Katte and Kunte: The lesser known waterbodies of Bengaluru
Three decades ago, 65-year-old Jayamma had an opportunity to buy a small plot of land at Hosahalli, on the fringes of Bengaluru, where she worked as a tailor in a…
How an engineer found his calling in conserving wetlands
Every day after returning from school, young Ramveer Tanwar would quickly eat his lunch, pick up his school books and take a herd of cattle for grazing. While the livestock…
A citizen’s movement to protect wetlands emerges in Jammu and Kashmir
It was a cigarette butt that turned Tariq’s life around. Tariq A. Patloo remembers the moment like it were yesterday. “I was taking a German tourist through one of our…
The shepherd who digs ponds for animals
A nondescript village in Malavalli taluk in Mandya district of Karnataka, Dasanadoddi, is a little over 100 km from the capital city of Bengaluru. With narrow tarred roads snaking through…
Choking the fields: Impact of mining on Goa’s paddy
Mayem is a village in Bicholim taluka of the north-eastern hinterland of Goa. It is most famous for its lake, a popular tourist spot called the Mayem lake, which underwent…
The paradox of Chhattisgarh’s summer paddy: high-yielding but water-intensive
Chhattisgarh, one of the largest rice producers in India, has ideal weather conditions and soil for growing rice. However, many farmers have been sowing the paddy crop during the dry…
To dam or not to dam? Floods in eastern Vidarbha raise the perennial debate
In the past few weeks, four districts of eastern Vidarbha region in Maharasthra flooded. This is a region with four major rivers, dozen-odd dams, almost 50 percent river basin area…
Chennai’s Adyar river shows signs of recovery after years of government investment
The long suffering residents of Chennai have been living with two dead rivers, the Adyar and the Cooum, flowing through the heart of their city. These two rivers meander sluggishly…
Floods across the country highlight need for a robust flood management structure
Despite this July being the driest July in the last five years, many parts of India, especially the states of Assam and Bihar, are still reeling under the floods. More…
[Photos] The rich Hasdeo Arand on the road to become a ravaged Korba?
The pristine forests of Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Arand region can breathe a sigh of relief – at least for now. The five coal blocks in the biodiversity-rich Hasdeo Arand and adjoining…
