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Imagine travelling across India at 249 kmph, with comfort, entertainment and accessibility built into your journey!

Meet B28, India’s first homegrown bullet train, taking shape at BEML’s Aditya Plant in Bengaluru for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad corridor.

Stretching 202 metres, this eight-coach train can carry 557 passengers and reach 280 kmph during testing. Inside, passengers can expect ergonomic seats, charging points, wide windows, LED lighting and dedicated executive-class seating.

But there’s more! Wheelchair-friendly doors, accessible toilets, Braille signage and dedicated spaces for passengers with reduced mobility make inclusivity a priority.

Emergency talk-back units, multilingual announcements and Wi-Fi-based entertainment will add to the experience.

Behind the scenes, aerodynamic design will help reduce air resistance and tunnel pressure waves, while regenerative braking will recover energy as the train slows down.

And that’s not all! Two B28 sets can join to form a 16-coach train.

With seven more high-speed rail corridors announced in Budget 2026–27, India’s bullet train journey is only getting started!

Would you take a ride on B28? What feature are you most excited about?

#BulletTrain #MakeInIndia #IndianRailways #HighSpeedRail #BEML #MumbaiAhmedabadBulletTrain #indianfuture #bullettraininindia

Handmade paper can be made from cotton rags, recycled newspapers, bamboo and even agricultural waste. But have you ever imagined that elephant and rhinoceros dung could become paper too?

In Assam, retired mining engineer Mahesh Chandra Bora and his daughter, Nisha Bora, are turning this unlikely idea into a business. Through their venture, Elrhino, they transform wildlife waste into handcrafted paper and stationery, creating livelihoods for rural communities while encouraging people to see the value of protecting these animals.

The idea began with a question that came to Mahesh while he was on a flight. He read about paper being made from elephant dung in Rajasthan and wondered: if it could work in a state with relatively few elephants, why not in Assam, where elephants and one-horned rhinoceroses are part of the landscape?

From a kitchen blender to a paper-making venture

After retiring, Mahesh decided to explore the idea himself. He understood that elephants and rhinos eat large quantities of grass and other vegetation that their digestive systems cannot break down completely. Their dung, therefore, contains plenty of plant fibres that can be used to make paper.

He began experimenting at home, using his wife's kitchen blender and window screens to work out how the fibres could be turned into sheets.

It took repeated trials to get the process right, but the experiments eventually yielded handmade paper. What started as a personal project began taking the shape of a business, with Mahesh determined to make conservation and local employment part of its purpose.

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His daughter, Nisha, soon joined him. After spending 17 years in the corporate world, she left her career to help develop the venture, bringing her experience in market research and business to the table.

Together, they established Elrhino in 2014, officially known as Elrhino Eco Industries Pvt Ltd, to turn their idea into a sustainable enterprise.

How dung becomes paper

The process relies on the fibres left behind after elephants and rhinos digest their food. The collected dung is cleaned, washed and boiled before being processed into pulp. This is combined with other materials, including recycled paper, cotton waste and plant fibres, to create sheets.

The resulting paper is then pressed and dried before being used to make finished products.

Elrhino's range includes notebooks, journals, paper bags, lampshades, playing cards and other stationery and decorative items. Some products also incorporate natural fibres from plants such as banana stems, which are readily available in Assam.

The paper's visible flecks and distinctive texture offer a glimpse of its unusual raw material. More importantly, using these alternative fibres reduces reliance on wood pulp and offers another way to make use of resources that would otherwise go to waste.

Giving villagers a reason to protect wildlife

For Mahesh and Nisha, the idea was never just about making paper. It was also about changing the relationship between local communities and the wildlife around them.

Elephants and rhinos can sometimes stray into agricultural areas, damaging crops and creating difficulties for farmers living near their habitats. At the same time, poaching and habitat loss threaten these animals.

Elrhino works with local villagers who collect dung, particularly from areas around wildlife habitats, and contribute to the paper-making process. By purchasing this material and creating work around its processing, the venture provides communities with an additional source of income.

This creates a different kind of connection with wildlife. When dung has economic value, the presence of elephants and rhinos can bring opportunities alongside the challenges of living near them. The approach gives communities a tangible stake in conservation, although it works alongside, rather than replaces, the need to protect habitats and prevent poaching.

The business also provides opportunities for rural artisans to develop skills in handmade paper production and craftwork.

Good for villagers, good for wildlife

Elrhino shows how an unconventional idea can bring together environmental responsibility, entrepreneurship and rural livelihoods.

For Mahesh, the journey began with a question on a flight and a series of experiments at home. With Nisha helping turn the idea into a business, those early trials have grown into a venture that makes everyday products from an unexpected material.

The stronger possibility is just as interesting: if wildlife waste can become a valuable resource, it can support both the people living alongside these animals and the conservation efforts needed to protect them.

Sometimes, an idea that sounds unlikely at first can open up a completely different way of looking at the world. In Assam, this father-daughter duo is showing that even a notebook can begin with something found along a forest path.

Sources:

'ELRHINO' by Your Network of Opportunities To Scale.

'TBI Blogs: Rhino Poop from Assam Is Helping Farmers Gain Sustainable Income! Here’s How' by Digital Empowerment Foundation for The Better India, Published on 30 December 2016.

A meal served on a leaf plate, a silk saree woven from wild silk, and incense burning during a prayer may appear like three unrelated parts of everyday life. But they share an interesting connection. Each, in its own way, can be traced back to the forests and a tree that has supported communities for generations.

This is the sal tree, scientifically known as Shorea robusta. Found across the forests of eastern and central India, particularly in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh, it has been an important part of rural livelihoods and traditional practices.

According to a 2024 research review, Sal forests cover an estimated 10 million hectares in India. For communities living around these forests, the tree is valued for much more than its timber. Its leaves, seeds, resin, flowers, and fruit have found different uses over the years, with some becoming everyday household products and others supplying local industries.

According to the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), its uses range from timber and resin to seed oil and animal feed. Here is a closer look at how this one tree finds a place in so many aspects of life.

1. Its leaves become plates and bowls

One of the most familiar uses of sal leaves is something many Indians may have eaten from. Across several parts of the country, communities collect mature leaves and stitch them together to make disposable plates and bowls.

Commonly called pattal or khali, these plates are used for everyday meals, weddings, religious ceremonies, and community feasts. Smaller bowls, known as dona, are also made from the leaves. In Odisha, they are closely associated with local food traditions. 

A research paper published in the Bulletin of the National Research Centre documents how these leaves are used to make plates and bowls, both by hand and through machine-pressed processes. It also highlights leaf-plate making as an important source of income for tribal communities across several states.

Unlike plastic alternatives, the plates are biodegradable and break down naturally after disposal.

For many forest-dependent families, collecting and stitching leaves is more than a traditional practice. It is also a way to earn an income from resources available around them.

2. Its seeds yield oil used in soaps and confectionery

The small seeds that fall from the tree have considerable commercial value.

After collection, they are processed to separate their kernels, which contain a fat commonly known as sal fat or sal butter. This fat is used in the manufacture of soaps and confectionery. Once refined, it can also serve as a substitute for cocoa butter in certain food products.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India documents its importance as a raw material for soap and confectionery manufacturing. Even the material left behind after extracting the oil does not go to waste. Known as oilcake, it contains protein and starch and can be used as animal feed, according to ICAR.

Collecting and processing these seeds have also supported forest-based livelihoods, particularly in Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh.

3. Its resin becomes incense

The tree produces a natural aromatic resin known as sal dammar, which has several traditional and commercial applications. Collected from its trunk, the resin is used to make incense and also finds applications in certain paints and varnishes.

According to Indian Woods, a publication available through the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the resin has several such applications.

Historically, it was also used to seal gaps in boats and ships, helping prevent water from entering. This made it useful for waterproofing wooden vessels. For communities familiar with the forest, collecting resin provides another way to make use of a natural resource without cutting down the tree.

4. Its wood builds homes and railway tracks

The wood is among the most valued hardwoods in India. Hard, heavy, and durable, it is particularly useful for construction and other applications that require strength.

It is used for beams, posts, door and window frames, railway sleepers, and structural work. Smaller branches and shoots can also be fashioned into agricultural implements and household tools.

The wood is also used as firewood in rural households. From large construction projects to everyday objects, it serves a range of practical needs.

5. Its leaves help produce tasar silk

There is another interesting connection between this tree and India’s traditional textile industry.

The tropical tasar silkworm, scientifically known as Antheraea mylitta, feeds on the leaves of several host plants, including sal, arjun, and asna.

After feeding, the caterpillars spin cocoons, which are later processed to produce tasar silk. Known for its natural texture and rich appearance, this variety of wild silk supports livelihoods in several forested regions of eastern and central India.

Its role in silk production is particularly interesting because the tree does not need to be harvested. Its leaves provide nourishment for the silkworms, supporting an industry that many forest-dependent families rely on.

6. Its fruit and leaves feature in traditional medicine

Different parts of the tree have also found a place in traditional Indian medicine.

The ICAR inventory of Indigenous Technical Knowledge records the traditional use of its fruit paste for treating diarrhoea. Its leaves have also featured in Ayurveda and Unani preparations, particularly in traditional remedies for skin-related conditions and wound care.

These applications reflect the knowledge that communities living close to forests have developed over generations. However, traditional uses should not be mistaken for clinically established treatments, and further research is needed to establish their safety and effectiveness.

7. It supports forest-based livelihoods

Beyond the products themselves, the tree plays an important role in the lives of communities living around India’s forests.

Collecting leaves, stitching plates, gathering seeds, and processing resin provide opportunities to earn an income from non-timber forest produce. For households with limited access to agricultural land, these activities can provide an important additional source of livelihood.

A study by the International Institute for Environment and Development examines the importance of seed-based enterprises and forest governance in India, highlighting the relationship between forest resources and local economies.

