Environment

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Manyachiwadi becomes Maharashtra’s first solar-powered village

With over 100 rooftop solar panels, Manyachiwadi village in Maharashtra’s Satara district has become the state's first to run entirely on solar power, enjoying uninterrupted electricity and standing as a shining example of clean energy transformation.

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Howrah’s fight for its wilderness

A passionate group of environmentalists come together to save the biodiversity of Howrah district in West Bengal.

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The big success story of Indian rhino conservation

This World Rhino Day, Village Square takes stock of all the conservation efforts being made for the sake of the Indian rhinoceros, one of the oldest mammals to walk the earth.

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Rising human-wildlife conflicts distress Kashmir villagers

As urbanisation and deforestation encroach on natural habitats, wild animals are coming in closer contact with humans. Villagers in Kashmir, many of whom depend on farming and orchard work, are finding themselves particularly vulnerable to these encounters.

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Water revolution – Natural fibre tanks provide a low-cost storage solution

Innovative water tanks made from coconut, banana and flax fibre can transform water storage issues in drought-prone villages. The solution, developed by Jalvardhini, an NGO, and RuTAG IIT-Bombay, uses materials that are easily available and environmentally sustainable.

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Coastal erosion takes its toll on this Odisha village

As the thriving coastal community with 200 families has been forced to abandon their houses and leave the village because of sea erosion, Podampetta in Odisha’s Ganjam district appears like a ghost village.

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AI-based alerts help prevent elephant collisions against trains

As forest cover decreases and human-animal interactions increase, especially on railway tracks, railway and forest officials are turning to surveillance and alert systems based on artificial intelligence as a solution.

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26-year-old Puri youth leads Odisha’s green revolution

Soumya Ranjan Biswal, the 26-year-old founder of Odisha Paryavaran Sanrakshan Aviyan, has mobilised local communities to protect ecosystems, promote mangrove restoration and Olive Ridley turtle conservation, and organise events to combat sea pollution.

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Farmers’ dilemma: How cooperation can address water security

In India's dry regions, farmers face a tough choice – work together on crops or risk losing everything. Cooperation is the key for farm prosperity given serious water shortages in these areas.

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Kerala farmers prefer local plants over fences to ward off tuskers

Even as the Kerala government installs and plans more beehive fences to curb human-animal interactions, villagers in Attappadi taluk say that a local bean crop is more effective than the fences.

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Flood-resistant houses provide sanctuary to Kerala villagers

Project Bhoomika, a social initiative to provide homes for those affected by the floods in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, enables residents to feel safe during the state’s torrential monsoon.

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How one woman became the water guardian of a Gujarat village

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Payal Ben Vikram Bhai Patel, a ‘bhujal jankar’ in Bhunav, Gujarat, is transforming her village through grassroots water conservation efforts. Overcoming challenges, she educates and empowers her community to secure a sustainable water future.

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Hanging solar fences mitigate human-elephant conflicts in Kerala

As traditional methods of beating drums, digging trenches and building concrete walls proved ineffective in reducing human-animal interactions, Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department has installed hanging solar fences that deter elephants from entering villages.

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Ex-poacher turns messiah for the Royal Bengal tiger

An ex-poacher’s conservation efforts help mitigate the human-animal conflict in the Sundarbans.

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Women come to mangrove rescue in the Sundarbans

An all-woman group creates a mangrove forest in the Sundarbans to save it from climate disasters.

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Combating desertification and drought in Chhattisgarh

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This initiative of Transform Rural India and Hindustan Unilever Foundation is working to restore land and water ecosystems in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh by layering scientific principles while planning and executing local development plans.

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Flood-prone Assam village sees hope with terra water filters

In the flood-prone Barak valley of southern Assam, where monsoon floods often leave villagers without clean drinking water, terra filters installed by a non-governmental organisation have become a lifeline.

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Can India curb its agricultural greenhouse gas emissions?

With a majority of farmers practising traditional agriculture which results in considerable greenhouse gas emissions, it’s time to switch to eco-friendly farming that ensures food security and prevents environmental degradation.

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Meet India’s youth climate activists with rural roots

This World Environment Day, Village Square speaks to youth activists with rural roots who are working towards climate literacy, climate change mitigation, flora and fauna conservation, river protection and preserving traditional knowledge in sensitive ecosystems.

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‘Even small ponds make a big difference’

It’s not just us but also our water bodies that are parched today. And community-driven water conservation is the need of the hour for rural empowerment and environmental sustainability, says Maulik Sisodia, executive director, Tarun Bharat Sangh.