K N Narayana Pillai, 75, is an ordinary citizen who has been suffering because of pollution from an industrial unit operating beside his house. He has been running from pillar to post for justice for the past two years but to no avail. He also wrote to An

Rajaram Anand Rao Bhabkar is a man of few worldly possessions. A retired school master he lives in the Gundegaon village of Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra. But Bhabkar Guruji, as he is popularly

A quarter of a century ago, a jeep driver decided it was time to make a change. Ralegan Siddhi, made into a model village by Anna Hazare, faces challenges of a different kind today

A man who has done commendable work in afforestation remains hidden from the limelight

It was a unique ceremony for a unique award given to a unique rural community of India. In what is perhaps the first ceremony of its kind, President K R Narayanan flew to Hamirpura, a village in Alwar district, to felicitate the village of Bhaonta Kolyala

... for reviving the Arvari river, for showing that a healthy ecology and good water management mean prosperity, for proving that drought is a myth

In Guraiya village , it's women empowerment all the way

Although Bhaonta Kolyala village walked away with the Down To Earth Joseph C John Award, the judges came across several such communities worthy of praise. The Guraiya Watershed Community in Madhya Pradesh, Krushak Charcha Mandal in Maharashtra and AJCB Br

A caste ridden society transforms the depleted forests into a green haven

Besides the communities who have done exemplary work in the field of environment, several individuals are making a difference in the lives of many people in various parts of India. Some of them, who were brought to Down To Earth's notice during the proces