-The Indian Express The villagers’ ire is rooted in being isolated from the rest of the district for seven years. Tindharay: Fifty kilometres from Darjeeling town, roads snaking through tea-laden hills lead to Tindharay. It’s a nondescript village like many in the Darjeeling hills. But Sunday, as North Bengal voted, Tindharay did not do so — or at least not for any political party. The single polling booth in the village, located in...
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Tribal women in forefront of the war against drought and water scarcity -Ajitha Menon
-Theweekendleader.com/ Women's Feature Service Purulia (West Bengal): It was ironical that Purulia district often found itself on the West Bengal government's 'drought-hit' list when the average rainfall here is 1100mm-1500mm. The failure to conserve water as well as poor agricultural practices meant that despite back-breaking labour in the fields, farmers could only achieve six months' food sufficiency. Today, however, all that is changing thanks to a water management revolution led by ordinary village...
More »Historic data suggests monsoon may be delayed by ten days -Vinson Kurian
-The Hindu Business Line Such delays take place after an El Nino year, which 2015 was Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): The India Meteorological Department (IMD) may have forecast an above-normal monsoon this year, but it is highly probable that its onset over Kerala will be delayed by more than 10 days. There is a lot of physical evidence in support of such a delay this year, says PV Joseph, eminent monsoon researcher and former IMD...
More »The run of the earthmovers, demolishing NREGA equations -Suvojit Bagchi
-The Hindu Both machine owners and landless farmers stand to ‘gain in this economic model’ North Purulia (West Bengal): Raghav Koibarta, 40, of Para block is a relaxed but confused fisherman. Relaxed, as he does not go for work and confused as he is not sure if it is a good idea to bunk work and drink country liquor to while away the time. “But what is the point of going to work...
More »In Jangalmahal village that once went hungry, ‘parivartan’ takes the form of affordable rice -Sarah Hafeez
-The Indian Express For Bedoni, whose family lost members to hunger in 2004, the supply of affordable rice to Amlasole village in Belpahari on the Jharkhand border means a less frantic struggle for food. Amlasole (West Bengal): The first thing Bedoni Sabar mentioned when asked what the government has done for her was, “Oi, du takaye chaal (You know, that rice at Rs 2).” The 38-year-old mother of five sat plaiting...
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