The 8,000 people of Malda district in West Bengal, have their daily life and local economy disrupted by Behula river’s toxic waters. The lifeline of villages like Jalangi and Molpur, Behula has been dying a slow, poisonous death due to the paper mills at its banks. “The waters are so polluted,...
Atya Devji Padvi, a Narmada ousted farmer from Taloda district of Maharashtra, had been demanding his rightful land from Maharashtra government for more than 20 years but had given up hopes of ever owning a land once again. But Chetan Salve, the community’s correspondent is also an activist with the Narmada Bachao...
While Pune city is all set to be a smart city by 2020, an anganwadi in hinterlands of Pune district functions out of a temple since 2009. Located in Walhe village of Pune district, the anganwadi has 20 children between the ages of three and six who study in a...
A snoring health department in Dhanbad district was awoken from its three-year slumber of non-payment by Halima Ejaj, a soft-spoken woman in Jharkhand in March. Under the Janani Suraksha Yojana, a mother having an institutional delivery in a government hospital is paid Rs. 1,400, while the Sahiya, the government appointed...
Mahamuda Bibi writhes in pain from the labour contractions that have started, but she has to stay strong till she reaches the hospital. However, unlike most urban women, who are driven there in an ambulance, or a vehicle, Mahamuda will have to walk 16 km from her village, Faridpur Pakurdiar...
Savita from Nashik has to pay Rs. 20 for a kilogram of wheat from her locality’s ration shop, eight times the ongoing government price of Rs. 3 per a kg of wheat, approximately. Just like Savita, 200 more families, belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, from Bhimwadi, Nashik...
A fire broke out in a sleepy hamlet of Bihar in the middle of the night, awakening village residents from their deep slumber. Six houses of the village, all belonging to poor farmers, were burnt to ashes along with the yearly ration, stored produce and all household items. Had it...
“I had medical ailments to take care of, my child’s fees to take care of; but due to these arrears, I was unable to do anything,” recalls Ramlanga Bhuiya, a council member of Mahuawa Panchayat in Bihar state. Fourteen council members of the Mahuawa Panchayat were not paid their monthly...
