Snippets

Death of a Neem tree

An open letter to the Prime Minister

Human touch in credit

The growth of a women's group that moved from being a savings unit to a social voice

Wasteful plan

Communities in Rajasthan reject draft wasteland policy

Bringing the Aravallis back to life

Tree species like sheesham, babool and others planted over 75 hectares of land that was previously mined illegally are helping restore greenery …

Biporjoy: Landfall process begins over Saurashtra and Kutch; expect extremely heavy rainfall, warns IMD

The landfall process is relatively slower and will continue till midnight, according to IMD director general, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra

‘It’s her job’: In water-starved Chambua near Udaipur, women are disproportionately affected

The act of filling water, too, sets the norm of who collects it and who gets to consume the most of it

Activists show lacuna in Assam PCCF’s notification on elephant microchips to prevent illegal transport

Microchips are issued for stolen or illegally captured elephants too; a captive elephant with a microchip may be a wild-caught one, they say

International Day of Indigenous People: Tribal culture has stayed intact in this part of Rajasthan

Traditional way of living dating back several hundred years is still practiced in Banswara villages 

There is a desert in Tamil Nadu and the dunes are red

There are a couple of theories regarding the formation of these dunes, the most plausible being the role of south west monsoonal winds

Unyielding heatwaves: Temperatures may soar to 50°C as conditions worsen over northwest India, Pakistan

Worst-hit areas to record temperatures 5-7°C above normal, says UK meteorological office

In photos: Hard times for India’s wool industry

India’s wool industry may have set off on a decline: Degrading pastureland and an increase in agricultural activity has affected sheep herding …

Will India's camels amble forever into the sunset?

Decreasing use of camels in agriculture and transportation, diminishing pasturelands and an erroneous legislation by the Rajasthan government is …

CAG report raises questions on DMF in Rajasthan

The state's mining and geology dept kept Rs 498 crore locked in and deprived district trusts from accessing the DMFT

Sariska tiger died due to heatstroke, cancer: Autopsy report

Activists have criticised the way the tiger was tranquilised, saying it could have played a role in its eventual death

India Eco Watch: Major ecological happenings of the week (May 13-19)

Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of Indian ecology, botany and zoology

Climate change in India: Either adapt or perish in Rajasthan

As desert receives more rains, big farmers experiment with cash crops and small and marginal farmers abandon farming

Tribal farmers to harvest second bamboo crop after earning right to sell

Here’s the success story of people in 16 villages of Rajasthan who put up a fight against the district administration to be able to sell …

Rajasthan government announces farm loan waivers, but doubts remain

A section of the protestors point loopholes in the state’s letter and claim their demands have not been accepted

Leopards of Jawai: a failing success story?

A thriving tourism industry has come up in Jawai thanks to frequent leopard sightings  

Possessed by land

Landholding can affect marital prospects. It can also affect sex ratios and lead to polyandry. A village in Alwar provides a snapshot

Second-hand is better

Junked aeroplane tyres are being used on camel carts in Rajasthan, making life easier for both the villagers and the animals

Tribals demand scrapping of proposed dam

Villagers assert a dam project to provide drinking water to Udaipur city would displace about 12,000 people, and they will oppose it firmly.

Reserve power

The slaughter of Sariska effectively portrays the determination of the local people to halt the devastation wrought by mines.

Be Indian

.... and lower the risk of getting coronary diseases. This is the finding of a study conducted by Monilek Hospital and Research centre in Jaipur