Last year, Leisang, a small village in Manipur made news when it was declared as the ‘last Indian village to be electrified’. However, news reports spoke about how the electricity supply in the village is erratic.

Additionally, another news report spoke about how increase in mining activities for coal, setting up for power plants and distribution companies has not translated into improved grid supply due to the sector being debt-ridden.

In this context, the only solution is renewable sources that are widely available and can be easily harnessed. And, what can be better than solar energy?

Greenlight Planet, a social enterprise based out of Mumbai, was founded in 2009 based on the understanding that there are a lot of villages which still did not have access to electricity and that there was a need to make it accessible but in a cleaner way.

The startup was founded by Patrick Walsh, Anish Thakkar and Mayank Sekhsaria who  believe that everyone deserves affordable energy. They wanted to reach their goal by developing a solar lantern that could run for long hours and provide a source of light especially to the rural dwellers.

They finally came up with the ‘Sun King Lantern’ which can run for 30 hours straight! They further developed this lantern in different models. Furthermore, Greenlight Planet also introduced home lighting systems, that come with appliances like fans and televisions, all of which are solar powered.

Since they began their operations, the social enterprise has sold over 12 million products globally impacting about 54 million people across 65 countries! In India alone, they have impacted over 24 million people through their solar products.

To own Greenlight Planet’s amazing solar products, click on this link here.

From Students to Social Entrepreneurs

Patrick, Anish and Mayank met when they were studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Patrick was pursuing a Bachelor’s in Economics and Engineering Physics from the university. While Anish was studying Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Mayank, on the other hand, was pursuing an Electrical Engineering degree with Technology and Management.

In 2005, Patrick took part in an internship program in Keonjhar, Odisha as a volunteer for ‘Engineers Without Borders’, a non-governmental organisation. Here, the organisation was working on developing village electrification solutions and he was a part of that team.

The trio, understanding the situation on the ground, decided to develop an affordable and reliable solar lantern. They understood that there was a need for a cleaner energy solution as the kerosene lamps that were widely used in the rural areas were dangerous for villager’s health and did not provide adequate light. Hence, they decided to make solar lanterns available in the rural marketplace so that the accessibility issues related to electricity could be curbed.

They consistently worked on the solution until their graduation in 2007. Once they received their degrees, Patrick headed to China to develop their lantern and Anish got a job at ZS Associates, a marketing concern run by Prabha Sinha while Mayank joined Google.

For two years, Patrick worked at developing the right product, while Anish and Mayank worked  to raise capital. Finally, Prabha Sinha from ZS Associates went on to invest in their fledgling venture. With this investment, Patrick found the right economic zone in Shenzhen, China to build his innovative design and the Sun King lantern was created.

Now, they have different versions of the same lanterns for different functions. The Pro 200 version for example has a light runtime for 72 hours and has mobile charging capability. Similarly, in addition to the charging facility, the Pro 300 provides 100 hours of light, while Pro 400 is 40 times brighter than a Kerosene lamp.

For urban users as well, these lanterns have been useful says Abhijeet Mhatre, the founder of ‘Let’s Camp Out’, an outdoors camping and trekking company which is about 10 years old.

“We have been using Greenlight’s solar lanterns for over eight years now. The products are rigid and designed to last for a long time. Our oldest lamp which continues to work was bought when we first started buying from them,” explains the 40-year-old.

Abhijeet informs TBI that they have bought about 1000+ Greenlight products. Additionally they have also bought 500+ lanterns, which they donated in about 12 villages across Maharashtra.

The different versions of the home lighting systems introduced by Greenlight Planet, bring energy into your homes and come with solar light fixtures, tube lights and even televisions. They even provide the solar panels which collect and store the energy.

Brightening Lives in a Cleaner Way

When it came to making their innovations accessible to the rural masses, the social enterprise depended on persons based in these areas who would carry out door-to-door sales. Later, in 2012, the social enterprise started partnering with Micro Finance Institutions (MFI) to make the lanterns available to the folks living in these villages.

These MFIs would provide collateral-free loans to buy the solar products. The villagers could take these loans once they organised themselves in Self Help Groups (SHG). “Because of the joint liability of the group, 95 per cent of the loans would be recovered in time, making the whole process of adoption of these products much easier,” explains Sahil Khanna, 27, Partnerships Business Leader for Asia.

Sahil says that NGO partners are another channel through which their innovation is made available to the rural folk. “Through the outreach programs of our NGO partners, we are able to reach out to more and more off-grid villages,” explains Sahil who has been working with the company for over five years now.

Currently, the social enterprise works with 50+ NGO partners. Chirag foundation launched in March, 2010 is one partner that Greenlight Planet has worked with for over nine years now.

“We identify dark villages across the country make solar lighting systems available in these villages.Greenlight’s home lighting systems which come with solar panels, bulbs, a mobile charging port and portable solar lanterns are what we have installed in the villages,” explains Pratibha Pai, founder and director of the Chirag Foundation.

The NGO has been reaching out to the remotest villages in India making electricity available through solar power. They have lit up about 18,000 homes across 454 villages, out of which 11,470 households have been lit up through Greenlight’s systems.

Greenlight also scales their operations through CSR projects. “We identify local NGOs in a particular region, put the companies in touch with them. The NGO then after receiving the funding, takes our innovations and installs them in the rural homes,” explais Sahil.

Through these channels, Greenlight’s innovations have also reached the forest departments in various states like in Nagaland. They’ve also ended up working with the Indian Army in Ladakh.

Additionally, the social enterprise is involved in direct sales too. They have close to 15,000 retailers and 300 distribution partners across the country who sell their products.

Another model that they follow is the ‘Pay-as-you-go’ where a user can get the home lighting systems in place at their houses. Thereafter, they can keep paying for the system in installments until they have fully covered the cost of the unit.

“A lot of people don’t really know about these systems. So, we have about 5000 energy officers on the ground who explain to the people about this ‘Pay-as-you-go’ option. People can opt for a daily, weekly, monthly, programme for payment. The energy officers on the ground to ensure that the system is installed and the bill is paid on time,” explains Sahil.

Sahil claims that as of now, Greenlight Planet is the largest ‘Pay-as-you-go’ company in the world.

Overcoming the Rocky Terrains

Despite all the strides that the social enterprise has made in the past 10 years, there have been several challenges that they have encountered.

“I think there are several areas not just in India but across the world that really need access to light. Reaching these areas with bad networks or roads is a big hindrance to accessibility for the communities that live there. The concentration of our NGO partners in these areas as well is not quite dense and this is a real challenge,” explains Sahil.

But, the social enterprise is trying it’s best to discover such areas and having energy officers on the ground is helping them in a big way.

Sahil says that for areas that are difficult to access, they are too dependent on their NGO partners in these areas. He wishes that in the future, they are able to access these areas on their own without having to depend so much on their NGO partners.

“Awareness on high quality solar products is also something that needs to improve among the customers. People expect products to be cheap but low quality products are priced almost 40 per cent lower than counterparts of better quality,” explains Sahil.

Regardless of these few roadblocks, Greenlight is marching forward undaunted with fresh plans.

Also Read: This Solar Charger-Lamp Will Power Your Outdoor Trips Non-Stop for Just Rs 1799!

They are introducing new solar televisions for which pilots have already started in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh. Also, their solar fans are being upgraded for better specifications and they’re working on introducing solar inverters as well.

“In the end, we want our products to enhance the lives of those communities across the globe by helping them access energy in the cleanest way possible. They will be the benchmark and lead the way in reducing climate change by showing how we can consume power differently,” says Sahil, signing off.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Having grown up in Assam, a mandatory annual trip to the Kaziranga National Wildlife Park is a shared experience of most Assamese families. I still remember my first trip. I was excited and in awe to see the beautiful deers, the majestic elephants hiding behind the tall grasses and the iconic one-horned rhino.

What I did not realise at the time is how precious and endangered these species are. Kaziranga contains about 71 per cent of the world’s wild population of the one-horned rhino which is also the most commonly poached animal in the state.

At the helm of the conservation activities is the Frontline Forest Staff in Kaziranga. And you would be surprised to know that a 54-year-old man has dedicated 33 years of his life in ensuring these animal’s safety.

Meet Dimbeswar Das who has put himself in danger, fought poachers, bullets for years and continues to work tirelessly even now.

“I started working in the forest in 1987 when I was only 21-years-old. I don’t know where all the time has passed,” smiles Dimbeswar who was only promoted to the rank of a forest guard last year after serving the animals and the forest for over 30 years!

The Forest guard was given the Earth Heroes Award in November last year by The Royal Bank of Scotland. The award recognises individuals and institutions who put in tremendous efforts in preserving and protecting our ecosystems. His nomination was sent by senior forest officials who deemed him the perfect candidate for this award.

“I cannot believe I got this award and I am very grateful to my superiors for selecting me. The thing about this job is, I love every aspect of it. So, whatever work is given to me, I happily do it,” says Dimbeswar humbly.

Farmer to a Protector of Kaziranga  

Dimbeswar grew up in a family of six siblings, with him being the oldest in a village called the Japori Pathar, adjacent to Kaziranga. His father was a farmer and cultivated rice, mustard, and vegetables on a 4-acre land while his mother was a homemaker.

Dimbeswar only studied until the age of 13 after which he started lending a hand in his father’s farm. “We weren’t financially doing too well at the time and being the oldest of six siblings, I had to take up the responsibility,” he recalls.

Dimbeswar’s willingness to take responsibility and responsiveness to the call of duty is something that has helped him throughout his career.

“In 1987, poaching in Kaziranga had become a huge menace and the Forest department needed more people on the ground to protect the animals,” says Dimbeswar.

This was the time when The Assam Forest Protection Force Act, 1986 also came into existence for better protection and security of the forests, the wildlife and the forest produce in Assam’s jungles.

Dimbeswar was soon recruited after a physical test. Another motivation for him to take up the job was because his father had just passed away and he took up the job to support his family. He joined as a ‘casual worker’, which wasn’t a permanent position at the time, along with over 80 other people.

During the training, Dimbeswar learnt how to utilise all his senses and remain vigilant, how to quietly walk around the forest and how to operate a rifle in case of danger. “I learnt how to clean the guns and rifles, how to keep it well oiled and how to load it,” he says.

Once he started his job, his day would begin at 4 am and he would push off for his patrolling duties by 7 am and in intervals would venture out for patrolling at least four times a day.

Dangers Inside the Dense Forests

After working as a casual worker for two years, Dimbeswar officially joined the ranks two years later as a ‘boatman’. The duties of the boatman are the same as that of a casual worker but the dangers in the forest were immense.

Kaziranga is home to the great Indian rhinoceros, a native species found only in India. Being the only spot for these species, The Kaziranga National Park became a hot spot for poachers.

“A lot of these poachers would be local while some of them belonged to the neighbouring states. There have been so many encounters that I have even lost count of them,” he says.

Upon catching them, these poachers are questioned about their activities. “There is a very high demand for the rhino’s horn. We found out that these would be illegally smuggled through Myanmar and sold in the international black market for its medicinal properties,” informs Dimbeswar.

What Dimbeswar is saying is true. Rhinoceros horn is sought after in the Chinese and the Vietnamese black markets for medicinal properties, as jewelry, as gifts and for something as petty as display figures to convey one’s wealth.

Between 2008 to 2013, Dimbeswar informs that poaching in Kaziranga had reached an all-time high. Dimbeswar also adds that during the monsoons when the forest is prone to flooding, it serves an opportunity for poachers because the area is difficult to patrol at that time.

“To deal with that, I along with other officials in the forest started to recruit young boys as informants to keep their ear to the ground. They have been very helpful in managing the poaching problems as they would tell us if any new person has entered Kaziranga’s premises, where they’re from and what they do. That helped us catch a lot of poachers,” he says.

Dimbeswar’s strong resistance against poachers, however, put him and his family in a lot of danger.

“There was one time we had caught a rhino poacher a few years back and had detained him for questioning. Somehow, he managed to escape. Because he recognised my name and my face, not only was I threatened but even my family was subjected to this. To ensure their safety, I had to live away from them for long periods but I utilised that time in my service,” he says.

Over the years, settlements around the forests have increased. This immediately gave rise to instances of man-animal conflict and the frontline staff to manage these situations. Dimbeswar recalls an incident that took place in 2004.

“A mother tiger ventured into the fields of one of the neighbouring villages in search of her cubs. She attacked an elephant and the mahout. We had to manage the situation by ensuring that we don’t hurt the animal while also keeping in mind the safety of the villagers,” he recalls.

Finally, they were able to tranquilize the tiger and after being checked by the vets, she was released into the jungle again.

A Man You Can Count On

Last year, when the forest officials had to send one name from Kaziranga as an entry for the Earth Heroes Award, only one name came to their minds. It was none other than Dimbeswar Das for his contribution to preserving wildlife in the national park for over 30 years of dedicated service.

Bastav Borkotoky, a Forester in the Frontline services, has been working closely with Dimbeswar since 2016 when he joined the ranks. He was also one of the people who deliberated and nominated Dimbeswar for the Award. In fact, the 31-year-old accompanied Dimbeswar all the way to Delhi for the Award ceremony.

“Kaziranga was my first posting and when I first joined, everyone knew who Dimbeswar Das was. He knows the forest roads well as if he’s mapped it all in his mind. He has served the forests staying away from his family and has even received threats to his life from poachers,” he informs.

