Mutlupur farmers transform neglected wetland into integrated farm

A group of farmers have converted a shunned wetland to practice fish farming, agroforestry and horticulture, providing employment and livelihood opportunities to impoverished villagers

Poor flood planning is destroying livelihoods in south Bengal

Breach of riverbanks after torrential rains and water released from overflowing reservoirs flood southern portions of West Bengal, leading to loss of livelihoods and complete disruption of life

Women in Gir stand up for dignity of widows

Women of self-help groups in the Gir region of Gujarat are going beyond microfinance and income-generation activities to fight against social taboos attached to widows and help them lead a better life

Sagging spirit of Prime Minister’s model village scheme

Has the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, aimed at all-round development of three villages chosen by each Member of Parliament, made any significant impact on the ground?

Diminished Wular Lake threatens livelihoods

Fishing and other rural communities that have traditionally depended on Wular Lake are now struggling to earn a living from it, as shrinkage, siltation and ecological degradation take a toll on Kashmir’s largest flood basin

Maharashtra seed mother pioneers conservation of native varieties

Linking failing health to hybrid seeds, Rahibai Soma Popere of Kombhalne village in Maharashtra conserves hundreds of native varieties and encourages other farmers to grow traditional crops

Riverbank erosion no less a disaster than Assam floods

A widespread hazard like riverbank erosion, which continuously affects the poorest and the most vulnerable in the Brahmaputra River Basin in Assam, is not classified as a disaster and does not receive the swift emergency response as floods

Do farmers’ markets in cities really benefit farmers?

The recent proliferation of weekly farmers’ markets in urban areas is quite useful for consumers but their benefits to farmers are limited at best and cannot replace the practice of selling at wholesale yards

Artificial glaciers help mitigating rural water crisis in Ladakh

Faced with severe water shortage due to reduced snowfall and receding glaciers, a Ladakh village has built an artificial glacier successfully through community efforts that now fulfills all its water needs

Medicinal herbs can form a base for rural enterprises

There is a potentially large livelihoods and enterprise potential in the medicinal herbs sector, which is sadly neglected by grassroots development professionals and ignored by the government despite an acute shortage of modern healthcare services in rural India

Plight of migrant workers needs attention in Himachal Pradesh

Migrant workers, who contribute significantly to infrastructure development in the developed mountain state, need to be provided with better working and living conditions through friendly government policies

Maharashtra’s tribal farmers revive traditional crops

Recognizing the significance of traditional crop varieties that can withstand climate-related vagaries and offer nutrition security, tribal farmers have started to conserve and propagate local cultivars

Restored farm ponds help Sahariyas tide over drought

Even as Madhya Pradesh reels under severe drought, residents of a tribal village who were denied access to water have collectively restored farm ponds to harvest the meager rainfall to fulfill their water needs

India needs more fodder to prevent cattle starvation

The estimated increase in cattle population due to growth in dairy farming and ban on cow slaughter will need increased production of fodder and restoration of common pastures to prevent livestock starvation

Women take initiative to build toilets in rural Bihar

Women self-help groups in the villages of Jehanabad have become the harbingers of social change by convincing people about the usefulness of building toilets at homes and ending open defecation

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