Success Stories and Case Studies

Nalanda farmers get organic certificate; export veggies to Europe
Nalanda farmers' organic certification, Orissa government action against mining and SMS advisory for farmers are highlights of this week's news. Posted on 14 Jul, 2013 09:20 PM

Nalanda farmers set to go global with their veggies

Organic Awards (source: Wikimedia)
Breaking a centuries-old curse in Uttarakhand
A small village in Uttarakhand stands testimony to the fact that rooftop rainwater harvesting is a reliable, economical and logical way of ensuring self-sufficiency and dignity. Posted on 09 Jul, 2013 11:23 AM

Sudha Gunavante is a contented woman. She has reason to be. After all, she and her husband have managed to prosper on their farm, her children are well-educated and well-settled, and her rhododendron syrup is the pride of the village. If that is not enough, she has also managed to escape a centuries-old curse.

Sudha and Bhuvan at their home in Gauna village
Floods in Assam affect one lakh people - Dhemaji worst hit
Floods in Assam, bio-toilets in Konkan railway stations and damage of hydropower project in Uttarakhand are highlights of this week's news. Posted on 08 Jul, 2013 11:31 AM

 Flood fury hits Assam

 

The flooded plains of Brahamputra
Celebrating Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand Himalayas are home to several small but significant attempts by locals to conserve the region's forest and water resources. Posted on 17 Jun, 2013 05:14 PM

Throughout history, the Uttarakhand Himalayas have been a source of timber and water to the rest of the nation. However, this has led to severe depletion of resources in the state. Today, the mountain communities find it hard to meet their basic needs of fodder, fuel and water.

Soil and water conservation rejuvenates forests
Drought-free in Maharashtra – six small villages, one big lesson
Awareness and community-level action are key to the success of any initiative; these six villages in Maharashtra are testimony to that. Posted on 10 Jun, 2013 02:09 PM

Maharashtra is reeling under a drought – one of the worst in the last 40 years. The state declared drought in 125 out of 358 talukas during kharif 2012-13, and then declared water scarcity in 3,905 villages in rabi 2012-13.

Satchiwadi village used less groundwater this year
Legal professional turns permaculturist
Creating food forests and promoting sustainable living in India is his dream. Posted on 06 May, 2013 09:48 PM

People question themselves at the strangest of times. Venkatesh Dharmraj was no different. At the height of his success as a legal professional, he took a step back and wondered how he could contribute to a better India. Like many others, he tried going the NGO route but didn’t find much satisfaction due to various reasons.

A village creates magic…and a river!
Sukha Raula (dry ravine) to Gad Ganga – the transformation in Ufrenkhal Posted on 30 Apr, 2013 09:23 AM

Ufrenkhal – the village
Driving towards Ufrenkhal, a village in Pauri Garhwal (Uttarakhand), I see a lush, green mountain covered with deodar, banj and utees trees. Little did I realize that this diverse and dense forest, which is alive with wildlife, is very new. 40 years ago, this vast area was a firing range!

Ufrenkhal in Uttarakhand
The story of how blissful ignorance allows Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages to deprive Mehdiganj, Varanasi of its water
What does 'being water positive' really mean for the villages where manufacturing plants are situated ? Posted on 01 Apr, 2013 11:39 PM

 

Bottled drinks are commonplace and we often reach for them without a thought. We may even feel good about our purchase as we read about the companies' commitment to water security' printed on the label. 

 

What does 'being water positive' really mean for the villages where manufacturing plants are situated ? This article examines the case of one such plant in Mehdiganj, PO Benipur, Arajiline block, Dist Varanasi and its effect on the groundwater levels in the area. The village has led an agitation against 4 specific negative impacts of the plant, acheiving moderate but measurable success.

This year, the movement comes to a crisis point as despite a warning by the Central Groundwater Development Board, the plant applies for a four-fold expansion.  

Reviving dying springs in Sikkim
A video shows the effort of the Dhara Vikas initiative in rejuvenating the dying springs of Sikkim. Posted on 28 Mar, 2013 11:48 AM

Pure and beautiful, mountain springs confer lives. With change in climate conditions and rainfall patterns, rural habitations in Sikkim face drinking water shortages. Many of these springs are drying up or their discharge declining. But there is hope at the end of an endeavour, where science, government and community come together to revive springs of their local region.

A farmer intrinsically trusts the land, says 'Timbaktu' : A national-award winning film on an organic farming movement in Andhra Pradesh
This beautifully shot film narrates the history of Timbaktu in Ananatapur District, and through it also describes the impact of the Green Revolution on the land. Posted on 22 Mar, 2013 09:58 AM

'Timbaktu' describes the motivation, efforts and results of the Timbaktu collective started in the 1980s by Mary and Bablu Ganguly.  Just as important, it narrates the story of a couple with a dream, and how they made it come true.

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