Hands that held rain

Stories of common citizens who transformed their environments through rainwater harvesting

High on health, low on popularity

The Phalsa fruit is available for only a few weeks in a year. Yet, it's sweet and sour taste will leave you asking for more

Beyond spice

Curry leaf is a common spice in south Indian recipes but few people outside the region know what else to do with it

Pots of wisdom

Earthenware is staging a comeback in our kitchens with a new fervour

A taste of mountains

Jakhiya seeds are used for tempering almost all types of vegetables and curries in the Garhwal region

Taste of sting

Shalini Dhyani shares the many virtues of Himalayan giant nettle, called bichhu ghas

Power packed green

Leafy vegetable that is a great substitute for spinach

"Forests are the main source of herbs"

Meghalaya's abundant flora is the basis of its traditional healthcare system. Now, rapid urbanisation and breakdown of the community structure …

Gut factor

Why people in the West are more prone to allergies?

Good catch, bad catch

What do efficient fishing gears mean to traditional fisherfolk?

The many-straw revolution

Crafted tales

Startups are connecting artisans to the urban consumer by providing them an online market to showcase their craft

Those magnificent men and their machines

So-called scientific achievements of ancient Indians are no laughing matter when they are championed by the Prime Minister of India

Fertile rocky land

With help from a non-profit, graziers reinvent a soil conservation practice, turn into thriving farmers

Hopes in bloom

Sikkim’s tryst with floriculture marks a new beginning for small growers, but poor market access and a flush of imported breeds may mar its …

Are we ready to hand over on our life-forms?

There are certain plants, vegetables and fruits indigenous to India having medicinal properties. The knowledge of these properties rests with …

Back to basics

Integrating indigenous knowledge in joint forest management projects is an essential prerequisite for the success of such programmes, but years …

Toda traditions in peril

Can this tribal community in the Nilgiris survive the concrete trappings of civilisation? Tarun Chhabra on the eco-friendly Todas

No consensus

The UN Forum on Forest's fourth meet ended half a day ahead of schedule, raising doubts on the convention's ability to frame an agenda. Clifford …

Rajasthan's kunds get undesirable makeover

Desert healer

Ruhi Kandhari travels to a cold desert in Himachal Pradesh to see how a former bureaucrat is greening it

Mangoes lost 150 years ago

A Karnataka farmer conserves mangoes lost 150 years ago

Roadside remedy

A common plant growing in the wild in Garhwal, basingu is traded both as a medicinal herb and vegetable

‘Tribal philosophy can’t be ignored beyond a point’

At a time when climate change is emerging as a reality, indigenous people are eager to give-up their low-carbon lifestyle and join the bandwagon …

Caught in the web

Of poverty, life in India has improved little over the past decade, reports the planning commission's National Human Development Report 2001