The spirit of the sanctuary

Sacred groves - tracts of virgin forests - are vestiges of an ancient practice in which people protected a forest to avoid the wrath of its …

Born Again

A rural organisation breathes life into the listless people of Melaghar village

Above All Differences

A caste-ridden society transforms the depleted forests into a green haven

Working women

In Guraiya village , it's women empowerment all the way

Spurt forecast in nonconventional energy

The nonconventional energy sector is seen as the mainstay of the nation's future power requirements and is all set for major expansion, following …

Solo Performances

Besides the communities who have done exemplary work in the field of environment, several individuals are making a difference in the lives of …

Hamlets reborn

Although Bhaonta-Kolyala village walked away with the Down To Earth-Joseph C John Award, the judges came across several such communities worthy …

Awarded : Bhaonta-Kolyala

... for reviving the Arvari river, for showing that a healthy ecology and good water management mean prosperity, for proving that drought is a myth

Interlinked

What's common to Judum, Essar, Tatas?

Goodbye democracy

What Essar can do, the Tatas can too

Red alert in Chhattisgarh

Land acquisition is at the centre of intense political and social disputes in the tribal hinterland of Chhattisgarh. On the one hand, Naxal …

Panchayats, European style

The logistics of conservation

The angry giants

Soil conservation work came cheap in Jhabua, but a lot remains to be done

Third world power

China has proved that genomics is no longer the preserve of developed countries

Flawed conservation policies lead to decline in gharial population

Talking the walk

Coarse correction

Copenhagen Diary

Trapped in a quagmire

Pollution, disorderly urban growth and inadequate basic services are plaguing the Kathmandu valley and adversely affecting tourism, the valley's …

Death of the Indus delta

It was from the port towns of this region that Arab dhows laden with merchandise set sail for distant towns in the days of yore. Today, …

Wisdom from an obscure archipelago

In Down To Earth's first Country Report, ANIL AGARWAL and SUNITA NARAIN look at Papua New Guinea, its short but volatile transition to the market …

Relevance of history

History provides important lessons in the management of the environment for administrators, conservationists and their ideologues. But have we …

Frontier guards

Invaded and ravaged by germs and pathogens every moment of its existence, the human body has developed its own lines of defence. Among the lesser …

The State's non-bureaucratic role of encouraging the people

Indian rulers rarely built water harvesting structures themselves. They, however, encouraged their subjects to build them through fiscal …