Livelihoods

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Mizoram farmers caught in ‘rat trap’

Ahead of a new bamboo flowering cycle, rats are attacking fields in Mizoram, destroying crops in several acres as farmers and officials struggle to contain the problem.

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‘Dignity is closely linked to economic condition’

About 95 percent of the workforce in India is engaged in the informal sector, and we cannot leave them outside of our imagination, says Subhash Bhatnagar of Nirmana, an organisation that seeks to empower unorganised sector workers.

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Migrants live their Mumbai dream at Sassoon Docks

Thousands from across India's rural landscape arrive and work at Mumbai’s oldest wet dock, which is one of the nation’s biggest exporters of sea fish.

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Kashmir’s youngsters take to mushroom farming

With help from the government, thousands of youths turn to mushroom cultivation to earn a livelihood.

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Music band rings in new dawn for ex-prisoners

Naya Savera is a unique band comprising former inmates of Udaipur Central Jail out to shrug off their past for redeeming themselves.

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Sangli’s grape farmers are ‘raisin’ the bar

Farmers harness the suitable climate and grow certain varieties of grapes that can be dried into raisins, elevating Sangli district as India’s raisin hub.

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How women’s market sustains indigenous food system

The Tangkhul community of Ukhrul in Manipur relies heavily on agriculture, besides foraging. Women play an important role in it. Ava Market is the ‘women only’ market in town where herbs, plants and wild edibles are sold daily.

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‘Soilless’ farming bears fruit for Odisha women farmers

Digital Green-supported initiatives in which saplings are grown in a mixture of composts and then planted in dry farmlands are getting growers better returns in Keonjhar district.

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Why farmers in Mizoram quit oil palm cultivation

Amidst claims of oil palm cultivation being disastrous for the environment, lack of transportation facilities and inadequate water supply have been forcing farmers to switch to other crops.

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A juicy outcome for Maharashtra mango farmers

Mango farmers in Maharashtra are reaping the benefits of ultra high-density plantation, which ensures bigger yield on small parcels of land without compromising on the quality of fruit.

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Kerala’s Kannadippaya bamboo mat and the quest for identity

Weaving a Kannadippaya is an exquisite, age-old skill possessed by elderly women in remote tribal settlements spread over the southern Western Ghats range in Kerala.

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Billionaire overnight: Woman finds gold under village land

It’s not everyday that one finds gold under land, but the people of Poi village in Tamil Nadu did and it turned their lives into a dream.

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Die cast for vanishing cowbells of Jharkhand

Blacksmiths practising the ancient art form of making cowbells are struggling to make ends meet as sales have dipped, with rural folks keeping fewer cattle now.

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Bridal jewellery made with dried palm leaf?

Karthkeyan quit his job as design engineer and became a successful organic farmer with wife Neelaveni. The duo now makes eye-catching ornaments and showpieces from Palmyra leaf.

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Immerse yourself in a sea of tulips this summer

Sitting pretty on a strip between Srinagar’s Dal Lake and the snow-capped Zabarwan mountains, Asia’s largest tulip garden is set to witness 1.6 million tulips blossom.

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Arecanut goes from yucky paan stains to dandy dye

Much maligned for the paan stains, betelnut juice is now being used as a natural dye by artists and the textile industry, offering a good income source for areca nut farmers of Karnataka

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‘Planting trees is not forest restoration’

To learn about India’s forests, their significance and their relationship with people, we spoke with Neha Singh, founder of Forrest India, a Pune-based organisation working on biodiversity conservation, ecosystem connectivity and climate change.

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How ‘Canal Man’ channelled strength for Odisha village 

Daitari Naik’s Talabaitarani village in Kendujhar district is no longer the parched land where people were forced to drink muddied water. The 3km canal he dug almost single-handedly ensures lush crops all year round.

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This is where your cabbage may be coming from

Bara Garan is a remote sleepy hamlet nestled at a height of 2,350m in the Dhauladhar range of the Himalayas. Located in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, Bara Garan had no road connectivity to a nearby town until a couple of decades back. Residents had to walk for a day to reach Barot, the nearest town. But things changed when a road was constructed. Now villagers who earlier grew crops only for self-sustenance are farming cabbage commercially, selling it to traders across north India.

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How authentic Goan feni is made

The recipe of the favourite Goan souvenir – feni – is no longer a local secret. Find out how the alcoholic beverage, made from ripe cashew fruit, is brewed in the most traditional way.