Despite all this, Bastav adds that Dimbeswar Das is one person everyone in the frontline services can count upon. “Be it arriving on a speedboat with a vet for the animals, to distributing food among the staff, to even showing up immediately if someone’s been injured, he is there,” he says.

After working in the forest for 33 years, Dimbeswar really feels like he has forged a bond with the animals there.

“One thing I have learnt after so many years is that animals know your intent. One must just let them be and they won’t harm you unless they themselves feel threatened,” he says.

Always watching animals from a distance, Dimbeswar would always turn up for them when they are in need. “During the floods, a lot of animals need to be rescued. Since I served as a boatman for so many years, I turn up with a vet on the speedboat as soon as possible,” says Dimbeswar.

But, Dimeswar says that had it not been for his family, he wouldn’t have been able to achieve what he has.

“My wife has been a source of support for me since we got married in 1992. I am not someone who takes a lot of vacations or even goes back home frequently, but through it all, she has stood by me,” he says.

Dimbeswar has three children and all of them are married. In fact, he is even a grandfather with four grandchildren. So, in the six years of his service that remains, what is it that he wants to achieve?

“This isn’t an easy job but I have loved every bit of it. I want to plant more trees in and around the forest area so as to prevent it from diminishing so that the animals who live here never lose their home,” he says signing off.

Also Read: In 5 Years, Fisherman Plants 75000+ Mangrove Trees Along Kerala’s Coast!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story stated that Aditya Singh was an IAS officer. It is clarified that he is a 1992 batch UPSC CSS Officer and cleared UPSC CISF in 1993. The error is regretted. 

In 1998, Aditya Singh was at the peak of a thriving career as a bureaucrat when he took the decision to quit it all, and relocate to Sawai Madhopur, a quaint forested town adjoining the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in Rajasthan. Naturally, the news stunned all he knew.

But there was no turning back for the man whose only motivation behind this life-altering decision was the love for wildlife. 

It all started in 1984, when he visited the RTR for the first time as a tourist, and had a chance encounter with the majestic national animal. For Aditya, it was love at first sight with forests and wildlife. Though well-settled in Delhi back then, he couldn’t ignore the call of the jungle and visited the famous tiger reserve whenever he got a chance. 

For his wife Poonam, an erstwhile sculptor and fashion artist, the love affair with the forest began four years later. “My first trip to RTR was in 1988. During the safari, I spotted the famous tigress Machali playing with three of her cubs. I was so enamoured with the sight that I never wanted to leave the place. Together, we decided to move to Ranthambore and start our life there,” recounts Poonam Singh, in a conversation with The Better India. 

Quitting the Civil Services for The Love of Tigers

Aditya quit his job as an officer at the Ministry of Communications in Delhi and started his tryst as a wildlife photographer in Ranthambore. Meanwhile, Poonam Singh started a tourist lodge at Ranthambore Bagh, which offered visitors a serene experience of living in the jungle in perfect harmony with the animals.

Staying right outside the boundaries of the National Park, the couple noticed that a streak of tigers often frequented an area near their home. Though this was outside the buffer zone of the main forest, the animals often venture here in search of prey. The cattle of the local villagers and farmers were an easy target, causing a man-animal conflict scenario in the area. 

“Anticipating more attacks on their community, the local farmers started selling away all their lands adjoining the tiger reserve. That’s when the idea struck us. We wanted to help grow a safe haven for the tigers beyond the designated national forest,” shares Poonam.

Creating a Safe Haven for Tigers from Fallow Land 

The couple started buying land from the farmers at the edges of the National Park with the vision to restore its natural wilderness. In 2000, when Aditya was working with BBC on a wildlife documentary, he observed a tiger walking out into the land bought by them. It only reinforced their determination to work more efficiently towards protecting the tigers. 

Starting from 2000, they have amassed over 35 acres of land till date which has been successfully rewilded into the Bhadlav Tiger Reserve – ideally an annexed wing of the Ranthambore sanctuary. 

“We did not need to invest any extra effort. We simply allowed nature to take her course on the land. From stretches of barren fallow, the land slowly transformed into a beautiful forest before our eyes, complete with its own natural water holes for the animals. Our only contribution perhaps was fencing the outer boundaries recently to ensure that the tigers do not venture out into the human settlements anymore,” informs Poonam. 

The villagers would also face the problem of wild animals often destroying their farmlands. With the couple’s intervention, the farmers started farming in lands well away from the forested zones, thereby minimising the chances of human-animal conflicts. 

Integrating the Local Community in Tiger Protection

However, in all fairness, one cannot rule out Aditya and Poonam’s contribution in creating this beautiful forest. 

There was a time when the villagers would risk their lives to collect wood from the fast-growing forest and sell it as the only means of their livelihood. After months of rapport-building and local networking, the couple managed to convince them to refrain from deforestation and settle in alternate professions, including taking care of the forest. 

In fact, the full-time forest guards now employed at Bhadlav all belong to the local village community who were trained and recruited by the couple.

Like Sumer, a 40-year-old forest guard at Bhadlav, who has been looking after the tigers there for the past two decades. Belonging to the local village of Bhadlav, he grew up watching the official forest guards and range officers frequent the Ranthambore reserve for activities like tiger census or treating an injured beast. He used to tag along with them out of sheer love for the wildlife. And that’s how he grew up to be an expert in tiger conservation.

“I started working at the Bhadlav forest right after my schooling. Like many of my fellow villagers, I have seen Aditya and Poonam Ji create the entire forest from nothing. They sought my help initially in managing the forest, and I have been happily working here ever since,” he shares. 

In 20 years, Sumer has had several thrilling adventures and encounters with the tigers. He enthusiastically shares, “Recently, we are observing three tigers (Numbers 102, 68 and 95 from Ranthambore) visiting our Bhadlav regularly. I always stay alert to inform the forest officials about their appearance and help keep the tigers away from human habitats.”

“Sometimes, I even have to spend sleepless nights at the forest protecting the tigers from any external threats. I also make sure the watering holes in the forest are always filled, even in the scorching summers, so that the animals can always quench their thirst,” he shares, with the love for tigers resonant in his voice. 

The Summer Retreat for the Royal Beasts

The Bhadlav forest is strategically located at the junction of three valleys where the biodiversity of flora and fauna is at the finest. “Tigers are inherently territorial, they generally require a large amount of land to thrive in peace. With their increasing population in Ranthambore, many tigers often prefer to venture out into Bhadlav,” says Poonam.

Though Bhadlav is yet to have a resident tiger population, many of the Ranthambore beasts prefer the forest as their summer retreat. Alongside the two pre-existing natural watering holes, Aditya and Poonam have created a couple of smaller water ponds which serve as resting zones for the tired tigers and cubs. They even personally ensure to refill these holes in the parching summer season of Rajasthan.

At present, four to five tigers are regularly sighted in Bhadlav. Aside from tigers, the forest is also home to leopards, Nilgai, several species of deer, exotic snakes as well as other smaller animals and birds. 

Despite being inherently natural, Bhadlav does necessitate some regular maintenance, mostly to protect the residing beasts from any harm. The caretakers work in close coordination with the forest department to prevent any kind of trespassing and illegal hunting activities. Furthermore, Aditya and Poonam strictly prohibit the visitors at their tourist lodge from exploring the forest, to preserve the sanctity of the natural habitat. 

“With growing human habitats, the tigers need our utmost protection. Bhadlav is just a small effort towards the greater objective of saving our national animal,” expresses Poonam. 

Also Read: 0 to 54: The Untold Story of How Panna Got Her Tigers Back in Just 10 Years

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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It was just another workday for Parambikulam’s ‘Tiger’ Sreenivasan when he chanced upon a tiger and its cubs, barely three metres away from where he was standing.

Upon seeing Srinivasan, the tiger, who was being protective or feeling threatened, charged at him and the terrified man, who is a capable tiger conservationist, was certain that death was imminent.

“But, something made him retract at the last moment. Or maybe, I just got lucky,” he recalls. 

Surprisingly, this incident was not his first, or last, dangerous encounter with the big cat.

“Once, a tiger crept up really close to me. We were face to face. Fearing death, I thought of my kids and started tearing up, thinking that this was the end,” recounts Sreenivasan, in a conversation with The Better India.

He got lucky that time also, as the tiger left after a while on its own. “I guess it could recognise my smell,” Sreenivasan shares with a smile. 

As thrilling as it may sound, for the 38-year-old, such experiences are frequent. In his 20-year-long career, he has over 2000 direct trysts with tigers. 

“I spot tigers more than ten times a month. They spot me more than I spot them,” he chuckles. 

Ancient knowledge of forest meets hard-earned expertise

For the past two decades, K Sreenivasan has been working as a forest watcher at Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Palakkad, Kerala. He presently resides in the forest with his wife Rupa and three children. 

For his brilliant expertise in tiger monitoring and conservation efforts, he has earned the nickname ‘Tiger’ Sreenivasan among the forest officials. 

In 2019, Sreenivasan received the highest honour of his career as he was honoured as the Best Forest Watcher in the country by National Tiger Conservation Authority, which got him a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh and a coveted certificate of honour for his incredible work.

Hailing from the Malasar tribal community of Parambikulam, Sreenivasan grew up in close quarters with the forest and its wildlife. Traditionally, members of the Malasar community are known for their encyclopaedic knowledge of flora and fauna in the Western Ghats. For generations, they have lived in perfect harmony with the mighty forest and the beasts residing in it, including the tigers. 

Needless to say, Sreenivasan’s tiger expeditions started early, as he grew up locating pug marks and tracking tiger movements in the jungle. His father Karuppan, who worked as a mahout, passed away when he was young. Hardships forced a young Sreenivasan to drop out of school in the fifth standard, and he has been solely dedicated towards the forest ever since. 

“My father was a mahout, and so was my uncle. In fact, there have been many forest workers in my family. But I am the first one to be involved in tiger conservation and camera trap work,” the father of three declares with a sense of pride. 

Endless trysts with the national animal

In the initial days, Sreenivasan worked as a fire watcher, followed by a short stint in monsoon watching. However, it did not take long for his expertise in tiger monitoring to impress the Forest Department, and soon he was engaged as a Tiger Monitoring Watcher in 2003. 

He started by locating pugmarks or tiger footprints on the forest bed, which is the ideal way to track a tiger’s movement. At present, technology like radio collars have eased the work of a tiger watcher, but Sreenivasan belongs to the handful of people in the country who enjoy the arduous efforts in finding the correct set of pugmarks for tracing a tiger. 

Over the years, Sreenivasan mastered the skill of camera trapping, which aids in maintaining records about the tigers in the forest. He has even trained several youths in the work who now constitute an integral part of his core team. 

Besides Parambikulam, he and his team have also been invited to set up camera trapping in forests across Kerala. “I have photographic evidence of sighting tigers around 2000 times, but in reality, the number is way more, as many of the times I didn’t have a camera to capture the moment,” he shares. 

Courage and patience is the key

A typical day for Sreenivasan begins at around 8 AM. After signing the office register, he sets out in his work of setting up cameras in the deep interiors of the forest, sometimes walking almost 30 km for the task.

For each observation, around 1000 cameras need to set up. It takes him almost a month to set up the cameras, one month for the inspection and surveillance, and another month to take down the cameras. 

“In each month, I get around 4 to 5 days of rest. But I take only one day off,” says the passionate tiger watcher. 

It is not just the tigers lurking behind the tall grasses that pose a threat to his life every single day. Once, a wild Gaur had kicked him, severely fracturing his legs. It was in one of the obscure parts of the forest, and the nearest road was 5 km away, but he dragged himself and eventually got help. 

What many don’t know is that Sreenivasan is also an excellent wildlife photographer, and his brilliant snaps now adorn the walls of the Forest Office at Parambikulam. 

One of the most appreciated one in his collection happens to be that of a tigress surrounded by four cubs— an extremely rare sighting, and supremely challenging to capture with the camera. Several of his photos have been published in renowned wildlife magazines and displayed at exhibitions. 

“Sreenivasan knows the operation of camera trapping by heart, which is why we have selected him as a trainer for our other watchers and staff. He conducts all practical training very efficiently. He is also an expert forest guide. Many important people who have visited Parambikulam have always opted for him as their guide. It is their strong belief that they can only spot a tiger in the company of our Sreeni,” shares Mujeeb Rahman, the forest range officer at Parambikulam. 

“His courage and patience to roam alone in the deep forests (to spot the tigers) is extremely laudable,” adds Rahman.  

The need to protect our tigers

Sreenivasan believes that the altering ecosystem is harming the tiger population in the forests of Kerala. With the slow encroachment of grasslands, the deer population is being adversely affected. Their young ones are being preyed on by wild dogs. This, in turn, is affecting the tigers who feed on them. 

“If we conserve our grasslands, forests, lakes and waterfalls, the deer population has a much better chance at survival, and thereby the tigers can also access their food. This will increase the tiger population as well,” explains Sreenivasan, highlighting the importance of tiger conservation to preserve the territorial food chain of the forest. 

Receiving the award has been a dream come true for him. He expresses his sincere gratitude for the eminent dignitaries like photographer Suresh Elamon and others who recommended his name to the panel. 

But, at the end of the day, it is the thrill of the work that excites him the most. Tiger Sreeni can hardly wait for another day of working in close quarters with the royal beasts of the jungle. 