The products connect villages to wider markets. Leaf plates reach shops and eateries, seeds are sold to processing units, and resin finds its way into different industries. For the people who depend on these forests, the tree is not limited to a source of raw material. It is part of their everyday economy.

Beyond these uses, the forests it forms provide habitat for wildlife, support biodiversity, and play an important role in maintaining ecological balance. For generations, communities living alongside these trees have understood their value beyond timber. 

They have learnt to make use of what the forest provides, turning leaves, seeds and other natural materials into products that serve everyday needs. It is a way of life closely tied to an understanding of nature, and a reminder that sometimes the greatest value of a tree lies in everything it offers, not just the part that can be cut down.

In December 2023, a tiger crossed the Makri River and entered a mangrove patch near a village in Kultali, in West Bengal's Sundarbans.

For the people living nearby, its presence was a serious safety concern. The tiger, too, was in danger.

Over the next three days, forest officials, wildlife experts and local volunteers worked together to guide the animal back to its natural habitat. They tracked its movements, put up nylon nets and carefully created a passage towards the forest.

On 11 December, the tiger finally swam across the river and returned to the mangroves, without needing to be captured.

The successful operation showed how much difference trained local volunteers can make when people and wild animals come face to face.

Now, more residents of the Sundarbans are learning how to help in such situations.

On 24 October 2026, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) trained 33 newly engaged local volunteers, including 10 women, from Kultali block in South 24 Parganas district to help manage encounters between people and tigers.

Their responsibility is an important one: helping protect their neighbours while ensuring that a tiger finding its way into a village can return safely to the forest.

What happens when a tiger enters a village?

For people living along the forests of the Sundarbans, encounters with tigers are a real concern.

Many residents depend on fishing, crab collection and other forest-based activities for their livelihoods. At times, tigers also cross rivers and enter areas where people live.

When that happens, frightened residents may gather around the animal or try to drive it away. Confusion and panic can make an already dangerous situation worse.

This is where Primary Response Teams (PRTs) come in.

These teams consist of trained local volunteers who act as the first point of contact when wildlife enters a settlement.

Their job is to alert forest officials, share information about the animal's movements, help keep crowds away and explain safety precautions to residents.

They work alongside the Forest Department and trained wildlife rescue teams, rather than attempting dangerous rescues themselves.

And because they belong to these communities, they understand the local landscape and the concerns of the people living there.

Teaching 33 villagers how to respond safely

The latest training took place at Sundarban Prakritishala, an education centre at Ambikanagar Haripriya High School.

Led by WTI's Dr Abhishek Ghoshal and Prosenjit Sheel, with technical support from biologist Samrat Paul, the workshop focused on understanding tiger behaviour and responding safely when an animal enters a village.

Participants learnt how tigers move, how their presence can be monitored and why people's reactions can influence what happens during an encounter.

The sessions also addressed misconceptions about tigers.

Dr Ghoshal explained that some residents believe all Sundarbans tigers deliberately hunt humans or that their saliva is poisonous. Such fears can influence how people react when an animal approaches a settlement.

Understanding a tiger's natural behaviour can help volunteers explain the situation to their neighbours and discourage actions that might put people or the animal at greater risk.

There is research supporting the importance of these precautions.

A 2022 study examining 118 tiger attacks on people around Uttar Pradesh's Dudhwa and Pilibhit reserves found that 88.1% were accidental or defensive, rather than deliberate attempts to hunt humans.

Although the findings come from a different landscape, they show why preventing sudden encounters and understanding animal behaviour matter.

For the Kultali volunteers, the training also included learning how to communicate with residents, manage difficult situations and rebuild trust following an encounter.

Can technology help stop tigers from entering villages?

Alongside learning how to respond, the volunteers were introduced to tools that could help warn communities about approaching wildlife.

These included camera traps, drones and a device called the Animal Intrusion Detection and Repellent System (ANIDERS).

Think of ANIDERS as a modern, sensor-powered scarecrow.

When an animal approaches, its sensors can trigger bright lights and sounds intended to scare it away without injuring it. Cameras can also help identify animal movements and send alerts.

In 2026, WTI and the local Forest Department began introducing these devices in tiger-prone areas of the Sundarbans as an experimental measure.

But the technology has limitations. Each device can monitor only a restricted area, while the region's salty conditions can damage equipment over time.

It therefore needs maintenance and cannot replace trained people on the ground.

The idea is to give communities another way to detect danger early, alongside the knowledge needed to respond appropriately.

33 Primary Response Team members participated in a human-tiger conflict mitigation & coexistence workshop in #Sundarbans. Hosted by WTI, @ForestDeptWB & supported by @IUCN through the Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Program (ITHCP) Read more: https://t.co/AKIz3UQuOK https://t.co/pClO367iXO

— Wildlife Trust of India (@wti_org_india) October 26, 2026

A growing network of neighbours looking out for one another

The October workshop builds on several years of work in Kultali.

Since 2018-19, WTI has established a network of 98 Primary Response Team members, including 18 women, through its human-tiger coexistence project.

These volunteers help the Forest Department manage tiger-related emergencies and monitor approximately 24 km of protective nylon net fencing along Kultali's eastern coast.

The fencing helps reduce the chances of tigers moving into settlements, while the volunteers help identify problems and support responses when an animal crosses into a village.

The latest training group, which includes 10 women, also brings more women into these community-level efforts.

The initiative is supported by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), through its Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Program, and the West Bengal Forest Department.

For local residents, its value lies in having people nearby who understand the risks, know whom to contact and can help others respond safely.

Veteran volunteer Ajay Kumar Das, known as a Bagh Bondhu, or Friend of the Tiger, describes his role as protecting the Sundarbans' tigers and mangrove forests while being "equally responsible for the safety of villagers when a tiger enters a village".

That responsibility was visible in December 2023, when local volunteers helped guide a tiger back across the river.

And it is the same responsibility that the 33 newly trained volunteers are preparing to take on.

In the Sundarbans, where people's livelihoods and tigers' habitats overlap, a timely warning, a well-informed neighbour and the right response can make a difference to both human and animal lives.

Sources:

‘PRT members in Sundarbans receive training to manage human-tiger interactions’: By Wildlife Trust of India, Published on 25 October 2026

‘Predicting negative human-tiger (Panthera tigris) interactions in mosaic landscapes around Dudhwa and Pilibhit tiger reserves in India’: By Mayukh Chatterjee,Nilanjan Chatterjee, Poonam Chandel, Tapajit Bhattacharya, Rahul Kaul, Published on 11 October 2022

‘Use of an action-selection framework for human-carnivore conflict in the Bangladesh Sundarbans’: By Adam C D Barlow, Christina J Greenwood, Ishtiaq U Ahmad, James L D Smith, Published on 24 October 2010

This story is part of “Parenting: What Google Won’t Tell You” — The Better India’s people-led parenting series that goes beyond conventional advice to document how real families are actually raising their children. Through real parents, parenting coaches, influencers and experts, the series brings honest, diverse and relatable perspectives on the questions, choices, challenges and solutions that shape everyday parenting — the things Google can’t always answer.

When Kiara Powar was 13, she came home from a badminton match, hugged her mother, and cried for an entire day. After years of playing the sport she loved, she had to give it up because severe migraines were causing blackouts on the court.

For Shweta Powar, watching her daughter navigate the loss was heartbreaking. Kiara had already faced a lifelong health condition, bullying, and rejection from people she had grown up with. Now, she was being forced to step away from something that had brought her happiness.

“I told her, ‘It’s okay if people talk about you. This is exactly when we have to fight back and keep working harder to prove our point,’” Shweta recalls.

Today, Kiara is a sports presenter and sportscaster, hosting digital shows such as Bat, Ball Aur Baatein and Sports & The City. Her journey from a young badminton player to a career in sports has been shaped by the challenges she faced growing up with Type 1 diabetes, and the support of her parents, who never wanted her condition to limit her ambitions.

For Shweta and her husband, Kiran Powar, a former first-class cricketer, the journey began when Kiara was just two years old and was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. The diagnosis meant learning to manage a condition they knew very little about. But as parents, they made one decision early on: they would help their daughter understand her condition without letting it dictate what she could aspire to.

Learning to live with diabetes, one day at a time

The signs began about a month before Kiara’s diagnosis. She was urinating frequently and gradually losing her appetite. After initial consultations failed to identify the problem, her parents sought another medical opinion.

The doctor recognised the seriousness of her condition and asked them to rush her to a hospital. Kiara was admitted to the ICU, where she remained under observation for 48 hours before doctors confirmed that she had Type 1 diabetes.

“We had heard the word diabetes, but we didn’t know what Type 1 juvenile diabetes was or what had to be done,” Shweta says.

At the time, managing the condition meant four insulin injections a day. Shweta and Kiran had to learn how to administer the injections, monitor Kiara’s sugar levels, and adjust insulin doses in consultation with her medical team.

The first few months were especially difficult. Shweta remembers being afraid of giving her daughter the injections, while the family struggled with the social stigma surrounding the condition.

Initially, they avoided family gatherings and social occasions, worried about people’s reactions. But after six months, they realised that shielding Kiara from the world was not the answer.

“We didn’t want our child to grow up under fear. We wanted her to face it, challenge herself and fight against the odds,” Shweta says.

They began focusing on helping her live as normally as possible. Her school nurse helped with insulin injections during the day, while Shweta managed her morning routine and made sure she received her evening dose and meals on time.

At home, the family followed the same food habits as Kiara, with homemade, sugar-free alternatives to sweets. The aim was not to make her feel different, but to help her understand what her body needed.

When badminton became her refuge

Growing up in a sporting family, Kiara developed an interest in tennis at seven and began playing badminton professionally at nine. She wanted to build a future connected to sports.

