-The Week Vagaries of the weather are not the only reason for Marathwada's agrarian crisis Three widows, two daughters and an overwhelming sense of grief occupy the house of the Palwes in Kekat Jalgaon in Paithan, Aurangabad. The house lost all its men there were three in the past three years. The Palwe widows, Yashoda, Chandrabhaga and Lakshmibai, and Yashoda's two daughters, Suman, 8, and Sarita, 6, live in a hut without...

-The Times of India PUNE: A city-based researcher has developed an eco-friendly toilet which can convert dry human faeces into humus (organic matter) and utilize urine for vermicomposting in an odourless, pollution-free manner. "The system does not require extra water or an expensive drainage system. It will especially help green-zones, parks and agri-rich areas where water is scarce," said Mohan Ketkar, who has conceptualized and developed the eco-friendly toilet. Ketkar worked for the...

-Down to Earth The primary health centre (PHC) at Ajara block in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district would handle just eight childbirth cases a year till 2011. Today, it handles over 125 such cases in a year. The health centre became efficient because of a Central government scheme that empowers communities to monitor public health services. In 2010, the residents participated in a jan sunwai (public hearing) session, in which they told senior...

-The Times of India Kolhapur (Maharashtra): The Kolhapur district is one among 10 in Maharashtra to be selected for the Bharat Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan, an initiative of the Union ministry of women and child development to combat the gender imbalance in India. Altogether 100 districts were selected for the project across the country, of which 10 are from Maharashtra. Other districts include Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Sangli, Buldhana, Beed, Washim, Osmanabad, Ahmednagar...

-The Hindu Business Line Mumbai: Navi Mumbai-based 65-year-old homemaker Swati Bhatt has been unhappy with the way she has been cooking puran poli (sweet flat bread) over the last one year. The reason: Kolhapuri jaggery, an essential ingredient in the dish, is in short-supply in the market. Jaggery from other States, or for that matter palm jaggery, does not lend the original taste to the Maharashtrian delicacy. This variety of jaggery is made...