Chicu Lokgariwar
Community conservation of forests is successful when women participate
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 04:34 PMWhen I first spoke with Bhagoti Devi, I attempted to break the ice by telling her how warmly our mutual acquaintances spoke of her. She was nonchalant. "Of course they will recommend you speak to me”, she said. “After all, it took a lot of hard work to have such a thick forest standing here.”
![These two neighbouring oak trees, one untouched and the other over-lopped, are both managed by the women of one family and illustrate the impact that women have on forests](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/impact_on_forest_1.jpg?itok=cj9uMbpR)
Respect tribal goverments; conserve forests
Posted on 24 Oct, 2015 04:31 PMThe Galo tribe has lived in the Eastern Himalayan forests for centuries. Like their neighbours, this tribe had a well-defined territory, the boundaries of which were marked by various topographical features such as rock formations or mountain ridges.
![Arunachal's tribes have a tradition of managing their natural resources (Source:Wikimedia Commons)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/640px-farms_and_forest_martali_village_eastern_india_2012.jpg?itok=NRr-l7Hk)
From suspecting black magic to diagnosing fluorosis: Madhya Pradesh's struggle
Posted on 02 Oct, 2015 12:08 PMIt was 1995.
![The use of borewells in fluoride-affected areas, such as this one in Dhar, is one of the primary reasons for fluorosis. (Source: Chicu Lokgariwar)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/dhar_004.jpg?itok=D0DA94rG)
Dengue for dummies
Posted on 30 Sep, 2015 09:38 AMI keep seeing news about dengue everywhere. Why is it such a big deal?
![Wanted for murder: The Aedes aegypti mosquito the primary vector for Dengue (Source: James Gathany [Public domain], Wikimedia Commons)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/aedes_aegypti_during_blood_meal.jpg?itok=qJmRI4xo)
Why a right to sanitation is necessary
Posted on 28 Aug, 2015 09:43 AMIndian activists have been campaigning for the last three years for a justiciable right to water and sanitation.
![Definitions of the human rights to water and sanitation (Source: SIWI)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/governments-leo-heller-un-special-rapporteur-on-the-human-right-to-wash-16th-januaryun-water-zaragoza-conference-2015-4-1024.jpg?itok=AhLPMCfz)
Water treated royally in Mandu's Jahaz Mahal (Ship Palace)
Posted on 12 Aug, 2015 07:56 PMGhiyas-ud-din-khilji is a man about whom history is confused. Contemporary records speak of 'a lover of peace, particular in his daily prayers'.
![An intricate set of curlicues set in the floor leads rainwater from the roofs to a tank in Jahaz Mahal, Mandu](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/rainwater_channel.jpg?itok=RqLJCdmN)
Why did Urmila have to suffer?
Posted on 27 Jul, 2015 08:11 PMUrmila can neither walk upright, nor run about, nor do her chores easily. She is loved in her parents' house and they do not grudge her the extra care she requires. In rural India, this state of affairs does not last long for a girl, especially since she's only six years old.
![Children dance during the inaugration of the safe water supply system in Kalapani, Madhya Pradesh](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/kalapani.jpg?itok=LLTSHHjn)
Mantra for the Char Dham: Don't Panic!
Posted on 13 Jul, 2015 07:36 AM'To be or not to be' may well be the new mantra for people undertaking the Himalayan Char Dham pilgrimage this year.
![Pilgrims enroute to Kedarnath (Image: Sundaram + Annam)](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/2949747652_373ffe442d_z.jpg?itok=41zvSHqe)
Barefoot hydrogeologists: The next generation
Posted on 18 Jun, 2015 02:55 PMI first met Kunti and Priya at a meeting of the Springs Initiative, which is a network of organisations and individuals working across India to restore their springs.
![Kunti and Priya discuss their plans with Budani](/sites/default/files/styles/featured_articles/public/iwp/planning.jpg?itok=wKwX3eYY)