Environment

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.

Saving biodiversity, one click at a time

Abdul Qayoom Sofi, raised in Kashmir’s Kanispora Baramulla, developed a profound bond with nature from childhood. Now Block Forest Officer for Jhelum Valley, he dedicates his life to preserving Kashmir’s wildlife, driven by a deep love for the land. His mission is to protect the biodiversity that shaped him.

Faith in the long game of natural farming

Battling climate change and financial woes, a tribal farmer puts his faith in organic, natural farming methods – betting that enriching his soil will reap rewards in the long run.

Managing menstrual waste in the Andamans

With populations rising, changes in lifestyle, and increased tourism, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands face the challenge of managing waste, which can lead to serious health and ecological impacts. Let’s see how the village of Wandoor is keeping itself clean.

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This youngster chose farming at 26

It is heartening to come across someone like Vikram Sagar, who has successfully made the leap from city life to full-time farming in native Coorg. Village Square chats with this young farmer who is transforming agriculture with innovative practices.

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Diversification yields better food, income, health 

From pomegranates to pineapple, fish to “power-packed” rice – how a Telangana Koya tribal woman embraces agricultural diversification and organic farming. Doing so has not just helped her fields yield a better income, but improved her land, her health and tastebuds too.

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TARAgram Yatra 2024: ‘Investing in the Local & Green’

The three-day TARAgram Yatra 2024, hosted by Development Alternatives (DA), took participants on an immersive tour of Bundelkhand, giving them an insight into rural India and its developmental programmes.

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Cultivating an ecological consciousness

Shunya, a permaculture farm that started over a decade ago, in Himachal’s Bir village embodies the vision of regenerative farming. Transitioning through many hands, it is now being cared for by farmer Jeewika Bhat and her initiative ‘Seeds and Deeds’, which aims to take it a step further.

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UP environmentalist walks the talk to save river, trees

Sundaram Tiwari from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district has worked to restore the Sai river by planting about 2 lakh trees, inspiring lakhs of people by walking thousands of kilometres across the country.

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She’s a lifeline for Meghalaya’s endangered western hoolock gibbons

Betsida Marak, an educator in her late 30s, works to save the western hoolock gibbons, a primate that is found in the north eastern states of India. Her efforts, including teaching wildlife conservation to kids through stories rooted in Garo folklore, are making a difference.