Environment
A thousand ponds for this Maharashtrian village’s vineyards
When switching from water-intensive crops to grapes didn’t solve problems for farmers in drought-prone Manerajuri, they found a sustainable water source by digging farm ponds and harvesting rainwater.
A peek into rural India’s plastic waste
Government of India’s strict ban on the use of ‘single-use plastic’ comes into effect on 1 July, 2022. The notification permits jail term of up to five years, or a penalty of up to Rs 1 lakh, or both, for violators. As this ban is imposed, we asked our growing photo community to show us how plastic waste affects rural India. The photos show the prevalence of plastic waste and the toxic ways in which it affects everyone - humans and animals alike - in the rural ecosystem.
Sacred groves guarded by village deities need human help
Tamil Nadu’s disappearing sacred groves host some of the last remaining patches of critically endangered tropical dry evergreen forests, which - though guarded by the gods - need human help restoring them.
Rural youth turn to cool eco-tourism jobs in Chhattisgarh
Converted into an eco-tourism facility, the scenic spot near Kodar Dam in Chhattisgarh offers a perfect weekend get-away, while ensuring local employment for rural youth and better income.
Black cardamom loses flavour among Kalimpong farmers
Farmers who considered black cardamom a golden crop are now shifting to other crops due to losses caused by plant diseases and their own reluctance to adopt modern farming practices.
And with fury flows the Teesta
The River Teesta bears the brunt of ill-planned development with dams and tunnels in the disaster-prone area, leading to many rafting and car accidents.
Conserving endemic small mammals
A Tamil researcher’s love for little mammals – from cute hedgehogs to despised rats – has got him on a mission to get villagers, especially children, to put away their catapults and help protect these small mammals.
India’s Earth Day heroes
From the farmers who turn barren land into lush forests to those who breed new, sustainable varieties of fruits (with fewer seeds to boot!) - India’s villages are bursting with eco-warriors who are investing in our planet. Join us as we salute them on Earth Day 2022.
Using puppet power to spread messages
Thol paavai koothu, the long but fading tradition of leather puppetry in Tamil Nadu, is reinventing itself by bringing awareness about the declining number of small animals and the importance of conservation.
Tracking endangered northern river terrapins
Released and tracked - endangered northern river terrapins, bred in captivity, are closely monitored after being released into their natural mangrove habitat in the Sundarbans - thanks to India’s first-ever GPS tagging and tracking programme.
“All my effort over the years will be wasted”
The Kurichiya tribal farmer hailed as “India's living paddy gene bank,” Cheruvayal Raman, is desperate to find a home for his seed collection, so that indigenous varieties can be preserved and propagated.
Srinagar’s Lake Khushal Sar springs back to life
Thanks to a team of nature-lovers, decades of garbage is cleared from Lake Khushal Sar, spurring on more restoration of Srinagar's famous lakes and buoying the revival of lake-based livelihoods.
Azolla “water weed” becomes cattle superfood
With the cost of maintaining livestock a constant burden for most poor farmers, azolla goes from being a pesky water weed to a sustainable and cost-effective superfood for cattle.
Young twitcher becomes desert’s star birding guide
With a passion for birds, birding guide Musa Khan hopes his work will inspire other twitchers to become aware of rising bird deaths due to power transmission lines in the Thar desert.
UP’s young water evangelist
A young woman receives international recognition for her work ensuring 22 UP villages - and counting - get clean, safe water and learn how to fight against contamination.
Greening barren land – Bihar’s guava guru
Once a teacher fondly called ‘guruji,’ Satyendar Manjhi now turns barren land into guava orchards – all thanks to the inspirational advice of India’s ‘mountain man’.
Will Dhinkia lose its betel vines to steel plants?
Unwilling to give up their profitable betel farms, residents of Dhinkia are protesting against the acquisition of their lands for an industrial plant.
Forget logging or hunting – two Assam villages embrace ecotourism
Giving up hunting and tree felling, two Assamese villages are conserving their forest habitat rather than let their natural resources erode. With their villages now on the eco-tourism map, they are embracing alternate livelihoods.
Meet Similipal’s young forest “Protection Assistants”
Meet the youths working with the forest department – designated as “Protection Assistants” – to prevent poaching, stop illegal timber logging in Similipal National Park and spread the word about the benefits of park protection.
Ferocious river threatens potters’ livelihood
The 500-year-old legacy of Majuli Island’s potters is at risk as the River Brahmaputra slowly swallows their land and, ironically, measures to prevent erosion only add to the potter’s woes, never mind the next generation’s lack of interest in the art.