Her parents supported her ambitions while working with her doctors, coaches, nutritionist and trainer to manage her health alongside training. She followed a disciplined routine, carried meals to practice, and had support available in case her sugar levels dropped.

But adolescence brought challenges beyond diabetes. At 13, Kiara experienced severe emotional distress after relatives and cousins stopped communicating with her. The stress affected her health, and she began experiencing confusional migraines that caused blackouts while playing badminton.

After medical tests and repeated episodes on the court, her family had to confront a difficult decision: continuing the sport was no longer a risk they could ignore.

Giving up badminton was painful, especially after the sacrifices she had made to pursue it. Yet her parents encouraged her to keep moving forward, even when others doubted what she could achieve.

Making room for independence

Kiran and Shweta also made practical adjustments to help Kiara balance her studies and sporting ambitions. When the demands of school and intensive training became difficult to manage together, they decided to homeschool her in Grade 6.

Her days included badminton practice, strength training and lessons with tutors, allowing her to continue her education without abandoning the sport she loved.

Throughout these years, her doctor, Dr Atish Laddhad, remained an important source of guidance, helping the family navigate frightening episodes of low blood sugar. Her coaches and trainers also helped them understand when to push forward and when to step back.

As Kiara grew older, she gradually took responsibility for managing her condition. Today, even when travelling alone, she makes sure she carries extra medical supplies, needles and syringes.

For Shweta, that independence is part of what parenting has always meant: being present without making a child feel incapable.

“I feel you should treat the child as a normal child and allow them to do normal activities, especially what they want to do,” she says.

Today, as a sports presenter, Kiara remains connected to the world she has loved since childhood. Her path may have changed from competing on the badminton court to talking about sport on screen, but her parents’ belief in her has remained constant.

Kiara’s journey has not been without difficult choices or setbacks. But her parents have tried to ensure that diabetes remains something she manages, rather than something that decides her future.

Their approach has been simple: understand the challenges, build a dependable support system, and give a child the confidence to discover what she can do.

All images courtesy of Kiara Powar

They left Sydney, Australia, to raise their children in India. And their twins helped them embrace their new home.

Olivia and Andre had always imagined moving to India. Olivia is a teacher, while Andre runs a small business. They planned their move in 2022, but life had a surprise in store: twins!

Born extremely prematurely, the children needed extra care. The couple decided to delay their move until the twins completed their health checks at the age of two. Once they were ready, the family finally made the move to India.

Their biggest surprise? The children adapted to the heat, language and everyday way of life faster than their parents. Instead of comparing everything with Australia, Olivia and Andre followed their twins’ lead and embraced the experience with an open mind.

Today, the family is proud to call India home. What they value most is the beautiful sense of community and the chance to give their children a different way of growing up.

Sometimes, a new country doesn't just change where you live. It changes how you see the world.

#lifeinindia #ForeignersInIndia #MovingToIndia #ParentingInIndia #RaisingKidsInIndia #IndiaStories #CulturalDiversity #CommunityLiving #FamilyLife #TheBetterIndia

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Every October, something extraordinary happens in the Maldives. Millions of dragonflies begin appearing across the islands, even though there is hardly any freshwater for them to breed in.

Where are they coming from?

Scientists believe many of these tiny travellers arrive from India, crossing hundreds of kilometres of open sea. Some may even continue their journey towards Africa.

And here's what makes this so fascinating.

The globe skimmer dragonfly (Pantala flavescens), also called the wandering glider, measures barely five centimetres and weighs around 300 milligrams. That's less than a gram!

Yet this tiny insect may undertake one of the most remarkable journeys in the animal world, travelling thousands of kilometres with help from something familiar to all of us in India: the monsoon.

But how does an insect so small cross an ocean without stopping? And why would it attempt such a journey in the first place?

Scientists have spent years trying to answer these questions.

The mystery of millions of dragonflies arriving in the Maldives

In 2009, researcher R Charles Anderson published a study about something that had puzzled observers in the Maldives for years.

Every October, enormous numbers of dragonflies appeared on the islands. But the Maldives has very little surface freshwater, making it an unlikely place for dragonflies to complete their life cycle.

By studying when the insects appeared in India and the Maldives, Anderson found evidence suggesting they were travelling from southern India, covering approximately 500 to 1,000 kilometres.

His findings, published in the Journal of Tropical Ecology, raised an even bigger possibility.

What if the Maldives was simply one stop on a much longer journey towards East Africa?

The answer appeared to be connected to the changing monsoon.

It all begins with something as simple as a rain-filled puddle

To understand why these dragonflies travel, we first need to understand where they raise their young.

Many dragonflies lay their eggs in ponds and lakes. The globe skimmer has an unusual advantage: it can breed in temporary pools formed by rainfall.

Think of the shallow puddles that appear in fields, open grounds and low-lying areas during India's monsoon.

For this dragonfly, these pools can become nurseries.

The female lays her eggs in the water, where the young dragonflies develop before emerging as adults.

But these pools do not last forever. Once the rains stop, they begin drying up.

So, as rainfall shifts from one region to another, the dragonflies move towards places where fresh water becomes available.

India's southwest monsoon, which generally lasts from June to September, creates ideal breeding opportunities.

And when the rains begin moving southwards, the dragonflies appear to follow.

How can something weighing less than a gram fly across an ocean?

Here's where the story becomes even more remarkable.

If a dragonfly tried to cross the Indian Ocean by constantly beating its wings, it would soon run out of energy.

So how does it manage?

It may be doing something similar to what birds do: using favourable winds to help carry it forward.

Anderson's research suggested that the insects travel with winds associated with a shifting band of clouds and rainfall near the equator.

Scientists call this the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone, or ITCZ.

Simply put, it is a region where winds meet, creating changing weather patterns. As this region moves southwards after India's monsoon, it can bring winds that favour the dragonflies' journey.

Anderson suggested that they may fly more than 1,000 metres above the ground, where helpful winds could carry them towards the Maldives.

But there was still one important question.

Could their tiny bodies survive such a long flight?

In 2021, an international team of researchers led by Johanna S U Hedlund studied how much energy these dragonflies would need to cross the ocean.

Using computer models, they found that the insects could save enormous amounts of energy by gliding through the air and flapping their wings only when necessary.

According to their calculations, a dragonfly using a combination of gliding and wing-flapping could potentially remain airborne for around 230 hours under favourable assumptions.

By comparison, continuously flapping its wings would exhaust its estimated energy reserves in roughly four hours.

The research showed why the right winds could make such an extraordinary crossing possible.

However, these figures come from computer models. Scientists have yet to directly track individual globe skimmers throughout the proposed ocean journey.

From India to Africa, but the same dragonfly doesn't make the whole trip

The Maldives may be only one part of the story.

In 2023, researchers from IIT Kharagpur, including Sanat Ranjan Kumar, Amit A Pawar, Arnab Roy and Sandeep Saha, examined how winds and rainfall could connect the dragonflies' movements across the Indian Ocean.

Their research suggested a possible migration route:

• October to December: Dragonflies leave India and travel towards the Maldives as seasonal winds change.

• January to March: Favourable winds and rainfall may help them move towards the Seychelles and mainland Africa.

• May to July: Strong winds over the western Indian Ocean, known as the Somali Jet, may help later generations travel from Africa towards India.

Some dragonflies may breed in temporary rainwater pools along the way, including on islands where suitable conditions exist.

And here is an important detail.

The dragonfly that leaves India is not necessarily the one that returns.

The journey is believed to unfold across several generations. One generation travels, reproduces where conditions allow, and its offspring continue the movement.

Researchers estimate that four to five generations may be involved over a year, with young dragonflies emerging approximately 45 to 60 days after breeding.

The Wandering Glider (#Pantala flavescens), or Globe Skimmer, is a #dragonfly species known as the world’s longest distance #insect traveller, aptly named based on its migrating behaviour. #AareyForest #aareycolony #Aarey #SGNP #Odonata #saveaareyforest #Biodiversity #Mumbai https://t.co/Txu3Z7PdU0

— Rajesh Sanap (@RajeshVS87) August 24, 2022

A remarkable journey that still holds mysteries

Scientists have pieced together this possible migration by studying dragonfly sightings, rainfall, wind patterns and the energy needed for flight.

While the arrival of globe skimmers in the Maldives is well documented, much of the proposed journey between India and Africa remains a scientific hypothesis supported by modelling and observations.

There is still plenty to discover about the exact routes they take, where they breed and how they choose the winds that carry them.

But the research already gives us a fascinating way to look at something as familiar as the monsoon.

The same seasonal rains that fill our ponds, fields and lakes may also help make an extraordinary journey possible for an insect small enough to rest on our fingertip.

And the next time you spot a dragonfly after the rains, consider this: a creature that looks so delicate may be capable of travelling farther than we could ever imagine.

Sources:

‘High-flying dragons: how the globe skimmer migrates across the Indian Ocean’: By Neha Jain, Published on 10 November 2021

‘Do dragonflies migrate across the western Indian Ocean?’: By R. Charles Anderson, Published on 10 July 2009

‘Transoceanic migration network of dragonfly Pantala flavescens: origin, dispersal and timing’: By Kumar Sanat Ranjan, Amit A. Pawar, Arnab Roy, Sandeep Saha, Published on 21 June 2023

Step off a busy Bengaluru road and into a tree-filled park, and the difference can be immediate. The harsh sun gives way to shade, and the air feels cooler.

For a city once celebrated as India's Garden City, these green spaces have become especially valuable as concrete buildings and asphalt roads spread.

But what if a park could help cool the streets around it, too?

A 2026 study suggests that Bengaluru's parks are doing exactly that. Researchers found that their cooling influence can extend hundreds of metres beyond their boundaries. They also identified a surprising number that could help cities plan better parks: 2.49 hectares, or roughly six acres.

