Nitin Bassi

The variations in COVID-19 infections and deaths reported in Indian states as of 31 March 2021 have been analysed. While the proportion of people living in densely populated areas, per capita net state domestic product, and proportion of aged people explained the variations in COVID-19 infections, in the case of deaths, an additional contributing factor was identified in per capita public health infrastructure. The curious situation of income increasing COVID-19 transmissions and deaths could probably be explained by the considerable proportion of people in some high-income states living in congested slums under extreme poverty with poor access to basic infrastructure, and the high mobility and exposure of some of these states to domestic and international travel footprint, and large migrant population, all resulting in increased risks.

Read more about Investigating Interstate Variations in the COVID-19 Outcomes in India

Managing Groundwater–Energy Nexus in India

Vol. 56, Issue No. 11, 13 Mar, 2021

Meera Sahasranaman, M Dinesh Kumar, Mahendra Singh Verma, Chris J Perry, Nitin Bassi, M V K Sivamohan

The fresh arguments made by Shilp Verma and others in support of the “SpaRC” model, as a solution for India’s multiple problems of groundwater depletion, farmer distress, poor financial working of the power sector and growing carbon footprint in agriculture are misleading, and the analyses presented to back them are flawed.

Read more about Managing Groundwater–Energy Nexus in India

Solar Irrigation Cooperatives

Vol. 53, Issue No. 21, 26 May, 2018

Meera Sahasranaman, M Dinesh Kumar, Nitin Bassi, Mahendra Singh, Arijit Ganguly

This article challenges the analysis and arguments presented in Tushaar Shah et al (2017). It shows on the basis of empirical data that solar photovoltaic systems for well irrigation are economically unviable, and offering high capital subsidies for such systems and then guaranteeing a higher feed-in-tariff for the electricity produced than the market price would ruin the state electricity utilities and distort energy markets, while incentivising farmers to pump excess groundwater to raise water-inefficient crops and sell the excess water for a profit.

Read more about Solar Irrigation Cooperatives

New ‘Water Management Paradigm’

Vol. 52, Issue No. 49, 09 Dec, 2017

M Dinesh Kumar, S A Prathapar, R Maria Saleth, V Ratna Reddy, A Narayanamoorthy, Nitin Bassi

This article critiques theMihir Shah Committee report and the articles about it in this journal (24 December 2016). It says that although the report has intended to be an attempt at restructuring of water institutions, it has, unfortunately ended just as an exercise in restructuring “water organisations,” and its contents get reduced to a mere “preface” rather than a serious analytical attempt towards a practical approach to institutional restructuring in the water sector.

Read more about New ‘Water Management Paradigm’

Rejuvenating Tanksin Telangana

Vol. 51, Issue No. 34, 20 Aug, 2016

M Dinesh Kumar, Nitin Bassi, K Sivarama Kishan, Shourjomoy Chattopadhyay, Arijit Ganguly

"Mission Kakatiya" is an ambitious project launched by the Government of Telangana to rejuvenate 47,000 tanks in the state by 2020. This article argues that it would be the repetition of the old historical mistake to approach the issue without taking into consideration the hydrological and ecological aspects. Picking up only those tanks which have water generated in their catchments would save a lot of precious money.

Read more about Rejuvenating Tanksin Telangana

Irrigation and Energy Nexus

Vol. 50, Issue No. 10, 07 Mar, 2015

Nitin Bassi

Groundwater ha s emerged as the mainstay of irrigated agriculture in India. However, ineffective institutional arrangements for its management have resulted in both groundwater over-exploitation and wasteful use of energy. To address the dependence of groundwater use on energy, suggestions have been made to adopt solar-powered irrigation pumps. It is argued that solar pumps are not only economically unviable, but under the present policy context, their use would do little to reduce groundwater and energy use in Indian agriculture.

Read more about Irrigation and Energy Nexus

Employment Guarantee and Its Environmental Impact: Are the Claims Valid?

Vol. 46, Issue No. 34, 20 Aug, 2011

M Dinesh Kumar, M V K Sivamohan, Nitin Bassi, V Niranjan

This note questions some of the assumptions, fundamental concepts and methodologies in "MGNREGA for Environmental Service Enhancement and Vulnerability Reduction: Rapid Appraisal in Chitradurga District, Karnataka" (EPW, 14 May 2011), arguing that the analysis in the paper does not support the authors' claims of multiple benefits from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

Read more about Employment Guarantee and Its Environmental Impact: Are the Claims Valid?

A Fairy Tale on Groundwater

Vol. 44, Issue No. 39, 26 Sep, 2009

M V Sivamohan, Manoj Kumar Sharma, Nitin Bassi

The article entitled “Will the Impact of the 2009 Drought Be Different from 2002?” (EPW, 12 September 2009) by Tushaar Shah et al reads like a fairy tale in its content, arguments and conclusions.