Features
Chamarkhani shoemakers persist through declining demand
Despite stiff competition, a group of traditional shoemakers living in a village near Patna have held on to their craft, creating Chamarkhani jutas, the once well-known handmade leather shoes
Assamese women thrive on value-added garden produce
By supplying value-added products made from fresh fruits and vegetables grown in their backyards, women in villages of Assam’s Nagaon district have become financially independent
Sinnar farmers breathe life back into irrigated farming
By collectively reviving a colonial-era irrigation system, farmers in 19 villages of Sinnar in Maharashtra have transformed a water-starved area into productive and prosperous farmlands
Community school shines beacon of hope in Surguja hills
Thwarted livelihood opportunities after giving up their land to mining companies hasn’t stopped a disadvantaged community in the remote Surguja hiils of Chhattisgarh to run a school for tribal and Dalit children
Next-gen Kashmir farmers turn to water wisdom
A new generation of Kashmiri farmers are adapting to extreme weather events such as more frequent droughts by creating water harvesting infrastructure to irrigate their land
Skill training empowers girls, raises hope for gender parity
Skill development trainings are not only helping rural communities fight poverty in Assam but are also empowering girls to aspire big, overcoming challenges posed by social stigma and deep-rooted gender disparity
Solar pumps brighten lives of Kutch’s salt farmers
Agariyas, the traditional saltpan workers in the Little Rann of Kutch, have switched from diesel to ecofriendly solar-powered pumps to lift brine that have boosted their earnings from saved costs
Chhattisgarh makes headway on tribal rights
Chhattisgarh has taken encouraging steps to recognize and implement rights of forest communities but more effort is required needed at the village level to boost livelihood opportunities for indigenous people
Doll makers of Bengal face bleak prospects
The wooden doll makers of Natungram in Burdwan district have traditionally done good business during Durga Puja, but this festive season has brought little cheer to them due to reduced orders
GI tag boosts demand for Waigaon’s turmeric
Farmers of Waigaon in Maharashtra have received a GI tag for organically grown turmeric that is rich in curcumin, known for its multiple health benefits. The cultivators hope to cash in on the increase in demand
Soligas in tiger reserve win battle over forest rights
After the jungles they inhabit were declared a wildlife sanctuary, the Soliga tribe in southern Karnataka has made history by winning a legal battle over their traditional rights to forestland and produce
Mobile labs in rural Odisha promote science-based solutions
With a science-based approach learnt from mobile science labs through the audiovisual medium, tribes in Odisha have adapted simple measures that have helped in reducing their health problems
Bhimshankar village makes the most of nature’s trail
Residents of Yelavali village inside Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra have made a collective decision to promote responsible ecotourism that is providing them with a sustainable livelihood
Naga villagers revive traditional crafts and weaves
Villagers of Diezephe near Dimapur have revived their traditional crafts and weaves by adapting to market demands and by using modern tools, and have found themselves an ecofriendly livelihood
Farm ponds improve lives of Singhbhum women
Constructed to ensure water security for cultivators, farm ponds have also helped rural women by reducing their daily treks to fetch water for domestic needs, and improving their personal health and hygiene
Upland farmers shift to coffee for better prospects
Suffering losses from traditional crops of ginger and cardamom, farmers in the mountainous areas of Kalimpong and Darjeeling in West Bengal have started growing organic coffee for better returns
Rural community at receiving end of temple town’s sewage
Commercial establishments catering to religious tourism in the temple town of Guruvayur have contaminated the ground and surface water of a village in Thrissur by releasing raw sewage into natural drains
Tripura’s fish farmers net benefits of captive fisheries
Fish farmers in the Sepahijala district of Tripura have formed collectives to successfully rear fish seeds and table fish. This collective livelihood initiative has increased their incomes by reducing risks and costs
Women farmers suffer due to unequal land rights
Although they are often the actual cultivators, the lack of land rights among women farmers in Odisha has resulted in chronic distress because they are unable to get government loans or compensation over crop loss
Assam village become trailblazers in adaptive agriculture
From seed banks to rainwater harvesting, one village on the banks of the Brahmaputra River has spread innovative agriculture through the region, as farmers battle against worsening floods and droughts