National Geographic Launches Mission Blue Initiative to Combat Water Scarcity in India.
As millions of Indian citizens continue to struggle with poor access to clean drinking water, 21st Century Fox’s National Geographic has teamed with Water Aid India and top talent from Bollywood to launch Mission Blue, a new initiative to raise awareness of water scarcity and drive conservation.
The company will air documentaries and television specials about the crisis across its channels in India, and the campaign’s website will provide digital tools allowing viewers to calculate their own water footprints and provide ways to save water in their daily lives.
National Geographic’s Swati Mohan announced the initiative in Mumbai in honor of Earth Day.
“Today, the water crisis around the world calls for much attention.
The channel will also air Parched, the three-part documentary series from Academy Award winner Alex Gibney that explores the environmental and political causes of water scarcity around the world.
“I am proud to be associated with an inconic brand that has the legacy of working for the cause of preserving the planet,” said Bollywood star Farhan Akhtar, who serves as the public face of the campaign.
It has the power to enlighten, inspire and empower people who are unaware of what they can do towards the cause of water scarcity and drive real change.
Currently, the school relies on tanker trunks to bring an often-insufficient water supply to its students.
MissionBlueMySchool aims to install a piped supply system for the school, as well as filters, coolers, and a rainwater harvesting system.

Nearly 15 years after the textile processing units were issued that notice, the textile town is facing a grave situation this summer.
“We then received notice from the government asking us not to draw water for industrial use for a month.
The construction industry, which is already affected by sand shortage, is staring at a severe water crisis and yet another slowdown.
While the electricity generation from the hydro-plants at Mettur has been stopped due to water shortage, the water-intensive thermal plants are self-sufficient, thanks to desalination plants.
————————————————————– Andhra Pradesh – Dyeing units guzzling groundwater, residents mull moving out Dyeing units, which have mushroomed in and around Nagari municipality in Chittoor district, are one of the key suppliers of coloured yarn to the textile industries of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat, yet their indiscriminate pumping of groundwater is taking a toll on water availability.
For the washing and colouring of yarn material, each dyeing unit draws thousands of gallons of water, and almost all of it from the ground.
————————————————————– Telangana – When power undercuts water supply The coal-rich town of Yellandu is facing a severe drinking water shortage with the historic Yellandulapadu tank, the prime drinking water source here, fast drying up ahead of the harsh summer months.
The treated mine water is augmenting water supply in Yellandu.
Yet the coal town is grappling with scarce water sources, a poor water supply network, and a mismatch between demand and supply of water.
The coal town needs 5.8 MLD to fully cater to the drinking water requirements of its population of around 40,000, sources said.

The demand for water was increased with city population increasing to 5.25 lakh with merger of new villages in TMC and rise in pilgrims visiting the city.
Highlights: 45 MLD is being supplied as against the actual requirement of 63 MLD Corporation to cut down water supply from 90 minutes to 45 Owners of private water tankers jack up prices On an average, 50,000 devotees visit pilgrim city every day.
The TMC is supplying water to domestic use for 90 minutes on alternate days.
According to sources, the supply of water is expected to cut down to 45 minutes with fall in water levels in Kailasagiri reservoir.
Residents are facing acute water shortage with mercury levels touching 44 degree Celsius and fall in groundwater levels.
Residents are forced to purchase water by spending Rs 400 to 500 per tank once in three days.
About 70 slum colonies are worst affected with water shortage.
House owners are illegally drawing water by fixing electric motors for unauthorised taps.
“Civic officials disconnected illegal tap connections two years ago and at present no motors are being used for illegal drawing of water,” he added.Speaking to The Hans India, TMC Commissioner Madhavi Latha said that the corporation is making arrangements to overcome water shortage.
By K Nethaji

Water Butts Heads With Fracking, Oil & Gas Industry In Oklahoma … Or Not.
The fracking boom has combined with conventional oil and gas drilling to raise a sea of troubles against the doorstep of Oklahoma.
So far, how is the industry responding to the new report?
The Oklahoma Fracking Problem Many (many) risks and hazards are associated with the fracking boom, and earthquakes are one of them.
That wastewater can come from conventional drilling as well as fracking, so to be clear, induced seismicity from wastewater injection is not specific to fracking.
It’s a general wastewater disposal problem for the oil and gas industry, whether the drilling operation involves fracking or not.
In 2014 Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin organized the Coordinating Council on Seismic Activity to study the issue.
Here’s the rundown from Fallin’s office: The act calls for the use of voluntary conservation, water infrastructure improvements and development of marginal water supplies, like produced water, that are currently underutilized.
The Oil & Gas Industry Responds … Not (So Far) CleanTechnica will return to this topic with more details whenever they get around to fixing the link to the new report.
The oil and gas industry also appears to be waiting for that link to go live again.

