Features
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
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
Successful self-governance in Barkheda leads others to embrace gram swaraj
Restoration and effective management of village commons to the financial benefit of the community in Barkheda village of Madhya Pradesh has prompted 90 neighboring villages to adopt self-governance
Kerala fishermen brave dangerous sea to eke out a livelihood
Small fishers on the Kerala coast venture out in the rough Arabian Sea during the monsoon season for a living, but there’s very little help they get in the way of easily accessible forecasts
Singur emerges as procurement hub for local farmers
Once the infamous political battlefield centered on the construction of a car factory, Singur in West Bengal has become a beacon of hope for local farmers, who sell their produce wholesale at fair prices at a state government promoted marketplace
Farmers in Maharashtra fear loss of kharif harvest, blame Met department
Farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra are expecting a decline in crop yield during the autumn harvest and are holding the India Meteorological Department responsible for incorrect forecasting
Grassroots innovation using curd reduces farming costs in Bihar
A curd mixture using copper has become popular in many parts of northern Bihar despite a lack of scientific validation because it has cut the cost of cultivation while increasing productivity for many small and marginal farmers
Tribal women of Sundargarh make organic farming a life-changing economic activity
Tribal communities in Sundargarh district of Odisha have revived the traditional practice of growing food without the help of chemical fertilizers and made it viable economically by making pragmatic changes
Safflower cultivation sees drastic fall despite benefits
Despite its many health advantages, the cultivation of safflower for its oil is declining across India because farmers are not finding a ready market and are discouraged by the low prices it fetches
Tribal village in Palghar ensures water availability through summer
Residents of water-scarce village of indigenous people in Mokhada have collectively built a concrete embankment on a dry rivulet to harvest rainwater and become water-sufficient
Odisha village continues to keep traditional art alive
The iconic village of Raghurajpur in Puri district is home to over 300 artists who are still actively practicing traditional forms of painting and dance while keeping pace with the digital age
The unsuitable boy of India’s cattle economy
The problem of male cattle in India, the world’s largest milk-producing country, remains in limbo even as farmers grapple with latest government regulations that severely restrict cattle trade and culling
Millets travel from tribal farms to dinner tables
The indigenous Dongria Kondh community in Odisha is helping to restore the popularity of native varieties of millets that can grow in droughty weather conditions, even as millet products gain traction among affluent consumers for their many health benefits
Tie and dye add color to women’s lives in Nosariya
Learning the traditional art of coloring fabrics is enabling many women in rural Bikaner to add an additional source of household income in an area where patriarchy makes it difficult for them to step out of their villages
Marathwada farmers face bleak sowing season
Although the Maharashtra government has announced a loan waiver, deeply indebted farmers of Marathwada still do not know how they will get the money to buy farm inputs this sowing season ahead of the monsoon
Facebook, WhatsApp curbing child marriages in Assam
At a time when social media is being used to spread lies and malicious rumors, a group of young people in Assam are using WhatsApp and Facebook groups to prevent child marriages in the underdeveloped district of Darrang
Girls join football clubs to resist child marriages in rural Bihar
Once topping the charts in child marriages in the country, Bihar has reduced the incidence of this social evil considerably, helped by innovative interventions such as starting girls clubs for solidarity and encouraging them to play football
Competition encourages watershed management to drought-proof Maharashtra villages
As part of the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017, over 1,300 villages in drought-prone areas of Maharashtra are creating water-harvesting structures to overcome chronic water scarcity, particularly during the hot season
Indigenous art forms of Santhal Pargana are in need of revival
The last few practitioners of Chador Badoni, a form of puppetry, and Jadu Patiya, a form of painting and story telling, say their art forms may soon be lost to modern times unless there is a serious attempt to revive them
Indigenous community in Dang fights for land rights
The people of Navagam village in Dang district of Gujarat have said they would boycott upcoming assembly polls if the government does not resolve the long pending issue of land and house titles