Reportage
Tribal rights ignored; those in power post independence prioritised selfish politics: PM Narendra Modi
Even though they make up about 10 per cent of India’s population, according to Prime Minister Modi, the culture and capabilities of tribal inhabitants have been ignored for decades. Matters pertaining to their education and health have been sidelined post-independence, he said.
Gaon Connection
Stubble burning contributes only 10 per cent to Delhi’s pollution : Centre to SC
The air quality in Delhi has risen to alarming levels ever since Diwali when the AQI touched ‘severe category’. While hearing a plea on the rising levels of air pollution in Delhi, the central government suggested an odd-even scheme, ban on entry of trucks and possible lockdown in the capital to the Supreme Court today. More details here.
Gaon Connection
Slow, sustainable and sweet
The honey bee is not just a source of income to honey maker Nimit Singh, but he says the enterprise has been one where he has learnt valuable life lessons.
Pankaja Srinivasan
Chhattisgarh’s ‘mitanins’ take to the streets demanding their unpaid COVID19 incentives
ASHA workers in Chhattisgarh’s Korea district complain that many of them have not been paid the COVID19 incentives they were promised by the government, and what is worse, they allege, those who got the incentives were being made to return it. Officials have denied such allegations. Meanwhile, mitanins have warned of an indefinite strike if their grievances were not addressed.
Shivani Gupta
Subsidy worth crores, monetary fines and seeder technology too; but no end to stubble burning in Punjab
Sangrur district of Punjab is one of the hot-spots for stubble burning that recorded 566 fire cases on November 11. Gaon Connection visited Sangrur to find out why despite doling out millions of rupees as subsidies and offering crop residue management machines, farmers continue to set their fields on fire. Cultivators said they were forced to burn the crop residue. Is there a win-win solution?
Sarah Khan
Indigenous cow breeds are gradually losing space to high-yielding varieties in Madhya Pradesh
Due to their low milk yield, cattle rearers in Madhya Pradesh are preferring high milk producing cows from other states. As a result, the number of indigenous cows are on a decline. If present trends continue, Madhya Pradesh will lose the local breeds that can survive on less fodder and are helpful in transportation.
Satyendra Pal Singh
Remember this viral photo from flood-hit Sundarbans?ASHA workers get paid Rs 75 a day for such vaccination drives
On October 29, ASHA workers from all 19 districts of West Bengal turned out to register their protest against the meagre monthly honorarium, unpaid COVID incentives, and no retirement benefits.
Subhajit Naskar
Within 10 days, two tigers found dead in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna Tiger Reserve
The deaths of two tigers within 10 days have posed questions about the tracking and monitoring mechanism of radio-collared tigers in the reserve. The officials say that with the rise in tiger population, the tigers have less space to mark their territories and it is now difficult to monitor them. Details here.
Arun Singh
Beekeeping gives the Santhal tribal women in Banka, Bihar, a sweet taste of success
Tribal women in south Bihar are transforming their own lives, educating their children as they efficiently run their honey business. Last year, amidst the pandemic, they formed the Banka Madhu Farmers Producer Organisation and supplied seven tonnes of honey as far as Mumbai. The district administration has identified a honey corridor to boost their honey production.
Nidhi Jamwal
COP26: As world leaders pledge to end deforestation, the Tamil Nadu forest department sets green goals for itself
Over 100 countries pledged at the COP26 in Glasgow, to end deforestation by 2030 and preserve the critical forest covers around the globe. India did not sign this commitment. But, the Tamil Nadu forest department has drawn up an ambitious plan to increase the forest cover from 24 per cent to 34 per cent, restore at least 100 different native species, and plant 330 million trees every year for the next ten years. Supriya Sahu, Principal Secretary, Environment and Forests, Tamil Nadu, shares the details with Gaon Connection.