By Prof. Dr. P. K. Jena Potentially water rich and green Odisha during the last couple of decades is experiencing unbearable hot summer with severe water scarcity for drinking as well as for agricultural, domestic and industrial purposes.
Along with the hot summer, the water crisis particularly for drinking purpose in all parts of the state, has been very acute.
In urban areas though better infrastructural facilities are there to supply drinking water, the acute shortage of water is felt due to drying of most of the rivers and water bodies and at the same time the ground water table has gone down resulting in drying of the tube wells.
This measurable plight is due to unscientific irrigation practices, rampant deforestation, unplanned development of urban areas, industries, roads and railways, unscientific mining etc.
Along with these, the pollution of most of the rivers due to release of urban and industrial wastes, the mismanagement in storing of water resource and unscientific water distribution have been responsible for such acute water crisis.
In order to save Odisha from such miserable plight, the authorities should take immediate steps for implementing various projects in two important areas like (i) Enhancing the surface water in ponds and tanks and other suitable low lying areas for rain water harvesting with facilities for recharging the ground water and (ii) Undertaking afforestation in the barren and mined out areas as well as massive commercial plantation of species like neem, karanj etc., both in rural and urban areas including road and river sides.
Besides harvesting rain water on small and medium scales at suitable sites, better irrigation methods like surface, sprinkle and drip irrigation should be practiced so that the water can be utilized without much loss.
The water which we use particularly for drinking and other domestic purposes when supplied to the consumers a lot of public money is required for its purification and supply.
The forest being a major sink for green house gases, development of fertile soil, protector of ground water reserve and arrester of most of the rain water for going back to the ocean through rivers, efforts are being made all over the world to undertake afforestation programmes in the barren and wasteland including the mined out areas.
In order to bring improved socio economic development of the people in the state by utilizing its rich mineral, soil, water, forest and marine resources, the Government has to give high priority on integrated water resource management along with afforestation of vast barren and waste lands with priority to plantation of economic species both in rural and urban areas.

Groyne proposed across Nagavali river.
To overcome water scarcity in the city Srikakulam: A groyne (a low wall or sturdy timber barrier built out into the sea from a beach to check erosion and drifting) was proposed across the Nagavali River to store sufficient water in infiltration tanks and overcome water scarcity in the city.
In addition to it, there are no separate pipelines, reservoirs to supply water to upper and lower areas.
In and around Srikakulam city there are around 15,000 taps, including public taps.
Residents of upper areas at PN Colony, Dammalaveedhi, Gujarathipeta, Hayathinagaram, Relli Veedhi, ASN Colony, Gontiveedhi and Arasavalli are not getting sufficient water during the summer.
Total population of Srikakulam city is 1.50 lakh and as per Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPEEO) guidelines, each person needs 135 litres of water per day.
On par with the CPEEO guidelines, 2.02 crore litres of water is required every day.
Due to non-availability of water and lack of storage facility, water is not being supplied sufficiently to the residents of all areas across the city.
To overcome this problem, a groyne was proposed across the river with sand and metal bund to store water in infiltration tanks.
“We have proposed the groyne with the help of water resources department engineers at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore,” municipal engineer G Venkateswara Rao told The Hans India.

Thermoelectric power and irrigation are the two largest consumers of this most valuable resource, accounting for 77% of the water used by businesses within the United States every year.
However, while these companies withdraw more water than others, the way they use the water is significant.
Meanwhile, the oil and gas sector may not use as much water as other industries but it’s water use is significant as a lot is wasted.
There are a host of technologies and practices that can transform alternative sources of water for drinking and industrial uses.
The companies that produce these technologies are well-placed to profit from water scarcity as authorities around the world try and prevent a full-blown catastrophe.
Portable water reuse technologies are starting to help with the goal of recycling more water.
Water recycling and reuse is just one element of the way the world is adapting to ensure a water catastrophe does not unfold.
AMI systems can help utilities identify water leaks, reduce operating and maintenance costs, and communicate the value of water to customers.
Dry cooling can reduce water use significantly, but these savings may come with efficiency losses.
Bottom line: lots of potential water investment opportunities for for investors.

