Water-hungry food companies ignoring supply chain risks, report finds.
Just six of the world’s largest food companies have set sustainable water-sourcing targets for the majority of their agricultural inputs, as a new report reveals that water risks in the supply chain are still largely ignored.
Ceres published its latest Feeding Ourselves Thirsty report today (11 September), which evaluates 42 of the largest food companies on water risks across packaged foods, beverages, agricultural products and meat.
The latest report found that while the number of companies that were assessing water risks had increased by 30% since 2015, just six has set sourcing goals across key areas of the business.
Anglian for change It’s not just businesses that are attempting to reduce water usage.
“We are really excited to deliver positive, real change for Anglian Water around consumer water usage,” Given London’s managing partner Ben Hayman said.
Our approach is insight based, as we work closely with Anglian Water and the local community, to deliver results which can then be replicated at scale across the UK.” Refill scheme While it is important for businesses to track water use, another key environmental issue is emerging regarding the use of plastic bottles.
Once such campaign is Refill, which aims to reduce the use of plastic bottles by getting businesses to offer free tap water refills.
Last week, Banbury and Bicester became the tenth and eleventh towns in England to sign up to the scheme.
Matt Mace

uThukela District Municipality Mayor Siphiwe Mazibuko and Exco member Cllr MV Khumalo, accompanied by Inkosi Langalibalele Municipality Mayor Jabu Mbhele and councillors, recently introduced the contractors to install water pipes in the KwaDlamini, KwaNdaba, Bhekuzulu and Phangweni areas outside Estcourt.
This is being done in an attempt to tackle water scarcity in these areas, a problem which has been ongoing for quite some time.
We work together with relevant departments to bring basic services to the people,” Cllr Mbhele informed the community.
The source funding is from the Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG).
It is expected to take up to 10 months to complete, and an amount of over R18 million has been allocated.
About 266 households will benefit from the project in these areas.
The next day, the district mayor announced the contractors to the communities of KwaBhekuzulu and Phangweni.
In KwaBhekuzulu, about 40 job opportunities will be created and the project will take up to 15 months to complete.
In the Phangweni area, the project is expected to create 80 job opportunities and will take up to 18 months to complete.
Cllr Khumalo warned the community members against illegal water connections, as this hinders progress and development in terms of effective service delivery.

Thiruvananthapuram faces drought despite rains.
Ground water department has been recording massive dip in the wells that they monitor in this area.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though monsoon showers have blessed city sumptuously, several panchayats in southern part of capital continue to reel under water crisis.
Some of the areas that fall under Athiyanoor block panchayat area has been the worst drought affected, consistently, during the past decades.
Ground water department has been recording massive dip in the wells that they monitor in this area.
“We, people’s representatives, have requested the district administration to expedite long pending local water projects in places such as Kulathoor, Karode, Chenakal, Athiyanoor and Kottukal panchayat,” he said.
The water projects primarily involve rejuvenating pounds and tapping them for drinking purposes.
“Karode, for instance has around 50 to 58 ponds that can be rejuvenated.
We plans to make a grid of ponds that can be tapped for drinking water purposes and agricultural purpose.
An approval from central government was awaited,” an official said.

Water scarcity hits deputy governor’s office as workers contribute money to buy water.
The staff of Adamawa state deputy governor’s office, Martins Babale, are facing hard times, as they have to contribute money amongst themselves weekly to buy water for their use in the office.
Ever since the pumps dried up in June, a situation that commercial water vendors are now celebrating by supplying twelve water jerry cans, which costs each office about 500 Naira.
Some officials that spoke to The Guardian on condition of anonymity blamed Babale for not approving money for the repairs of the borehole.
“Repairmen have checked the borehole and gave us a bill of N155, 000 Naira, but for three months now, he has not approved the money,” he said.
The Guardian investigations revealed that Babale wants to drill a new borehole, but he suspected that the bill given to him was outrageous, far above the real cost.
The water scarcity has forced some staff to stay off their duty post, since they cannot make use of the toilets.
When The Guardian contacted the chief press secretary to Babale, Samuel Ganwaja, he declined to comment, saying that the permanent secretary of the deputy governor’s office who is in Saudi Arabia for hajj is the only person that can speak on it.

The Global Rundown Over 180 million people around the world lack clean water due to conflict, according to UN estimates.
A hospital in Gorakhpur, India is under fire after the death of 42 children in two days, which hospital officials claim is linked to encephalitis, a disease spread during monsoon rains.
The World Bank advises that tackling water scarcity in the Middle East will boost stability and growth.
War refugees who have returned to Kabul, Afghanistan face limited water access.
A 40-year dispute over water rights in Washington State’s Yakima Valley is drawing to a close.
Reuters By The Numbers 386 Number of children who died at Baba Raghav Das Hospital in Gorakhpur, India during the month of August, compared to 193 in July.
Al Jazeera 18,445 Number of Rohingya Muslims who have registered in Bangladesh following clashes in northern Myanmar.
Rohingya insurgents attacked government security forces last week, forcing thousands to flee to neighboring Bangladesh.
Reuters Science, Studies, And Reports More than 180 million people in conflict-affected countries do not have access to clean drinking water, according to a report by UNICEF.
The rest of the city’s 5 million inhabitants, many of whom are war refugees, struggle to find reliable sources of clean water.