Also Read: Ex-Civil Servant and his Wife Build Thriving 35-Acre Tiger Reserve in 20 Years

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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The tale of how Mussoorie’s Jabarkhet Nature Reserve came into being is like a breath of fresh air amidst the toxic stories we read of animal poaching, felling of trees and littering of the forests – all stemming from human greed and ignorance. And as I person who grew up in Assam, with its chain of hills, rolling downs of tea plantations, and varied wildlife, I can relate to it.

A conservationist’s passion to revive a playground she visited often as a little girl and an heir’s wish to preserve his father’s legacy led to the complete transformation of a 110-acre patch of land into the Jabarkhet Nature Reserve which opened its doors in May 2015.

Conservationist Sejal Worah has dedicated over half of her life to the cause of protecting the environment from rapacious human activities. So, imagine her horror when she saw the state of a place she would visit as a child, in complete shambles.

“I had fond memories of visiting Jabarkhet with my family. We would often follow these “Come-for-Walks” here. It was after 15 years of staying abroad that I visited the same piece of land and it shocked me. There was trash everywhere, trees were being cut down and animals being hunted,” recalls the 56-year-old.

Sejal was determined to find out who owned that piece of land. Lucky for her, it wasn’t a hard mystery to solve.

“Vipul, who happened to own this piece of land, actually studied with my sister in school. So, we spoke to each other and I told him about how this land could be conserved,” says Sejal. Vipul was working in Mumbai as a businessman but he shared a deep connection to Mussoorie and to Jabarkhet in particular.

“This piece of land actually belonged to my grandfather who bought it in the 1930s. And, my father spent a lot of time in Mussoorie and was in love with the forest on this piece of land. He would work with about 60 people from the forest in maintaining the place and ensuring that there were no activities like poaching,” Vipul tells The Better India (TBI).

However, since his father passed away in 2006, it became difficult for Vipul to manage this place. So, when Sejal shared her idea, he was more than happy to get on board.

Jabarkhet Nature Reserve – A Shared Dream Come True

The work on this privately-owned nature reserve started once the duo founded their company, Jabarkhet Eco-Development Limited in 2015. After four years of intensive and concerted efforts, the Reserve is home to 145 bird species, 20-odd species of mammals and about 350 species of flowering plants!

Since they opened their doors, over 10,000 people have visited the Reserve.

In the guided walks cutting through natural trails, you get the chance to spot different bird species which may include magpies, jays, and thrushes perched on berry bushes, wild pears, and acorns.

“There are also the pamphlets with the bird pictures and their names which makes it easier for the people to spot. The type of flora you get to see depends on the season. Sometimes you’ll get to see beautiful flowers and many different kinds of mushrooms,” says 25-year-old Virendra Singh, a nature guide from the Kotli village in the area who has been conducting walks (1000+ so far) at Jabarkhet since its inception.

Virendra also mentions that they have CCTV cameras installed in the forest premises which captures the movements of the animals. Wildlife enthusiasts can see the movements of gorals, leopard cats, langurs, black bears, wild boars, and barking deer, among others on the tablet that Virendra carries along with him. Depending on the interest of the visitors, the guided trail walk (costing Rs 500/ person) lasts for about two to three hours.

Rebuilding a Beautiful Forest

“When we first started out a lot needed to be done. The whole area had to be cleaned, weeds had to be removed and we had to also create trails. On top of all of this, we had to figure out a feasible business model,” explains Sejal who has been working as the Programme Director for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for the past 15 years.

With over 30 years of experience in conservation, she was well-connected with people who worked in the same field and that really helped her bring the place together.

“A lot of people from the scientific community like botanists and environmentalists helped us understand the biodiversity of the forest. When the nature reserve became functional, they also helped in creating information booklets on flora in the forests that we could give to our visitors,” informs Sejal.

Additionally, Sejal and Vipul also spoke to people in the neighbouring villages to put a stop to hunting and informed them about ways they can help out in the conservation process.

Furthermore, the one thing that the duo was adamant about was to make the Reserve self-sustainable and become a source of livelihood for the nearby villages. Something, they felt would help the people bond with the place.

“We wanted Jabarkhet to generate money. This is how we could pay for people who worked here as guides and those who worked for its upkeep. That was the only way to go about it,” explains 62-year-old Vipul.

Creating a Sustainable Ecosystem

To bring the animals to the nature reserve during their yearly migration due to climate cycles, there was a need to make the forest hospitable for them. At first, the duo had 300 trees planted.

“Within a year, we saw a huge difference in the forest. Animals who wouldn’t visit often also started appearing like the bears, leopards, and foxes along with many different species of birds,” smiles Sejal.

Sejal was initially worried that the return of these wild predators might lead to attacks on the villagers’ herd of goats and cattle that came into the forest to graze. But, she saw that animals like deers and sambars also started coming to the forest which helped in establishing the natural order of the wild.

As for the watering hole, a vital cog in forests, Sejal had three made so that the animals could come drink water as and when they wished to do so, without facing any kind of disturbance.

“The forest area has a natural spring but it falls on a path that is frequented by villagers. So we created these ponds to avoid man-animal conflict,” informs Sejal.

Since they have about 10 CCTV cameras, the keepers of the Reserve are privy to the movements of the animals who frequent the nature reserve. Sejal mentions here that they have seen barking deers, langurs, bears among other animals visiting the water holes.

“We re-fill these water holes every day during summers. There was this instance where the water would finish in a day’s time. It was quite surprising for us. Later when we checked the cameras, we found that a black bear would visit with her cubs and would use the water hole as a bathtub, splashing water everywhere,” laughs Sejal.

Though the expert conservationist feels extremely satisfied with her journey of restoring the reserve back to its former glory, there is another factor that she considers a ‘huge success’.

“A lot of people here think that driving taxis is the only way to make a living. When Virendra joined us as a guide, I was so happy. He was so eager to learn and we’ve taught him as much as we can and he has been working with us since the beginning,” she says.

She adds that, now, when she visits the villages, mothers of young boys come to her and urge her to train their sons as forest guides. Currently, there are a total of six guides who have been trained at Jabarkhet.

“Virendra was only 18 years old when I first met him and he has been working with us since before we opened to visitors. If you ask me, I feel like he is my biggest success story,” says Sejal with pride.

Conservation is a Necessity

Sejal truly believes that Jabarkhet has now become a microcosm of undisturbed forest. She has never seen any injured or sick animals and from what they have seen in the CCTV cameras, the animals seem healthy. Hunting in the forest has also gone down substantially since they are so vigilant and engaged in preserving the flora and fauna in the vicinity.

However, she believes that there is a lot more to achieve in the country in terms of conservation as the percentage of protected forest area is still very low. Currently, only 5.02 per cent falls under the category of ‘Protected Areas’, which is why individual efforts are increasingly important in these times.

“The thought that only the government can carry out conservation activities is not the right approach. We need several individuals and thousands of hectares of land to make a difference,” she says.

She also emphasises on that fact that it is important to create a model where conservation pays. Firstly, for the local communities and secondly, for individuals who carry out these conservation activities.

“When we started out, we thought that 110 acres is so little and we won’t be able to make much of a dent. But, as we slowly and steadily started out with our conservation activities, we were able to see the difference in front of our eyes. We hope to create a movement across the country where people truly care about their forests,” says Sejal signing off.

Also Read: For 33 Years This Forest Guard Has Faced Bullets & Floods For Kaziranga’s Animals

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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With only 24.56 percent of the total geographical area in India comprising forests and tree cover, conservation methods to preserve and expand on what’s left have become imperative.

“Although the construction of roads is a development, that facilitated the incoming of developers. So, that led to an increase in the clearing of green cover, and a massive increase in topsoil erosion, resulting in high silting of stream beds. In fact, some developers have also tried to encroach upon our land which we have resisted. Moreover, because forests everywhere are dying, the additional deforestation puts extra pressure on our forest land,” shares Bharat Mansata, an active member of the Vanvadi Collective.

Vanvadi is a non-profit forest collective near Neral in Maharashtra, located almost three hours away from Mumbai. The collective comprises 24 people across different professions, who have now revived a 65-acre piece of land situated in the foothills of the Sahyadris into a beautiful forest which they call Vanvadi forest.

As a member of the collective, Mansata talks to The Better India (TBI) about the journey of Vanvadi. A writer and environmentalist, Mansata has seen Vanvadi grow and flourish in front of his eyes in the past 25 years. Initially, the land was purchased with the aim to practice natural farming but the collective went beyond that.

The revived land, called Vanvadi forest, now has over 90 per cent tree cover. The regenerated forest is home to over 120+ traditionally useful plant species (including 54 forest food species) and a host of birds, reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, and crabs.

“We bought the land from two landowners of the region. They were clearing most of the vegetation on this land every 3-4 years to sell as firewood, and once we had control over the land, we stopped the cutting of trees,” informs the 65-year-old Mumbai resident.

Since they began, not only have they transformed the land into a thriving forest, they have also built check dams, carried out desilting of stream beds and water bodies, practiced farming, enhanced biodiversity, practiced rainwater harvesting, revived wells and impacted the lives of tribal communities living in the area.

The collective also involves the local communities in the workshops and food walks they conduct about the edible plants found in the forest and how they can be seamlessly integrated into meals.

Vanvadi: Planting One Tree at a Time

A Psychology graduate from St. Xaviers College, Mansata pursued a postgraduate degree in Sociology from Mumbai University in 1978.

It was during this time that he happened to read a book on natural farming called, ‘The One-Straw Revolution’ written by Japanese farmer and philosopher, Masanobu Fukuoka. The impact of the book on him marked the beginning of his journey towards striving for ecological balance through environmental activities.

He then opted to attend a 10-day intensive permaculture course in Hyderabad and later began writing on various environmental issues like water conservation, forest regeneration, organic farming, seeds, air pollution, also highlighting solutions and alternatives, in different journals and magazines.

In the course of spreading his views about nature conservation, he connected with like-minded people and about four of them began their quest to find 10 to 15 acres of land where they could practice farming, mainly horticulture of fruit and vegetables, which came to fruition when they found a 65-acre land in 1994.

“We saw that the land – though clear-felled of trees just a year or two ago – was free from any kind of pollution and it wasn’t dug up. We envisioned regenerating the forest. So, we put the word out and within two months over two dozen people wanted to part-take in the process. Each of us pooled Rs. 30,000 per acre; and that is the beginning of it all,” recalls Bharat.

Since it was a large piece of land, it was initially difficult for them to even figure out where it started and ended. The official boundary survey was completed after three years after which they built a small hut and hand pump to meet the drinking water needs for people who planned on living on site while carrying out the regenerative activities.

In the monsoons, they planted various local trees like Mango and Jamun and hardy forest species, including hedge species like Bamboo. But due to insufficient supply of water and relative inexperience of the group members a lot of the trees did not survive initially.

Fortunately, the group had earlier been mentored by Bhaskar Save on practical ecology. Known as the “Gandhi of natural farming”, he helped them figure out the correct way to do things. They also worked towards digging out an open well with a depth of 25 ft which helped them meet their irrigation needs, which was otherwise missing.

Since, they ensured no trees were being chopped, the forest largely regenerated and prospered by itself. They also started practicing natural farming on a one-acre piece of land.

They strategically picked this land near a stream that ran across the property, and close to where they had built their open well.

“Since then, we have been growing rice, millets, legumes, pulses and oilseeds on half an acre, while another half-acre of land is used to grow fruits and vegetables. In addition to our two full-time workers on our property, we hire about five to six people depending on the sowing and harvesting season,” informs Bharat.

The harvest is mostly consumed by people who visit the property for workshops or anyone who lives on the property for a longer period. Visiting members also occasionally carry back some of the produce.

Conservation Activities and Impact on Local Communities

The collective has been actively engaged in rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge activities. One of these was building check dams on the streams. They did this by taking out loose rocks from the stream bed (using them to build the dam walls or embankments), which helps in deepening it, making more space for water especially during monsoons. They have built about six check dams — a large one which is 8ft in height and 40ft in length. The five others are about 3-4ft in height and 10 to 20 ft long.

“The presence of so many trees on the property helped the soil retain moisture. The land under the forest becomes like a sponge with open pores and helps the water percolate and recharge the groundwater aquifers,” explains Bharat.

Another important activity that they carried out along with building the check dams was the desilting of the stream bed. This was again done to make space for water but Bharat tells us something interesting about this soil.

“Because of chopping down trees around the area, a lot of the fertile topsoil gets washed away during monsoon and ends up on the stream bed. By desilting it, we not only allow more water in the streams but also use this soil for farming practices that we carry out on our property,” explains Bharat.

For these activities, the local Adivasi communities from the region are engaged and about four to 12 people are hired depending on their requirements.

Additionally, the collective started making summer firebreaks, which is basically clearing strips off dry, fallen leaf litter to prevent any kind of fires from spreading in the forest. This began about six to seven years back when a fire encroached from outside the land and damaged almost 200 trees in the forest, informs Bharat.

The impact that the Vandvadi collective has had on local communities and their lives is worth mentioning. In 2017, as a result of soil erosion, an 18ft well at the outer edge of the neighbouring Chinchwadi village had completely filled with soil till almost two feet above the rim of the well.

“Since some people from the village had engaged with us before for activities we had carried out before, they approached seeking help. They were experiencing a scarcity of water and needed water from the well for themselves and their thirsty cattle. So, we helped the villagers de-silt the well and extend the rim of the well up to 5ft,” explains Bharat.

