Our bodies are home to a vast community of microbes that not only coexist with us but also play a vital role in maintaining our equilibrium, said Dr Bhavana MV, a microbiologist at Manipal Hospitals.

The gut, in particular, houses 90% of the body’s bacteria, which help produce essential enzymes for normal bodily functions. This collection of bacteria-along with archaea, eukaryotes, and viruses–forms the gut microbiome.

The microbiome begins to develop in newborns, as their intestines are initially immature. “As the infant is exposed to various environments and milk, the microbiome develops within 5–6 months,” said Dr Bhavana. “Once it reaches a satisfactory level of maturity, we can introduce solid foods.”

The delicate balance of the gut lining is sensitive to antibiotics. "When we get an infection or illness, it can damage the gut’s protective lining. The food we eat also plays a role, sometimes depleting the good bacteria and giving harmful ones room to grow. As these bad bacteria multiply, they produce polymers that can lead to disease,” said Neha Jain, associate professor at IIT Jodhpur’s Department of Bioscience and Bioengineering.

Long-term impact

Evidence suggests that early exposure to antibiotics can disrupt multiple systems, including the gastrointestinal, immune and neurocognitive systems.

“The gut microbiome is linked to various physiological conditions such as weight management, mood disorders and gastrointestinal issues,” said Akanksha Gupta, co-founder of MicrobioTX, a Bengaluru-based gut health startup.

The rise in antibiotic use in recent years has been directly linked to these issues. The antibiotics we take, even just occasionally, can really disrupt our gut. It can take weeks or even months to recover, even after taking the right dose. Some studies show that certain healthy bacteria are still missing up to six months after taking antibiotics. Just imagine the damage caused when antibiotics are used more than necessary.

"The bacteria stay in groups, not individually. They form a community, which gives rise to antimicrobial resistance," explained Jain. She also stated that her lab is looking into how these communities are formed, their composition, and whether a drug can be designed to prevent this formation.

Also read: What’s lurking in your chicken dinner?

Gut-brain link

Two new studies suggest that Parkinson’s disease might sometimes originate in the digestive tract and travel to the brain, driven in part by a chain reaction involving gut microbes. “Active research has been happening since the last 10 years. However, people have reported in the 80s and 90s that there’s some connection between the gut and the brain,” said Jain.

Researchers suggest that as the concentration of certain microbes increases, movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s worsen. In those with Parkinson’s, the gut's microbial balance shifts, allowing specific bacterial families to dominate. Among them is E coli, a microbe notorious for causing gut infections.

The studies identified a chain reaction initiated by E coli that leads to abnormal protein clumps forming in the gut. These clumps have also been found in the brains of Parkinson’s patients.

Leaky gut

"Most of the beneficial bacteria in our gut play a key role in breaking down the fibre we consume. However, when there’s a change in this balance, healthy bacteria are lost, and small gaps form in the gut lining. This allows harmful bacteria and viruses to take over, leading to a condition known as leaky gut," said Dr Baby Chakrapani, Honorary Director of the Centre for Neuroscience and Assistant Professor.

"The microbes lining our gut are essential for maintaining good health. Overusing antibiotics can destroy these healthy microbes, which can trigger the onset of various illnesses, including neurological conditions," he added.

At birth, microbial populations are transferred to newborns, primarily through exposure to natural vaginal bacteria. This is why vaginal births are usually better for establishing a strong microbial foundation. Babies born via C-section miss out on this initial transfer and need more time to build their microbiome through breastfeeding and diet in the months that follow. This early microbiome plays a key role in building immunity, giving naturally delivered babies an early advantage in gut health.

However, this balance can later be disrupted by lifestyle factors like exposure to pesticides, antibiotics, and even stress. These factors damage the gut lining, often triggering the onset of various health problems.

The microbes lining our gut are essential for maintaining good health. Overusing antibiotics can destroy these healthy microbes, which can trigger the onset of various illnesses, including neurological conditions.

The researcher, who specialises in neuroscience and brain cell studies, said when we think of neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, we usually focus on the symptoms that appear in people aged 50 or 60. But changes in the brain often begin 20 to 30 years earlier, during a pre-symptomatic stage that goes unnoticed. Subtle symptoms may emerge in this phase, and constipation is a common early warning sign. “It’s one of the changes that signals a disease may develop later,” he said.

Our bodies often signal when something is wrong, but sometimes symptoms stay hidden. In such cases, doctors recommend tests to assess gut health. Typically, these tests involve stool samples.

MicrobioTX has introduced a method that uses a simple finger-prick test instead of traditional stool-based analysis. “The Gut Function test uniquely predicts gut bacteria by analyzing metabolites in the blood using a finger-prick sample. By relying on a machine learning model, GFT allows a user to bypass traditional stool-based testing or genomic sequencing to know his gut profile, making it more affordable, less invasive, and faster, with results available within two weeks,” said Gupta.

Our bodies have both good and bad bacteria. Antibiotics don’t know the difference and kill both. It’s like during a riot–when the police try to stop the trouble, innocent people sometimes get hurt too.

Reversing damage

The misuse of antibiotics is another pressing health issue. “Antibiotics used to be easily available without a prescription, so people got into the habit of taking them for things like colds and coughs. In the last 5–6 years, India has been working to raise awareness about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), but progress has been slow. Many still think they can take antibiotics whenever they want, but that needs to change,” said Jain.

She has been part of a rural outreach programme to tackle the misuse of antibiotics. “We educated people about what antibiotics do and why they shouldn’t be used unnecessarily. We also explained how overuse can lead to AMR.

“Our bodies have both good and bad bacteria. Antibiotics don’t know the difference and kill both. It’s like during a riot–when the police try to stop the trouble, innocent people sometimes get hurt too. If this continues, the innocent ones are lost. This is what happens when we use antibiotics,” she added.

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In India, when we think about safeguarding rivers, it’s often the major waterways that grab the spotlight. Yet, for thousands of rural villages, the lifeblood of their daily existence flows through smaller rivers and streams—the tributaries and sub-tributaries of these larger rivers. These smaller water bodies may not make the news, but they are essential to survival, helping provide water for livestock, irrigation, and daily needs. However, as these rivers face mounting threats from sand mining, pollution, and encroachment, many are either disappearing or dangerously close to doing so. The result? Increased water scarcity in the dry months and severe flooding during the rains. But a growing movement of local communities, with support from voluntary organizations and local authorities, is working to revive these crucial waterways—offering a glimmer of hope that could be replicated across the country.

