Amita Bhaduri

Solar mamas to light up their homes

A Rajasthan institute trains women from inaccessible villages of poor countries to make their villages solar energy efficient. Amita Bhaduri posted 6 years 11 months ago

Over 1000 women from all over the world have come to Barefoot College to become barefoot solar engineers. (Image: Barefoot College)

JalKalp: Water sands impurities

A new biosand filter is revolutionising water purification in rural India with increased filtration, better portability and affordability. Amita Bhaduri posted 6 years 11 months ago

The drinking water in Chaitbazaar village is dark in colour because of high levels of iron and has a peculiar stench from bacteriological contamination. (Image: Sehgal Foundation)

Salt and sweet: When sun turned saline water potable

A Rajasthan village gets to drink sweetwater despite high salinity in its groundwater, thanks to a solar-powered desalination unit. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years ago

Villagers operate the solar-powered reverse osmosis desalination plant that provides safe drinking water to the community at Solawata.

Najafgarh seeks attention

There is an urgent need to restore Najafgarh basin if the recurrent flooding and water shortage in Delhi and Gurugram have to be avoided in the future. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years ago

Aerial view of the Najafgarh drain. (Image: Sumita Roy Dutta, Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0)

Saving kunds of Vrindavan

An NGO comes forward to restore the forgotten kunds of Vrindavan which are not just historical marvels but are also freshwater sources. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 1 month ago

Ancient man-made small water bodies known as kunds are being revived through an NGO's efforts. (Image source: Braj Foundation)

Centre shows red flag to green court

The NGT that has made some landmark judgements to safeguard the environment, will lose its teeth soon if the government has its way. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 1 month ago

The National Green Tribunal has given a number of notable judgements. (Image source: SANDRP)

No wetlands have been notified in Delhi-NCR since the wetlands rules were brought out in 2010. Meanwhile, draft wetlands rules are set to decentralise its management to states. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 1 month ago

Sun sets on a water body inside Keoladeo National Park. (Image: Swati Sidhu, Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA-4.0)

Can grey and green coexist on urban landscape?

As cities spread wide, grey infrastructure projects flout green norms to provide affordable housing for all. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 2 months ago

Building bye-laws mandate that builders adhere to environmental norms and install energy-saving mechanisms like solar installations, water harvesting and waste recycling methods.

What happens to your e-waste?

Though informal e-waste handling, segregation and import are prohibited by the law, e-waste business is thriving in the country. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 3 months ago

Boys sort discarded computer parts as sparks fly from a grinding machine. (Image: Greenpeace, Flickr Commons; CC BY-ND 2.0)

Playing the soil health card

Is the soil health card scheme introduced to improve the economic condition of the farmers by bettering the health of the soil effective? Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 3 months ago

The electrical conductivity of a diluted soil sample is being tested as a measure of soil salinity. (Image:CSIRO, Wikimedia Commons; CC Attribution 3.0 Unported)

A jungle comes to the city

The redeveloped ecosystem of the Yamuna biodiversity park is what a polluted city like Delhi needs. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 4 months ago

Black spotted butterfly at Yamuna biodiversity park. (Image: Prabhmeet Singh, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Saving soil health

The government’s nutrient-based subsidy has done more harm to the soil than good. Only sustainable agriculture can save the nutrient and water holding capacity of the soil. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 4 months ago

Farmers thresh paddy during harvest at Sangrur, Punjab. (Source: Neil Palmer, CIAT, 2011, Wikimedia Commons)

Seed of doubt

While several studies confirm that GM crops can have serious impact on the safety of both humans and environment, the government is going ahead with GM mustard. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 4 months ago

Opposition to GM mustard intensifies in India. (Image: Swadeshi Kheti)

Clean Kali: All eyes now on government

The water of East Kali is heavily polluted. It would hopefully change with the NGT taking notice of it. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 5 months ago

The polluted Kali river. (Image source: Neer Foundation)

Living on the edge

The increasing cases of tigers straying outside the reserves are leading to man-animal conflicts. A film tries to find solutions. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 5 months ago

Tiger in Corbett national park. (Source: Soumyajit Nandy, Flickr Commons)

The dirty picture

A hard-hitting documentary film ‘Kakkoos’ looks at the politics behind the banned practice of manual scavenging and how the civil society connives to keep it alive. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 6 months ago

Manual scavenging is a caste issue. (Image: Divya Bharathi, Facebook)

In the name of development

The indigenous community of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been systematically alienated from their land by the colonial and post-colonial policies. A new book chronicles the change. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 6 months ago

The forests and the tribal communities of the islands are being decimated. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

When streets get smart

While the states prepare to build their smart cities, we look at the feasibility of the government’s smart city mission. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 6 months ago

Smart city model at Trade Fair, New Delhi (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Ryots wronged, take protest to Delhi

As the TN farmers’ protest in Delhi enters its fourth week, all eyes are on the Centre which is not budging. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 6 months ago

Tamil Nadu farmers protest for drought relief in Delhi.

Budget beyond gender

Women are not considered farmers despite their active participation in farming in rural India. A gender responsive budget and its implementation are essential to support and empower women farmers. Amita Bhaduri posted 7 years 7 months ago

It's her field too: Policies and budgets for women are a good beginning towards gender parity in agriculture.