A “do or die” agitation against coal pollution in Odisha
For over a decade, the villages near the Kulda opencast mine in Odisha’s Hemgiri block in the Sundargarh district have been fighting coal pollution without respite. In a desperate bid…
Articles by Meena Menon
Independent journalist and author of Riots and After in Mumbai, Reporting
Pakistan and co-author of A Frayed History - The Journey of Cotton in India.
Former Bureau chief, The Hindu, Mumbai.
[Interview] Nicolas Salazar Sutil: placing trees and indigenous knowledge at the centre of future healing
If trees on our earth could mobilise, fighting for life would be the way forward, says Nicolas Salazar Sutil, the founder and director of Forest Guardians, an independent organisation that…
Coloured cotton from India on the cusp of commercial release in 2021
After over three decades of research, an Indian variety of coloured cotton may be commercially released by 2021. A decision will be taken once the last phase of the agronomy…
As water level of Gujarat’s Sardar Sarovar dam rises, villages in Madhya Pradesh drown
On the morning of September 5, 2019, as water submerged Khaparkheda village (Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh), government officials were trying to move people to makeshift tin sheds in the adjacent…
As cloud seeding catches on in times of climate change, more research holds the key
An aircraft poised to enter dark clouds – and spray chemicals to produce rain. Sounds magical -- that’s the image often associated with cloud seeding. In reality, it is much…
[Commentary] Why the drought did not matter in Marathwada during polls
Two months ago, when the rest of the country was preparing for the Lok Sabha elections, 22-year-old Kanchan Kalyan Dongre’s life was about to take a turn for the worse.…
No country for regulation – of genetically engineered crops
India’s seed market hides a sea of illegality, which keeps rearing its ugly head every once in a while. The discovery of genetically modified (GM) brinjal in a Haryana farmer’s…
Marathwada parched as watershed conservation remains neglected
Every few years, the recurring drought in Marathwada region of Maharashtra is attributed to poor rains. Stop-gap arrangements for tanker water, fodder camps or jobs under the Employment Guarantee Scheme…
In Marathwada the queues are for collecting water during this election season
The irony is unmistakable. In the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, which is in the grip of arguably the worst drought since 1972, what stands out is hectic road construction. En…
No place for political campaigning as Vemulaghat’s ongoing protest stands strong
This is the second article in a two-part series on the role of environment in the upcoming elections in Telangana. Part One examines the scarcity of water in the state despite…
In spite of mega projects water is scarce in rural Telangana
This is the first article in a two-part series on the role of environment in the upcoming elections in Telangana. Part Two highlights the pre-election situation in villages where the ongoing…
A lost desi cotton heritage
In a region where Bt cotton rules the roost, Kamal Kishore Dhiran, a farmer in Balodi, 50 km from Yavatmal (in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra) is an outlier. He has…
The pink bollworm menace adds to Maharashtra cotton farmers’ distress
On August 10, when Sanjay Rathod walked to his lush cotton field in Lasina village in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, he noticed some closed yellow flowers. Opening them, he found to his…
Special series
Wetland Champions
- [Commentary] India establishes the largest network of Ramsar Sites in South Asia
- [Commentary] Wetland champions: Promise from the grassroots
- The story of Jakkur lake sets an example for inclusive rejuvenation projects
- Welcome to Tsomgo lake: Please don’t litter
Environment And Health
- Human disturbance alters parasite communities, increases infectious disease: study
- Lower species richness in deforested landscapes tied to high Kyasanur forest disease risk: study
- Soils from city parks are important hotspots of microbial diversity: study
- India’s dietary guidelines have a relatively lower carbon footprint: study
India's Iconic Landscapes
- Tracking rivers, the highways of plastic waste
- Snug in Kashmir’s meadows, ox-eye daisy worries scientists
- Assam to destroy nearly 2500 seized rhino horns in anti-poaching message
- Rethinking tourism could save Udaipur from its pressures
Beyond Protected Areas
- Human disturbance alters parasite communities, increases infectious disease: study
- Unpacking how cyclones impact mangroves’ ability to soak up carbon dioxide
- When conservation efforts collide with tribal rights in Maharashtra
- Worshipping Waghoba: Faith meets conservation in Maharashtra where humans and leopards share space
Conserving Agro-biodiversity
- Sweet pineapples and a variety of trees nurture each other in this patchwork plantation
- How climate change is taking a toll on livelihoods of small-scale fishers in Kerala
- Plant Man Miguel Braganza on how Konkan Fruit Fest preserves food biodiversity
- Building up carbon sinks in northeast India’s shifting cultivation landscape
Just Transitions
- [Interview] Renewable energy goals can’t be met by excluding people or making them hostile, say founders of LIFE
- Telangana’s public transport system steadily moving to clean power
- A primitive tribe and rare fossils threatened by stone mining in Jharkhand
- India’s ‘coal shortage’ could set stage for overhaul of laws