How far can a park's cooling reach?

Researchers Arpit Verma and Sonam Agrawal wanted to understand how Bengaluru's green spaces help reduce heat in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Their study, published in Advances in Space Research, examined 15 urban green spaces using satellite images collected during summer and winter.

The findings were encouraging.

Most parks showed a cooling effect of over 1°C in their immediate surroundings, even where buildings and roads covered more than 70% of the surrounding area.

On average, this cooling extended approximately 186 to 246 metres beyond park boundaries, with stronger effects during summer.

Think about what that could mean for a neighbourhood. A park's trees and vegetation may help reduce surface temperatures along nearby roads and built-up areas, benefiting spaces beyond those used by its visitors.

Why trees make such a difference

There is a simple reason parks tend to be cooler.

Trees block sunlight from directly heating the ground. Plants also release moisture into the air, helping cool their surroundings.

Concrete and asphalt behave differently. They absorb and retain heat, contributing to higher temperatures across heavily built-up neighbourhoods.

This is part of what researchers call the urban heat island effect, where cities become hotter than their less-developed surroundings.

The Bengaluru study found that a park's ability to counter this heating depended on its size, shape and surrounding development.

And that led researchers to an important question: How big should a park be to offer effective cooling?

Why 2.49 hectares could be a useful benchmark

The researchers discovered that bigger parks generally cooled a wider area. However, increasing their size did not always bring equally large improvements in cooling.

Their calculations identified 2.49 hectares, approximately 6.15 acres, as an efficient size for cooling intensity, or how much a park reduces surrounding surface temperatures.

For cooling a larger surrounding area, the suggested size was 5.29 hectares, or about 13 acres.

These figures offer useful guidance for planners deciding how to use limited urban land.

Bengaluru already has expansive green spaces such as Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. But residents across the city also need accessible greenery closer to their homes.

The study suggests that thoughtfully planned neighbourhood parks could help, especially in areas crowded with buildings.

What this means for Bengaluru's future

There is one important distinction. The researchers measured land surface temperatures using satellites, rather than the air temperatures people experience.

So, while the findings show how green spaces reduce surface heating, they cannot guarantee that every nearby street will feel a certain number of degrees cooler.

The 2.49-hectare figure is also a planning benchmark, rather than a fixed rule for every park.

BBMP is keen to reclaim Bengaluru’s Garden City tag. Currently, 1408 parks & gardens are being maintained by the civic body. While 1135 of them have been fully developed, work is on to beautify 273 #parks. #BBMP #Bengaluru https://t.co/LZuwUOEnXh

— Maheshwar Rao.M, IAS (@GBAChiefComm) December 19, 2019

Still, the message for Bengaluru is valuable: protecting existing parks, planting trees and planning green spaces carefully can help tackle urban heat.

For residents, a neighbourhood park is where children play, friends meet and people take their evening walks. The research shows that its benefits can travel beyond those familiar paths.

And perhaps that is how Bengaluru can strengthen its Garden City identity: by ensuring that the greenery people enjoy inside a park can also help cool the neighbourhoods they call home.

Sources:

‘The interaction between urban heat island and urban parks: An in-situ measurement-based review’: By Semra Ogce, Huseyin Ogce, Siyu Yu, Robert D. Brown, Published on 31 May 2025 

‘Investigation of Urban Green Spaces as Potential Cooling Sources for Heat Mitigation in Bengaluru Metropolitan City, India’: By Arpit Verma and Sonam Agrawal, Published on 1 July 2026

As winter approaches, the air across several Indian cities is likely to become harder to ignore. Smoggy mornings, hazy skies, and rising pollution levels often prompt families to rethink the air they breathe at home. Suddenly, an air purifier begins to look less like a luxury and more like a practical addition to the living room or bedroom.

But walk into a store or browse online, and you will find air purifiers promising everything from cleaner air to near-total particle removal. One term appears repeatedly: HEPA.

So, what does it actually mean? And how do you know whether the air purifier you are considering will do its job?

Here are five things worth checking before you bring one home.

1. First, understand what HEPA means

HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. In simple terms, it refers to a filter designed to trap tiny particles suspended in the air as it passes through the filter.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a HEPA filter can theoretically remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns. To put that into perspective, a micron is one-millionth of a metre.

These particles can include fine dust, pollen, mould spores and smoke particles. This makes HEPA filtration particularly useful when outdoor pollution finds its way indoors or when household dust and allergens become a concern.

However, not every product that mentions HEPA necessarily meets the same standard. Terms such as “HEPA-type” and “HEPA-like” do not, by themselves, establish that a filter meets a recognised HEPA performance specification.

What to check: Look for a clearly stated filter grade and supporting performance information, rather than relying on the word HEPA alone.

2. Choose a purifier that suits your room

Imagine buying a powerful air purifier for your bedroom, only to find that it struggles to clean the air in your larger living room. The problem may not be the filter itself, but the amount of air the machine can process.

This is where CADR, or Clean Air Delivery Rate, comes in. It tells you how much filtered air a purifier delivers over a given period. A higher CADR generally means the machine can clean the air faster, provided the room size and other conditions are comparable.

A purifier with a highly efficient filter may still be less effective in a large room if its airflow is insufficient.

What to check: Match the manufacturer's recommended room size and CADR to the space where you plan to use the purifier. A bedroom and an open-plan living area may need different capacities.

3. Remember that HEPA filters do not remove everything

HEPA filters are designed to capture particles, not every type of air pollutant. They do not, on their own, remove most gases, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or odours.

For instance, cooking can release particles into the air, while certain paints, cleaning products and new furniture can release gaseous chemicals.

An activated-carbon filter can help adsorb some gases and odours. This is why some air purifiers combine HEPA filtration with activated carbon to tackle different kinds of indoor pollutants.

What to check: If odours or gaseous pollutants are a concern, look for a purifier with an activated-carbon stage in addition to its particle filter. Check the manufacturer's specifications for what it is designed to remove.

4. Check the cost and availability of replacement filters

Buying the machine is only the first expense. Filters collect particles over time and eventually need maintenance or replacement to keep the purifier working effectively.

Replacement intervals vary depending on the model, how often it runs and the pollution levels in your surroundings. A filter used through a heavily polluted winter may need attention sooner than one used in cleaner conditions.

What to check: Before purchasing, find out the price of a compatible replacement filter, whether it is readily available and how often the manufacturer recommends replacing it. Also check which parts can be cleaned and which must be replaced.

5. Look beyond the filter when comparing models

A good filter is important, but the machine around it matters, too. Noise levels can affect whether you are comfortable running it at night, while energy consumption can influence your electricity bill if you use it for several hours each day.

It is also worth checking the manufacturer's safety information. Some air-cleaning technologies, particularly ozone-generating devices, can introduce pollutants rather than simply remove them.

What to check: Compare noise levels, power consumption, warranty, service support and safety specifications. Choose a model you can comfortably run and maintain as recommended.

Cleaner air starts with informed choices

As pollution levels rise, wanting to make the air at home a little cleaner is understandable. For families, it could mean being more mindful of the air children play in, the bedrooms where everyone sleeps, and the spaces where they spend most of their day.

An air purifier can be one part of that effort. Taking a little time to understand the filter, choose the right model and maintain it well can help you make a more informed choice for your home. After all, cleaner indoor air begins with knowing what you are bringing through the door.

Sources:

'What Is a HEPA Filter — and Does Filter Grade Actually Matter?' by Karban, Published on 11 April 2026.

'What is a HEPA filter?' by EPA.

When rising water threatened a Sarus Crane’s nest in Madanpura village in eastern Uttar Pradesh, two men stepped in.

Local volunteer Chedi Kewat alerted the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) and worked with field assistant Ravindra Kumar Tripathi to secure the nest using bamboo poles.

Thirty-one days later, the eggs hatched.

It was one small rescue, but it tells us something important about India's birds. Their survival can depend on the pond beside a village, the marsh near a farm or the muddy shoreline along a coast.

And that is why a new national assessment of India's birds matters.

On 19 October 2026, WTI announced that experts had begun assessing 1,211 bird species regularly found across India. More than 100 preliminary assessments had been opened for expert review.

Among them, three wetland birds, the Sarus Crane, Marbled Duck and Grey Plover, offer a glimpse of what is at stake.

Why a pond beside a farm could decide a crane’s future

The Sarus Crane, the world's tallest flying bird, often makes its home in flooded paddy fields, village ponds and shallow wetlands.

During the monsoon, these places provide space to build nests and raise chicks.

But when marshes are drained, pesticides threaten birds or power lines cross their habitat, their survival becomes harder.

The Sarus Crane has been proposed as Vulnerable in India's new assessment, indicating a high risk of extinction in the wild nationally.

Uttar Pradesh has an estimated 19,000-plus Sarus Cranes. Across 10 eastern districts, WTI works with farmers, local volunteers called Sarus Mitras and village committees to monitor nests and protect wetlands.

These community efforts matter because many crane nesting sites lie beyond protected wildlife reserves.

The duck with fewer places to spend winter

Every winter, the Marbled Duck travels to India in search of shallow freshwater wetlands where aquatic plants provide food and shelter.

It has been recorded in Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and other states. But its proposed national conservation status is Endangered.

Marshes are being drained, water bodies are changing and suitable habitats are disappearing across parts of its range.

Because these ducks move between wetlands depending on water conditions, experts also need better monitoring to understand how their populations are changing.

A bird that crosses continents, but faces a worrying decline

The Grey Plover makes an extraordinary journey every winter, travelling from its Arctic breeding grounds to India's coastline.

Here, it searches for food in coastal mudflats, where the retreating tide exposes small creatures.

Its proposed national category is Least Concern. That sounds reassuring, but another assessment raises questions.

The State of India's Birds 2025 update estimated a 78.99% decline in its long-term population trend in India. Globally, the species is classified as Vulnerable.

