Earth crusaders

Ever since the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, countries around the world celebrate April 22 by organising programmes to plant saplings, picking up road trash and undertaking recycling and conservation projects. On the occasion of the 42nd Earth Day, Down To Earth, presents a selection of articles on individuals and communities working to make the planet a better place. Read to find out how about 10,000 farmers in Rajasthan's semi-arid Shekhawati region have taken to organic farming and have transformed agriculture in the region. Then there are the group of Vidarbha farmers who have reinvented biogas plants to cut down on LPG cylinder expenses, and are promoting use of a clean fuel without any aid from the government. Doughty bird specialist Jatinder Kaur is at the centre of another heart warming story. She has managed to mobilise villagers in Kota region to save the Saras Crane, a bird in the red data list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Villagers in Kota are now guardians of the birds, which have increased in number after the community conservation project took off. Then there is the story of how a small enterprise in Pune has started an electric two-wheeler service which is becoming quite popular with the people who rent them on a monthly basis and enjoy a pollution-free commute to their place of work. Such enterprises hold the key to making cities clean and liveable.