In this issue

RURAL REVIVAL - MGNREGA is restoring livelihoods for informal workers returning to their villages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also creating thousands of invaluable natural resource assets

More action than words

Rajesh Choubey has stopped ration shops from pilfering, sensitised people and assisted them in finding livelihood during the pandemic

2 mins

Expect A Late Monsoon Withdrawal Due To La Niña

There is over 50 per cent chance of a La Niña condition in the equatorial Pacific Ocean during the autumn of 2020, suggests the latest update by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It adds that once formed, the La Niña condition might continue into the winter season.

2 mins

Only 35% cities partially segregate waste at source

THE GOVERNMENT recently released the Swachh Survekshan 2020 report, with much fanfare.

1 min

THE HILLS ARE COMING ALIVE

Deserted villages of Uttarakhand are springing back to life as residents return to the hills after decades. The state government has announced several schemes to retain them, but has it reached people?

9 mins

Left to starve

The COVID-19 lockdown is likely to render millions of children in India malnourished

6 mins

619,097

This is the number of assets created across rural India in the four months since the COVID-19 lockdown to tap natural resources. This is also the potential of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA), a programme envisaged to alleviate poverty among the rural people by using their only capital—labour. So, what has helped the program that over the years got mired in controversies make a comeback? Down To Earth travels to districts that witnessed reverse migration on a large scale to understand this transition. They find a script that can change the rural-urban dynamics forever. Demand for MGNREGA works shows an unprecedented spike—more than 30 million households have asked for employment for three consecutive months. Governments are harnessing the surplus labour to create assets that will ensure livelihood even after people are weaned off the wage support. People too are using this opportunity to pick up the pieces of their lives in villages they had once left.

10+ mins

Now Money Decides Lives

As COVID-19 makes inroads in rural India, state GDP losses will kill more people than the disease

3 mins

From where did the tiger come?

GENETICISTS, HISTORIANS AND EXPERTS HAVE SEVERAL THEORIES ON THE BIG CAT

5 mins

Supercharged water

HERBS CAN TURN AN AVERAGE GLASS OF WATER INTO A FRAGRANT, HEALTHY BEVERAGE

4 mins

How much is zero?

Paddy farmers of Andhra Pradesh are saving water, energy and money by adopting Zero Budget Natural Farming

3 mins

Read all stories from Down To Earth

Down To Earth Magazine Description:

Down To Earth is a fortnightly magazine published by the Society for Environmental Comm, a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, India. It is one of the most respected environmental magazines in the country.

The magazine covers a wide range of topics related to the environment and sustainable development, including:

* Climate change: DTE provides in-depth coverage of climate change, including its causes, impacts, and mitigation and adaptation strategies.
* Energy: DTE covers a variety of energy topics, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and fossil fuels.
* Water: DTE covers a variety of water topics, including water pollution, water scarcity, and water management.
* Pollution: DTE covers a variety of pollution topics, including air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution.
* Biodiversity: DTE covers a variety of biodiversity topics, including forests, wildlife, and conservation.
* Sustainable development: DTE covers a variety of sustainable development topics, including green economy, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable transportation.

Down To Earth magazine is known for its high-quality journalism and its commitment to environmental protection. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the environment and sustainable development in India and around the world.