This difference shows why experts must carefully examine population records and habitat changes before finalising a bird's conservation status.

What protecting these birds really takes

India's new assessment will examine where birds live, how many there are and whether their populations are changing. Birdwatchers' sightings and field research can help experts fill information gaps.

But identifying a bird's risk is only one part of protecting it.

Wetlands must remain places where birds can feed, rest and breed. These same habitats can also help nearby communities by recharging groundwater and reducing the impact of floods.

For Arshad Hussain, who works with local communities through WTI's Sarus conservation project, some of the happiest moments come when a farmer calls to report a new nest or a hatched chick.

In Madanpura, protecting one Sarus nest meant recognising the danger in time and acting together. Across India, that same care for everyday wetlands could give many more birds a better chance.

Sources:

‘India Launches Collaborative National Red List Assessment of 1,211 Bird Species’: By Wildlife Trust Of India, Published on 19 October 2026

‘Transitioning Wintering Shorebirds to Agroecosystem: A Thorough Evaluation of Habitat Selection and Conservation Concern’: By Diversity-Biodiversity Conservation, Published on 29 December 2023

National Wetland Inventory and Assessment (NWIA) Atlas

‘Mercury contamination: a hidden threat to long-distance migrant shorebirds in critical wintering sites on the west coast of India’: By K A Rubeena , K M Aarif, Published on  23 September 2025 

What if crop waste could become a resource instead of being burnt?

That’s the idea behind Takachar. Co-founded by Vidyut Mohan, the company has developed portable technology that converts agricultural waste into biochar and other valuable products. Today, Takachar is working with around 5,500 farmers to process 9,000 tonnes of agricultural material instead of burning it.

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Turn on a tap to wash your hands. Notice how much water hits your palms, bounces off and disappears down the drain. Now imagine this happening hundreds of times a day across an office building, alongside hidden leaks and cooling systems that use millions of litres of water.

How much of it is actually being used, and how much is simply going to waste?

Chennai-based, IIT Madras-incubated startup EarthFokus is trying to answer that question. Founded in 2019 by Arun Subramanian and Rishi Vandan, the water-tech company helps commercial buildings monitor consumption, identify leaks, recover water lost through evaporation and reduce everyday usage.

Its three solutions, WaterOS, EcoVapure and WaterFokus, tackle different parts of the problem. Together, the company says, they have helped over 130 commercial buildings save more than five billion litres of water.

It began with a tap

EarthFokus started with a small experiment. In 2019, Arun, an engineer, was approached by a neighbour who wanted to explore ways to reduce water consumption in their garden. Around the same time, Chennai was facing its Day Zero water crisis, when the city's reservoirs ran critically low.

The crisis brought home the importance of conserving water, but Arun began by looking at something much more ordinary: a tap.

A conventional tap can release around 10 to 12 litres of water per minute, says Rishi. Yet, while washing our hands, much of that water can bounce off our palms and flow away unused.

The team developed a fixture that could bring the flow down to as little as 0.5 litres per minute. The idea was to use only as much water as the task required.

The product attracted attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, when frequent handwashing became essential. EarthFokus also secured early orders from corporate clients, including Cognizant.

But the founders encountered an unexpected hurdle. Customers often viewed the fixture as just another plumbing accessory, rather than a solution that could reduce a building's water consumption.

“We had to change that perspective,” says Rishi. “I'm not a dealer or a trader who's pushing products to you. Rather, we're a solution provider who wants to enable reduction at your building.”

That realisation pushed EarthFokus beyond taps. Instead of simply selling water-saving products, the team began helping clients measure consumption and verify the savings their interventions delivered.

Three ways buildings can stop wasting water

As the startup worked with more buildings, it realised that inefficient taps were only one part of the problem. Hidden leaks, poor monitoring and water lost through cooling towers offered other opportunities for conservation.

1. WaterOS: Spotting leaks before they become bigger problems

Think of WaterOS as a monitoring system for a building's water supply.

The platform uses IoT-enabled flow meters and sensors installed at key points, including supply lines, floors, washrooms and cooling towers. These continuously collect data and send it to the cloud, giving facility managers a near-real-time picture of how water is being used.

AI then helps identify unusual patterns.

For instance, a restroom might typically see heavy water use during office hours and almost none overnight. If the system detects a steady flow at 2 am, it can flag the anomaly for investigation. The cause could be a running toilet or a leaking valve that might otherwise go unnoticed for weeks.

Unlike a monthly water bill, which reveals consumption after the fact, this system helps teams identify potential problems sooner.

The technical team explains that WaterOS learns normal consumption patterns based on factors such as time of day, occupancy and seasonal variation. It can then flag deviations for facility managers to investigate.

This makes it easier to move from reacting to a problem after water has been wasted to identifying it earlier.

2. EcoVapure: Recovering water from cooling towers

Some of the biggest water losses in commercial buildings happen where occupants rarely look.

Cooling towers, used in offices, factories and data centres, remove heat by allowing water to evaporate. While this is an essential part of the cooling process, it also means water is continuously lost. Cooling towers also lose water when some is drained away (blowdown) or carried away as tiny droplets (drift), although evaporation is often the largest source.

EarthFokus developed EcoVapure to recover some of that water.

Its deployed technology, called Capture, is designed for cooling towers that produce a visible plume of water vapour. As the plume passes over a specially designed surface, droplets gather and grow until they fall back into the cooling system. The recovered water can also be collected separately for other uses.

The company says the technology can recover roughly 30% of evaporation loss under relevant operating conditions, though the actual amount depends on the tower and its operating environment.

EarthFokus is also developing Convert, a second approach intended to recover water from cooling towers without visible plumes.

For Rishi, the opportunity extends beyond individual buildings. Cooling towers are used across industries, including power generation and data centres, making water recovery a potential way to address losses in essential infrastructure.

3. WaterFokus: Saving water without changing habits

WaterFokus focuses on reducing water use at the tap.

Its fixtures and aerators control the flow of water while maintaining the feel of a strong stream. “Aerators do this by mixing air into the water as it exits the tap, while other low-flow fixtures use restrictors or specially designed nozzles,” adds Siva T from the cooling towers tech team.

The difference may be barely noticeable while washing your hands. But across hundreds or thousands of taps used repeatedly throughout the day, even small reductions can add up.

The idea is to make conservation almost effortless: install the fixture, and less water is used without asking people to change their routines.

EarthFokus also manufactures its fixtures in metal, with durability in mind, rather than relying on plastic products that may need frequent replacement.

Together, the three solutions address different aspects of water management: WaterOS helps buildings understand where water is going, EcoVapure recovers some of what is lost, and WaterFokus reduces consumption at the source.

How tracking water helped a building spot wastage 

One of EarthFokus's clients is WeWork India, which previously relied on manual readings to track water consumption across its centres. The process was labour-intensive, and the data often arrived too late to help facility teams identify unusual patterns quickly.

With IoT-based metering, WeWork now has a more continuous picture of its water use.

“The biggest shift has been moving from estimated, manual figures to accurate, real-time data across every asset,” says P. Seshashayan, Manager, Energy & Sustainability, WeWork India Management Ltd.

According to the company, consumption fell from 45 litres per person per day to 29 litres. WeWork has set a target of reaching 20 litres per person per day by FY28.

WeWork's team says real-time monitoring has also helped it identify unusual consumption patterns sooner and strengthen sustainability reporting. It is currently evaluating EarthFokus's aerators and considering water audits, but has not deployed EcoVapure.

For Rishi, the impact becomes especially meaningful when he can put the numbers into perspective.

“I've spent multiple interactions with clients visualising this five-billion-litre number,” he says. He recalls thinking about how that volume could have helped cities facing water shortages, including Bengaluru during its recent water crisis.

For him, the number represents both a milestone and an opportunity to do more. EarthFokus is exploring how cooling-tower recovery could add significantly to its savings as the technology scales.

The company has also worked with IBM and Cognizant. Rishi recalls that introducing water-saving fixtures at Cognizant's Chennai operations helped cut daily water demand by nearly 80%, according to the company's account of the intervention.

These experiences have reinforced an important lesson for the founders: measuring water use is only the beginning. The next step is to make changes, verify their impact and keep improving.

How the startup plans to save even more water 

EarthFokus typically begins working with a building by assessing its water infrastructure and establishing a baseline for consumption. It then identifies potential reductions and introduces monitoring or other interventions, allowing facility teams to track progress.

The approach also reflects a practical understanding of what encourages businesses to invest in conservation. Alongside environmental impact, solutions need to improve operational efficiency and deliver measurable results.

Looking ahead, EarthFokus wants to expand EcoVapure and develop a water-recovery technology that can be adopted in India and scaled internationally.

For Rishi, however, the underlying problem remains simple. Whether it is a tap, a reverse-osmosis system or a cooling tower, we often use more water than we actually need.

“The basic problem is that we end up using more than what we need because we take water for granted,” he says.

For him, conserving water begins with understanding where the water we already have is going and finding ways to prevent it from being wasted.

All images courtesy of EarthFokus team

At the edge of India, one teacher is opening doors to a world of possibilities. Ashqar moved to Arunachal Pradesh through Sunbird Trust and began teaching at NSCBAV Karo in the remote Shi-Yomi district. What started as an opportunity to explore a part of India he knew little about soon became a much bigger commitment.

Alongside teaching, he took on responsibilities in teacher training, community engagement, school activities and working closely with parents.

Life in this remote region comes with challenges that many city schools rarely face. Poor roads, landslides, unreliable electricity and limited network connectivity make everyday tasks difficult. Medical facilities and essential shops can be several hours away.

Yet, the children inspire Ashqar with their curiosity, talent and eagerness to learn. Now, he hopes to bring smartboards to the school and create at least one properly equipped smart classroom, giving these children access to visual and interactive learning resources. Because every child deserves the opportunity to learn, no matter how remote their home may be.