Daulat Pardhi, a resident of the Chinchwadi village, mentions that this helped people from his village and villagers from neighbouring settlements who also fetch water from the well. He informs that although the felling of trees is not allowed at Vanvadi, it is open to villagers and they can collect dry firewood lying on the ground for free.

The 30-year-old is also the son of Ambibai and Mahadu Bua, who have been helping out the Vanvadi collective in managing the piece of land.

“I have been working with them for the past 14 years while my parents have been working for even longer. Their conservation activities have helped improve the water level in the area. Also, my parents and I have had a great experience hosting forest food walks and various environmental workshops as it gives us a great opportunity to interact with people from cities and introduce them to our food culture,” he says.

Challenges and Looking Ahead

Having carried out so many activities over the years, it would be unfair to assume that journey has been devoid of any challenges.

Bharat gives us an insight into the problems they have faced until now. He says that there aren’t too many people to work with as most of the members are busy professionals working in the city. If they had more people at disposal, perhaps they would’ve been able to do more. But, he adds that because the villagers and volunteers from the city have been so forthcoming, that has really helped them until now.

Bharat also informs that the collective now wants to scale up their conservation activities, particularly rainwater harvesting, increase farming and conduct more forest-related workshops and activities for people to come and attend. He also looks forward to adding new members to their group who can be instrumental in carrying out these activities and also provide a fresh impetus to environmental conservation.

“In the coming years (or sooner), we plan to start a forest eco-versity on our land where people can learn everything related to ecology, nature, forest, farming, habitats, and sustainable livelihoods. We want new people to come on board and teach these; and where people learn skills practically rather than just theoretically. We also want to promote culture, music, art, natural healing, and meditation. Lastly, we envision a community – an organically evolving eco-village – where people can learn from each other and grow just like the forest around us,” he says signing off.

Also Read: Uttarakhand Duo Transform Dying 110-Acre Forest Into Lush Home For 500+ Species!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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As the mercury and humidity rise, an AC can keep you comfortable. But is there a way to keep the electricity bills from shooting up, minimising energy wastage and keeping cosy during the hot summer days?

Yes, and yes. Here are six tips you can follow:

1. Set the Right Default Temperature

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) mandated AC manufacturers to keep the default temperature of their devices at 24°C. Before the mandate, the default was 20 degrees.

Studies show that about 6 per cent of electricity is saved for every degree we raise the temperature. And the lower you keep your AC, the longer its compressors work, shooting up your electricity bill.

So if you choose to keep the AC running on its default temperature, you can save up to 24 per cent electricity (the difference of four degrees, multiplied by 6 per cent saved electricity)!

Of course, you are still able to lower the temperature according to your preference—more on that below.

2. Keep it at 24 °C, Instead of 18 °C

If you are living in cities like Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai or Bengaluru where the average day temperature is between 34-38°C, setting your AC to 10 degrees lower is already a great respite. Plus, our body temperature averages between 36-37 degrees, so any room below that is naturally cool for us. Now we know that for every degree that we lower on the AC, we consume 6 per cent more electricity. So change your habit from lowering it to 18°C to keeping it around 23-24°C. You will soon realise that even at this temperature, your home is perfectly cool.

3. Sealed Rooms & Shut Devices Save Electricity

Shutting the door seems like a no-brainer when it comes to an air-conditioner. But also make sure all your windows are sealed tight, and the cold air doesn’t leave the room. Pull the curtains, so the sun’s heat doesn’t enter your room, increasing the load on your AC.

Heavy electronic devices like the fridge, TV and computer generate a lot of heat and make your AC work harder. Switch them off before you start the AC. Let the room cool a bit, and then you can switch them back on.

While you are at it, rearrange the furniture, so it doesn’t block the air vents.

4. Switch on and Switch off to Save Electricity

Have you ever woken up shivering and had to turn off the AC? That’s probably because the air conditioner worked overnight to keep your room extremely cool. One way of saving energy and staying comfortable is to switch it off at night. Especially if you are running it throughout the day, you won’t need it all that much at night too.

If you are spending long hours in an air-conditioned room, try this tip. Keep it on for a couple of hours and then switch off for another one or two hours. The room remains adequately cool while also saving on a lot of electricity.

5. Fan + AC = Reduced Energy Consumption

Keep the ceiling fan switched on when the AC is running. Together, they keep the room ventilated and circulate the cool air in all corners. Also, you will not have to keep decreasing the temperature.

For efficient cooling with minimum energy usage, start with switching on the fan and driving away the hot air in your room and then switching on the AC.

6. Regular Servicing and Cleaning Saves Electricity

All the dirt WHICH accumulates in the ducts and vents of the AC just make it work extra hard to ensure the cool air reaches your room. Replacing dirty filters for a new one can lower an AC’s energy consumption by 5-15 per cent! Plus, it saves the device from breaking down or in need of repair.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Artist Suresh Kumar G has been making the most of the lockdown in his garden. The 47-year-old resident of Bengaluru not only tends to the fruits and vegetables but also looks after the weeds.

For long, we have believed that weeds are undesirable and unwanted plants. But, not Suresh.

“A lot of us unknowingly get rid of weeds that grow in our gardens, thinking that they deter the growth of fruits and vegetables. But, if you look at traditional cuisines, weeds have been used to cook dishes. The reason is they are not only edible but also have numerous health benefits,” informs the artist.

World of wondrous weeds

Suresh recalls that his mother and aunts had been using weeds to whip up delicious curries. After his mother passed away a few years ago, the single father began spending a lot of time in the kitchen, to replicate her food. This is when he put his efforts into researching edible weeds and realised that knowledge on these has been diminishing.

He began sharing this knowledge with his ever-growing group of urban gardeners, but he did not stop there.

A son of the soil, he would often visit V Kallahalli, his mother’s native village located across the Dodda Kere Lake, near Sarjapur. He would come here for community art projects, where social issues were touched upon through the art of storytelling.

On visiting his native village over the years, Suresh could register a few noticeable changes. “This is the village where my mother grew up. But, the villagers here did not have any knowledge about the weeds when I asked them. The concepts of kitchen gardens, along with farming, were also diminishing due to rapid urbanisation. The use of edible weeds too was being wiped out from their cuisines,” recalls Suresh.

Some of the edible weeds include Komme Akku, Aggsee, Gonakku, Pullsakku, among others.

To show them the value of reviving edible weeds, Suresh decided to give some of them a tour of his 800 sq ft terrace garden at his home in South Bengaluru. For those who couldn’t, he made a PowerPoint presentation. He also realised that to spread knowledge to the entire community, they needed a space where they could come and learn.

“There was a two-storey community centre in the village. It had about 2,000 sq ft which could be used for gardening. The building had initially served the purpose of a veterinary hospital. So, after we spoke to the village head, they agreed to have us utilise that space for gardening,” he says.

Additionally, Suresh’s work, especially in his terrace garden, made him popular among folks practising urban gardening. And luckily, this recognition helped him secure an invite to the ‘Urban Biodiversity Retreat’ organised by the Bangalore Sustainability Forum.

“Here, a lot of people came to get grants for their biodiversity projects. They really liked my proposal and awarded us Rs 5 lakh, which led to the birth of ‘Sarjapur Curries’ in June 2019,” he says.

The grant helped Suresh in streamlining the activities under the initiative. Since then, he has helped the village communities revive over 15+ edible weeds, along with 6+ types of wild veggies, all grown naturally.

In the village, a women’s SHG has also been deeply involved in the process, replicating and growing these in their homes. Suresh has also set up a seed bank where he’s preserved at least 25+ edible weeds.

A passionate Artist to an avid Gardener

Engaging with communities has always been at the centre of Suresh’s work. After graduating from Delhi College of Art, he returned to Bengaluru, and started teaching in various art schools around the city. He also got involved in small-time community art projects.

As visiting faculty, he taught at the Bangalore University of Visual Art, Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, and Chitrakala Parishad.

At this time, he was also holding exhibitions in public spaces and working with young independent artists. To support local independent artists, he even founded ‘Samuha’, a collective that served as a pool of resources. Under this, they organised several exhibitions.

However, when it came to gardening, cutting down on travel helped him get deeply involved in the process.

“I had always been very interested in food and how it ends up on our plates. I was travelling a lot for work. Once my mother passed away, I stopped travelling so frequently. Spending more time at home meant I could finally commit to maintaining a garden,” he recalls.

In 2017, he started growing wild vegetables like Ivy gourd, turkey berries, along with conventional vegetables like chilies, brinjals, broad beans, tomatoes, and pumpkins, among others. Since he would missed his mpther’s edible weed dishes, he began getting in touch with urban gardeners to procure these seeds and grow them at home.

He talks about the advantages of edible weeds. “Take different varieties of Amaranth, they are rich in fibre and protein, along with several other micronutrients. Also, when weeds are grown along with other crops, they act as ‘live mulch’ that keep the soil moist and using less water,” he informs.

Another point he mentions is how the weeds break the cycle of ‘monoculture’ and prevent crops from pest attacks.

During his initial interactions with the villagers, Suresh noticed that they were using a lot of herbicide to prevent the growth of grass. This was to prevent snakes and insects but it was killing the quality of the soil. And hence, a lot of them were unable to grow food. Suresh informed them about this and taught them different ways to improve soil quality.

“First, we began collecting soil from dry lake beds as it is known to be very fertile. At the community garden, we raised the beds using this soil and mixed it with coco peat from neighbouring factories. With the help of the grant, we were also able to install drip irrigation and water sprinklers which reduced the effort for labour-intensive watering,” he informs.

In addition, he started buying fresh sheep manure from a shepherd in a neighbouring village. “These sheep would graze on healthy green grass all day, naturally making the manure much more rich in nutrients than the cows from the area which were not free-range. It’s important that the soil stays healthy to prevent pest attacks. Hence, we also started making jeevramrutha, which acts as a natural fertiliser and pesticide. While, also using curd and neem oil to further protect from pest attacks,” he says.

Another interesting aspect of this community garden is how materials have been upcycled to maximise the gardening space, making it more functional.

“While raising the beds for gardening, we used terracotta roof tiles found in old house sites. These were used to build the walls of the bed, carefully holding all the soil within it. Also, old cement rings which are used to make wells, were placed them on top of one another to make vertical gardens,” he smiles.

Challenges and breaking the urban-rural divide

Despite all the breakthroughs, Suresh faced several challenges.

“Convincing people to partake in gardening organically: since it does not generate high yields, it is sometimes difficult to convince people about the objective of ‘revival’, which was our focus. Other challenges are a shortage of water in the area, especially in the summer. But, through effective ‘live mulching’, we have overcome that,” shares Suresh.

He also mentions one of his biggest achievements, which was facilitating greater interaction between the rural and urban communities. Through their workshops, Sarjapur Curries has had people from both spheres come together.

Entrepreneur Ashwini Gajendran is a great example. She knew of Suresh through her network of urban gardeners. When she learnt that Sarjapur Curries was organising a workshop to discuss edible weeds and how to incorporate them into the cuisine, she couldn’t miss it.

“Most of the weeds are not available as regular market produce but have immense health benefits. These are weeds that our mothers and grandmothers cooked, but they have been lost over the years. So, there was a lot of learning in the workshop,” she says.

The 37-year-old says she learnt about edible weeds she could grow in her garden in addition to the ones that already existed.

“I also learnt how to cook a variety of dishes using the weeds, instead of the conventional fry. They taught us how to make chutneys and different gravies. Even my kids like to eat these now,” she says.

Having completed a year with his initiative, there is no stopping Suresh.

He informs that he has taken it upon himself to document the different recipes systematically so that everyone learns about the value of weeds in their diet. He also wants to scale his project where the garden size increases as well as the community members.

“I want more people to get involved in this project so that they see an opportunity in weeds. My dream is to start a canteen in this village where we serve fresh curries, chutneys, and gravies that are cooked using freshly plucked weeds from the community garden. This will generate jobs for people in the village and keep traditional food alive,” he says, signing off.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

Images courtesy: Suresh and Science Gallery, Bengaluru

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Picture this: The cuckoo bird sings on the mango tree as the wind spreads the sweet smell of the freshly grown fruit, jackfruits call out to their takers, and coconut water is ready to beat the heat. Not just that, tulsi (Holy Basil), giloy (Tinospora Cordifolia), ardusi (Vasaka) and aloe vera do the serious talking for cures.

Looks like the typical setup of a farm, but guess what, this is a cosy residential society in the suburbs of Aamchi Mumbai.

This is the story of Kanchan Nalanda CHS Ltd, a housing society that has around 41 big trees, including jamun (java plum), mango, Ashoka, Gulmohar, drumstick (moringa), neem, coconut and jackfruit.

“We produce around 600 coconuts, 800-900 mangoes, 30-40 kg jamun and jackfruit each year,” shares Kamal Saboo. He’s a senior resident, active in the gardening and cleanliness initiatives of the society. He adds that these are equally distributed among the residents of 86 flats.

The society recently undertook coconut plucking, providing around 5-6 coconuts to each flat.

Health and well-being have taken centre stage due to COVID-19, and the residents of this Mumbai suburban society are reaping the benefits of their efforts.

However, there was a time when the society had a tiny area under cultivation and struggled to keep the trees and plants flourishing, with depleting soil health. Many believe that it was the magic of the in-house organic manure that led to the flourishing landscape.

