Photos, Illustrations and other Images

For the indigenous communities of Tripura, officially recognised as 'tribes,' 'tribal communities,' or 'Scheduled Tribes' under Article 342 of the Indian Constitution, and some specific groups like the Reang tribe classified as 'Primitive Vulnerable Tribal Groups' (PVTG), water holds a sacred and spiritual significance.

The enchanting island of Majuli, nestled in the Brahmaputra River in Assam, India, is not only a haven of natural beauty and cultural heritage but also a place where culture and history intertwines with environmental concerns.

The Amphan cyclone that struck the Sundarbans in the month of May this year has wreaked havoc in the area destroying lives and livelihood. A lot of the locals living in the Sundarbans depend on animal husbandry and fishing to earn a living. The cyclone destroyed animal rearing shelters and swept away most of the cattle and domestic animals.

UN’s recognition of safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right recently hit a decade and this makes us ponder even more about the situation in the Sundarbans after the Amphan cyclone. The destruction caused by Amphan in the Sundarbans poses a massive threat to the very right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation of the people living there.

The Amphan cyclone has disfigured the lives of people living in the Sundarbans. Houses have been torn apart, farms have been filled with brackish water making the land unsuitable for farming and betel leaves have been destroyed. People in the Sundarbans are in a life-threatening situation with makeshift shacks to live in and no means to earn a living.

Nested amongst the Satprura hills lies Kapoti, a village in the Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh. This region is known as Baiga Chak and is inhabited by Baigas, a vulnerable tribal group.

It is an annual episode that plays itself out. Assam is, once again, reeling under flood – loss of human and animal life, severe damage to agricultural crops, property, millions of people displaced from their homes, absence of flood preparedness or early warning systems, delayed relief action by the government and the silent apathy of the mainstream media.

Even as I sat down to write this the Jeevan Raths have rolled out and are serving migrants essentials - food, water and sanitary

Besides showcasing the architectural expertise and aesthetics of their time, temple tanks also play an extremely important role as water storage systems in Chennai.