On the Great Nicobar island, why the future is fearful
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In-depth reporting on the stories that bind us.
Why India needs to rethink its love for pigeons
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The dangerous world of Tamil Nadu’s alcohol deaddiction centres
Hello,In July, the problem of alcohol addiction in Tamil Nadu made the headlines after a horrific incident in Kallakurichi district, in which 66 people died of alcohol poisoning after consuming illicit liquor.Another story from the district the following month received less attention: a 38-year-old man died, allegedly after being assaulted by members of a privately run de-addiction centre.This was not an isolated incident. A 2021 study found that between 2013 and 2016, 13 such deaths had occurred at private centres across the country. As Johanna Deeksha found, Tamil Nadu has seen some of the most disturbing cases of this nature. Speaking to individuals who had spent time at such centres in Chennai, she learnt of how they faced violent, inhuman treatment during their time as patients. And the families of those who died remain haunted by their decision to send their loved ones into the facilities.“When individuals with addiction want to get help, they have the right to a dignified and safe environment, where they will be given proper food, medication and care, ” Deeksha said. “Nobody deserves to die in their endeavour to recover from addiction, which is a disease. The government must do more to ensure the safety of people seeking help.”You can read the story here
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Why lightning kills more people in India than any other natural disaster
Hello,Anyone caught in the open during a spell of rain would be likely to seek shelter under a tree. That's what a group of young men who had met for a cricket game did in Jharkhand’s Simdega district in August. But tragedy befell the group when lightning struck the tree, killing three. None of those present that day were aware that National Disaster Management Authority guidelines advise against taking shelter under trees during rains, precisely because they are prone to being struck by lightning. As Nolina Minj found, lightning causes more deaths in India than any other natural phenomenon, including floods, landslides and heatwaves. In several states, particularly in central and eastern India, frequent thunderstorms and a high incidence of lightning, combined with a lack of awareness of protective measures, kills hundreds of people every year. But the central government has not formally declared lightning strikes a natural disaster. And while some states have done so, and put policies in place to spread information about the risks and provide compensation to those who are affected, on the ground, implementation is slow. You can read the story here.
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Daily Brief: Vinesh Phogat is winning over Haryana’s women – but is still wrestling with a tough election, and more
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In Ladakh, a massive energy project is shrouded in mystery
Hello, On Monday night, police detained the climate activist Sonam Wangchuk along with around 150 others as they marched towards Delhi. Among the protestors’ demands are statehood for Ladakh, and inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the constitution, which will guarantee the region a greater degree of autonomy. The government’s crackdown on the protestors is unsurprising given the opaque nature of development work it is planning in Ladakh. This is strikingly clear in the case of a colossal renewable energy project that will take up a total of 250 square kilometres, and will transmit electricity more than 700 km to Haryana, where it will be integrated into the national grid. As Vaishnavi Rathore and Safwat Zargar found, the government has ignored anxieties of locals over the loss of land and livelihoods, as well as warnings from environmentalists, to go ahead with the project. Details about the project and its proponents, meanwhile, remain shrouded in secrecy.Zargar recounted that reporting the story was a challenge given the region’s difficult physical terrain. “The area is at least 200 km from the nearest power centre, which is Leh city,” he said. “Getting back to contacts was not possible because of a lack of mobile connectivity or phones.” He added, “I had to get oxygen at a local health centre multiple times because it is a high-altitude area.” Rathore, meanwhile, explained that the lack of information available about the project was frustrating. “On ground, political representatives told us that the environmental impact assessment had been completed, yet it was not made public,” she said. “When we asked for this information via RTI, neither the environment ministry, nor the renewable energy ministry, nor the Solar Energy Corporation of India, had it.” You can read the story here.
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A government scholarship took them abroad. But then left them in a lurch
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How the government undercut TISS over the past decade
Special project: Help us report from the ground on the Great Nicobar Project.
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Why sexual harassment goes unchecked on Indian campuses
Special project: Help us report from the ground on the Great Nicobar Project.
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The harrowing life of a loco pilot: No time to eat and sleep
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The hidden lives of those who protect Mumbai from floods
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How hydropower projects in Himachal sold dubious carbon credits
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The Tamil Nadu police’s brutal violence against the state’s weakest citizens
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How Adivasis in Jharkhand are taking the leap into entrepreneurship
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What the Prajwal Revanna case reveals about the struggles of women in politics
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How India’s weak international stand on plastic pollution harms Indians
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How Indian fishers suffer exploitation and abuse on UK boats
When Mariyappan, a fisherman from Kanniyakumari received a job offer in the United Kingdom, he believed it would help him lift his family out of poverty. Little did he know that a nightmare awaited him once he began work, on a ship in northeast Scotland as a deckhand.
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How Bengaluru’s water crisis is rooted in the neglect of its lakes
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Why Kerala’s palliative care model is making an impact
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Why Indian companies’ efforts at improving diversity are falling short
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