“It all started in 2016 when we consciously decided to stop the air pollution caused by the burning of dry tree leaves collected in the society. And we commissioned a bio-compost pit in the premises, wherein dry leaves were converted into organic manure,” explains Rashmi Tak, chairperson of the society.

She adds that they were quick enough to adopt garbage segregation to the full support of the residents. “In 2017, we took up the segregation, and I am happy to share that our residents have been diligently following it.”

Suhas Vaidya, a senior member, played an instrumental role in promoting the compost pit and community gardening. Each flat is provided with two bins for wet and dry waste. Once collected, wet waste is converted into manure at the society’s bio-compost pit, which is managed by a professional agency.

Today, they have abundant organic manure and use it for community gardening within the premises.

“We took up community gardening to maintain cleanliness in the building and requested residents to bring down the plantation at their respective flats to the common garden area,” she adds.

The initiative also provided residents with an opportunity to engage with each other and share knowledge about various medicinal plants. They relish coconuts, mangoes, guavas, papayas, jackfruits, jamuns, bananas, lemons and lemons at their very own garden. The newest additions to the garden are pudina (mint), turmeric, pomegranate, native gooseberry and tomato.

Calcutta paan (betel leaf) is the showstopper that hides among the bushes and is a delicacy. While it is eaten for its taste and digestive benefits, a senior resident in the society pointed out its benefits in curing throat infections. “Just clean the leaf with water and chew it… your cough will vanish,” she smiles.

The society has also been popular for papaya leaves that are used as a cure for dengue fever. Ms Tak shares that the medicinal plant ardusi is very helpful in curing cough.

Interestingly, the plantation has been done by the residents with their limited knowledge, alongside a gardener. There has been no help from an agri expert on the kind of plants to grow.

“We are the modern farmers of Nalanda,” chuckles Darshan Mehrotra, a young resident of the society. He continues, “I think we are making good use of our building area with plants, trees, and flowers all around. It is a good way to make our children connect with nature in a cosmopolitan city. This is a rarity in big cities.”

During the lockdown, their daily needs for curry leaves, tulsi, flowers and lemons were met by the community garden.

They have also conducted workshops with the municipal corporation on garbage segregation and bio-composting which saw participation from other housing societies in the city. These efforts were recognised by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (P South Ward) with a certificate under the Zero-Waste Campaign in 2017.

“We aim to make the environment pollution-free with eco-friendly practices. And we are happy to share our experience and learning with other societies,” says Archana Saboo, the secretary.

The society has set an example for others. What looked like an uphill task has become a success story, bearing fruits of Swachta and Aarogya!

(Written by Shweta Bhanot and Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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Since his posting three years ago, Sandeep Kumar, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Uttarkashi Forest Division and a 2011-batch IFS officer, has regularly visited the various bugyals—a bugyal is an ecologically sensitive high-altitude alpine meadow—in the region, including the landmark Dayara bugyal.

While its rolling patches are a popular tourist attraction, the rampant soil erosion has devastated the landscape and affected the plant ecology.

Having witnessed the degradation of these fragile ecosystems in the form of soil erosion and other associated problems, firsthand, Kumar arrived at a unique eco-friendly engineering method to restore them.

The first phase of this project began last year, and using geotextiles—permeable textiles utilised to increase soil stability, help drainage, establish erosion control and protect terrain—made of coir, along with with bamboo pegs and pine needles, locals repaired nearly 600 metres of the Dayara bugyal in Uttarkashi, which is perched at nearly 11,000 ft above sea level.

Why is it Important to Protect Bugyals?

Bugyals are essentially high altitude alpine meadows in the Himalayas rich with unique flora, particularly traditional medicinal and aromatic plants. They also adjoin forests, which makes an important part of the surrounding ecosystem.

“They are home to medicinal and aromatic plants like Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa), Spikenard (Nardostachys jatamansi), Atis (Aconitum heterophyllum), Meetha (Aconitum Balfourii) and Dhup (Jurinca dolomiaea). These plants can only only grow in these specific climatic conditions, and you won’t find them anywhere else. Locals living in the vicinity share a very close bond with these meadows. They’ve conserved these parts for the use of traditional medicinal plants crucial for liver ailments and boosting immunity since time immemorial. Kutki, for example, is an ayurvedic herb. It’s not just the medicinal plants they’ve conserved but also the traditional knowledge behind their use. These plants are also used during village festivals that celebrate local gods and goddesses,” says Sandeep Kumar, speaking to The Better India.

In other words, these bugyals and the adjoining forests are crucial in terms of the biodiversity they hold and their cultural relevance. Thus, they require both preventive and remedial measures with the active participation of local villagers to re-establish the natural ecosystem.

Threat Perception & Addressing Them

A key threat to the existence of these bugyals is excess tourist influx, particularly in the summer months. However, since 2018, on the direction of the Uttarakhand High Court, the State forest department has prohibited night camping. Instead, they have demarcated night camping sites in the adjoining villages like Ghuyin and Barnala.

“The reason we banned night camping is because of excess garbage inflow and the possibility that they may trample the local flora. When you camp at a place, you need infrastructure to cook food, erect toilets and that creates more waste. The longer people stay, the greater the chances that they may damage local plant species. We wanted to restrict the daily presence of tourists in the bugyal as much as possible, and now, can only walk along the bugyal only in the day,” he notes.

Another major threat is over grazing. Since 2018, the forest department has zeroed in on the presence of the local Gujjar community and their buffaloes, who were often found camping in them. The big hoofed animals, particularly buffaloes, would end up trampling on important species of flora, and make the soil prone to erosion. So, the forest department has earmarked certain parts of the forests further away for them to graze.

The third threat was stray livestock of nearby local villagers. During these months (June, July, August), local villagers free up their cattle in the forest and let them loose, and the animals often find their way to the bugyals.

After prolonged discussions with nearby villages, the local State forest department helped form a committee called the Dayara bugyal Conservation Committee, and used the platform to have continuous deliberations with locals, who also have to confront the vagaries of climate change.

“We are in the process of completely eliminating the grazing pressure on the Dayara bugyal. As of now, it has come down to nearly nil across its 28 sq km area and that is a major improvement because at one point you would see 1500-2000 cattle grazing in the meadow at a time, and eating its fine grass. This was thanks to regular discussions and deliberations with the villagers of adjoining Raithal and Barsu. Also, remedial work in the meadow is being executed by local villagers which has not only provided employment opportunities to them but also inculcated a sense of ownership,” informs Sandeep.

Remedial Measures

Beyond preventive measures, what they needed was remedial measures to address soil erosion on these meadows thanks to anthropogenic pressures like uncontrolled grazing, and the consequent surface runoff and gully formation.

The surface of the Dayara bugyal is covered with natural green grass and seasonal flowers, and are thus very vulnerable to any external pressure on it since they slope downwards.

What begins as sheet erosion, the “uniform removal of soil in thin layers by the forces of raindrops and overland flow” (source: The National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory) soon turns into rill erosion, “removal of soil by concentrated water running through little streamlets” (source: The National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory), and eventually gully erosion, a commonplace form for erosion accentuated by the flow of surface water. This results in the formation of channels through the meadows.

There was continuous cutting of the soil all through the middle of the bugyal, which in turn, severely damaged the site and plant species thriving on it.

“We assessed the area and accordingly prepared a plan for it sometime in June-July 2019. In light of its fragile nature, our working plan prohibited any concrete structures in the area, and we were left with very few options to treat these alpine meadows. So, we looked for an eco-friendly approach that would heal the already exposed surface, arrest soil erosion for a couple of years and help rejuvenate the area on the basis of assisted eco-restoration. We wanted to ensure that our intervention wouldn’t have any adverse environmental impact on such a sensitive ecosystem,” he says.

The plan, therefore, had four key components to it:

1) Make a plan to arrest soil erosion and gully formation through matting of eco-friendly coir geo-textile.

2) Making channels and check dams of coir logs made up of coir geo-textile stuffed with pine needles.

3) Fix the coir geo-textile, channels and check dams with bamboo pegs and stumps instead of iron rods and pegs.

4) Planting of local species like Iris kumaonensis and Rosa Sericea to rejuvenate the area to its original beauty.

Geo-matting the areas degraded by massive soil erosion coupled with the embankment of channels made up of coir-pirul (pine needles) logs not only prevents soil erosion but also controls lateral bank cutting all along the gully, and provides stability to the soil. The bamboo supported coir-pirul check-dams fitted across at defined intervals all along the channel decrease the speed of water flowing through it and also filter the soil content, thereby reduces debris load in the downstream areas.

The technique is based on a top-down approach, which means treatment started from an initial point upstream with less volume of water and debris, and progressed to lower areas where the problem becomes severe with more water and high speed. These structures gradually reduce the debris load and speed as water approaches the lower areas, thus protecting the downstream from further degradation.

To cover the already eroded area and heal the widening of the gullies, Sandeep informs that mats made of coir geo-textiles were used to make walls along the damaged part of the meadows, that were completely filled with pine needles and dry leaves. Around 9,000 square metres of coir geo-textile was supplied for this particular project.

Going further, check dams were erected on the gullies where the water flowed through the mats stacked one above the other to reduce the speed of the water and filter soil from the water. The objective was to reduce the speed of water and arrest the erosion of soil. Bamboo stumps were used to support the check dams. Meanwhile, bamboo pegs were used to fix up the mats instead of iron pegs.

“We covered the lateral sides of the gully with coir geo-textile mats. In order to reduce the speed of the water within the gully, we installed special check dams 4-5 metres apart. These check dams were installed to arrest the soil that is already in the water and decrease the speed of the water, geotextile mats were installed on both edges of the channel so that the flowing water is not in direct contact with the soil,” he says.

“Coir geo-textile mats can be used for preventing soil erosion and road construction. In such projects, first, the geo-textile is laid, then plantation work is carried out, which helps in holding the soil along with the textile. Coir textile prevents soil erosion and dissolves over time in the meadows, acting as manure for vegetation. When plants germinate, the geo-textile turns into mulch in almost a year’s time, and in another year, the geo-textile completely dissolves in the soil and acts as a manure for the same vegetation and also helps in further growth to prevent soil erosion,” says Sushil Bhatt, the Dehradun-based assistant manager of Coir Board of India, speaking to the Hindustan Times earlier this month.

Local Engagement

A fundamental facet of this endeavour was employing local villagers to implement this project.

“The project generated a lot of employment, and also gave the locals a sense of ownership. Although the forest department bought the bamboo from the Bamboo Board of Uttarakhand, the stumps and pegs were prepared by a local SHG. We hired locals for our transport and labour needs. We also used local ponies to transport the mats. Even the collection of pine needles, and stuffing the coir with them was done by locals,” says Sandeep.

All the material was prepared by October 2019 and the actual laying work happened in November 2019. By November end, there was complete snowfall. Actual implementation doesn’t take much time, and there were 40-50 labourers working on it.

“This is a first-of-its-kind project and we are already seeing rejuvenation of the area in terms of green shoots coming out of the coir mat. But it’s too early to say it has succeeded completely. In the next five-six months, the picture will be clearer. This technique may be replicated in other bugyal (alpine meadow) restoration projects in future. This is the most pristine ecosystem of the Himlayas, and I am confident our efforts will bear fruit,” he says.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Kitchen staff at the Auroville Solar Kitchen in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, an eatery, begin their operations as early as 6 a.m.

The secret behind their simple yet popular vegetarian meals lies in a detailed protocol. This involves getting fresh vegetables from the market, sanitising their utensils, and preparing every dish on time.

It is believed that the staff prepares more than a thousand meals every day, serving domestic and international tourists, schools, and workplaces.

Besides the mouth-watering food, this community kitchen, spread over three acres, is also famous for its rooftop solar bowl.

This 18-metre wide solar bowl, developed by the Tata Energy Research Institute, can prepare meals three times a day.

Guests at the kitchen often demand to see the unique device that generates the steam required for cooking through solar energy. It was fitted on the building terrace in 1997 by renowned architect Suhasini Iyer of Auroville Design Consultants.

“The aim was to build a demonstration project on Solar Thermal Energy to generate steam as part of a solar building. In other words, the spaces were to be designed to absorb solar radiation. Natural ventilation and solar chimneys are other features of the building,” Suhasini tells The Better India.

How the Solar Bowl Works

The bowl is made from composite granite and walls of compressed earth blocks. It has a total of 96 prefabricated ferrocement elements, lined with 11,000 mirror reflectors, that form a perfect and fixed spherical bowl.

A tracking boiler is fitted in the bowl that moves in all directions, around a double-axis articulation placed at the centre. Water is pumped to this boiler, which uses sunlight and converts it into steam.

The steam is then transported to the kitchen hybridised boiler where it is mixed with the steam in a diesel-fired boiler.

By 11 a.m., when the sun is at its peak, the diesel boiler is switched off and cooking is done entirely on solar steam.

Other Eco-Friendly Measures

A staunch supporter of natural building materials, Suhasini used minimal water-intensive materials like steel or cement while constructing the building. She used compressed earth blocks (CEBs) from local earth on the site. This not only reduced the transportation cost but also significantly curbed carbon footprint.

Besides, the building also practices greywater recycling, composting, and rainwater harvesting. “The sewage treatment plant recycles almost 70 per cent of the greywater, which is used for watering the garden,” she adds.

