Fulfilling labour

symbols of religious fervour, pride of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore and lifeline of Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu, the sacred water tanks have, in the past three decades, been disappearing into oblivion.

Decentralising supply

Disillusioned by the efforts of the government at providing the very basic amenities, individuals and cooperatives in some hamlets of Jhajjar district in Haryana have streamlined their own resources for supplying drinking water -- albeit for a price.

Water guardians

one has heard of political alignments but Dehra Dun is witnessing an environmental alignment of forces. A non-governmental organisation (ngo), a group of scientists, some concerned citizens and a newspaper have joined hands to take a hard look at the polluted water that they have used unchecked for years. And, not only assess water quality but also make the government think about it.

Depolluting Dal

Colouring plants

few realise that behind the colourful contemporary folk art of Mithila paintings is a powerful message of conservation and an indication of the region's rich biodiversity. Traditionally done in the Madhubani region of north Bihar, the paintings were originally made by women as 'aripan', used to decorate the floors and walls of their homes.

Green university

there is no cacophony of speeding two-stroke motorbikes, the ambience is serene and there is an abounding greenery that pleases the eyes. Self sustained with water, the zone is tobacco-free. This is not an ashram or a place of worship, but the Anna University campus in Chennai. One of the premier institutions in the country, the university is making all efforts to develop its campus into a sustainable and environment friendly one with minimised pollution by the end of 2001.

Changing lives

Devastating floods ruined Bhavesh Mandal's crops in the late 1960s. The hapless farmer had no option but to migrate to Mumbai and work as a masonry worker with no roof over his head. However, thanks to the North Bengal Terai Development Project ( nbtdp ), today Bhavesh is back in his native Changmari Dangapara village.

Sunday warriors

There aren't many people around in the streets of Lucknow on an early Sunday morning. But the banks of the Gomti are swarming with people. For over two years, a group of Lucknow's residents gather on Sunday to clean up the river. The group does not have a name, but as they meet every Sunday, they are known as the Sunday club.

Greening young minds

J SARAVANAN KODAIKANAL (TAMIL NADU)

Forestland benefits

By LIAN CHAWIIThe Lok Vaniki scheme, introduced in Madhya Pradesh in 1999, aims at empowering the farmers to manage their degraded forestland so as to derive maximum benefits by selling its produce, including timber.