Interviews

Batting for the environment
Jaideep Hardikar, recipient of 2013 Prem Bhatia Award for excellence in environmental reporting, talks about his journey and how failure pushed him to take the road less traveled. Posted on 22 Dec, 2013 04:46 PM

By his own account, Jaideep Hardikar, is simply a chronicler of the times around him. His foray into writing and reporting was neither easy nor his first choice. Like many children of his time, he dreamt of being a cricketer but stumbled into journalism and in it, found his true calling. 

Jaideep Hardikar, 2013 Prem Bhatia Award recipient
Development or displacement?
The MP government is proposing a nuclear project in Mandala district. Villagers are wary about promises to rehabilitate since similar promises are yet unfulfilled to the Bargi dam oustees since 1990. Posted on 01 Dec, 2013 08:30 PM

Sukal Singh is 50 years old and is the only earning person of his five-member family. Suresh Barman works as a labourer supporting a 13-member family. Bhagirat and Gorelal Bhavedi are rickshaw-pullers supporting a 7-member family each.

Bargi dam affected Patha village, MP
The comedy and tragedy of the Doddaballapur tanks
Twenty five cascading tanks culminate in the Naagarakere tank in Doddaballapur town in Karnataka. Once a source of water for the region, most of them are dry today. Can we revive them? Posted on 26 Sep, 2013 02:08 PM

1972 was the year. A massive hit, a landmark movie in Dr. Rajkumar's cinema career was realeased: Bangarada Manushya (The Golden Man).

With many melodious and meaningful songs, the theme was something close to one's heart - an urban youth returns to his ancestral village, takes up agriculture and works for the welfare of the village.

Doddaballapur tanks
Ingenious system to manage sewage in Kolkata
Fisher folk of the East Kolkata Wetlands use sewage from the city’s lakes to rear fish. Watch an interview of the person who popularized this system that the locals invented years ago. Posted on 11 Sep, 2013 08:48 PM

They take your pain and give you what you need. They will absorb the excess showers that our cities can’t handle and replenish water underground when our taps run dry. Often underestimated, these shallow water bodies are also home to countless life forms and serve as winter destinations for distant migratory birds. Blame me for being philosophical but I equate wetlands to mothers.

Fishermen use wastewater of Kolkata to rear fish
Fighting the good fight using the Right to Information Act (RTI)
Sanjay Jaiswal of the Lok Vikas Samiti educates Mehdiganj (near Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) to use the RTI in their fight against Coca Cola. Posted on 20 Jul, 2013 11:21 AM

What exactly does a 'campaign' look like? What do people actually do when they 'protest' against something? And how do the protesters get hold of all the facts that they quote? These questions surfaced every time I read about a campaign or a protest on environmental or human rights issues but I never got any answers that made me wiser. Until this summer.

Sanjay Jaiswal in Mehdiganj
A commerce ex-lecturer from Karnataka's Udupi district converts 25 acres of barren land into a lush green farm through rainwater harvesting
This article by Aarti Kelkar - Khambete narrates the story of a commerce ex-lecturer, who successfully transformed a barren piece of land into a self sustainable farm Posted on 20 Mar, 2013 05:46 PM

This story of the untiring efforts of a commerce ex-lecturer to convert twenty five acres of a barren piece of land into a self sustainable green farm, provides an ideal example of a model for rainwater harvesting and demonstrates how persistence and the sheer determination to go on till the end, can yield miraculous results.

AR Farms
How to grow food on your roof ?: Video interview with Dr Vishwanath Kadur, an expert on terrace gardens
A terrace garden not only provides a wholesome, non toxic meal on your table but gives everyone in the metropolis their individual green peace space. Posted on 13 Feb, 2013 02:52 PM

Do you crave for home grown, pesticide free, healthy greens on your plate? Does lack of land stop you from soiling your hands and farming your meals?

Read on and learn to grow food on your terrace itself !


Interview with Dr Vishwanath Kadur, a terrace garden expert ( Source of video: Getta India)

Video: "80% of waste we generate everyday can be recycled": Interview with Vani Murthy, a Bangalore-based citizen activist
In a candid interview with Lakshmi, Vani Murthy speaks on solid waste management practices that we follow at home. About 4500 tons of garbage is produced daily in Bangalore, that ultimately reaches the landfill sites, contaminating soil, water and the environment.
Of the waste that we throw away daily, at least 80% is recyclable. Unfortunately, this hidden resource is lost as part of trash thrown away. Segregation at source will not only effectively reduce the burden on the overflowing landfills, but also help in pollution control.
Posted on 06 Feb, 2013 01:19 PM

Source of video: Chai with Lakshmi

Video: Practising high-density micro-organic farming on your roof top - An interview with Mallesh, Purna Organics, Bangalore
Concerned by the growing health issues, Mallesh, an IT professional started Purna Organics in Bangalore. This start up organisation offers the following services: creating awareness about organic farming, helping interested individuals and families in setting gardens in their homes and also provide routine maintenance services. The video shows how families can practise high density micro organic farming in small tubs, with adequate watering and protection from pests. Posted on 05 Feb, 2013 04:46 PM

Source of Video: Chai with Lakshmi

India's sanitation spot: Moving towards non-water based solutions in the future requires careful planning
The Habitat Agenda, adopted by consensus of 171 States at the Second United Nations Conference on Human Settlements, declares that everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living for themselves and their families, including adequate food, clothing, housing, water and sanitation. And the irony surrounding this issue is perhaps never more evident than it is in India. We have a mobile phone penetration rate of 74% but more than half the households don’t have basic sanitation and toilet facilities.

Besides being a professor of International and Environmental law, Philippe Cullet is the Convenor of the International Environmental Law Research Centre (IELRC), a non-profit research organisation that seeks to establish frameworks that foster sustainable conservation and use of natural resources in an equitable international context. In a conversation with The Alternative, he sheds light on the sanitation situation in India
Posted on 20 Dec, 2012 11:43 AM

Philippe Cullet

Philippe Cullet

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