-The Indian Express Today, Satabhaya is an island of sorts. For all facilities, including ration, those left behind have to cross a 5 km stretch that includes a narrow unpaved road and a small creek inhabited by crocodiles. Satabhaya (kendrapara): This 17-km stretch along the coast in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, which was once home for nearly 700 families, now stands in solitude, a vast expanse covered in sand as far as the...

-Hindustan Times Diesel-run generators used for irrigation not only burnt a hole in their pockets but were also an environmental concern Chandigarh: Solar-powered Water Pumps have come as a ray of hope for tribal farmers of the remote Spiti valley of Himachal Pradesh that otherwise offers limited livelihood options due to the harsh climate and inhospitable terrain. The cultivated fields in the valley are situated along nullahs and the Spiti river and many...

-Down to Earth Punjab has paid a price for food security. The use of pesticides and fertilisers has resulted in a number of health issues for the state’s population Punjab — known as the ‘Granary of India’ — produces 20 per cent and nine per cent of India’s wheat and rice respectively. At the international level, this represents three per cent of the global production of these crops. The state is responsible...

-Down to Earth In rural India, close to 90 per cent households do not have piped connections One in every five or 21.4 per cent households in India has piped drinking water connections, as the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) 76th round. The situation is worse in rural India, where just 11.3 per cent households receive potable water directly at homes. In urban India, 40.9 per cent households have piped water connections....

-The Hindu Rice cultivation in Punjab, which thrived in the past due to the easy availability of water resources and free supply of electricity to farmers, is under considerable strain now. Vikas Vasudeva examines how overexploitation has made groundwater not only scarce but also increasingly alkaline. Gurmeet Singh, 60, a tall land-owning farmer in Bhattiwal Khurd village, which is located in Punjab’s Sangrur district, has yet again planted the water-guzzling paddy crop...