River revivals

The depletion of small rivers can be attributed to excessive sand mining, encroachments, pollution, and heavy silting. In Kolawalpur village of Banda district (Uttar Pradesh), large-scale sand mining had severely damaged the Ken River, increasing the risks of water scarcity in summer and floods during the rainy season. The situation came to a head three years ago when villagers gathered in the river, prayed, and pledged to save it. Their protest against excessive sand mining drew support from neighbouring villages, ultimately compelling authorities to impose restrictions on mining.

Excessive silt and other deposits have become major problems, blocking the flow of water in some rivers. For example, the Naina river near Bahera village in Niwari district, Madhya Pradesh, was affected by rising silt levels. Local residents organized cleaning drives, which greatly improved the river’s flow.

In Bhanwarpur village of Banda, the disappearance of the Gharar river had exacerbated water scarcity, forcing many villagers to migrate. Two years ago, the Dalit community, motivated by the voluntary organisation Vidya Dham Samiti, contributed their labour to partially revive the river. However, arbitrary engineering projects by the administration later increased the community’s vulnerability to floods.

Community power

Parmarth, a voluntary organisation based in the Bundelkhand region, has led efforts to protect several small rivers over the past decade. Their work has resulted in the revival or partial rejuvenation of four rivers: Kanera, Barua, Bacheri, and Bargi. These efforts, supported by administrative initiatives, have significantly improved the rivers’ flow. However, such efforts must continue to prevent a return to the neglect and harmful practices of the past.

What’s encouraging is that local communities, especially women, are leading these protection efforts, which raises hope that this commitment will continue. Some of these projects have also involved collaboration with local panchayats and district authorities, enabling the construction of check dams and other costly projects through government schemes like NREGA. Watershed projects supported by NABARD have also played a role.

A key part of this success has been Parmarth’s group of women volunteers, known as jal sahelis (water friends), who focus on water conservation.

River restoration typically begins with village-level meetings, followed by river yatras–collective foot marches that explore various stretches of the river to identify problems and determine necessary actions. Village leaders, panchayat representatives, and district officials are then engaged, often leading to the formation of community organisations focused on river revival and protection.

Also read: Barley barely hanging on in Spiti

Success stories

The Kanera river flows for about 19 km across several villages in the Babina block of Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh. Villagers said the river had a good flow until around 20 years ago but started to degrade, affecting irrigation, crop yields, and water levels in nearby villages. The restoration work involved removing silt and dirt, deepening parts of the river, building two check dams, and planting trees around the river. As a result, irrigation has improved, water levels have risen, there are more fish, and both farm animals and wildlife can find water throughout the year.

For the Barua River in Lalitpur district, women played an important role in a community-driven effort to create a temporary bund using sand-filled sacks. Villagers, led by jal sahelis, also took action against illegal sand-mining, which was harming the river. This led the administration to agree to stop the mining.

In Tikamgarh district (Madhya Pradesh), repairing a damaged check dam on the Bargi river has delivered promising results. An ongoing NABARD-supported watershed project is further aiding the cause. Similarly, efforts to protect the Bacheri river in Chhatarpur district (Madhya Pradesh) have brought together community members and local officials. These projects often include afforestation and cleaning drives, bolstering the health of these water bodies.

Innovative solutions

Bundelkhand Seva Sansthaan (BSS) has been working alongside the local administration to rejuvenate small rivers and rivulets such as Banai, Odi, and Ur in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. BSS mobilizes communities and explores potential work sites, while the administration contributes by building check dams and carrying out other projects under NREGA or similar schemes. These efforts have led to increased irrigation, higher water levels in wells, better crop yields, and greater water availability for farmers.

On a broader scale, these initiatives also help communities adapt to climate change. By boosting water resources, they strengthen resilience against adverse weather conditions.

Efforts have also focused on improving water usage from small rivers and rivulets. Traditionally, this has involved costly diesel-powered pumps, adding to the financial burden on farmers and increasing fossil fuel dependency. However, farmer-scientist Mangal Singh has developed the Mangal Turbine, which lifts water without diesel or electricity, harnessing the energy of flowing water. The technology has been praised by senior development officials, and the Maithani Committee of the Department of Rural Development, Government of India, has recommended its widespread use under various government schemes. This recommendation should be implemented immediately, as it could significantly benefit farmers and reduce fossil fuel reliance in farming. Given that Mangal Singh is 78 years old, urgent action is needed to set up Mangal turbines at suitable sites and train young technicians in this valuable technology.

The efforts to revive India’s small rivers are a testament to the power of grassroots action. From cleaning silt-blocked rivers to battling illegal mining, communities, especially women, are leading the charge. The success of these initiatives hinges not just on local commitment but also on effective collaboration with government schemes and innovative solutions like the Mangal Turbine, which could revolutionize water usage in rural areas. By continuing to nurture these community-driven restoration projects, India can safeguard its small rivers—ensuring that they remain a reliable source of water for generations to come and strengthening the resilience of rural areas against the changing climate.

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In 2014, Naveen Kumar jumped from the corporate treadmill to farming. He was inspired by a friend’s successful pomegranate farm and decided to buy his own piece of land. He started with bananas, but the reality of pesticide use hit him hard. What followed was a deeper reflection on the food system: if growing food required so much chemical interference, what does that say about what we’re consuming?

Curious to learn more, Naveen started attending seminars and talking to farmers who practiced natural farming. He visited farms, learned about sustainable methods, and studied Subhash Palekar’s zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF) techniques. These experiences convinced him to change the way he farmed.

Farming isn’t just about growing crops–adding value to produce is key to increasing profits.

By 2018, Naveen had completely switched to natural farming. He chose crops like bananas, areca, pepper, and coffee that suited the local climate and soil. He stopped using chemical fertilisers and changed how he irrigated his fields, focusing on sustainable and natural methods.