Help Ashqar bring a smart classroom to these children. Share his story, spread the word and support his mission to make quality education accessible, even in India’s most remote communities.

To help this initiative,
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Once the Diwali lights come down and the decorations are packed away, what happens to all those beautiful marigold garlands and rose petals? More often than not, they end up in the bin.

But what if those same flowers could make your home smell wonderful, help your garden grow, or even give your old clothes a fresh splash of colour?

Environmental consultant Thankam Kumaran believes there is plenty we can do with flowers long after the celebrations are over. Through her Instagram page @useful_human_being, she shares simple, creative ways to reduce everyday waste and make more sustainable choices.

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A post shared by Thankam Kumaran (@useful_human_being)

In one of her videos, she shares seven ways to give leftover Diwali flowers a second life, using things you may already have at home.

Give your festive flowers a second life

1. Make fragrant potpourri

Collect the leftover flowers and place them in a small breathable bag. Add a few drops of essential oil and some camphor. Hang the bag in a room to release a pleasant fragrance and keep the space smelling fresh.

2. Prepare bio-enzymes

Use the leftover flowers to make bio-enzymes through fermentation. This gives discarded floral waste another purpose instead of sending it to the bin.

3. Make incense sticks

Dried flowers can be repurposed to make homemade incense sticks, allowing you to put the petals to use even after the celebrations.

4. Dye fabrics naturally

Flower petals can also be used to extract natural colours and experiment with dyeing clothes and other fabrics.

5. Make homemade shampoo

Certain flowers can be used to prepare homemade shampoo, offering another way to make use of what would otherwise be discarded.

6. Turn them into compost

Add leftover flowers to your compost pile. As they break down, they contribute organic matter that can help nourish the soil in your garden.

7. Use them as mulch

Dried flowers can be spread around the base of plants as mulch. This helps cover the soil and retain moisture while making use of festive leftovers.

Instead of treating flowers as waste once Diwali is over, these ideas provide easy ways to extend their usefulness. Whether you turn them into something fragrant for your home or use them to nourish your garden, a little effort can keep festive flowers from going to waste.

What if cleaning our water bodies didn't require people to enter polluted or difficult-to-access waters?

Clear Robotics is building AI-powered electric boats that collect waste from water bodies without human intervention. Co-founded by Utkarsh Goel, the innovation has already helped remove over 100 tonnes of waste.

This Diwali, HP celebrates the Lights of Change across India.

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At 75, Abdul Majeed Zargar still works with a craft that few people outside Kashmir’s weaving workshops know exists. From his home in Amda Kadal Jogiwan, Srinagar, he hand-carves the wooden shuttle used to weave the region’s celebrated Pashmina shawls. 

Known locally as the Mukh, the small tool carries the thread that makes every woven piece possible.

Zargar is believed to be the last craftsman in Kashmir who makes these shuttles by hand. For nearly five decades, he has shaped wood into a tool that connects generations of weavers, even as the traditional skills behind Kashmir’s textile heritage face declining demand.

His story began with uncertainty. Before finding his calling, Zargar tried his hand at silver-making and knife-making. 

Neither trade worked for him, and he eventually turned to making Mukhs. Learning the craft took almost a year, during which he struggled to produce pieces that met the standards of experienced weavers.

When he finally had a few shuttles ready to sell, he carried them from one workshop to another. Most people turned him away. He was close to abandoning the craft when a meeting in Khayam changed his life.

Three shuttles that changed everything

Zargar approached a sazvari, a trader who bought and sold weaving tools. The trader invited him upstairs, where experienced craftsmen were working. Nervous, Zargar showed them his handmade Mukhs.

They examined the pieces carefully and pointed out their flaws. Yet, before he left, they bought three pairs. The shuttles were not good enough for weaving, but the craftsmen wanted to encourage him to continue.

When Zargar returned months later, he found the pieces still hanging on the wall. They had never been used.

He asked why they had bought them if they were faulty. Their answer stayed with him: “If we had not bought them, you would have lost hope.”

The craftsmen also recommended him to other weavers and traders, helping him find customers who needed new shuttles or repairs. Slowly, his work improved, and his Mukhs became known for their quality and durability.

There were times when weavers had to wait months for one of his handmade tools.

That early encouragement became the foundation of a career spanning five decades.

The tiny tool behind every Pashmina

A Mukh may appear insignificant beside a finished shawl, but it performs one of the most important tasks in traditional weaving. The shuttle carries the weft yarn back and forth across the warp threads on a loom, allowing the fabric to take shape.

Without it, the loom cannot function. Every handwoven Pashmina or Tusha shawl depends on this simple movement before it can reach the stages of dyeing, embroidery and finishing.

Zargar calls the Mukh the basis of Pashmina. Its importance lies not in its size or appearance, but in the work it enables. The tool connects the weaver to the larger ecosystem of Kashmiri textile artisans, whose skills transform delicate fibres into intricate fabrics.

Over the years, Zargar has also improved the traditional design. Earlier, the metal components of the shuttle were made of iron, which could rust. He replaced them with brass, making the tool more durable and resistant to corrosion.

Today, factory-made shuttle boats are cheaper and more readily available. But Zargar believes that the handmade Mukhs remain superior in quality and longevity. His tools are carved entirely by hand using chisels and files, without modern machinery.

Passing down a dying craft

The challenge facing Zargar is not simply the availability of tools, but the shrinking demand for traditional handloom weaving itself. As power looms replace handlooms and younger people move towards other professions, the need for handmade shuttles has declined.

Zargar has tried to teach others, but finding willing apprentices has been difficult. Many young people prefer computer-based jobs or work in cities, leaving fewer people interested in learning a specialised craft that requires patience and years of practice.

Despite decades of recognition and support from the Department of Handicrafts, he worries that awards alone cannot preserve the skill. What matters, he said, is that the craft continues.

He is now teaching his son, hoping the knowledge will survive beyond his own lifetime. The work remains painstaking, and the future uncertain, but Zargar continues to carve the wooden tools that weavers depend on.

“I do not know what will happen after me,” he told Kashmir Life. “But as long as I can hold my tools, I will keep making them.”

For Kashmir’s Pashmina, the survival of a centuries-old weaving tradition may depend on a small wooden shuttle, and on whether someone is willing to learn how to make it.

Sources

'Kashmir’s Last Shuttle': by Afreen Ashraf for Kashmir Life, Published on 10 July, 2026, 

'Meet Abdul Majeed Zargar: Kashmir’s Last Surviving ‘Mukh’ Craftsman': by Jahangeer Ganaie for Kashmir News Observer, Published on 19 May, 2025

'For Want of a Tool, Kashmir’s Famed Pashmina Industry Is Crumbling': for Moneycontrol, Published in 2021

A pregnancy comes with questions. The right information, at the right time, can make a difference.

DOTO Health's CareMother combines AI and connected devices to monitor pregnancies and detect potential risks early. With lakhs of tests conducted, the technology is supporting better-informed pregnancy care.

Meet Dr. Shantanu Pathak, Co-founder of DOTO Health, and discover the idea behind CareMother.

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While making my way to Mumbai’s Aarey Forest (the city’s last green lung), I take the Aqua Line underground metro corridor. 

But throughout my ride, I can’t ignore the nagging feeling that this choice of transport is almost sacrilege, given that its construction sparked an uproar in 2019 when it threatened to displace 27 Warli Adivasi communities that have called the forest home since the 1950s. 

But the metro is what will get me to my destination in the quickest time, and so I ignore the nagging guilt. 

In 2019, many of my trips were to the same forest to document the protests (as a journalism student); today, the purpose of my trip is different. The years have witnessed the community women being empowered through a stitching programme that has “changed their lives”, according to many of their accounts. 

What began as an informal way of channelling their skills into a purpose has now solidified into formal jobs in factories across Mumbai.

Their stories echo the resilience of a community that has repeatedly had to adapt to a city growing around it. The same women whose homes and livelihoods once stood at the centre of a battle over Aarey’s future are now finding new ways to assert their place within Mumbai’s economic landscape. 

Through sewing, they have transformed a skill passed down within the community into a source of income, confidence and independence. 

What began as a small stitching initiative has, for some, become a pathway to formal employment.

A conversation among the trees

It’s a Sunday morning when I plan my visit to the forest. While I was told that the women who work through the week would be at home (Sunday is their weekly off from the factory), the hamlets seem quiet. Surekha Burkhud (40), who lives in Khambachapada and has stayed back, shares that the factory had a sudden urgent requirement for a bulk order, and so the women were called. But she is quick to add, “The women don’t mind going because they are paid OT (overtime). This is double their usual day’s pay.” 

It’s just Surekha and me and the trees for company: chickoo, guava, jamun and ber (Indian jujube). Drawing on context from them, she starts by emphasising the community’s love for the trees in Aarey. “These were planted by some of the oldest members. When the metro was being built, we were so disturbed by the fact that our trees would get destroyed. They are our life,” she shares. 

According to reports, hours after the Bombay High Court (HC) dismissed several petitions of the locals seeking Aarey to be declared a protected area, on 4 October 2019, opposing the construction of a 33-hectare metro car-shed in the forest, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) felled approximately 2,700 trees over the course of two days. Several protestors were detained, beaten up, and 29 were arrested on serious charges under Section 353, Section 332, Section 143 and Section 149.

Seeing it pained the community members.

I ask Surekha whether she’s travelled by metro, given their aversion to its construction. She admits she has. 

“I was scared of being underground for so long,” she sheepishly acknowledges. While admittedly the Aqua Line 3 has eased public commute for Mumbai’s residents — reports had pegged the metro to eventually carry around 1.7 million passengers every day and bring down the number of vehicles on the road by up to 650,000 — Surekha says they find it inconvenient to access the metro as the car shed is built close to the hamlets, but the actual boarding gate is near Seepz. 

