Reportage
It’s election time and fresh promises are being made to clean up the ‘cancer-causing’ Kali River in UP
Kali river, which flows through 80 villages in Muzaffarnagar and Meerut districts of election-bound Uttar Pradesh, has been exposing nearly 250,000 people in these villages to a host of diseases including skin problems and even cancer. Factories dump untreated effluents into the river with impunity and an under-capacity sewage treatment plant is woefully inadequate to deal with the pollution load. Politicians time and again promise to clean up the river, everytime an election comes around. A ground report from The Gaon Postcard series.
Brijendra Dubey
The Dangi Dance of Adivasis in Gujarat celebrates Mother Earth
Young men and women from the Dangi tribe pay a sprightly homage to their reigning goddess – Dharti Maata – through a traditional dance which is a combination of speed and acrobatics skill.
Gaon Connection
India’s tiger reserve receives the prestigious award for doubling tigers in the wild
Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu has been awarded TX2 Awards after its tiger number doubled since 2010. Improving habitats, rigorous monitoring of tigers and their prey, and working extensively with local communities have helped achieve this task, say wildlife experts.
Gaon Connection
The 12th century craft of Pipili work in Odisha losing its vibrancy
They embroider canopies, umbrellas and fans for the divine siblings Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra, as they set out on their Rath Yatra. But the artisans in village Pipili in Puri, Odisha, are a worried lot as the third wave of the pandemic has again hit sales.
Ashis Senapati
Explained: The controversial project to ‘develop’ the Great Nicobar Islands; public hearing on Jan 27
Andaman and Nicobar Islands are global hotspots for biological diversity. The Indian government’s NITI Aayog has prepared a 75,000 crore project for the ‘holistic development’ of the islands which includes a shipment terminal, airport, township and power plant. Environmentalists and biologists are opposing the project. A public hearing on the project is scheduled for January 27.
Gaon Connection
A chemistry teacher’s formula for life
Sharma Sir never missed ‘lecturing’ his students on the ill-effects of alcohol. A decade later, during a school reunion of his students, the chemistry teacher dropped his usual reserve and danced with his former students. What made him do that? Listen to Reunion, a story that is part of a collaboration between Gaon Connection and the World Health Organization to campaign against alcohol abuse.
Gaon Connection
‘What is our fault?’ — With schools shut and no internet access, rural students worry about the board exams
Board examinations are a month away and schools are shut due to the rising threat of the Omicron variant of COVID19. Rural students are worried as a majority of them have no access to smartphones or the internet to access online classes. They fear the digital divide will cost them their future.
Virendra Singh
It’s chillai kalan in J&K and here are some traditional Dogra recipes to keep you warm
There is a rich heritage of Dogra recipes and traditional flavours from the royal kitchens of Dogra rulers of the Jammu region. ‘Meetha Saluna’ or ‘Meetha Madra’, a sweet dish cooked with dry fruits and milk, is one such dessert. It helps beat the cold season. And, there is a recipe of desi kulth dal too, which again helps keep the body warm.
Shikha Jamwal
10-12 hours of hard labour a day to earn Rs 100: Child labour thrives in the brick kilns of Rajasthan
Deprived of nutrition, education and a safe environment, the number of child labourers in India is 10.1 million of which over 252,000 are in Rajasthan alone. A large number of these children work in the brick kilns under harsh conditions for a meagre wage. Their migrant parents, who are under heavy debt, are often forced to push them into child labour. A ground report from Bhilwara.
Madhav Sharma
As they sew, so they reap: Women in Bihar use Sujani embroidery to empower themselves
Sujani embroidery from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, holds a GI tag. Traditionally, women quilted patches of cloth together and embroidered motifs from Nature on them using the simple chain stitch and running stitch to wrap up newborn babies. Now, the craft is a source of livelihood and self-reliance for 600 women in the district.