Today, Naveen’s two-acre farm in Adaganahalli, Mysore district, isn’t just growing crops–it’s proving a point. When you stop forcing nature and start working with it, you get healthier soil, cleaner crops, and a farm that practically runs itself.

‍ZBNF decoded

Q: Can you explain the main techniques of ZBNF?

Zero-budget natural farming is built on four key techniques that form the foundation of sustainable agriculture:

Beejamrutha is a natural method to treat seeds before planting. Seeds or saplings are dipped in this solution for 2–3 minutes to strengthen their resistance to pests and diseases. After dipping, the saplings are dribbled gently to enhance their vitality, dried in the shade for half a day, and then planted. This simple process promotes healthier crop growth from the start.

Jeevamrutha is a microbial-rich fertilizer that boosts soil health and crop growth. It’s made using:

• 10 kg cow dung
• 10 litres cow urine
• 2 kg jaggery
• 2 kg dicot flour
• A handful of fertile soil

These ingredients are mixed in water, stirred clockwise initially, then anticlockwise after two days. After seven days, the solution is ready to use. A small amount of cow dung (just 10 grams) contains millions of microorganisms, making this fertilizer a natural powerhouse for enriching the soil.

Mulching protects the soil, just like a mother wraps her child to shield it from the elements. It helps retain moisture, regulates temperature, and nurtures soil microorganisms.

• Live mulching: Using cover crops or plants.
• Soil mulching: Applying organic materials like compost.
• Dry mulching: Using dry plant matter like straw or leaves.

Humus is essential for soil fertility and water retention. By ensuring the right Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (90% carbon, 10% nitrogen), farmers can promote natural humus formation. One gram of humus can retain up to six litres of water from the atmosphere, creating a water-efficient and fertile soil ecosystem.

ZBNF techniques significantly reduce water usage compared to conventional farming. While traditional methods might need 100 litres of water, ZBNF achieves similar results with just 10 litres, thanks to improved soil health and water retention. By following these techniques, farmers can cultivate resilient, sustainable, and water-efficient crops.

Environmentally, ZBNF promotes biodiversity, prevents soil erosion, and protects soil structure and microorganisms.

Q: How does ZBNF reduce costs and support sustainability for farmers?

ZBNF helps farmers save money and farm sustainably by using natural inputs like Beejamrutha, Jeevamrutha, and mulching. These are inexpensive, easy to make, and replace costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides, reducing production costs.

The techniques also improve soil fertility, boost water retention, and lower irrigation needs, saving more money. With no need for tilling or ploughing, farmers spend less on labour and machinery, cutting fuel costs and reducing wear and tear.

Environmentally, ZBNF promotes biodiversity, prevents soil erosion, and protects soil structure and microorganisms. By combining low costs with eco-friendly practices, it offers a sustainable and profitable farming method.

Q: What challenges did you face when starting ZBNF?

When I started Zero Budget Natural Farming, one major challenge was sourcing cow dung and urine, which are essential for making fertilizers like Jeevamrutha and Gokupamrutha. Since I didn’t have cows, I had to rely on a childhood friend who owned over 15 indigenous cows for these supplies.

Another challenge was convincing my colleagues to spray Jeevamrutha and sour buttermilk on crops. They were sceptical at first, but their doubts disappeared when they saw the amazing results in the fields. Despite these initial hurdles, I stayed committed to the principles of natural farming.

Q: How can a farmer achieve sustainability with the ZBNF model?

Farming isn’t just about growing crops–adding value to produce is key to increasing profits. For example, I turned surplus betel leaves, which were often wasted, into pan powder. By processing about a quintal of leaves, I earned ten times more than selling them as raw leaves. I also added other farm-grown ingredients like areca and nutmeg to boost the product’s value.

Farmers should focus on selling their value-added products directly to consumers instead of depending on wholesale markets. This approach improves profits and builds a more sustainable farming business. By combining crop cultivation with value addition, farmers can maximise earnings and make farming more rewarding.

Q: How can consumers support farmers?

Consumers can help farmers by building a direct connection with villages. For example, urban households can "adopt" a village and place regular orders–weekly or monthly–for fresh produce. These orders can be delivered straight from the farm to their homes, cutting out middlemen and ensuring farmers are fairly paid.

By paying upfront, consumers provide farmers with financial stability while enjoying fresh, chemical-free produce. Farmers can also charge 10-15% more for organic products, boosting their income while keeping control of their goods. This direct farm-to-consumer model promotes trust, fairness, and sustainability.

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Q: What path should farmers take for a sustainable future?

Farmers can start small by dedicating a portion of their land to chemical-free farming for their family’s use. As they gain experience and refine their methods, they can gradually expand to their entire farm. This step-by-step approach ensures a smooth transition to sustainable farming while minimising mistakes.

Farmers should also think about the legacy they’re leaving for future generations. Healthy, fertile soil is the greatest gift we can pass on. Imagine if our ancestors had left us barren land–what could we have grown? It’s our duty to protect and nurture the fertile soil we’ve inherited for those who come after us.

On a personal note, eating naturally grown fruits and vegetables has improved my health and cut down medical expenses. While natural farming might feel unfamiliar at first, its long-term benefits–better soil, improved health, and a sustainable future–make it worth the effort.

‍(Image Credits: Sreejith M, Nevin T, Sai Sandeep M)

“I don't know how we will survive this year,” said Tanveer Ahmad, 38, sitting in his lawn. His eyes scanned the horizon, waiting for the buyer who would take this year’s meagre harvest of morel mushrooms–his only source of income.

For Tanveer, these few kilograms are all that stand between his family and hunger. But with production in decline, his future looks increasingly precarious.

“Just a few years ago, I could collect 8-10 kilograms of dried morels by the season’s end. Now, it’s barely 2-3 kilograms,” he said. The drop has forced him to seek alternative jobs, including manual labour in nearby towns.

Since childhood, Tanveer has trekked high into the peaks with his father to collect morels, a tradition that sustained their family for generations. “The decline of these mushrooms scares thousands of collectors like me,” he added.

Shrinking harvest

Locally called Guchi, morel mushrooms are some of the rarest and most expensive edible fungi in the world. Found in the Himalayan regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, they are highly prized in gourmet cooking.

