-The Hindu   Locals allege Coca-Cola is to blame for the rising water crisis in the area Varanasi: Holding it responsible for the aggravation of water crisis in the area, village councils here have opposed Coca-Cola's plans of expanding its existing bottling plant at Mehdiganj, 20 km from here, and called on the government to stop the company's current groundwater extraction. Fifteen panchayats or village councils here have asked the Central Ground Water Authority...

The ongoing droughts and water crises in Maharashtra and Gujarat point to the multiple conflicts the beleaguered and scarce resource of water is likely to spark in the coming years. India is today the world’s largest consumer of groundwater, but it is clear that how we extract, harvest, distribute and manage our most precious resource cannot proceed along usual lines. The unsustainable over-extraction is heralding a fall in the water-table and...

-The Hindu  India’s first aquifer atlas points to a sharp decline in groundwater levels in several parts of Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. The atlas, compiled by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Union Ministry of Water Resources, says within the national capital, South-West Delhi is worst affected by depleting groundwater levels. “One of the critical challenges during the 12th Five-Year Plan is to evolve strategies to manage ground...

-The Indian Express Punjab has not missed the monsoon. Despite rainfall being nearly 60 per cent deficient — there has been some this week — the paddy fields have remained lush green all through the season. But below, the water table in over 80 per cent of Punjab is depleting. Of 138 hydrogeological blocks, over 100 are listed as dark or grey zones due to over-exploitation of underground water, with the average...

Proposes inter-ministry contribution for prioritising the issues   Union Minister of Rural Development Jairam Ramesh has presented a plan to various Central ministries to contribute to the cause of drinking water and sanitation, saying that investment for a healthy population was as important as investing for defence. Mr. Ramesh, who also holds the Drinking Water and Sanitation portfolio, on Tuesday had his proposals ratified at the National Drinking Water and Sanitation Council which...