Budgam people block highway to protest water shortage.
Villagers said that around 15000 souls inhabiting the area were craving for potable water supply for past more than two months.
Hundreds of persons Monday blocked Srinagar-Gulmarg highway in Mazhama village to protest “acute” drinking water shortage.
Villagers said that around 15000 souls inhabiting the area were craving for potable water supply for past more than two months.
Villages like Narbal Ghat, Bazar Mohalla, Kawoosa, Chinar Colony, Kanihama, Mazhama, and other small hamlets are facing water scarcity past two months, he said.
“Time and again, we had apprised the authorities but still no action was taken.
It is pertinent to mention that a scheme under NABARD has been devised to cater to the water needs of this badly affected area but it is pending approval from the authorities.
Until its approval, locals are demanding consistent tanker services to these villages.
Protests were called off after the PHE officials assured locals tanker services that even was sent to Mazhama latter in the day, however, locals alleged that the water quality of these tankers is beyond any consumption usage so they didn’t get collect the water.
Until the water supply is restored fully we would pump water tankers into service.”

Drought-hit Karnataka forcing farmers to switch from paddy to ragi.
Bengaluru: Following a lukewarm response to its promotional efforts, Karnataka has resorted to more forceful measures to get farmers in the Cauvery command area to switch from cultivating water-intensive crops such as paddy and sugarcane to drought-tolerant millets as part of a plan to stabilize farmers’ incomes and manage the water scarcity.
Staring at its fourth consecutive drought year, the state government has stopped the sale of paddy seeds in some districts, including Mandya, and restricted their availability in Mysuru and Chamrajnagar, hoping to get farmers to switch to ragi and jowar among other coarse grains to mitigate the imminent loss of agricultural activity, keep fodder reserves going and shield farmers’ incomes.
We want them to take up a crop, but not paddy and sugarcane,” Krishna Byre Gowda, Karnataka’s agriculture minister said in an interview last week.
The limited availability of paddy seeds through the government and advisories against sowing paddy do not necessarily prevent the farmer who can get the seeds from private companies or his peers.
And farmers in the Cauvery command area, the heartland of farmer agitations in Karnataka, are not happy with the government regulating the release of water to canals.
The state says it will give Rs2,300 per quintal, but it costs more to cultivate it,” Shantakumar said.
The state government, for a few years now, have assured ragi buyback at prices higher than that of rice, but have still not made it part of the public distribution system (PDS).
The state government has invested over Rs150 crore in seed subsidies, buybacks and promotions to package ragi as not just a drought resistant crop helping farmers but also a nutritional crop.
But the total cultivated area of ragi has come down over the years—from about 787,000 hectares in 2010-11 to 677,000 ha in 2015-16.

Villagers block Srinagar-Gulmarg highway in Mazhama to protest water scarcity.
Hundreds of men and women on Monday blocked Srinagar-Gulmarg highway in Mazhama village to protest “acute” drinking water shortage.
Scores of vehicles were stranded on the busy highway because of the protest.
Villagers said that around 15000 souls inhabiting the area were craving for potable water supply for past more than two months.
They said the Narbal-Magam water supply scheme feeding from the Tangmarg nalas is dysfunctional and that the authorities didn’t bother to make an alternate arrangement for them.
“We were assured water supply through tanker services but it is infrequent and the supply is much less as compared to our need.
“Time and again, we had apprised the authorities but still no action was taken.
Until its approval, locals are demanding consistent tanker services to these villages.
Executive Engineer PHE Division Budgam G M Beigh said: “An additional tractor tanker will be arranged for the worst hit vicinities until the permanent resolution of the problem.” National Conference President and MP Dr Farooq Abdullah today led a delegation of opposition leaders to Governor N N Vohra and impressed upon him to convene a special session of JK Assembly.
Two militants were killed in an ongoing operation in Shankergund Brath area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday, police said.

Water scarcity in KC Canal hits Ganesh immersion.
Highlights: Blocking of water in the Sunkesula reservoir by placing sand bags has invited widespread criticism from various sections in Kurnool Because of the scanty water many idols are remaining afloat and devotees have been trying to destroy such idols The idols are slowly making their way to the immersion spot at Vinayak Ghat near the canal.
After Bakrid on Saturday, the ‘Shoba yatra’ took off at 10 am after the namaz.
At around 4 pm, Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishnamurthy formally launched the ‘nimajjanotsavam.
Hundreds of volunteers took part in the yatra in the presence of heavy police security.
With the immersion, organisers struggling to complete the process by noon on Sunday, many idols remained out of the canal water.
Huge Ganesh idols made of Plaster of Paris Ganesh have been installed despite the residents facing difficulties in securing even drinking water, because of the continuing scanty rainfall and lack of vision of officials to make suitable arrangements.
Despite such problems, people have been taking pains to tastefully decorate hundreds of idols at mandapams.
The Ganesh Navaratri celebrations continue from three to 11 days depending on the convenience of the residents.
Irrespective of caste and community, both the young and elderly are seen keenly taking part in the immersion.

The PWD water supply authority has decided to step up its efforts against water theft and excessive water use in Valpoi and surrounding areas.
In this regard, the official of PWD-Valpoi has decided to revive its anti-water theft squad to keep a tab on theft of potable water.
The move comes in the wake of ‘The Navhind Times’ report highlighting unavailability of water in remote villages of Valpoi.
A PWD official confirmed about the unavailability of water in remote areas of Valpoi and it was stated that during an inspection, several instances of meter tampering came to the fore.
After a discussion, the PWD will be forming a squad which will keep a check on water theft cases, it was informed.
Meanwhile, this reporter was informed that in Thane village due to ongoing work of laying new pipelines the water supply was less from Dabos plant, but not below permissible level.
According to PWD records, 13000 consumers, including household, commercial and construction, use per day nearly 20 MLD water in allotted jurisdiction.
We have found that few consumers are misusing the water by way of tampering, which is affecting the flow of water in this region,” said one of the officials of Valpoi PWD water supply.
However, the PWD believes that the drive will be successful only with public participation.
Meanwhile, it is also observed that many leakages do exist to the pipelines and these are needed to be plugged to avoid wastage of water.