With their unique spongy texture, rich aroma, and distinct flavour, morels are a favourite among chefs. Their rarity adds to their appeal, fetching prices as high as Rs 3,000–40,000 (about USD 36–USD480) per kilogram.

But these mushrooms now face a serious threat to their survival.

Morel mushrooms mark the arrival of spring for us. But this year, due to the dry weather patterns, the harvest was poor.

South Asia is grappling with a 2°C rise in temperature, and the ripple effects are being felt in the delicate ecosystems where morels thrive. Collectors across the Himalayan region report a steep decline in production, sending ripples of concern through food enthusiasts, chefs and conservationists.

The Guchi mushroom, scientifically known as Morchella and part of the Morchellaceae family, relies on specific climatic conditions to flourish. Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns and environmental degradation are disrupting these conditions, threatening the mushroom’s natural habitat.

For communities like Tanveer’s, the decline is more than an environmental issue–it’s a direct blow to their livelihoods. As morels grow scarcer, the traditional knowledge and cultural practices surrounding their collection are at risk of fading into oblivion.

Can the Himalayan regions and their communities adapt to a warming world, or will the Guchi mushroom–and the traditions it sustains–become a relic of the past?

Lay of the land

Rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns, fueled by climate change, are making the Himalayas less hospitable. Typically found in wooded areas or sandy flats near water, these fungi signal the arrival of spring in Jammu and Kashmir. 

“Morel mushrooms mark the arrival of spring for us. But this year, due to the dry weather patterns, the harvest was poor," said Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Pathkot Bandipor.

The secret to morel growth lies in specific soil conditions, reliant on sufficient moisture from snowmelt. Prolonged dry spells and dwindling snowfall have disrupted this delicate balance, spelling trouble for morel harvesters.

“Earlier, we used to collect 5–6 kilograms of mushrooms in a season from February to April. This year, my brother and I barely managed 1.5 kilograms in three to four months,” said Fayaz Ahmad from Bandipora district.

The numbers paint a stark picture. Data from Jammu and Kashmir's forest Departments 2018-19 Digest of forest statistics reveals that morel production has plummeted from 200 tons in 1991 to just 8.8 tons in 2018–19. 

Kitchen confidential

Morel mushrooms aren’t just a local treat—they’re prized worldwide for their medicinal benefits and unique flavour. Chefs use them to enhance dishes, adding them to sauces, soups and risottos. Their meaty, earthy taste has earned them a spot in gourmet kitchens, often compared to truffles for their rarity and culinary value.

In Kashmir, one type of morel is served with traditional dishes and is considered a luxurious addition to the famous Kashmiri wazwan feast.

However, as scarcity drives prices sky-high, their presence in everyday cuisine is dwindling. “The rising prices of Guchi mushrooms have forced us to limit their use. It has become a luxury food reserved for special events or guests,” said Sameer Ahmad, a chef from Budgam district who specialises in Kashmiri cuisine.

The soaring price of morels has also created a booming trade. Locals trek for hours into dense forests to hand-pick these mushrooms, which are then sun-dried or smoked for preservation. Even a few grams can fetch thousands of rupees in markets across India and abroad.

Challenges

Dr Bilal, an expert from Krishi Vigyan Kendra Gurez, explained how climate change is affecting crop production, particularly in the Himalayas.

"Earlier, we saw bumper harvests of naturally grown products, but now the impact of climate change is evident on the ground. Mushrooms that were once sold for Rs 10,000 per kilogram are now priced at Rs 30,000. With growing demand in national and international markets, the decline in morel mushroom production is hurting the livelihoods of thousands involved in its trade," he said.

Meanwhile, the high demand and lucrative prices are reducing the availability of spores, threatening future growth.

Many collectors do not leave behind a single mushroom to regenerate for the next season, which is crucial for maintaining their population.

Brakat Hussain, an official from Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, emphasised the dangers of overharvesting. "Many collectors do not leave behind a single mushroom to regenerate for the next season, which is crucial for maintaining their population," he said. "We don’t have enough scientific research or concrete evidence to prove that rising temperatures are directly affecting morel mushroom production. It could be an assumption, but it also reflects the traditional knowledge of farmers who work closely with the land. Farmers' opinions are valuable because they learn through experience."

Hussain also highlighted how human activity is disrupting natural cycles. "In the past, these mushrooms were found in wild, undisturbed areas. But as populations have grown, people began living at higher altitudes and building homes, which has interfered with these ecosystems," he said.

Morels require specific conditions to thrive, such as adequate rainfall, lightning, and moisture-rich soil. "If these conditions are irregular, it might explain the changes in their growth," he added.

Balancing act

Unlike commercially grown mushrooms, morels are notoriously difficult to cultivate due to their complex growth requirements. However, experts believe that integrating mushroom cultivation into agroforestry systems could offer a solution. This approach could reduce the pressure on wild populations and mitigate the impact of deforestation.

As the demand for morels continues to grow, so does the urgency to adopt sustainable practices. For the communities who depend on these mushrooms, the stakes are clear: without action, a treasured resource–and a way of life–may disappear forever.

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Noor Jamal, a farmer and shepherd from Jumhar Dhaar village in Chamba district, Himachal Pradesh, was attacked by a bear late at night on October 18, 2024. The bear began to drag him away, but Jamal's two bullocks, tied to a post nearby, became frantic at seeing their owner in danger. With a burst of strength, they broke free, charged at the bear, and forced it to let Jamal go, then chased it away from the village. People who heard the story praised the bullocks for their loyalty and bravery.

Bullocks are known for their strong attachment to their homes and their owners, and this is often reflected in stories and real-life accounts. Munshi Premchand's short story Tale of Two Bullocks (Do Bailon Ki Katha) is one such tale where the bullocks struggle and find their way back home from a long distance on their own. In fact, a Bhil tribal farmer told a real-life story about some bullocks who were able to find their way back to their original village after being sent away for many years. These stories highlight the incredible loyalty and determination of bullocks.

Premchand’s famous story was later made into a film Heera Moti with beautiful folk music. The classic film Teesri Kasam, which won the President’s award, had a rustic bullock cart driver as its main character, played by Raj Kapoor.

