Minimal interventions in Andhra Pradesh districts such as Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, and Anantapur show that it is possible to boost the productivity of inland fisheries without too much effort
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Chronic water scarcity has turned Kulappadi’s toilets into goat sheds
Rapid deforestation and soil erosion in Attapadi Forest Reserve has led to a crippling water shortage in Kerela’s only tribal block and the Irula forest tribe has suffered the most
Setting up a model for government primary schools
A government school in Kardelwadi village in Pune district taught by a husband and wife duo has established a benchmark for primary education in Savitribai Phule’s Maharashtra
Drummer girls of Bengal step up with a new beat
Despite long neglect, the dhak might be getting a new lease of life as women have stormed a male bastion and have taken up playing Bengal’s traditional big drum
Rural women in Samastipur welcome liquor ban in Bihar
Supported wholeheartedly by women in Samastipur district, the prohibition of alcohol in Bihar has freed up resources that can now be leveraged to bring about significant social transformation
It’s much better to dig than to build for water
Learning from some exemplary instances in drought-prone Marathwada, it makes sense for government programs to dig tanks and deepen streams for water sufficiency instead of building expensive structures
Kerala fights drought with recharged wells
For a region that does not want for water, Kerala is extending a rainwater harvesting programme in the central district of Thrissur to all parts of the state following the recent droughts
Malkangiri child deaths: disease or malnourishment?
The large number of children dying in Malkangiri district of Odisha has been officially attributed to Japanese Encephalitis and malaria but villagers and civil society organisations say that malnourishment has contributed to these avoidable deaths
Women standing united can power sustainable social change
Women’s collectives can go a long way in sustainably changing socio-economic conditions of villages for the better, often going far beyond planned interventions by state or civil society actors
Palghar’s tribal farmers sow and sell as a collective to reap benefits
Collective farming is not only helping farmers sell their produce far and wide but has also arrested migration and increased the well-being of farmer families
Banni pastoralists see success in battle for survival
The Maldharis of the vast Banni grasslands in Gujarat show how people cope with enforced change caused either by natural forces or human intervention and how vulnerability can be turned into opportunity
Convenience drives farm practices more than sustainability
For all talk of sustainable farming practices than often entail increased drudgery, there is a clear trend that farmers are swayed by convenience and ease of use
A tale of two women and a watershed
Two unlearned women in a remote area of Bihar have broken gender stereotypes to emerge as community leaders and manage the construction of a watershed that now benefits 12 villages
Faulty farm ponds pockmark tribal villages in Palghar
Constructed under the Maharashtra government’s Jalyukt Shivar scheme to end water scarcity in the state, these structures hold no water. Some were washed away in the first rains, making a mockery of the implementation
Integrated organic farming revives Nemmeli’s fields
A holistic method of organic farming has reversed the harm reached to Nemmeli village due to high-intensity, high-inputs agriculture. It has also helped in pushing back soil salinity
New education policy fails to address issues of equity
The 2016 education policy of India reinforces the status quo through its tacit acceptance of stratified education, the intense focus on regimented outcomes and competition, and its inability to decentralize and empower teachers
Small vegetable and poultry farmers severely affected by demonetization drive
Three weeks into the surprise announcement by the government to withdraw high denomination currency notes from circulation, it is now clear that producers of perishable commodities such as vegetable and poultry have been seriously impacted
Trade tumbles at Sonepur cattle fair after demonetization
The severe scarcity of currency notes have resulted in business at India’s largest cattle fair, which is conducted entirely in cash, crashing to a halt with most sellers returning home empty handed
Currency tsunami hits Kerala fisher village
The poor women of Anju Thengue island village in Kerala have been caught unprepared by the ban on banknotes that has seen prices crash and a near total collapse of the fish market
Small vegetable farmers in Maharashtra suffer blow from demonetization
The people in rural Pune are past the initial shocks of demonetization and are now coming to grips with it, but there are signs of distress among growers and sellers of fruits and vegetables