When asked if the eco-friendly measures helped in cutting construction costs, she points out the two categories of costs.

“Yes, the project costs were lowered by 10-15 per cent as we stuck to earth blocks. However, we tried to excel in another kind of cost-benefit that one rarely discusses—reducing carbon footprints. Electricity consumption is less today due to the solar bowl and natural air ventilation through open spaces. The building materials absorb heat, thus keeping the interiors cool. By avoiding the manufacturing-intensive construction process, we further curbed air pollution,” explains the architect.

Several South Indian dishes like idli and rice are steamed. The process of heating water (conventional and electric) consumes a lot of energy. This solar bowl is a sustainable alternative, and many food processing industries in India are also replicating it, Suhasini says.

A comprehensive and sustainable setup like the Auroville Solar Kitchen is also better for a cleaner and greener future.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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Ever since he was little, V Ginkhanpau has found true joy in the lap of nature. Venturing into the deep forests of Manipur, in search of bamboo shoots, wild fruits, and berries, comprise some of his fondest childhood memories. As does bamboo.

“Bamboo is a part and parcel of our daily lives here. We see it everywhere and in everything — it is used to create household items, fences, and even construct homes. I was 10 when I started pottering about with it, and soon, I was making bamboo walking sticks for the elders in my family and helping my parents cut it up for various purposes,” says 27- year-old Ginkhanpau.

So, after passing out of Class 12, Ginkhanpau didn’t have to think too hard about what he wanted to do next. He already knew what he was good at — using bamboo to create intricate handicraft items that are both beautiful and useful.

Today, Ginkhanpau along with his friend and business partner, Golan Suanzamung Naulak, runs a successful eco-friendly handicrafts venture named Zogam Bamboo Works (ZBW) in Lamka, a town in Manipur’s Churachandpur district.

From pens, water bottles to decorative pieces made of bamboo, the skilled craftsmen at Zogam create exquisite, eco-friendly and utilitarian products.

And their latest innovation, the bamboo tiffin box, recently went viral after IFS officer Sudha Ramen shared a clip uploaded by co-founder Golan, on Twitter.

Look at this Bamboo Tiffin carrier made by Zogam Bamboo at Churachandpur, Manipur. Beautiful and innovative design using local resources.

Use natural products – they are not just attractive, but also eco-friendly and it also supports many to have a livelihood. pic.twitter.com/7OFUpfvvWV

— Sudha Ramen IFS 🇮🇳 (@SudhaRamenIFS) July 6, 2020

The tweet meant to boost this innovation, and shed light on the potential of eco-friendly products especially those made in India. It also drew attention to how by investing in these products, one is not only contributing to save the environment but is also supporting homegrown local businesses.

“We are quite overwhelmed and happy with the response received online and are working day in, day out to meet the orders. This sort of attention given to local businesses like ours, really helps further our goal of environmental conservation and upliftment of marginalised communities,” says 33-year-old Golan, who also works in the development sector as a consultant and joined Ginkhanpau’s venture in 2017.

A Tiffin Box Made of Bamboo?

“Earlier, I used to make bamboo pens, decorative pieces, bottles, pen drives and various kitchen items, but I wanted to make something which was both unique and useful for people. Something that would look elegant and also be functional. That’s when I came up with the design for a tiffin set,” says Ginkhanpau.

Quite like a traditional steel tiffin dabba, his tiffin box is divided into three levels of storage, and comes with a placeholder that tightly locks every section preventing leakage. Till now, the makers have come up with two varieties of the tiffin box, one for storing dry food and another for wet food like gravies, curries and dals.

Talking about the longevity of the product, Ginkhanpau says, “These products are made to last at least for three years. They are made using good quality bamboo materials and can be used for storing both hot and cold food. Also, we are continuously improving upon the design and are planning to include an inner lining with copper and steel to better its durability.”

Commenting on the conundrum of using bamboo versus plastic, as pointed out by many netizens on Twitter, Golan adds, “Currently, bamboo products are not meant to ‘replace’ plastics or steel items. The idea behind this is to provide alternatives to the choices offered in the market. It is also about a behavioural and lifestyle change that we are thinking about. Certainly, we can use them for many purposes but not for all purposes, and this is where user discretion comes in.”

Starting a Business

Although skilled enough to make simple items out of bamboo, when he first started crafting, Ginkanphau still lacked formal training. In 2014, he joined a month-long course in bamboo handicrafts in Dehradun followed by another month at the Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC), in Assam.

Following that, he started selling bamboo products from home to prepare and gather enough capital to start his own company. In a few months, he was finally successful and registered ZBW in the same year, as an MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) unit.

In 2016, he even applied to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, carving a 22.1 ft-long pen crafted out of a single dragon bamboo. Although he wasn’t able to break the record, it is one of his most treasured creations.

Golan, on the other hand, received the Chevening Scholarship at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London in 2015 and completed his post graduation in South Asian studies from there. His formal education further equipped him for grassroots level work in the development sector and upon returning home, he decided to join and support Ginkhanpau’s entrepreneurial dream that was fueling the growth of the community as well.

While Golan handles the business and marketing responsibilities of the startup, Ginkhanpau’s efforts are focused towards production and design. Owing to the viral video posted by Golan and then retweeted by IFS officer Sudha Ramen, ZBW has already received over 150 orders in a day.

“It’s a huge show of support and we are grateful for that. However, since each tiffin box is handmade, and we have limited manpower, it will take some time to cater to each and every one who has placed their order,” he says.

Although a small team of 5 people which keeps expanding by involving craftsmen and craftswomen from the community, depending on the flow of demands, ZBW is much more than a business. It is part of a larger movement in Northeast India, which focuses on promoting the region through local resources, skill development and examples of sustainable lifestyle.

Manipur-based Seiminlun was one of the first people to buy the bamboo tiffin, and is quite pleased with it. “As consumers, we also have a responsibility towards the environment and the first step to making a dent there is through adopting a sustainable lifestyle. This was the reason I made this purchase, and I am pleasantly surprised by the superior quality of the product. Not just the quality or craftsmanship, but the durability and functionality of the product is quite impressive. I am very satisfied and am recommending it to many of my friends and family,” he says.

Golan says that he is not alone in this movement that aims to bring a larger impact. “ Over the last few years, a number of enterprising young people have returned to their home states and started initiatives that harness locally available resources, innovative tech and designs. Being environment friendly, our work has enabled others in the community to see the potential of our traditional resources for business and providing employment. In these testing times, such businesses are considered by many to be worth pursuing as they are more resilient than jobs in metro cities.”

Like ZBW, many such small businesses have been impacted due to the pandemic situation. But, Golan believes the adversity has also created a fertile ground for opportunities, especially with a renewed focus on reviving rural economies through use of local resources.

“This is an opportunity for eco-friendly products like ours to scale up and increase our production, improve our designs and innovate further. We plan to purchase more machinery, train more staff and focus on raw bamboo production, so that we can come up with better designs and increase production as well. We are looking forward to a productive future,” says Golan.

The tiffin box meant for dry food is priced at Rs 599, while the one for wet food costs Rs 799. To know more, you can visit their Facebook page or contact the team at zogambambooworkszbw@gmail.com.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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An annual tradition held few weeks before May; I remember rushing home from school, to finish my daily quota of studies and homework, all to keep the evenings free for the inevitable creative ventures planned for Rabindra Jayanti – the birthday of Tagore.

Hours would pass and evenings would fade into late nights, yet we all would continue perfecting the steps, running the lines and adjusting the pitch, alongside steaming cups of tea and an ever-flowing supply of deliciously crispy shingaras (samosa).

Amidst all the hard work, it was off-track addas and interesting trivia on Tagore shared by elder members that kept us oblivious to the outside world.

“What comings and goings we used to see: how merry were the rooms and verandahs with the hum of conversation and the snatches of laughter!” someone would spontaneously recite, quoting Tagore’s memoir, Jibansmriti (My Reminiscences).

The nostalgic piece gives a peek into the formative years of the great poet and encapsulates his long conversations with sister-in-law Kadambari Devi, brother Jyotirindranath and many friends like poet Bharilal Chakravarti.

Known as an exceptional conversationalist, Tagore’s memoir emphasised on the importance of ‘majlis’ or ‘adda’, predicting how it would become an integral part of Bengali cultural discourse in the following years.

A part of Bengali parlance, ‘adda’ on the one hand involves long engaging conversations based on rational arguments, dialogue and comic expression, on the other, it manifests itself as an artistic and tasteful display of an individual’s wit, intellectual prowess and humour, all at the same time.

“His fortitude and his kindly sense of humour remained with him till the end. Those who attended on his sick-bed treasured as their greatest reward the pleasantries and witticisms he constantly exchanged with them,” writes Krishna Kripalani (Tagore’s biographer) in her account of the poet’s final days.

According to the students of his institute in Shantiniketan, Tagore was known for his skilful use of rhetorical devices like puns and metaphors juxtaposing them with altered syntactic patterns, and this eventually led adda to become an educational tool.

Interestingly, it was a tradition for them to gather around Tagore as he engaged in storytelling, word-games and various light-hearted literary exercises often encouraging students to join in.

Origin of Kham Kheyali Sabha

The cultural and literary luxury of laid back conversations was not always a common phenomenon in Bengal. With the onslaught of colonialism and the propagation of utilitarianism, Tagore’s beloved art of conversations was coming to an end.

“We no longer have the thing called a majlis. We still meet for business or politics but never for the pleasure of simply being together I can imagine few things more ugly than this social miserliness,” he critiqued the increasing influence of modern greed and selfishness that was closing doors to intellectual and literary freedom among others.

It was this realisation that prompted the establishment of Kham Kheyali Sabha (Assembly of the Whimsical), an informal club where Tagore and his friends would mingle and feast over delicious delicacies and dialogue, in 1896.

The group included prominent individuals like Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, Atul Prasad Sen, poet and humourist DL Roy, scientist Jagadish Chandra Bose, classical vocalist Radhikanath Goswami and Pramatha Chaudhuri, with whom Tagore would often participate in heated arguments about art, politics, society, or even playful friendly banter filled with humorous anecdotes.

Creative discourse on pages, speeches and food

‘Do not blame the food because you have no appetite’—would be the usual response to reluctant foodies who would infiltrate the Rabindra Jayanti rehearsal halls for casual flirtations with dancing dames.

Like many today, Tagore too was extremely serious about his food, and so it’s not a surprise that his whimsical taste in words and food would find expression at the Kham Kheyali Sabha.

Also Read: #Travel Tales: Exploring Tagore’s Santiniketan, an Abode of Learning Unlike Any in the World

Adda and khabar hence became the twin agent of ultimate satisfaction for Bengalis.

To be true to its name, Tagore had to maintain its reputation of being whimsical, and nothing served at the sabha could dare be ordinary. His wife Mrinalini Devi would come to the rescue at such instances.

From jackfruit yoghurt fish curry without a single piece of fish in it, mustard mutton curry cooked with parwal and served with prawn raita, to cauliflower sandesh and dahi malpua, his unique demands would be brought to life by Mrinalini Devi.

The poet’s innate wanderlust also often inspired his gastronomic adventures that manifested in the kitchen of Jorashankho Thakurbari, where cooks toiled hard to create magical dishes that revolutionised Bengali cuisine.

A few reports on Tagore’s tastebuds claim that the great poet would fear chillies in his food, and because of this, any dish he consumed was always generously sprinkled with sugar.

Interestingly, this has become a prominent aspect of the state’s culinary expertise.

With his wit and unflinching penchant for experimentation, on pages or the plate, the poet has left behind a treasure trove of memories that we call culture today!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Originally published on May 7, 2019.

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In 2017, when the heavy rainfall led to the collapse of a wall and severe flooding in the parking area of a building in Thane’s Vijay Garden society, the residents decided that they had had enough.

 The incessant rains would wreak some form of havoc in the ‘rain ready’ region year after year, but this time, instead of waiting for the civic authorities to clean the area, some residents took matters into their own hands.

Led by Reny Varghese, they collected the leftover mud and started transferring them into empty paint buckets. An hour later, close to 150 buckets were full of mud and their building compound went back to what it was. 

But did they stop there? No. They transported the buckets (each weighing 40 kilos) to their terrace via a lift with the idea of sowing organic seeds.

“Our building had just been renovated and there were many empty paint buckets. We made our own compost from dry cow dung, soil and organic pellets and planted seeds of tomatoes, brinjals, leafy greens, spinach and ladyfingers. The project was started by four residents and it has now become like a collective gardening hobby for us,” Nelson D’Mello, the Secretary of the building, informs The Better India. 

Impressed already? Wait, there’s another ambitious resident-led project that you must know of.

“We harness solar power and sell it to the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). This initiative has helped the society save up to 40,000 per month that amounts to almost five lakh every year on the electricity bill,” he adds. 

How Residents Are Reaping Collective Efforts 

While it is not imperative for everyone to set up an organic vegetable–and fruit–garden, the ones who are even mildly interested may hesitate because of the lack of space, time, and information about doing so, without any chemicals. 

But here is a group of individuals proudly growing vegetables in 150 odd pots and every four days, the garden gives them one vegetable or another. This includes broccoli, cluster beans, turmeric, drumsticks, muskmelon, tulsi, potato, beetroot, cauliflower, chillies, neem, etc.

Though the members have their respective professional commitments, they spend an hour daily for maintenance and watering. 