Farmers once took great pride in their bullocks, decorating them carefully as they headed to fairs with family and friends on bullock carts. Some fairs even hosted bullock and bullock cart races. In most Indian villages, bullocks have long been essential for various tasks like ploughing, lifting water for irrigation, threshing, processing crops (like oilseeds and sugarcane), transport, and carrying farm produce.

Sex-sorted semen

In recent times, bullocks have been suffering from neglect as modern farm equipment like tractors have replaced many of their roles on the farm. Sadly, in some villages, the importance of bullocks is being forgotten. Making matters worse, a new technology called sex-sorted semen is gaining traction in India's Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, through the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM). The technology allows for the production of only female calves, leaving the bullocks at a disadvantage.

A Press Information Bureau (PIB) note from July 19, 2022, titled ‘RGM attains remarkable achievements’ outlined the progress of this technology up until that date. The note said sex-sorted semen was introduced in India for the production of mostly female calves with up to 90% accuracy. It claimed that using sex-sorted semen would “be a game changer not only for enhancing milk production but also limiting stray cattle population.”

The PIB note went on to explain the government's efforts and stated that the government had set up four government semen stations and three private ones to produce sex sorted semen. So far, about 44 lakh (10 lakh=one million) doses of sex sorted semen have been produced.

The government has also started a program to improve the breeds of cattle using sex sorted semen. Under this program, the government hopes to create 51 lakh (5.1 million) pregnancies and will give farmers a subsidy of Rs 750 or 50% of the cost of sorted semen for each successful pregnancy.

While all this is officially mentioned as a big achievement, questions need to be raised whether this can be accepted as moving in the right direction.

Importance of bullocks

Though tractors have become widely used across the country, many farmers in smaller villages still rely on bullocks for tasks like ploughing, transport, and other work, showing that bullocks are still valuable to them.

Some small farmers who bought tractors later regretted their decision, as they struggled to pay off the instalments and fell deeply into debt. There have been several reports of suicides linked to these financial pressures.

Tractors regularly use fossil fuels, and their widespread use in villages has significantly increased the demand for these fuels. The heavy machinery also damages the soil in some cases. Tractors might not be ideal for small farms or for working in tight, narrow spaces.

However, as natural farming gains more support, even in areas where tractors are commonly used, people are beginning to recognize the value of bullock dung and urine as a free and effective source of manure. These are also useful for making natural pest repellents. Even if bullocks only stay in the fields for a few days before planting, it still benefits the soil. While cow dung and urine are highly valued, bullock dung and urine can be just as beneficial.

It is true that tractors are appearing very fast in villages around here. However, my two bullocks are my heera-moti, the jewels of my farm, I'll never discard them. They'll always be with me.

Bullocks remain important, especially for small farmers, as they help with various farm tasks. This is even more practical when two or more farmers share the bullocks and their feed costs.

While the government has already prioritised cow protection, it must also consider whether protecting cows alone is feasible without also protecting bullocks. Some villagers I spoke to believe it's unnatural to focus only on saving one gender of an animal while ignoring the other. They also pointed out that using technology to prevent male calves from being born could lead to unforeseen health risks.

There's also concern about how this could affect the quality of milk, as technology aimed at ensuring only female calves are born might have unintended consequences.

Ethical concerns

From an animal rights perspective, it's questionable whether technocrats or bureaucrats have the ethical or legal authority to dictate the birth of only one gender in any species. If this becomes accepted for one species, what prevents it from being applied to other animals as well?

These questions haven't been properly studied, as there's been a rush to introduce new and untested technology. It's important to approach this with caution and carefully consider all the potential issues before moving forward.

Rather than rushing into a quick fix, we need to make a balanced decision that looks at all factors to avoid regret if new problems arise later.

Although the technology is being promoted as a solution to the issue of stray animals damaging crops, my conversations with villagers, including those facing this problem, revealed they don't support focusing only on female calves.

In fact, instead of neglecting bullocks or discouraging their birth, there’s a strong case for the government to adopt policies that encourage the protection of bullocks. This could be especially beneficial in promoting natural farming, reducing fossil fuel use, and helping small farmers lower their costs and debt.

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Food security is increasingly choking Indian households, forcing them to tighten their belts as the cost of essential items rises sharply.

Food inflation has hit double digits for the first time in six years. In October 2024, the prices surged by 10.9%, driving retail inflation to a 14-month high of 6.2%, up from 5.5% in September. The price rise, particularly for vegetables and edible oils, is putting unprecedented strain on family budgets, compounding economic pressures and exacerbating food insecurity across the country.

Earlier spikes were due to factors like unseasonal rains and supply chain issues. Now, rising global commodity prices are adding to the problem, with sharp increases in the cost of imported edible oils and pulses.

Food inflation contributed 73% to the headline rural inflation. In contrast, it only contributed 56% of the overall urban inflation.

The Centre For Policy Research believes this inflation is temporary. However, India’s agricultural sector faces a more persistent problem: limited diversification.

Most Indian farming focuses on staple crops like rice and wheat, while more nutritious and diverse crops are often overlooked. This lack of variety leads to an over-reliance on a few crops, making food security more vulnerable and causing price hikes when these crops are affected by climate change or global market shifts. Experts say food inflation in India requires deeper reforms to ensure long-term food security.

‍Rising food prices

The impact of food inflation is closely tied to the slow growth of wages in India. Between 2023 and 2024, wage growth has been sluggish, and for rural workers in low-income households, it has been negative for ten straight years, according to the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy (CMIE). The gap between stagnant wages and rising food prices is making the effects of inflation even harder for many people to bear, as their earnings aren’t keeping up with the cost of essential food items.

Rural households feel the impact of rising food prices more sharply because wages are lower, and a large part of their income goes towards food. In rural areas, food expenses make up over 50%-60% of the average household budget, compared to just 30%-40% in urban areas. A research note from CMIE’s economic outlook highlights this difference: “Food inflation contributed 73% to the headline rural inflation. In contrast, it only contributed 56% of the overall urban inflation. This stark disparity is because of the disproportionately higher weight of food held in the rural consumption basket.”

Food inflation worsens rural distress and hunger, deepening the gap between rural and urban communities. Without clear policies to raise rural incomes, control food prices, and improve farming, rural families will keep facing financial challenges.

