West Bengal faces the brunt of Cyclone Amphan
Md. Ziaul Ahmed has fearful memories of howling winds blowing away tin-covers of houses when cyclone Amphan hit the eastern coast of India on May 20. The 35-year-old who lives…
Articles by Gurvinder Singh
Freelance journalist based in Calcutta, India.
Villagers in Bengal tap into palm sap to boost livelihoods
Sukhdeb Mandy is a sap tapper at Aambera village in Bankura district of West Bengal. The 28-year-old collects sap from date palm trees during the winter season. During the rest…
Once fighting for Bodoland, 35 men divert their efforts to grow a forest
Prinson Daimari is overwhelmed with pride every time he visits the lush green forest with birds’ nests perched on the treetops inside the Bhairabkunda reserve forest in Udalguri district of…
The story of a restored forest that restored lives
Jamini Mohan Mahanty is out for a morning walk every day. At 91, he is hale and hearty. A resident of Jharbagda village in Purulia district, West Bengal, Mahanty thanks…
Mica scavenging in Jharkhand destroys lives and environment
Broken nails are possibly the least of all the horrors of mica scavenging in and around abandoned mines in the eastern Indian province of Jharkhand. Exploitative child labour, death by…
The burning coalfields of Jharia belch poison for local residents
Sahadev Ram and his family of 10 barely escaped with their lives when their house in Niluri Pathra Balurgada village suddenly collapsed without any warning six months ago. Although a…
Sikkim rail project: Is it development or disaster waiting to happen?
Bishnu Rai gets emotional every time he tries to speak about his home. Especially since he’s on the verge of losing it. Thirty-one-year old Rai lives on a hilltop in…
Can climate-resilient clones save Darjeeling tea?
Like many tea drinkers across the country who can’t imagine life without their favourite cuppa, Debasree Majumder’s day starts and ends with her staple Darjeeling tea. “I have four cups…
The Ajodhya hills are alive with the sound of resistance
The picturesque Ajodhya hills of Purulia district in West Bengal are turning into a backdrop for a power struggle. Quite literally. Ajodhya hills, located in the easternmost part of the…
As Kolkata’s groundwater level depletes, consequences go beyond water shortage
The weather is sultry and the temperature is scorching at Raipur locality in Jadavpur, off south Kolkata. The furnace-like conditions have forced residents to stay indoors. But Meena Nag is…
