Reportage
Endless cycle of displacement leaves villagers in Bihar in a flood of misery
Seventeen out of Bihar’s 38 districts are reeling under the impact of floods. Forced to abandon their water-logged homes, people in Katihar and Bhagalpur districts are living in makeshift shelters that are sometimes no more than a polythene sheet over their heads. Several of these villagers have been displaced multiple-times by the floods in the past.
Hemant Kumar Pandey
Apple farmers in Himachal Pradesh blame the Adani Group for plummeting apple prices
When Adani Agri Fresh fixed the apple prices on August 24, at sixteen rupees less than last year’s rate, there was a corresponding slump in the mandis of Himachal Pradesh, causing distress among the cultivators. Farmers in Himachal want the central government to buy their apples like it buys from the growers in J&K.
Arvind Shukla
COVID19 third wave in India expected to be less severe than the second wave: ICMR
As per ICMR , Delhi, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh may not be hit as badly in the upcoming third wave as much as the second wave. However, it noted that the states which did not face an intense second wave are now showing early signs of the third wave with the increasing trend of COVID19 cases.
Gaon Connection
Sale of liquor and meat banned in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura; CM Yogi Adityanath advises sellers to start milk trade instead
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has imposed a complete ban on the sale of meat and liquor in Mathura. The state will ensure that people engaged in selling meat or liquor could be rehabilitated in an organised way, said CM.
Gaon Connection
Moderna COVID19 vaccine produces more than twice antibodies as Pfizer: Study
A new study shows that Moderna’s COVID19 vaccine generates over double the antibodies compared to the Pfizer vaccine. Details here.
Gaon Connection
Battered by floods, Varanasi now hit by dengue outbreak
Floodwaters are receding from Varanasi’s submerged streets but the district is now hit by another crisis — a dengue outbreak. While there’s no official number of cases given out by the admin yet, 21 out 30 tests conducted at the BHU hospital have come out positive on August 25 while at least 76 patients are struggling with dengue-like symptoms in the hospitals.
Shashwat Upadhyay
By roping in religious leaders and young influencers, Unnao in UP is addressing vaccine hesitancy
The government health authorities in Unnao, UP, are going all out to woo rural communities to come forward to be vaccinated against COVID-19. By roping in religious leaders and young influencers, the district administration is dispelling fears and debunking myths about the vaccine. And this strategy is working.
Aishwarya Tripathi
Half of Assam’s districts flood-affected; CM urges people to avoid NH 715 due to displacement of animals in Kaziranga
Nearly 260,000 people across 16 districts of Assam are affected by floods while Lakhimpur is the worst affected district. A total of 732 villages across these 16 districts are inundated. River Brahmaputra in Dhubri, Goalpara, Sonitpur districts, continues to flow above ‘danger level’ and is forecasted to rise further.
Gaon Connection
National Small Industry Day: Key reforms introduced in MSMEs with focus on rural enterprises
On National Small Industry Day, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises has introduced key reforms, with a special focus on rural enterprises. These include establishment of enterprise development centers and promoting entrepreneurship culture in the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe communities. More details here.
Gaon Connection
COVID19, sinking incomes and rising LPG prices force rural women into using polluting fuels. Will Ujjwala 2.0 improve matters?
When the first phase of Ujjwala scheme was launched five years ago, it brought hope to millions of rural women who cook with dirty fuels. They received LPG cylinders, however several of them are back to cooking with firewood and cow dung cakes. Gaon Connection travelled to villages in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar to speak to women — the scheme’s official beneficiaries. A ground report.