Role of e-commerce

Today, more urban shoppers are turning to e-commerce for their daily needs, attracted by quick and easy deliveries. But this convenience comes with hidden costs. Delivery fees, service charges and price markups can make online grocery shopping more expensive. These extra costs can be avoided by shopping at local stores and markets instead.

The impact of e-commerce on food prices is more complex when we consider its effect on workers and households. Gig workers for delivery platforms often earn low wages, work long hours and lack job security. While e-commerce has created jobs, many delivery drivers struggle to make enough money as rising fuel and maintenance costs cut into their earnings, leaving them financially vulnerable, especially during times of food inflation.

For many urban working women, e-commerce platforms save valuable time. Outsourcing tasks like grocery shopping and meal prep helps women juggling careers, household chores and childcare. But this convenience also drives up food prices due to higher delivery and service charges, which reduces buying power, especially for households already struggling with rising costs.

‍Long-term solutions

India has tried to tackle food inflation with subsidies, food provision schemes and adjustments to minimum support prices for key crops. However, these short-term fixes don’t address the deeper causes of food inflation.

A large portion of the country’s produce is wasted due to poor storage facilities and limited distribution networks. To make agriculture more sustainable, we need to focus on major changes in the sector. Improving soil health, providing accessible technology and encouraging diverse crop rotation can boost agricultural productivity. Combined with stronger supply chains, these steps can help ease pressure on food prices.

At the same time, supporting low-income households should be a top priority. Measures like direct cash transfers and a more efficient Public Distribution System (PDS) can provide immediate relief to those most affected. By adopting these long-term and comprehensive strategies, India can reduce the impact of food inflation and build a fairer, more stable food system for the future.

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As the national capital, Delhi may be India's seat of power, but it doesn't have complete control over its own health--an aspect that is frequently affected by the actions of its neighbours. Be it the thick smog that envelops the capital and brings the life of its residents to a grinding halt during winter, or the hidden manner in which the city ignorantly consumes antibiotic-treated food and water. Similarly, Delhi may not be home to pharmaceutical manufacturing factories, but neighbouring states with such facilities often dump waste into common water bodies. This cyclical fate is unlikely to change, say experts, until the states it shares borders with straighten up their act and have their own action plans in place.

Delhi’s unique predicament calls for unique solutions when it comes to antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a crisis identified as one of the top ten global threats to humanity. Antibiotics, our defence strategy against harmful microbes causing life-threatening infections, have disturbed the balance within and without. After the World Health Assembly adopted a global action plan on AMR in 2015, India followed in 2017, and Delhi became the third state to launch its plan in January 2020. 

In alignment with the national action plan, Delhi’s own has identified six strategic objectives: awareness and education; laboratory network for early diagnosis and surveillance; infection prevention and control; optimising antibiotics’ use; research; and, lastly, collaboration between national and international NGOs to implement it at the grassroots level, says Dr Sangeeta Sharma, nodal officer for the Containment of AMR for the Government of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.

Since AMR affects all spheres of life, it is addressed with a One Health approach, where the health of humans, animals, plants, and environments is taken into account in a unified manner. This has posed a bureaucratic challenge--it requires the health, food, animal husbandry, environment, and industry ministries to work together.

Progress report

As part of the capital’s action plan, doctors, pharmacists, and nurses have undergone training programmes to build capacity, and students and teachers are being educated about antibiotic misuse and resistance. “Often, antibiotics are prescribed ‘just in case’ for conditions like coughs, colds, upper respiratory illnesses, and acute watery diarrhoea, which are predominantly viral and do not require these medicines,” says Dr Sharma, who is also the president of the Delhi Society for Promotion of Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD). “In 2022, we launched an integrated diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship programme to improve diagnosis and reduce unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions. So far, we have trained more than 1,000 doctors, 1,600 nurses, and 450 clinicians.”

When it comes to pharmacists, the focus has been tackling self-medication by buyers and preventing over-the-counter sales of antibiotics. “The DSPRUD also undertook awareness drives for the schools urging people to not use medicines without a doctor’s go-ahead and not to buy antibiotics (especially HI1 drugs) over the counter without prescription,” Dr Sharma adds.

Food is not something that the Union Territory produces daily, and neither is most of its poultry. All of it comes from the states surrounding it.

The plan calls for a particular focus on school students, encouraging and training them to spread the word among the general public. “We wanted children to talk to their parents and keep tabs on antibiotic use within their families, as we saw in the case of the firecracker campaign in Delhi, where there was a deeper penetration of the message,” says Dr Ravindra Aggarwal, chief coordinator, AMR, Government of NCT of Delhi.

Over two years, awareness campaigns organised in collaboration with the WHO, DSPRUD, and the National Centre for Disease Control have reached out to 900,000 students and 3,500 teachers. Most recently, a partnership with the non-profit organisation ECHO India enabled over 250 teachers to be trained, across October and November. Discussions among educators have been centred on the identification of misuse and its prevention, with the aim that the teachers will spread knowledge among their students and communities, Dr Aggarwal added.

Also read: Inside Tamil Nadu's battle against AMR

Unique predicament

 “As a coastal state, Kerala prioritises aquaculture. Whereas Delhi lacks a coast or farmland, thus relying on neighbouring states for food supplies. In that sense, it is a consumption state. Food is not something that the Union Territory produces daily, and neither is most of its poultry. All of it comes from the states surrounding it,” says Dr Robin Paul, a senior veterinarian and consultant at the Food and Agriculture Organization.

The city’s multi-tiered healthcare infrastructure also presents unique challenges. The Union Territory houses a diverse range of healthcare settings, from sub-centres and primary health facilities to super-specialty centres, each with their distinct problems and varying complexities. “The use of antibiotics varies greatly, from minor surgeries to transplants. To preserve the efficacy of antibiotics in life-threatening operations, we need to know which antibiotic to use in the first place,” Dr Sharma adds. The formulation of Delhi’s action plan involves 120 stakeholders from 17 different levels of healthcare to address this multi sectoral and multidisciplinary challenge, she explains.

Also read: Kerala is winning the battle against AMR and how!