In addition to this, a common complaint they have is that because of the car shed area, water collects during the rains, causing flooding. 

That being said, the community is happy that for “the time being” their hamlet is safe. “But we never know,” Surekha shrugs.  

A PARI report had documented the plight of other Warli Adivasi families that weren’t as fortunate as hers. Locals estimate that 70 Adivasi families lost their homes to the metro project. From 27, the number of padas is now down to 15. 

But the community is resilient. 

And this same quality has helped them become empowered entrepreneurs. While forest produce was once their means of sustenance, tree felling in 2019 made them realise they needed to divert their attention to other income streams. They needed to recalibrate their lives. 

Weaving a story of change 

For Geeta Page (32), hope equates to a sewing machine. 

Her mud home in Khambachapada has a single bulb, whose light doesn’t reach her work spot. Despite the fact that it is 11 am when these interviews are being conducted, Geeta’s home gives the semblance of late evening. Her eyes bear the brunt of her determination, as she sews in the dimness of the room. 

“We stitch when we get orders. It takes five days to make a quilt, and we get Rs 400 per quilt. A bag takes less time to stitch,” she shares. 

Geeta, like many other women, isn’t solely reliant on the factory job, which, she says, is subject to the whims of the bosses. She also gets orders from Cassandra Nazareth and her team, who have been working in the region since 2016, attempting to help the women of these communities in any way they can. 

Cassandra is joined by Mahesh Bariya, Blasia Pinto and Rita Newnes. Each of them was drawn to join the effort after they recognised what Cassandra was trying to do. 

Mahesh shares, “When we first entered these villages, we realised that the women were not allowed to go out of the house. They weren’t working. So, we started skill development programmes in three villages in 2015 to sell the products made by the women: tote bags, drawstring pouches, laddoos, modaks.”

The impact left an imprint on their psyche.

“Then slowly, we started giving the women cloth on which they could paint Warli art, and these would be given outside for stitching into bags. That’s when we came up with the idea that, instead of outsourcing the stitching, why don’t we let the women themselves stitch and earn?” Mahesh adds. 

Of course, formalising the products for sale would require proper training.

“So we gave them 27 machines. After the lockdown, they were approached by factories. It gives them a livelihood,” he adds. 

Surekha, who has completed four years at the factory in Andheri’s MIDC, says she likes the work. For many of the women, it was more a question of continuing what they knew. “I had learnt stitching in my mother’s house before getting married,” Surekha says. “It was nice to continue it through the job role.”

PF and medical cards

Having a bank account and actually using it are two very different things. 

According to reports, in India, one in three bank accounts belongs to a woman, but women only hold about a fifth of the total money deposited in banks.

Even when women possess banking skills, structural barriers leave them unable to utilise their deposits or access credit.

But through this factory work, a different story is unfolding in Aarey Forest’s hamlets. Take Renuka (28), for instance. 

“I stitch at the factory in MIDC. We also get medical cards. Every month, some amount (Rs 190) gets deducted from our salary, and we can avail of all facilities if required,” she shares. Renuka’s daughter and husband are also covered by the card. 

Prior to the factory job, she wasn’t working. 

Now, Renuka feels empowered. 

Her story echoes many other women’s too.  

For instance, Shubhangi Rohakar (35). 

Shubhangi looks forward to the Rs 15000 payment that lands in her account every month. She explains that, while her salary is Rs 20,000 at the factory, Rs 1800 goes towards the PF (Provident Fund, which is a retirement savings scheme), Rs 190 for the medical card and Rs 3000 for a loan that she has taken for the new home that they are building. “It’s the first time in my life that I am getting a PF,” she smiles. 

Shubhangi explains that they even got help from “Kashi ma’am (Cassandra, as the women call her) in opening their bank accounts, where they could deposit the money. 

“They helped in opening zero-balance bank accounts. A lot of women did not have accounts, and we did not know how to save our money. We had never stepped out of the village,” she shares. 

She’s also found the ESIC Card (medical card) extremely useful. “Last year I had a stomach problem and needed a sonography and blood tests,” she shares. Everything was done free of cost, as well as consultation with the doctor. 

The women are grateful that the stitching programme led to all of this. 

While many of their husbands were sceptical of this empowerment, Mahesh says once they started seeing the money come in, they were on board.

Changing their lives through projects

While sitting in Surekha’s home, I spot a drum set. Her son Jatin (23) tells me it was given to him by Cassandra. Rita explains that this is part of the ‘Aur Chalao’ project, through which they give pre-loved (a better way of saying second-hand) items donated by Mumbaikars to families in Aarey. 

The drum set was one of these. 

But Jatin needed to go for classes to learn how to play the drums. And this is where his mother’s additional income came in. “It also helped a lot in the home with rations and our college books,” he says. 

This wasn’t the first time Surekha was earning. 

As part of the tribal lunch programme started by Cassandra and her team, Surekha and the women would cook using forest produce and host lunches in the padas. Blasia says it would often make her nostalgic about vacations in Goa. 

“It was so nice to see these women cooking on firewood, with their children hanging around. As the husbands began to see that it was bringing in income, they started taking care of the children,” she explains. The funds that they raised through the lunches were used to refurbish the existing borewells.” 

Any additional income is welcome, says Arti Kirkire (31), who says that she is using her income from her factory job to make their home. 

“The sewing machines given to us helped us learn how to stitch,” she shares. Arti’s daughter was an infant when she first took up the factory job. Being away from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm was tough. “But the people in the community used to watch her; my in-laws too would help,” she says. 

Getting a paycheque, she says, is a boon. 

“Have you bought anything for yourself?” I ask. 

“Just for the house,” she smiles. 

Considering the shift ends in the evening, I wonder how the women travel and if it’s safe. They share that a bus picks them up and drops them back. 

They are glad about this option as it’s tough to predict the forest’s rhythm. 

In 2022, 10 animal attacks were reported in Aarey in a single year. 

Geeta once used to fear venturing into the forest to relieve herself at night. She would control her urge. Now, the 47 bio-toilets (in close quarters to every home and shared among a couple of families each) are a blessing, she says. 

These have limited the human-animal conflict when community members would venture to attend nature’s call. 

The Nazareth Foundation has also crowd-funded and got 12 domestic flour mills for the women, which eases their previous 2.5 km walk and helped with building water tanks with a capacity of 5000 litres. 

And while the world around them changes, their inner worlds change too, with a stitching programme helping them form their own identities. 

Sources

‘In Photos | Warli Adivasis Recall Birsa Munda in Fight to Save Aarey’ by Sushmita, Published on 11 November 2019.

‘Aarey protests: Supreme Court steps in to save Mumbai trees after protests’, Published by the BBC on 7 November 2019.

‘Aarey Adivasis: ‘Then we lost this land of ours’ by Aayna, Published on 24 October 2019.

‘Financial Inclusion of Women: Current Evidence from India’ by Sunaina Kumar, Published on 17 August 2023.

‘10 animal attacks reported from Aarey and SGNP in one year; residents fear for their lives’ by Pratip Acharya, Published on 6 November 2022.

What if fallen leaves could help cook meals for 1,200 students? 🌿🔥

At IIT Bombay, nearly 2 tonnes of garden waste generated every day are being converted into fuel pellets by startup Infixen.

These pellets power Hostel 16’s kitchen, helping cut LPG consumption by a whopping 60%!

What was once waste costing nearly ₹50 lakh annually to transport is now being transformed into a valuable source of energy.

From fallen leaves to cooking fuel, here's how innovation is turning waste into a resource! 🌱

🎥 Watch the full story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2cx4aNI-gM

#IITBombay #WasteToEnergy #SustainableInnovation #CircularEconomy #greencampus
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Learning to read and write should open doors, not depend on who is available to teach you.

Annie, developed by Thinkerbell Labs, helps visually impaired students learn to read, write and type in Braille independently. Co-founded by Sanskriti Dawle and Saif Shaikh, the innovation is helping more than 11,000 students across over 490 learning centres.

A special thank you to the Helen Keller Institute for Deaf & Deafblind for going above and beyond for its students and helping them learn, grow and become more independent.

This Diwali, HP celebrates the Lights of Change across India.

Visit https://www.hpcreatorsgarage.com to explore more Lights of Change and share an innovation that inspires you.

In collaboration with @HPIndiaVideos

#HPLightsOfChange #HPDiwali #HappyDiwali #HP #Annie

“Cultivation stops completely through summer and monsoon months, because open-field strawberry growing cannot survive that kind of heat and rainfall.”

For generations, this has been the cycle of strawberry farming in Mahabaleshwar. When the weather turns warm, and the rains arrive, the strawberry season comes to an end. But 57-year-old Ketan Sodha, who had never farmed before 2016, wanted to see whether the season could last longer.

A fourth-generation Mumbaikar from a business family with no farming background, Ketan completed his BCom from K C College under Mumbai University. He spent years connecting agricultural landowners with buyers across Maharashtra. Then, in 2016, demonetisation changed the business he knew.

“What was available was Rs 25,000 an acre. In two years, it went up to Rs 3 lakh,” he recalls of the agricultural land boom he had witnessed. But when demonetisation hit, that business slowed dramatically. “I had to start something new, so I decided to switch over to Mahabaleshwar for strawberries,” he tells The Better India.

Today, his venture, Berry Fresh Agrotech LLP, has a soilless polyhouse in Mahabaleshwar with the capacity to grow 19,500 strawberry plants. The farm has reportedly produced around 8,000 kg of fruit and generated Rs 44 lakh in sales.

But getting here began with 5,000 plants, a failed crop, and a man from Mumbai learning to farm for the first time.

