July 2016
20 year old shelterless Anganwadi Centre in West Bengal
Launched in 1975, the integrated child Development Services (ICDS) scheme is one of the world’s largest programmes for early child development. The primary objective of the scheme is to improve the nutritional and health status of children aged 0 to 6 years and pregnant and nursing women. In 2005, the...
Beluha river of Malda polluted by nearby paper mills
The 8,000 people of Malda district in West Bengal, have their daily life and local economy disrupted by Behula river’s toxic waters. The lifeline of villages like Jalangi and Molpur, Behula has been dying a slow, poisonous death due to the paper mills at its banks. “The waters are so polluted,...
Impact: Community brings Narmada oustee justice
Atya Devji Padvi, a Narmada ousted farmer from Taloda district of Maharashtra, had been demanding his rightful land from Maharashtra government for more than 20 years but had given up hopes of ever owning a land once again. But Chetan Salve, the community’s correspondent is also an activist with the Narmada Bachao...
Children attend preschool in a temple in Pune
While Pune city is all set to be a smart city by 2020, an anganwadi in hinterlands of Pune district functions out of a temple since 2009. Located in Walhe village of Pune district, the anganwadi has 20 children between the ages of three and six who study in a...
Impact: Mothers & Nurses get their due payment from health department after 3 years
A snoring health department in Dhanbad district was awoken from its three-year slumber of non-payment by Halima Ejaj, a soft-spoken woman in Jharkhand in March. Under the Janani Suraksha Yojana, a mother having an institutional delivery in a government hospital is paid Rs. 1,400, while the Sahiya, the government appointed...
Pregnant women of Jharkhand village walk 16 kms for check-up and delivery
Mahamuda Bibi writhes in pain from the labour contractions that have started, but she has to stay strong till she reaches the hospital. However, unlike most urban women, who are driven there in an ambulance, or a vehicle, Mahamuda will have to walk 16 km from her village, Faridpur Pakurdiar...
200 BPL Families suffer inspite of Ration Card, Without Rationed Grains
Savita from Nashik has to pay Rs. 20 for a kilogram of wheat from her locality’s ration shop, eight times the ongoing government price of Rs. 3 per a kg of wheat, approximately. Just like Savita, 200 more families, belonging to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category, from Bhimwadi, Nashik...