What triggers desertification in India
A low down on the most important causes behind desertification in every state of the country. Addressing these will be critical to meet targets …
A perfect world
A majority of the earth's ecosystems today are in a state of 'accelerated death', one that can be traced to activities structurally linked with …
"Water harvesting here is nota technique, but a culture"
ANUPAM MISHRA'S association with the Gandhi Peace Foundation (GPF) dates back to 1969. After working with the late Jai Prakash Narayan and the …
Stagnation as a culture
WATER is for flowing. When made to stagnate, it buzzes deafeningly of a culture of deliberate ignorance. Look at the misfortune of the people of …
Lava-ka-Baas: The blame game
When one contests the dominant, it is of utmost importance that all actions and their outcome be above doubt. There isn't the faintest margin of …
Rain check
The column width dedicated to rain in the mainstream print media has hit an all-time high. A few days ago, television news reporters with that …
The blind Court
This is a story of justice denied. On February 13, 1996, the Supreme Court, the highest seat of justice in the country, ruled that five units …
Waters of life
Tarun Bharat Sangh of Alwar is well-known for its work on reviving traditions of waterharvesting. But few know about the economic advantages of …
Craning glory: Demoiselle cranes find sanctuary in Rajasthan village
Kheechan village on the edge of the Thar desert lies on the migration route of demoiselle cranes travelling from their breeding grounds in …
Charming no more
The saperas (snake-charmers) of Delhi loive in a unique colony called Mollarbandhgaon. This community, located next to the Badarpur thermal power …
‘Low solar energy tariff bids are sustainable’
The second batch of bidding for photovoltaic projects totalling 350 MW capacity in December under the national solar mission witnessed …
Impotent plan?
In August 2005, the Indian Parliament passed the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (nrega). The latest avatar of state-financed employment …
The goat gamble
It has been a slow and steady shift over decades. Forced by declining returns from farming in ecologically fragile areas, small farmers have been …
What's in your honey?
Ayurveda prescribes it for a range of ailments. People eat it for rejuvenation and boosting immunity. An Indian homemaker’s kitchen shelf …
‘Stopping GM trials is anti-farmer’
Genetically modified (GM) mustard hybrid DMH-11 developed by Delhi University’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants ran into …
SUBSIDISED KILLING
They may survive the drought. But they cannot survive government policies. When people have to abandon their livestock, they are reduced to misery,…
Maize Mania
Maize has become the queen of cereals, courted by state governments, seed companies, farmers and the feedstock and starch industries as the crop …
Flat in 20 days
Global climatic anomalies allied with local weather conditions produced the most freakish hailstorms in central and north India in February and …
Sunshine sector loses sheen
About 40 kilometres from Delhi, in the bustling real estate market of Noida-Greater Noida, lies the biggest irony that the renewable energy …
Organic Universe
Organic is all the rage. Organic food, cosmetics, clothes and even organic medicines. But mostly it is food. There are speciality stores that …
Sand slips
Where there is a river, there is sand. Called a minor mineral, it fulfils a major requirement of the booming construction industry. No wonder, …
World Camel Day: Rearing as an art of healing
The relationship between camels and their rearers continues to be pronounced by centuries-old customs
Rajasthan camel breeders threaten to leave animals with district collectors
The breeders have demanded that state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot come up with a solution to their problems by November 26, 2020
This man changed the fortunes of a barren land using traditional water wisdom
A flood-ravaged desert turned into a home for 120 species of birds, 70 species of native trees and thousands of animals
Centre plans to construct 42 water harvesting structures every hour to counter monsoon deficit
As per government documents, the current year’s progress report on MGNREGA shows that around 33,000 structures have been completed and work …