Niggling challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic caused a shift in priorities, Dr Aggarwal says, causing AMR to be put on the backburner. “Afterward, we tried but could not set the desired tempo, as leadership at the level of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Delhi government changed.”

Alongside policy, regulation remains a challenge. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)’s decision to expand its list of flagged antibiotics, and the intent to tighten norms on the maximum residue levels of antibiotics in animal products, has emerged as a silver lining; these new norms will be effective from April 2025.

Dr Vijay Pal Singh, a veterinarian at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research--Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), calls attention to the use of antibiotics in animal care--an alarming issue that is understudied. The former joint director at the FSSAI highlights a study conducted at the CSIR-IGIB, which found that dogs in the university's vicinity were completely resistant to the most commonly used antibiotics. Yet, these drugs continue to be rampantly prescribed to animals in veterinary care. “This research, as well as awareness and training programmes to avoid the use of antibiotics in animals, is immensely lagging,” Dr Singh says.

Part of the problem stems from the lack of an established and accepted term for AMR-related fatalities. “I may die from multiple organ failure or another condition, but it will not be marked as AMR. It is an orphaned issue that cannot be quantified or named, and thus, the urgency of the threat is overlooked,” Dr Singh adds.

The veterinarian also points to the absence of a unified platform to share data. “One Health is an entirely completely academic exercise at the moment. Each agency--the FSSAI, Export Inspection, and CDSCO--has its own regulations and laboratories.” Thus, these agencies tend to work in silos. Tackling AMR calls for mandatory surveillance to make informed decisions--which could be facilitated by a consolidated platform that keeps various stakeholders apprised of developments. “For instance, if a certain food item contains too many antibiotics, human doctors should be aware [of this] so that they can adjust their prescriptions accordingly,” Dr Singh explains.

As the rolling out of the second National Action Plan nears, Dr Sharma says that firm guidelines will be established. “However, implementing the plan’s strategic objectives is a monumental task. The government alone cannot do it. All sectors, including NGOs, must leverage each other’s strengths to make meaningful progress,” she says.

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When monsoon rains retreat from Central Gujarat's Orsang river valley, they leave behind vast stretches of silt-covered riverbed. The Orsang, flowing from Madhya Pradesh's Bhavra forest through Gujarat's Chota Udaipur district until it meets the Narmada at Chandod, becomes the lifeline for local tribal communities.

Near Chota Udaipur, tribals have mastered the art of cultivating the exposed riverbeds, a practice known as riverbed or sandbar farming. From November to February, landless tribals turn these temporary stretches into productive fields.

The monsoon's annual cycle deposits mineral-rich silt across the riverbed. As waters recede, they leave behind naturally fertilised, moisture-rich soil - perfect conditions for farming. While Gujarat’s Orsang Valley is a prime example of this method, riverbed farming stretches across India. In Himachal Pradesh’s Una district, the Rai community practices it along the Swan River, leasing land from October to June. Here farmers harness the natural flow of rivers, growing a range of vegetables as tenant farmers.

Come November, Gujarat's riverbed farmers use a simple pit-and-ditch system to prepare plots for their crops. Pumpkins, squashes, gourds, and cucumbers grow in abundance alongside long-taproot vegetables like tomatoes, okra, and cowpeas, making up 68% of all cucurbits grown in the region. Despite using basic seeds, these farmers manage to harvest two to three crops during the brief period the riverbeds are accessible. The efforts yield annual earnings of Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000, crucial income for families with few other options for sustenance.

Ancient technique

Riverbed farming is believed to have originated in the Ganga river basin during the Mughal era. “I’m learning about Diara farming, or riverbed farming, in my sustainable agriculture course,” says Khushi Khan, a final-year agriculture student at a university in Baramati. “It’s the practice of growing vegetables on riverbanks or basins after the floodwaters have gone down, usually after the monsoon. This land isn’t used for anything else, so it’s a great way to make use of land that would otherwise be wasted.”

With a population of 1.4 billion and agricultural land shrinking due to urban expansion, the need to use available land efficiently has never been greater. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reports a 20% drop in global cropland area per capita from 2001 to 2022, shrinking from 0.24 to 0.20 hectares. Amid climate unpredictability, techniques like riverbed farming offer a way to adapt and boost food security. The future of agriculture may well depend on reviving traditional practices that are attuned to nature’s cycles, making the most of limited resources.

As the world’s population grows, finding sustainable ways to meet food demands becomes crucial. Riverbed farming, an age-old technique, is emerging as a promising solution. Professor Arup Kumar Sarma from IIT Guwahati underscores the importance of riverine ecosystems for agricultural intensification.

“The rich, loamy soils of the riverbeds offer the perfect conditions for farming of these vegetables. However, determining an optimal cropping pattern to get the maximum output is challenging as at any given point in time, a part of the riverbed might be suitable for cultivation while another part of it might still be submerged,” he says.

“In such environments, there is a lot of water fluctuation and it affects the cropping pattern. It is also important to ensure that available land is not left barren so as to optimise farming,” he adds.

Riverbed farming may not be without its challenges. Farmers often deal with poor-quality seeds, unpredictable weather, and the intrusion of stray animals. Yet, studies suggest that the benefits far outweigh these hurdles. The naturally fertile, moist soil reduces the need for chemical fertilisers, irrigation, and frequent weeding, making it a low-maintenance option for farmers. More importantly, riverbed farming offers the potential for off-season cultivation, allowing for year-round harvests that can reduce food shortages and mitigate extreme price fluctuations.

Food security

India’s vast network of rivers and river plains holds immense potential for off-season farming on riverbeds. With climate change intensifying floods and encroaching on riverbeds, more silt is deposited, expanding the available farming areas. During the non-monsoon months, these lands provide an excellent window for cultivating crops in one to three cycles. This farming method could improve food security and provide a steady income for India’s landless and land-poor communities.

One particularly effective form of riverbed farming is Diara cultivation, which not only promotes food security but also addresses poverty. Diara farming offers a livelihood to those without land, enabling them to grow vegetables for sale.

