Arghyam is a public charitable foundation setup with an endowment from Rohini Nilekani, working in the water and sanitation sector in India since 2005. ‘Arghyam’ is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘Offering’.
Our vision is “Safe, sustainable water for all”. More...
Monthly Feature
How Not To Stop The Flow
Rohini Nilekani May 28, 2011
Courtesy: Times of India
In summer, people's minds turn to water. Critically dependent on the monsoon, we pray for good rains as we suffer the extreme heat of the subcontinent.
Water is no longer just a temporary concern for the summer months. If the last century was dominated by anxiety over oil, this one will be consumed by concerns over the declining quantity and quality of our water resources.
In India, we may have to ready ourselves for perennial freshwater shortages. With our population growth and finite water resources of around 4,000 BCM, per capita availability of water has been declining steadily since 1947. We have also been recklessly drawing out water from our rivers and underground aquifers, without enough thought to their recharge and replenishment. It is now predicted we will be an officially water stressed country within this decade, when per capita availability may fall below the accepted 1,700 cubic metres per person per year mark.
Glimpses of visitors to Arghyam
This video gives a flavour of the many different kinds of people who pass through Arghyam and enrich the organisation with their ideas and work.
Gravity Water Flow Systems in Eastern Ghats, India
Arghyam partnered with Visakha Jilha Nav Nirman Samiti (VJNNS), Visakhapatnam for implementing “Neeru - Aarogyam” (Water and Health) project in the Eastern Ghats. The project focused on creation of gravity based water supply systems using natural springs and providing water to the tribal villages through pipelines. Arghyam conducted a study to document the gravity based water supply system as a new source of drinking water.
India must prepare for future growth by planning a low-water economy
Article and Image courtesy: YaleGlobal Online
Author: Rohini Nilekani
India and China account for one third of the world’s population; each consumes more freshwater than other nations. Per inhabitant per year, though, India uses less than half what’s used in the US, China uses less than one third. This YaleGlobal series examines India and China’s water use, their expectations for rising demand and recognition that shortages will disrupt economic progress.
The Planning Commission of India repeatedly warns that water will become a more serious issue than land or energy for India in years to come, points out Rohini Nilekani, in the second article of the series. India’s transition from an economy based on agriculture to a mixed one, with water use controlled by states rather than the federal constitution, already leads to conflicts. She urges planning for a low-water economy. Good governance and regulatory frameworks can prevent pollution and waste, while encouraging efficiency, reliable and fair allocation, and wise consumer choices.
Soil Biotechnology Installation at ACCEPT Society
This film describes the Soil Biotechnology wastewater treatment plant that Arghyam has commissioned at ACCEPT Society as an action research project.
Model Schools: A Status Report
This report captures the learnings from the evaluation conducted in late 2009 and provides insights into the reasons for success and failure of the interventions in seventeen model (rainwater harvesting and sanitation) schools in Karnataka.
