Climate change is impacting the world. It is the poorest who suffer the most. Yet often rural Indians are leading the way in sustainable advances and trialling schemes that – if rolled out on a macro scale – can create real change in the environment.
Environment
Coming up, a food forest in Himachal’s Kangra
Picture a food forest-cum-botanical garden where you can buy seeds of native plants as well as taste the produce. This is what Attune, an upcoming project in Himachal’s Kangra, seeks to offer.
Uttarakhand priest blends faith and foliage to reforest Himalayas
Beyond his spiritual duties 33-year-old priest Ankit Dhyani of Devprayag is on a mission to reforest the Himalayan mountains and foothills ravaged by deforestation and fires through his grassroots initiative, GoGreenIndia.
Herbal healer leads biodiversity revival in Odisha’s Koraput district
In the green hills of Deomali, Hari Pangi’s mission to plant healing trees shows that with a deep connection to the past and a commitment to the future, one person can inspire change on a grand scale.
Guarding Garuda: Man Who Saved Greater Adjutant Stork in Bihar
Led by conservationist Arvind Mishra, community-driven efforts in Bhagalpur have revived the population of the critically endangered greater adjutant stork, locally called garuda, increasing their numbers from 78 birds in 2007 to over 600 today.
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.
Howrah’s fight for its wilderness
A passionate group of environmentalists come together to save the biodiversity of Howrah district in West Bengal.
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.
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.
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.