Featured Story
Gujarat’s cleanliness success exists only in numbers
Although Gujarat was declared open defecation free in October 2017 based on the number of toilets constructed as part of the Swachh Bharat mission, the ground reality is different in the rural areas of the state
Landless Musahars continue their wait for development
Marginalized and landless, Musahars have become free from bonded labor, yet continue to suffer social discrimination and financial hardships, hoping for government schemes to deliver
Solapur farmers turn lives around with crop diversification
With recurrent droughts, landowning marginal farmers of Solapur in Maharashtra were forced to work as wage laborers till they switched from cash crops to horticulture and millets for an economic turnaround
Kanas villagers make water safe through simple interventions
Water from ponds and tube wells made safe for consumption through simple and easy to maintain solutions have reduced water-borne diseases in coastal Odisha and has enabled village women to utilize the saved time more productively
Deepsea fishermen need early warning after Cyclone Ockhi
Hundreds of lives could have been saved from the ravages of Cyclone Ockhi if deepsea fishermen were able to carry better communications gear onboard and if there was a better system of early storm warning
Winter farming technologies boost incomes in cold desert
With the farming season limited to just four months in Ladakh, villagers have turned to innovative, low-cost technologies to grow vegetables in winter that improves diets and boosts incomes, but smallholder farmers need post-harvest support
New drought manual may aggravate farm distress
Strict parameters set by the central government has made it tougher for the states to declare a drought and seek relief funds from New Delhi
Madhya Pradesh farmers unite to fight lantana infestation
Villages in eastern Madhya Pradesh have come together to rid their land of lantana, an invasive species that have taken over 4% of the India’s land area, and have reclaimed their farms by cultivating millets and oilseeds
Santhal tribes revive tradition for safe drinking water
By reverting to the traditional practice of keeping water pots in a garsadi, a raised platform, villagers in Jharkhand have successfully prevented contamination of drinking water, improving health in households
Does rural India have a level field for opportunities and aspirations?
Unless children growing up in India’s villages have access to equality of opportunity in its broadest sense, it is unlikely that they will ever be able to soar like a kite but will be condemned to live the life of a grasshopper
Nepal’s organic manure could work wonders for Indian farmers
Nepal’s traditional bio-pesticide and fertilizer Jhol Mol is suited for many smallholder Indian farmers as well, as it can be easily made in a farm without resorting to artificial chemicals that are harmful for soil health
Kangri still keeps Kashmir warm in winter
The traditional fire pot of Kashmir helps people keep themselves warm in the harsh winter, retaining its utility despite the advent of modern appliances, and assuring thousands of men and women their livelihood
Community rebuilds life after Cyclone Phailin wrecked their fishing hamlet
Ravaged by Cyclone Phailin, people of a fishing village buried their differences and emerged with a strong sense of unity to rebuild their lives at a relocation site
Musahars in Bihar struggle to educate their children
Derided as eater of rats, a large number of Mushahars in Bihar villages see education of their children as the only way out of the oppression they face daily but the going is still tough
Digital inclusion still far from rural India
Even as a digital revolution sweeps across India, people in the more impoverished and remote parts of the country have to struggle to bridge the digital divide and a level playing field is still a distant dream
Cooking imposes heavy burden on rural women
The simple act of cooking takes on a difficult dimension due to lack of easy access to fuel and water, forcing women in rural India to walk long distances to get them, increasing drudgery and leading to health hazards that call for immediate action
Woman mason rebuilds life after devastation of Cyclone Phailin
Stepping into the exclusive male preserve of masonry, Damayanti Patra of rural Ganjam has shown exemplary determination to overcome personal tragedy and natural disaster to secure a sustainable vocation
Hungry Padma drives people from their homes
With various factors contributing to unchecked erosion of the banks of Padma River, villages along its course in Jalangi have lost farmlands, forcing women and men to migrate to distant places in search of a livelihood
God’s own country needs migrant workers to celebrate Christmas
In an ironic twist, Kerala today needs a large number of migrants to plug a labor shortage in a state that is well known for its people migrating out to the Gulf and various parts of India
Enabavi banishes chemicals for rich organic rewards
Switching to organic farming, a Telengana village has turned its arid lands into lush green farms, overcoming the scourge of farmer suicides and health problems in the process, and increasing household earnings