environment
Chitkul, India’s last village
Village Square takes a trip on the old Hisdustan-Tibet road to visit the scenic village of Chitkul. Here’s more on the place.
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.
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.
Moving mountains with rural-based themes on celluloid
Aravali the Lost Mountains, by Jigar Nagda, captures this conflict between the many facets of development. In a chat with Village Square, the filmmaker talks about his journey and mining in Rajasthan ahead of the screening of the film at the Chitrashaala short-film festival.
Ex-poacher turns messiah for the Royal Bengal tiger
An ex-poacher’s conservation efforts help mitigate the human-animal conflict in the Sundarbans.
Village battles cancer as Punjab’s environmental crisis deepens
The village of Sirsiwala in Punjab's Mansa district is grappling with an alarming rise in cancer cases linked to groundwater pollution and intensive pesticide use.
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.
Climate change — With 2 tiger attacks a month, Sundarbans reels under human-animal conflict
Climate change and rising sea levels are pushing farmers deep into the mangroves of the Sundarbans where they become victims of deadly tiger attacks
Why urban youth should care about rural India
India’s youth have the potential to bridge the urban–rural divide and bring about social, economic and digital inclusion, and also ensure sustainable development.
Planting palm trees to prevent lightning strike deaths
Odisha tops the list of states with the most number of deaths caused by lightning. Now an environmentalist is on a mission to revive the traditional practice of planting palm trees to counter the problem.
Nainital villagers use local oak to contain wildfires
Sustained efforts to plant native Himalayan oak trees bear fruit in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, which was once besieged by invasive pines that cause wildfires and climate change.
Maharashtra village quells drought for a brighter future
The united efforts of the villagers at Konambe in Maharashtra have transformed a drought-prone region into a thriving example of water conservation.
Conserving the biodiversity-rich Dora Beel in Assam
Assam’s Dora Beel, a wetland and lake that’s home to river dolphins, has been facing threats of sand mining and pollution. Now conservation initiatives, including a local festival, are trying to make a difference.
Artist aims to draw a sustainable future in Western Ghats
An artist from Karnataka has set up a centre for creativity and conservation in Shivamogga district to address the environmental and agricultural challenges of the region.
The menace called single-use plastic bag
Single-use plastic bags pose a serious threat to the environment. The issue can’t be resolved merely by focusing on the supply side and ignoring the demand from consumers.
Maharashtra village blossoms into green haven
With over 32,000 trees flourishing under its care, and waste management and healthcare upgrades under its belt, Gamewadi village in Maharashtra is now marching towards becoming a tourist hub for nature lovers.
Eco bricks offer hope against plastic pollution
India generates 3.4 million metric tonnes of plastic waste annually, with only 30% recycled. Amid growing concerns, youth in Angul district have found a solution – crafting eco-bricks from single-use plastic waste, offering a creative approach to tackle plastic pollution.
Tuskers trample Bengal village’s jackfruits of labour
As north Bengal struggles to coexist with elephants, the fate of Nepali Basti’s once-thriving jackfruit trade hangs in the balance as farmers incur losses due to the onslaught from the tuskers and abandon cultivation.
Earth Overshoot Day: A call for sustained conservation efforts
The World Overshoot Day today once again serves as a reminder that human demands on nature surpass the planet's biocapacity. The effects are for everyone to see, especially in rural areas.
This Bengal shopkeeper is turning his village green
Haraprasad Pal, who runs a small grocery shop in his village, has been planting flowering shrubs and trees to make his village green and help others enjoy the benefits.