“We never expected our hobby to give us such benefits. Right from taste to colour, the vegetables are so healthy and nutritious. We have divided the work like sowing, watering, compost among us. The yield is enough for one family so we take the harvest on a rotational basis and even share with other society members,” Reny tells The Better India.

As for the solar power plant that has a capacity of 30 kilowatts, it required an investment of Rs 20 lakh but interestingly none of the members paid a single penny. 

Nelson struck a rather innovative deal with the solar plant supplier (SKS GLOCHEM) according to which the plant would be installed for free. The company will own the plant for seven years till they recover the cost and then hand it over to the building. Per day, the plant gives up to 140 units that are sold to the MSEDCL. 

“Our main aim was to bring awareness regarding solar installation and its advantages. We want people to know the concept of net metering, the return on investment and government subsidy on solar plant installation and get rid of the misconception that long term solutions need heavy investment. The solar plant installation brings down the common area electricity bill to zero.  The investment and ROI depend upon the size of the generation plant,” Gopalakrishnan Iyer,  the co-founder of SKS GLOCHEM tells The Better India. 

The plant was installed in 2017 and from 2024, all the units generated will go to the society. 

Who would have thought a garden would flourish in the midst of the city’s concrete jungle? But, with these amazing initiatives, this Thane society is proving that this is indeed possible, and a little effort by the citizens can go a long way in bringing a long-term difference. 

You can get in touch with SKS GLOCHEM at: gopal62@hotmail.com

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Reverse Osmosis (RO) water systems make water safe to drink. But, many do not opt for this solution as the filtration system can remove vital minerals from the water, cause excessive wastage of water during the filtration process, and consume too much electricity.

MV Ramachandrudu, a 54-year-old resident of Hyderabad, is one such person who does not depend on technology for drinking water.

In his home, Ram, his 26-year-old son, and his wife consume water that is purified through three earthen pots filled with natural purifying elements such as coarse sand, gravel, and charcoal. Which is a system that may work for many who wish a safe system.

Natural water purification

Since childhood Ram was accustomed to drinking municipal water provided by the government.

But 12 years ago, when he moved to Nagole, he was forced to purchase canned water from convenience stores as there was no proper supply of municipal water. Apart from that, the municipal water was also contaminated as there were faults in the supply pipes.

He says, “During that time, I came across stories about there being sewage leaks in those pipes, and some being dirty without maintenance. While thinking about alternative solutions to get access to potable water, I decided to tap into the most effective but least used method – sand filtration.”

With the help of his son (who was in the Class 9 at that time, and is now an engineer), Ram made a three-pot sand-based water filtration system.

“In that system, we feed in rainwater collected from the terrace or tap water, and have pure drinking water within 20 minutes.”

How does it work?

The three-pot filtration system has two pots filled with sand, gravel, and charcoal to purify the water. Ram says the mixture of sand and gravel helps fight against pathogens or harmful bacteria present in impure water. The charcoal in the pot helps to remove any bad odour from the water.

The system is easy to make and you can try making one at home too –

Here’s what you will need

1. 3 earthen pots of the same size. One attached with a tap (available readymade)
2. Coarse sand (Same as the one used for construction)
3. Gravel
4. Charcoal

The quantity required for each depends on the size of the earthen pots purchased.

How to make the filtration system

Prepare the earthen pots

Step 1 – Wash the pots thoroughly
Step 2 – Fill two pots with 2 cups of water and let it sit for 15 mins
Step 3 – Drain the water and use a sharp nail to pierce a hole at the bottom

Remember – Do not use a hammer or a drill to do this, the pot may break

Prepare the materials for filtration

Step 4: The sand, gravel, and charcoal must be washed thoroughly at least 3 – 4 times
Step 5: Allow these elements to dry in sunlight for one day

You can repeat this process for 3 days to ensure that the elements are clean

Arrange the filtration materials into the pots

Step 6: In the uppermost pot fill gravel and sand in equal quantities, respectively.
Step 7: Place charcoal pieces evenly over this

Remember – Ensure that the pot is filled to half its quantity or less. This is the first filtration point and allows water to seep through quickly.

Step 8: In the second pot fill sand and gravel in equal quantities.

Step 9: Place more charcoal pieces over the gravel in an even manner.

In the second pot, add more sand and gravel compared to the first one. You can fill it to half or cover two-thirds of the pot.

Step 10: Place the pots over a stand. Pour the required quantity of water into the uppermost pot and wait until it reaches the last one.

Now, it is safe for consumption.

Cleaning tip: Ram says that the earthen pots must be cleaned or replaced every 6 months to one year. The materials inside also must be discarded and changed at this time.

About Ramachandrudu

Ram is a civil engineer and environmentalist. He has volunteered with Wassan, an NGO focusing on water resource management, for 20 years. During his time with them, he was part of many studies on understanding how RO water and canned water are purified.

He says, “Purification of drinking water is about removing harmful bacteria and not removing essential minerals. While RO water may remove these harmful bacteria and pathogens, it can also strip vital minerals present in water. Canned water is sometimes purified recklessly or irresponsibly that does not remove any impurities.”

If you have any questions you can reach out to Ramachandrudu over email at duram123@yahoo.com

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

Walking in the Baripada village, about 100 km from Dhule in Maharashtra, will give you the distinct feeling of being in a place that is very different to the several villages you have passed on the way over. Apart from the dense greenery, what would catch your notice is all the energy – solar, that is.

From water pumps to almost all the lights, this entire village (silently) hums with solar power. For a village deep in Maharashtra’s tribal belt, this is not just unique, but nothing short of a revolution.

12-hour long power cuts

With a population of around 1,000 residents, spread across 300 hectares of land, Baripada faced the same acute power shortages that plague thousands of villages across the country.

“Being in the interior parts of the region, the village faced a lot of electricity supply issues for years. There is load shedding for almost 12 hours a day, making agriculture activity difficult,” said Chaitram Pawar, a social worker in the village.

The 52-year-old Chaitram has been working for 30 years to bring sustainable reforms to the village, working on water conservation, afforestation and promoting sustainable agriculture practices. The social worker is associated with the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, an NGO also helps farmers to understand weather and provide necessary information to protect crops from harsh conditions.

“We address problems like accessing water for agriculture and drinking. Among the many steps we take to ease such challenges, we conduct training and workshops by experts from outside the village,” Chaitram said.

On one such occasion in 2014, the villagers learned about solar water pumps and its ability to work without electricity. The idea took everyone by storm and they made plans to get the pumps immediately.

Solar initiatives

“One Sunil Trivedi helped us to source the first solar pump of 2KW in the village through the Desh Bandhu Manju Gupta Foundation. Satisfied by the functioning of the solar water pumps, another 32 solar water pumps were procured from the Meenakshi Mehta Foundation,” Chaitram said.

Read More: Mumbai Startup’s End-to-End Solution Helps Societies Cut Power Bills By 95%

The social worker said they deliberately decided on a lower-powered solar water pump. “We had the opportunity to install a water pump for a higher power of 5KW. But we decided that there was no need to withdraw excess groundwater than we need,” he adds.

This could not have happened without a change in mindset. Chaitram says that any initiative planned for the village never succeeds without the consent of the villagers.

“All the villagers come together and decide on the initiatives. I had the idea of using the benefits of solar energy long ago. I waited for 15 years for the villagers to accept the idea and experiment with one solar water pump,” he adds.

“They realised the importance of solar energy and how effective it was in terms of improving their lifestyle,” the social worker said.

The next step was bringing lights to the village. “We had no electricity for elders to see inside the houses. The women cooked in the dark while smoke from burning firewood filled the rooms, the children could not study, and we could not see if snakes had entered the house,” Chaitram said.

In 2017, villagers approached the tribal department. “We expressed our problems about the electricity supply and suggested solar solutions through government schemes,” Chaitram told The Better India. The tribal department of the state government agreed to bring help to the village – after some convincing.

“There is a provision of the nuclear budget scheme of the department for solar units,” said Rajaram Halpe, project officer of the Integrated Tribal Development Project, Dhule.

Rajaram said that the department heard a lot about the good work that had already been done in the village. “A team of officers visited and confirmed the feasibility of installing portable and permanent solar systems,” he added.

The project officer said that initially 15 per cent of the total contribution was collected from the villagers. The subsidy was passed for the remaining sum. “In 2018, 94 homes got lit with villagers contributing Rs 3.5 lakh while the department spent Rs 19.82 lakh. The next year an additional 82 homes were added, with the entire cost borne by the government – spending Rs 19.76 lakh,” he added.

Rajaram said with no grid electricity available most of the times, about 80 per cent of the village’s needs are sustained through solar power.

Larger impact

Chaitram said that today, all farming activity, irrigation and other tasks of agriculture are carried out by solar energy. “There are a few portable units, carried across the village and used by multiple people,” he added.

Taking a cue of the efforts, neighbouring villages like Mapalgaon, Chavadipada, Mohagaon, and Kaldar have also started taking up solar initiatives.

Chaitram’s work also got recognition by PM Narendra Modi, as a mention as a ‘Rural Achiever’ in the New India Conclave under Youth For Development, Delhi in 2018.

“It is not my initiative alone as many stakeholders have come together and supported each other to make the projects successful,” he feels.

“We aim to make more sustainable alternatives available. We have procured a solar dryer and solar cooker from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to promote the use of solar energy,” he adds.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

‘Padi Patole bhaat, phate pan fitey nahin’. As per this famous Gujarati saying patola cloth may tear, but the design and colour never fades. It aptly describes the true nature of the 11-century craft of ‘patola’ – a double-ikat woven sari usually made from silk in Gujarat’s Patan town. 

The process of double ikat develops a design on the warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) sides, thus locking the colours in a way that they never wane. 

The word patola derives from the Sanskrit word ‘pattakulla’, which means a silk fabric. Though patola has strong connections with Gujarat, the earliest mentions can be found in South India as per the religious text, Narasimha Purana. It mentions women wore it for holy ceremonies. 

Patola entered Gujarat in the 11th century via Maharashtra’s Jalna district.

The fabric was a symbol of wealth and faith for King Kumarpal of Solanki dynasty in Patan (the then capital of Gujarat). Upon learning that the king of Jalna used patola as bedsheets before selling them, he bought 700 families to Patan to restore its previous glory. However, the real reason could be that he did not want to use a second-hand patola.

Kumarpal saw patola in the highest regard as he believed it kept devil and bad health at bay. Since it takes a minimum of six months of rigorous work to make one hand-woven patola (measured 5 metres), he hired all the 700 families for himself just so that he could wear a new patola daily on his temple visits. 

That’s how the Patan became a hub of a highly prized craft that prospered between 11th and the 13th century.

However, over the centuries, the highly talented weavers chartered in other professions and today only a handful of them posses the intricate craft of double ikat. 

The Salvi family is one of them. 

It is the only family in Patan and probably the whole of India that boasts of weaving patolas from completely natural dyes like indigo, turmeric, madder roots, pomegranate skin and marigold flower. 

In 2014, the family set up Patan Patola Heritage (PPH), an ingeniously curated museum comprising oldest pieces of patola. There are a 200-year-old frock, old family saris and samples of ikat textiles from countries like Thailand, Uzbekistan, Philippines and Indonesia at the display. 

At present only ten members of the family, including the eldest, Bharat, and Rohit Salvi and youngest Savan and Rahul Salvi are running the entire show, from live demonstrations at the museum to weaving patolas that cost a minimum of Rs 1 Lakh. 

If this art is dying, then why not shed the exclusive inheritance of learning and teach other weavers to expand their operations?

“Since it showcases the rich history and cultural significance, there is no room for mass production. It is a labour-intensive work that requires utmost precision and undivided focus to create a masterpiece that will last at least for 300 years. Very few have that kind of passion and allegiance towards patola. Thus, it is a guarded tradition,” Rahul, a Master Weaver, tells The Better India. 

The respect for the artwork is such that Rahul (42), an architect by profession, did not think twice before quitting his job in 2000 on his father’s request. Likewise, other family members who are engineers or doctors dedicate a few hours daily to carry forward the legacy.

Rahul and Rohit are the only weavers in the family who can ace the doubt ikat craft. 

Significance of Patola 

Under historical significance, patola was considered to be a powerful symbol as only the rich and affluent class purchased them. In the 13th century, the sacred heirloom was offered to the aristocratic class by the merchants to gain trading rights. 

In the cultural context, patola has an auspicious connection in certain Gujarati communities like Jains, Vohra Muslims, Nagar Brahmin and Kutchi Bhatias. 

Each community has its peculiar taste and variety. For instance in Hindu Gujarati weddings, the bride or her mother dorns bright red Patola sari with elephant and parrot designs. 

Chelaji Re is a popular folk song that is generally played in Gujarati wedding where a bride is describing the perfect patola she desires. 

Mare Hatu Patan Thi Patola Mongha Lavjo (Get me Patola from Patan)

Ema Ruda Re Moraliya Chitravjo (make a Peacock’s design)

Rang Ratumbal Kor Kasumbal Palav Praan Bichavjo Re (Ensure the saree is red andborders are bright) 

Jains prefer abstract designs and geometric patterns and Vohra’s have flower motifs with white zari strip. 

The Salvi family offers varieties like Pan Bhat (peepal leaf), Chandra Bhat (Moon), Rudraksha Bhat (a dried seed from the Himalayas), Nari Kunjar (elephant), Popat Bhat (parrot) and so on. 