“While innovative practices such as diara farming are showing promise, we need to ensure consistent technical support, training, and a reliable supply of inputs like seeds and fertilisers, along with market information, which is crucial for widespread adoption of this agricultural technique,” says Dr S Hebbar from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research - Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Riverbed farming stands as a powerful example of how ancient methods, when coupled with modern support, can provide solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in agriculture today. By optimising underutilised land and boosting local economies, this practice could help secure a more sustainable and prosperous future.

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Life hit the brakes for Vijayalakshmi when she was forced to move from Bangalore to her husband’s village in Tumkur, leaving her career as a nurse in the dust. She was asked to give up her career and stay at home by her family. 

Vijayalakshmi felt lost, but instead of giving up, she looked for ways to shape her life on her own terms. Through Buzz Women, she was introduced to climate-resilient practices, which equipped her with the skills to launch her own organic kitchen garden.

In the unused courtyard of her house, she planted sapotas, brinjals, tomatoes, lady’s fingers, moringa trees, lemon trees and Kanakambara flower. Grown organically, without using chemical fertilisers and pesticides, the fresh produce from the garden changed the flavours of her kitchen. Soon, there was extra produce that she could sell. She started selling drumsticks, lemons and the Kanambara flowers in the local market, earning her Rs 10,000 every month.

A lot happened here:  Vijayalakshmi learned about climate change, adopted sustainable food habits, gave her community access to organic food, became a financially empowered eco-preneur, and, most importantly, changed her life for good.

What’s buzzing?

Buzz Women is an NGO that works towards empowering rural women with knowledge that can set them free from their financial and personal limitations. Through their interventions, rural women learn how to save money, how to start businesses, how to solve problems, how to take climate-action, and more. 

Buzz Green, their climate-resilience programme, brings climate action to rural India. “A climate-conscious rural India, led by women – that’s what we want to achieve”, says Uthara Narayanan, co-founder, Buzz Women.

Buzz Women makes it a unique intervention by not just bringing climate awareness but also bringing a financially beneficial angle for rural women to take climate action. That’s how their rural eco-preneurs are born.

While closely observing how women can find new opportunities to earn a living, Buzz Women found a surprising fact. Most rural families own small land parcels, courtyards and backyards in their houses that are hardly utilised. Most families end up spending money on buying vegetables for everyday use from the market while they could use these land parcels to grow their everyday vegetables and greens - a rather surprising blind spot.

Buzz Women decided to use this opportunity by inspiring the women to start organic kitchen gardens. Apart from becoming a sustainable source of good food, the women can save money they spend on buying their vegetables and then sell the extra produce to add to their income. Buzz Women inspired the beginning of over 1700 kitchen gardens in rural Karnataka, a number that’s increasing every day.

Kitchen gardens may seem like a Lilliputian effort in tackling climate change, but imagine: 1,700 households have shunned chemically grown vegetables. They follow water-efficient practices and maintain soil health. For a large portion of their food needs, they are no longer dependent on external food supply chains. Such gardens also add to local biodiversity. Overall, they represent a low-cost, actionable response to climate change at the individual level.

Success stories

Like Vijayalakshmi, many women are thriving by embracing organic farming. Chaitra, a 35-year-old woman from Kadrinenahallli village, initially started growing vegetables for her family after the Buzz Green programme. “By expanding to multi-crop agriculture, we started earning at least Rs 14,000 every month from our land. We now have a sense of financial stability and security”, says Chaitra.

Saraswathi, from Budidhamitte village in Kolar district, is an Anganwadi teacher. She started her organic kitchen garden and the Anganwadi now procures her produce. “I’m happy that the children of my Anganwadi are getting to eat healthy, chemical-free food”, says Saraswathi.

Shylaja works with her village Panchayat as a Master Bookkeeper. Her job requires her to visit several villages and is a popular public figure in the villages of Kolar. During her off days, Shylaja takes the initiative to visit the villages and inspires women to adopt sustainable food practices. She alone has inspired over 110 women to start kitchen gardens in their homes!

Women in the Buzz network save and earn money by being climate conscious. What we managed to create here is a crucial link between food security and financial health of rural communities.

And it’s not just kitchen gardens. There is more to the good-food practices that the women are adopting. The women who undergo this programme understand soil nutrition, use of organic fertilisers, organic pest control, water conservation, waste management and sustainability. 

Sujata started an organic cold-press oil unit in her village and has become a local voice who encourages farmers to adopt organic practices. Kantalakshmi of Kadaripura village in Kolar district suffered a liver infection and a miscarriage after consuming unsafe meat. After this dreadful experience, she started her own organic desi poultry farm. Bhagyamma produces a chemical-free tooth powder that is produced with natural ingredients. Interestingly, she also uses biodegradable packaging. When Kavitha of Manighatta village, Kolar district heard about how bees are disappearing due to indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers at the Buzz Green programme, she became a bee-keeper and grows a flower garden. She earns Rs 400 to 500 per kg for organic honey that she sells.

“What we should remember here is that these are women who have had very little exposure to education. Many of them never stepped out of their houses before attending the Buzz Women programmes nor did they earn money for their families. Women in the Buzz network save and earn money by being climate conscious. What we managed to create here is a crucial link between food security and financial health of rural communities,” says Venkatesh GS, head of operations, Buzz Women.

Changing mindsets

Beyond taking climate-action in their own lives, 9,700 women now volunteer as 'Green Motivators' in their communities. These climate change agents are active in over 5,000 villages across Karnataka. They take out time to share the knowledge they have gained with the women in the village and inspire climate conscious behaviour among other women in the communities. Buzz Women’s survey says 96% of its trained women use less plastics, 76% women started carrying a cloth bag when shopping for vegetables, and 86% of the women have mobilised others in their community to pursue a green goal.

Initially, many people told us rural women will not be able to relate to an issue like climate change. But the women surprised us. They have a lived experience of climate change without the vocabulary on it or the knowledge to respond to it.

When the Buzz Green programme decided to bring awareness about climate resilience, they weren’t sure how the women would respond. “Initially, many people told us rural women will not be able to relate to an issue like climate change. But the women surprised us. They have a lived experience of climate change without the vocabulary on it or the knowledge to respond to it. When we share how they can become responsible climate change agents, they see it as an opportunity to do something bigger than themselves, for the next generation, for their communities and for the planet. And the results are beyond heartwarming,” says Uthara.

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