Haryana CM launches ‘ NABARD Water Compaign-2017’.
Punjab News Express/ SK.Vyas MOKHRA KHERI ( HRohtak): Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal launched ‘NABARD Water Campaign-2017’ being organised by the National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development (NABARD) in about 5,000 villages across 16 districts in the State for creating awareness about conservation, preservation and efficient utilisation of water.
The campaign, which focuses on tackling the problem of water scarcity in the most vulnerable, rain-fed, water-scarce and problem areas in the State, was launched in the presence of Finance Minister, Capt.
Under this campaign, various stakeholders, including government departments, banks, NGOs and corporate houses would be persuaded to facilitate village-level programmes in their jurisdiction with the support of trained Jal Dhoots in the district.
The campaign would lay emphasis on creating awareness about the need for water conservation, preservation and its efficient management, recharging groundwater, rainwater harvesting, recycling of waste water and adoption of a range of proven technologies such as micro-irrigation (more crop per drop), farm ponds, bunds, trenches and check dams.
As many as 200 teams comprising two persons per team, are being trained by the Master Trainers from Centre for Environment Education (CEE), Ahmedabad under the campaign.
Loan proposals from interested farmers, if any, mobilised by the Farmers’ Clubs, Self Help Groups (SHGs), NGOs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Water Users’ Association (WUA), and Financial Literacy and Credit Counselling Centres (FLCC), would be facilitated by LDM/DDM for sanction by the bank branches concerned.
JalDhoots, with the support of DDM, banks and Panchayati Raj Institutions, would organise one-day village training to create awareness about the importance of water and availability of various low-cost technologies for conservation, preservation and efficient utilisation of water.
The team would work in close coordination with DDM, Gram Panchayat, bank branches and PACS.
The campaign is expected to result in knowledge dissemination to around 1.50 lakh farmers, saving of water due to adoption of water-saving technologies, enhanced credit and flow of private investments in creation of water sources and their efficient utilisation, improved productivity and enhanced cropping intensity and crop diversification, increase in area under irrigation and enhanced adaptive capacity of the farmers, increase in forest cover and enhancement of income and livelihood security of farmer.

Villagers pour out their water woes.
Prakasam district faces severe drought for the third consecutive year this year.
“Forget about getting assured irrigation for their crops, we are forced to buy water from the two water treatment plants which fortunately still had water in their deep borewells.
“I take bath once in three or four days by sharing a pot of water with my wife,” says a farm worker, Chandrasekar, highlighting the severity of the water scarcity in the village.
The situation is no different in the Musi riverbed villages like Karumanchi, Nidamalur, Pidathalapudi, Ramachandrapuram, Regalagadapalem and Ponduru.
In Maddaluru, people trek at least five km to get a few pots of water by digging the dry riverbed of Musi which had lost its water holding capacity due to indiscriminate sand mining allegedly by sand mafia.
Kidney disease “Even if it meant trekking a long distance for water, we prefer river water as the groundwater had high fluoride content,” explains a group of women while making a mention of the doctors’ suggestion to them to consume only surface water and avoid fluoride-affected groundwater to ward off chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Six persons had succumbed to CKD in their village in a short period.
The State government should divert the Krishna water from Nagarjunasgar to Musi riverbed villages to find a permanent solution to the water woes of the people, says CPI(ML) New Democracy Prakasam district secretary Ch.
Venkateswarlu.

Parched earth, pouring pain.
With 2017 set to unleash unprecedented water scarcity in the country—from Bundelkhand to Andhra Pradesh—fields, ponds and reservoirs are drying up, leaving cattle to die and farmers foraging for food.
Delhi is experiencing a summer of plenty avoiding water crisis and enjoying surplus power.
The first trace of moisture available is at 100m below ground level in Rajasthan.
In the South, reservoirs are down to 10 per cent of storage.
In Bundelkhand region, the defining picture of drought is endless distances of parched earth.
Almost 80 percent of the region’s population is mainly agricultural (2011 census).
However, one place where all that is blasé in India, bar the Thar desert, is Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh, a crucible of drought for as long as anyone can remember.
Rayalaseema is synonymous with drought —a far cry from popular lore that during the time of the Vijayanagara kingdom, merchants would sell rubies in the markets.
In Tamil Nadu, the drought has affected weddings too.