The Process That Makes Patola Priceless

Patola is probably the only artwork done in reverse order as the threads are dyed first according to the pattern. It is only during the weaving process that dye marks align forming a pattern on the cloth. No wonder it is often referred to as the ‘mother of all ikats’.

It requires precise calculations as each square, line or pattern has to settle correctly. The set is wasted even if a single yarn is misaligned.

A sword-shaped stick, called ‘Vi’, made from rosewood is an essential part that is used to adjust the yarns. Interestingly ‘Salvi’ name is derived from ‘Sal’ (Sanskrit for the loom) and ‘Vi’ (rosewood). 

“After dying, threads of warp of different repeats of a pattern are put together in a sequence on the loom so that design is visible. Weft threads are wound on bobbins and kept in the bamboo shuttle for the weaving process. Patola is weaved on a hand-operated harness loom made of rosewood and bamboo strips. The bamboo shuttle is made to move to and fro through warp shades. Each warp is carefully matched with weft while weaving,” explains Rahul.

The process of tie-dyed design on warp and weft threads takes 3-4 months for a sari of six yards. It takes eight Salvis (weavers) to work for five days a week to complete the process within six months. 

One of their longest creations lasted for 3.5 years. It was for a government event where the family worked round the clock to make nine pieces of Shikaar (hunt) Bhat. The marvellous pieces had elephants, horses, king and soldiers in a procession on it. 

The final product is reversible, which means it looks the same from both sides. The precision of the Salvi family is such that it becomes difficult for even them also to distinguish. 

The Salvi family only uses natural dyes and pure mulberry silk so that patola can hold the colour for a longer period. 

“For a brief period after the partition, our family switched to chemical dyes and bleaches. This was at the same time when the business was suffering. So, we decided to revive both ancient practices and business with natural ones. It took years of research to crack the formulas of using vegetable ingredients to obtain various shades. Thankfully our ancestors had left some journals,” says Rahul. 

The meticulous labour work and authentic ingredients explain why patola is considered to be an exquisite fabric which is as precious as gold. 

Did you know the price of patola (Rs 120) in the 1930s was higher than gold (Rs 18 per tola)?

At present, the prices of saris begin at Rs 1 Lakh and depending on the intricate work; they can even touch Rs 10 Lakh. 

The Salvi family does not have a showroom or an outlet as it sells directly to customers via their website or Whatsapp. The average waiting period to receive your patola is two years! 

So if you find a PPH sari anywhere but in Salvi’s house, you know its fake. 

However, for someone who is not a patola connoisseur, Rahul explains how to identify a fake one, “The colour shouldn’t fade, patola is only made of silk, and the sari should not weigh more than 450 grams.” 

This one-of-its-kind heirloom is not just a piece of fabric; it is a promise that the Salvis have kept preserving their ancestor’s painstaking weaving techniques. Not to forget the countless connections of love that form by exchanging a piece of fabric. 

All the images are sourced from Patan Patola Heritage. Get in touch with the Salvi family here

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

Through the heart of Khuzama village in Kohima district, Nagaland, runs the Asian Highway 2, which has street lamps that stand 7-feet tall. Its posts are painted with the motifs of the Angami tribe in colours of red, green, black, white, yellow and orange, among others. This was done to represent the “rich Angami tribe culture” that the village belongs to.

“There are 16 clans of Nagaland, and each has their own unique languages. So, we don’t understand one another,” laughs Keseto Thakro, a native of the village. But the lamps are a significant milestone for the Khuzama village for more reasons than one.

As the Coronavirus pandemic caused the world to go into lockdown, Keseto, who works as a technician in the mechanical department of NIT Chumukedima, returned to the village. Being a member of the Khuzama Students’ Care Union (KSCU), he began voluntarily teaching e-learning classes, as the schools were closed.

While one class was underway, Keseto chanced upon a unique idea. “The thought of installing a hydroger, a mini-hydro generator, struck me. I shared the idea with the union, and everyone agreed. That’s why we came up with Project Brighter Khuzama,” he tells The Better India, adding how the students’ initiative assembled the plant and hydro-powered the village in two months.

Watch the video here:

Wat-er Plan with Hydropower

“The sole purpose of the project is not only to produce electricity and benefit from it but to educate the students and the community about green energy,” says the 31-year-old. Feeding two birds with one seed, Keseto adds, “To keep the machine running we now protect the forest, where our water source lies. And the students also learned the basic working principles of a hydroelectric power plant.”

Having worked as a technician for six years with hydroelectric power plants, Keseto arranged for a run-down hydroger through his sources. In June, the KSCU acquired the machine, repaired it and assembled it in roughly a day.

“In the beginning, we didn’t have any funds, so we thought of using the hydroger to power just one street lamp near an accident-prone area,” Keseto says.

Under Keseto’s supervision, the students set up the plant under the bridge over the Mewoboke River and installed a lamp on the bridge. The students recorded a video of the setup and posted it to WhatsApp groups, appealing for further help. Funds began pouring in after that.

Greater impact of Hydropower

The project, which would usually take three weeks to complete, took two months as KSCU had to wait for an influx of funds. “Project Brighter Khuzama is wholly funded by like-minded locals and not by any governmental organisations. We raised about Rs 85,000, and the total expenditure came up to Rs 80,000,” informs Keseto.

A local newspaper that covered this story stated that 90% of the population, who are farmers, depend on the Mewoboke River as their main source of irrigation.

“As most of the villagers depend on agriculture, we thought of installing the first street light there. The second street light was installed at the village’s sub-health centre, that sees many late-night emergencies and deliveries,”

Keseto goes on to share, “The machine’s capacity is 3 kilowatts, but at present, we are generating around 550 watts, which is enough to light up 23 street lamps (7-foot tall), that light up the footpath and eight street lights (20-foot tall) that covers around a 300-meter-stretch of the highway.”

A students’ collective

“The boys did most of the heavy lifting and manual labour, but the ladies also helped a lot,” says Nophrenu Thapru, who completed her Master’s in English Literature last year and now serves as the general secretary in the KSCU.

“One of my friends came up with the idea to paint the lamp posts in the traditional colours of the Angami tribe. She also painted a few themselves,” the 26-year-old adds.

As the work on the hydroger went on from dawn till dusk, Nophrenu says, “The other ladies and I prepared toast and tea for the boys, along with Galho, a porridge-like dish of the Angamis that includes vegetables and rice.”

Elaborating on the students’ union, its educational and statistical secretary, Sedi Thakro, says, “The union was founded in 1963, and 23 members are elected for a tenure of two years.” He adds, “Like all other unions, it is a village-level organisation that looks into the welfare of the students. Project Brighter Khuzama is also one of the only and first-of-its-kind initiatives by a student body in our state.”

The time and energy of these students that was poured into making the Khuzama village a little more sustainable and brighter will hopefully be appreciated by many more generations to come. Keseto says, “Project Brighter Khuzama was a success because of the cooperation and contribution of every single individual of the team.”

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

Hafiz Khan, the founder of CommuniTREE (an NGO), has a unique idea to reduce wastage and one that may bear fruit as well. Climate healer and forest creator tell The Better India (TBI) that he and his team collect cracker cases from homes in Chennai and repurpose them into plant holders. “We use cardboard cases from crackers to plant saplings. This Diwali season, we have already collected over 80,000 cases,” says Hafiz.

The team accepts cracker cases, rocket shells, cylindrical bombs, flower pots or fountain crackers, among others, for this cause. Hafiz adds that this initiative was started last year when the team collected almost 27,000 cracker cases.

True to its name, CommuniTREE offers those who hand over the firecracker cases to them with a prospective garden. “We collect the cases from people and return them with planted saplings, and if they don’t want the saplings, they can simply leave the cases with us,” says the 50-year-old.

Trial and error with firecracker

CommuniTREE has 40,000 saplings in their nursery. The saplings include jackfruit, amla, guava, neem and beech tree saplings, among other different varieties of plants. These saplings are grown in CommuniTREE’s nursery and are later planted in different locations. Bundling up the cardboard rolls to form a makeshift pot, Hafiz adds that the saplings can grow up to five feet tall.

Hafiz shares, “In the beginning, our nursery used plastic covers to grow the saplings, but as it was not good for the environment, we stopped using it. Then we tried bamboo and many other eco-friendly materials, but they were costly and not sustainable. Then one day, I thought of the idea of growing saplings in cardboard boxes. Cardboard is good fodder, and at the same time, it has many more advantages of growing saplings. That is how I decided that Diwali is the best time to collect cardboard holders, as they are used to make cracker cases.”

When asked about the benefits of growing saplings in cardboard cracker cases, he says, “If you pour water into these cases, the moisture content remains for longer and helps the saplings grow. Just after the seed germinates, the plant with the same cases can be easily planted into the soil directly.”

He adds, “Once we receive the cracker cases, we wash it well using cow dung water. This procedure helps to neutralise it from chemicals.” Hafiz informs that CommuniTREE will be taking the initiative to other states as well.

Change starts at home

Speaking about using cardboard firecracker boxes at home for this cause, he says, “You have to wash the cases properly and then fill the cases with good soil before dropping the seed in it. Within days your sapling will be ready, and then you may shift it into the land.”

Radhika Nair, a Chennai resident, says, “This year I came to know about this initiative using cracker cases, which I find really amazing. I couldn’t give the cases to CommuniTREE directly, but I cleaned the cases myself and tried to germinate seeds in it.”

Hoping her efforts bear fruit, an ambitious Radhika says, “If this works, from next year I can make it a habit. I am trying to reuse cracker cases the same way my mother reuses sweet boxes. She uses it as a storage container to keep necessary things such as vegetables and fruits. I feel that if every person takes small steps at home to reduce their waste, then our city won’t be as polluted.”

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)

Billions of people around the world continue to lack access to sanitation, electricity, and pure drinking water. In India, 88 million people are deprived of safe drinking water owing to various reasons such as dry climatic conditions, groundwater contamination or depletion. Madhu Vajrakarur, an electrical engineering student from Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, is also one of the many in the country without access to a continuous supply of electricity or clean drinking water.

“I was born and brought up in Vajrakarur village. Here, the main source of water supply is through borewells and water tankers. The water drawn from the borewells is heated and then used for consumption. When there are no rains, the groundwater level drops and we are dependent on purchasing drinking water from tankers. My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife, so their income is low. On some occasions we could not afford to buy the water while other times we would depend on borrowing from neighbours,” says Madhu.

So, this young innovator came up with an unconventional solution. He designed a wind turbine behind his house, which produces both electricity and drinking water.

How does it work?

The 15-foot tall wind turbine gathers moisture from the atmosphere. This is directed through a copper pipe, like the ones used in refrigerators, and finally reaches a three-stage filter.

“The moisture in the wind is directed into the wind turbines frame using a blower placed at the back of the fan. Once this cool air goes into the long frame, the moisture is directed into the cooling compressor which condenses the air into water. The water is then directed through copper pipes into a three-stage filter with membrane filters, carbon filters, and UV filters to collect any dust particles present. Finally, the clean water is accessed through a tap placed on the frame,” says Madhu adding that the water is also collected in an external tank with 40 litres of capacity.

The wind turbine is connected to an inverter with 30-kilowatt capacity and Madhu (23) uses this to power fans, lights, and plug-points in his home.

The wind turbine was made using plastic pipes, iron rods, and some other elements that Madhu purchased online. He started making the turbine in the first week of October 2020 and finished it within 15 days. He took help from welders to make the fan, and his friends helped him deploy the structure. It cost him a total of Rs 1 lakh, which was provided by his parents and from his own savings.

However, Suryaprakash Gajjala, the founder of Archimedes Green Energys that manufactures rooftop wind turbines, says that though Madhu’s effort is commendable, the wind turbine may not be of good quality. He says, “A wind turbine that can produce 30 KW energy for Rs 1 lakh may not be of good quality and may not be able to withstand high wind pressures. The minimum cost of this sort of wind turbine is not less than Rs 35 lakh.”

The inspiration

Building a wind turbine has been Madhu’s dream since the second grade when he first studied about it. Back then, he did not have the experience or technology to make a real one but he would make model versions of it using cardboard for science exhibitions organised in school.

“In the second year of college, I learnt how to make solar power grids, and automatic street lights. This gave me the practical knowledge to work with such technology. In October 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann Ki Baat session spoke about windmills that can generate water and also explained how these wind turbines are deployed in other countries. This inspired me to make one. By watching videos on Youtube I learned more about making a wind turbine that can generate water and electricity. I made drawings of the design, sourced the necessary raw material and started making it,” Madhu says.

Today, the wind turbine provides him with 80 to 100 litres of water every day and Madhu can cut down on high electricity bills from using a motor to pump water from borewells. His neighbours also benefit from the wind turbine whenever they are short on drinking water.

Vannur Vali, Madhu’s childhood friend, is not surprised that his friend was able to implement such an innovative solution to solve his problems. He says, “Experimenting and trying to implement innovative solutions was something Madhu was always fond of since school days. I am very happy that he was successful with the wind turbine and I hope that his efforts get recognised and can solve water problems across the country.”

Madhu is hoping to commercialise his design and help others by setting up this wind turbine in water-scarce areas. If you wish to know more you can reach out to him on madhu.vajrakarur@gmail.com.

(Edited by Yoshita Rao)