on issues, whether we have a ministerial presence or not, Arunabha Ghosh, CEO of Council for Energy Environment and Water, said in his interview

India's reservoir levels rise from last year, northern region lags: CWC

India's water reservoirs are experiencing a significant boost in live storage with 155 of them across the country currently at 88 per cent of their total capacity, a 14 per cent rise from the normal storage. This is a marked improvement compared to last year's storage levels for the same period, which stood at 134.056 BCM, as well as the normal 10-year average storage of 139.114 BCM. The bulletin further said that 86 reservoirs across the country are reporting higher storage levels than last year and 123 reservoirs were exceeding their normal capacity. The 2024 figures reflect an 18 per cent increase over last year's levels and a 14 per cent rise compared to the normal storage. While the overall storage levels across the country are higher, regional variations exist. The Western region, comprising Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Goa, has witnessed the most robust storage figures, with 97 per cent of its total live storage capacity already filled. This is a substantial improvement compa

New study finds ocean's worth of water hiding beneath the surface of Mars

Nasa's robotic InSight lander collected data that revealed that enough water is hiding deep under the surface of Mars to form an ocean covering the planet

India's new Parliament building leaks: Congress MP files adjournment motion

Rainwater leakage in new Parliament building: Congress MP Manickam Tagore shared a video of water leaks inside the lobby caused by heavy rainfall in New Delhi on Wednesday

Bill on water dispute adjudication lapses following dissolution of 17th LS

Pending in Rajya Sabha since 2019 following its passage in the lower house, a bill which sought to address the adjudication of disputes concerning inter-state rivers and river valleys has lapsed following the dissolution of 17th Lok Sabha. Bills passed by Lok Sabha and pending in Rajya Sabha or those passed by Rajya Sabha and pending in Lok Sabha lapse after the lower house is dissolved. However, bills introduced and pending in Rajya Sabha do not lapse. A Rajya Sabha bulletin issued on Thursday said 'The Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill, 2019', passed by Lok Sabha and pending in Rajya Sabha, has lapsed under clause (5) of Article 107 of the Constitution, following the dissolution of 17th Lok Sabha. The amendment bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on July 25, 2019, by then Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. The bill sought to amend the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, which addresses the adjudication of disputes concerning inter-state rivers

Kerala CM to inaugurate four new terminals of Kochi Water Metro Limited

Kerala Chief Minister to launch four new terminals of Kochi Water Metro Limited on March 14, 2024. The project cost is Rs 1,136.83 crore

People have right to clean air, water: SC on Vedanta's TN plant closure

People have a right to breathe clean air, drink clean water and live a life free from disease and sickness, the Supreme Court has said, while upholding the principle of sustainable development and coming down hard on polluting industries. In a reasoned order on the closure of the Vedanta group firm Sterlite Copper in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud said closure of industry is not a matter of first choice but the nature of violations by the unit and repeated and severe breaches of environmental norms would have left neither the statutory authorities nor the Madras High Court with the option to take any other view unless they were to be oblivious of their plain duty. The bench, also comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, had on February 29 dismissed an appeal of Vedanta Ltd. against the high court order upholding the closure of the copper smelting plant, closed since May 2018 over pollution concerns. "It is an undeniable and ...

Humans have driven Earth's freshwater cycle out of stable state: Study

Human activity has pushed the Earth's freshwater resources far beyond the stable conditions that prevailed before industrialisation, a study has found. The findings, published in the journal Nature Water, show that the updated planetary boundary for freshwater change was surpassed by the mid-twentieth century. This is the first time that global water cycle change has been assessed over such a long timescale with an appropriate reference baseline, the researchers said. Human pressures, such as dam construction, large-scale irrigation and global warming, have altered freshwater resources to such an extent that their capacity to regulate vital ecological and climatic processes is at risk, they said. The international team calculated monthly streamflow and soil moisture at a spatial resolution of roughly 50x50 kilometers using data from hydrological models that combine all major human impacts on the freshwater cycle. The researchers determined the conditions during the pre-industrial

TN announces policy to restore coastal resources, capitalise blue economy

Taking forward its pioneering initiatives in nature conservation, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday announced the 'TN-SHORE', a mission to restore coastal resources across 14 districts covering 1,076 km. Presenting the Budget Estimates for 2024-25 in the Assembly, Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu said about Rs 1,675 crore has been sanctioned to the mission, titled 'Neithal Meetchi Iyakkam' which would enhance biodiversity by protecting coasts, improve livelihoods of local communities, and contain pollution in those areas. "This initiative will capitalise on the potential of the Blue Economy and will primarily focus on the restoration of mangroves, coral reefs, and salt marshes," he said. It will take up the conservation of mangroves besides reviving coral reefs at Kariyachalli islands in the Gulf of Mannar. Additionally, works are underway to establish a sprawling botanical garden in Kadambur, Chengalpattu, spanning 137 acres, at a cost of Rs 345 crore, in collaboration with ..