How a first-time farmer learnt from his mistakes 

His work dealing in agricultural land took him across Maharashtra, usually within 200 km of Mumbai. One of the routes he travelled frequently was towards Goa, passing through Poladpur and the foothills of Mahabaleshwar.

For someone used to Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar felt like another world.

“I was born and raised in Mumbai, so coming here was a great delight for me. The city is hot, humid and congested, whereas spending a night in the cool hills around Poladpur felt like a completely different world,” he admits.

He first became interested in strawberries around 2012-13. After his land business slowed in 2016, he bought 5,000 plants from a local farmer and tried growing them himself.

“The first year actually was a disaster,” he says. But he did not walk away.

In 2017, he increased the number of plants to 10,000. This time, the results were different. He began producing more fruit than many conventional growers around him who had been cultivating strawberries for decades.

“My name began spreading in the area, and people started saying, ‘This guy seems to know something we don’t,’” he recalls. Some farmers began approaching him for partnerships, and he accepted a few of those opportunities.

By 2019, he had entered into a partnership and started cultivating strawberries across nine acres. By the 2020-21 season, his operations had expanded to almost 40 acres across three sites. He was also working with imported planting material and developing his own nurseries.

But even as his farming operations grew, the weather remained a challenge he could not control.

The rain spoilt his hard work

Mahabaleshwar may be known for its strawberries, but the crop is traditionally grown in open fields. That leaves the plants exposed to everything the weather brings.

Ketan repeatedly saw the same problem during the years he spent growing the fruit conventionally. Unseasonal rain would arrive around November and early December, just when the crop was reaching its peak. The rain could set the crop back by 15 to 20 days.

“You need to recover the crop, take care of it, spray some fungicides, because the unexpected rain creates a lot of nuisance,” he says.

There was another limitation too. Once summer and the monsoon arrived, conventional strawberry cultivation stopped.

He began wondering whether changing the environment in which strawberries grew could help him extend the season, rather than leaving his harvest at the mercy of the weather.

4 countries, countless lessons and one Indian challenge 

In 2021-22, he travelled to Italy, Spain, Egypt and Turkey. He met nursery owners and hydroponic growers and spoke to consultants from several countries, including Israel, the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the US.

He came back with plenty of information. But he also came back with an important realisation. A system that worked perfectly in another country could not blindly be copied in India.

“My country’s challenges are very different from what they are working on in their own native area,” he says.

He began developing a model suited to the conditions in Mahabaleshwar.

Berry Fresh Agrotech LLP was incorporated on 14 October 2022. He had already been cultivating strawberries conventionally with local farmers. But the company’s soilless plantation began in November 2024.

Before the first plants went into the new system, he spent around three-and-a-half months searching for suitable land, despite having worked in the region for years.

He eventually leased two acres. On this land, he built a 1,500-square-metre polyhouse designed to accommodate 19,500 strawberry plants.

And this time, there would be no soil.

A strawberry farm without soil

Inside his polyhouse, the plants grow in cocopeat, a growing medium made from coconut husk.

Traditional strawberry fields use the same soil year after year, increasing the risk of soil-borne diseases. Growing the plants in cocopeat helps reduce this risk.

The plants are grown under a retractable roof in an openable polyhouse. A misting system helps manage the growing environment.

The farm is also located at an altitude of around 1,400 metres. Even when temperatures rise suddenly in the plains, Mahabaleshwar’s elevation gives the plants a natural advantage.

Then comes water.

Through an automated fertigation system, which delivers water and nutrients together, each plant receives approximately 75 ml of nutrient solution over 24 hours. His farm also harvests rainwater and stores it for use. Before entering the growing system, the water is treated with ozone.

This allows him to manage the water supply while reducing dependence on external sources or groundwater.

“The plant is never stressed by too much or too little water,” he explains.

Together, the soilless growing medium, measured nutrients, protected environment and milder temperatures help Ketan keep his strawberry plants growing during periods when conventional cultivation stops.

“The real innovation here is not one single trick, but removing every variable, one by one, that used to force conventional growers to stop,” he explains.

There are parts of the process he does not disclose. Those, he says, are the lessons he has gathered through years of experimentation and practical work.

And much of that learning came from problems he had to solve himself.

When everything had to be rebuilt

He had initially expected specialised vendors to provide much of the technology required for the farm.

Instead, several systems needed to be fixed and recalibrated.

The polyhouse took more than six months to complete. The automation and irrigation systems also required considerable attention. Even finding suitable hydroponic-grade fertilisers proved difficult.

Eventually, he and his team began inspecting, repairing and adjusting the pipes, valves, sensors, controllers and irrigation lines themselves.

“We started this journey to grow strawberries, not to become experts in polyhouse construction, irrigation, automation and fertigation,” he says.

“When a problem arises, we don’t have to wait for someone to fly in or send a technician,” he says. “We understand our systems because we have rebuilt many of them ourselves.”

The entire setup required an investment in the seven-figure range, although he does not want to disclose the exact amount. He viewed the first facility as a place to experiment and learn, rather than recover the investment immediately.

Testing 19 varieties for Indian conditions

Ketan is among only around 12 to 15 growers in India involved in importing strawberry planting material.

Berry Fresh is currently conducting trials involving 19 strawberry varieties from countries including Florida, Spain, Italy, Uruguay and Japan. This season, the farm has also added a variety from the Netherlands.

Different varieties respond differently to climate and disease, and can vary in yield, taste and fruit quality. A variety that performs well abroad may struggle in Indian conditions.

Through these trials, Ketan wants to identify which varieties grow best here and eventually make better planting material accessible to other farmers. He is also exploring the possibility of securing exclusive rights to some foreign genetics for India as he works towards expanding the business.

From a failed crop to Rs 44 lakh in sales 

The current facility has an installed capacity of 19,500 plants and operates at around 90 percent capacity.

For the period from January 2024 to December 2025, Ketan reports an average harvest of 408 grams per plant, with production of approximately 3.2 kg per square metre.

Across the production figures shared by Berry Fresh, the venture has reportedly harvested approximately 8,000 kg of strawberries and generated around Rs 44 lakh in revenue through business-to-business (B2B) and direct-to-consumer (B2C) sales.

The strawberries are sold at an approximate price of Rs 400 to Rs 600 per kg, depending on the customer and order. Around 60 percent of sales are B2C, while 40 percent are B2B.

Its customers are spread across Mumbai, Mahabaleshwar, Delhi, Bhopal, Ahmedabad, Indore, Udupi and Goa.

There is no comprehensive digital marketing operation behind those sales. Ketan admits he has no social media presence. Instead, his customers have largely found him through word of mouth. And many of them have stayed.

‘Do not pay if you do not like it’ 

Prashant Tatia (54), from Bhopal, runs a premium fruit and dry-fruit shop. He has known Ketan since 2021 and started purchasing strawberries from Berry Fresh in January 2025.

“The strawberries produced by the farm are distinctly different from conventionally grown open-field varieties,” says Prashant. “They stand out for their vibrant colour, natural shine, uniform shape, exceptional taste, higher sweetness, longer shelf life, and outstandingly rich aroma.”

For Prashant, the consistency matters just as much as the taste. He says the quality remains consistent even during the off-season. “What sets Berry Fresh apart is its year-round availability and consistently high quality,” he says.

Luvjeet Singh, an imported fruit dealer from Vashi, Mumbai, began purchasing from the venture in November 2025.

Ketan had contacted him the previous month. “He simply quoted, ‘Do not pay if you do not like it,’” Luvjeet recalls. “I was surprised by his confidence, hence thought of trying. It was worth his claim.”

He says the berries differ in their colour, shine, shape, sweetness, aroma and shelf life, and believes his customers are willing to pay for better-quality produce.

In Ahmedabad, 25-year-old Apurva Shelat came across the business through a common friend. She began buying the strawberries in November 2025.

“After talking to the founder, I developed trust, so I decided to try his strawberries,” she says. “I found that the quality was much better, and my community also liked them very much.”

She has also visited the farm. For someone who had never seen this kind of strawberry cultivation before, the experience changed the way she looked at farming.

“I was impressed by how clean, well-organised and professionally managed the farm was. Seeing the hydroponic system for the first time also changed my understanding of modern farming,” she says.

His next bet: 2 lakh plants across 5 acres

For now, Berry Fresh operates only in Mahabaleshwar. But the founder is already thinking beyond the 19,500 plants.

He is currently at the investor-discussion stage for a proposed five-acre facility with a minimum capacity of around 200,000 plants. He wants to build the next farm using everything he has learnt from the first, with the hope of eventually replicating the model in other parts of India where the climate is suitable.

The opportunity, in his view, is to grow strawberries during months when fewer farmers can supply them, and when the fruit can fetch better prices.

“If we can extend the production window at both ends, early fruit before the regular season starts, and no-season fruit after everyone else has stopped, both of those windows fetch the highest value in the market,” he says.

It is a different life from the one he knew in Mumbai. Ketan had no family farming background, and his first attempt at growing strawberries failed. Today, he spends his days learning how to help thousands of plants thrive in the hills he has come to love.

“Every morning, birds wake me up before any alarm does,” he says. “The air here is crisp, the spring water is clean, and there is a kind of peace around this farm that you cannot buy in Mumbai.”

For Ketan, the next challenge is taking what he has learnt from this first polyhouse to a much larger farm, while continuing to explore how far Mahabaleshwar’s strawberry season can stretch.

All pictures courtesy Ketan Sodha.

This story is part of “India Invented This?” — The Better India’s weekly trivia series that uncovers the Indian minds, ideas and innovations behind inventions that have shaped the way we live. From ingenious solutions created by scientists and engineers to technologies developed in response to some of India’s biggest challenges, each story goes beyond the invention to explore the problem it solved, the impact it created and why it still matters today.

There is something special about the moment a child lights their first sparkler. The excitement of holding it, the little circles they draw in the air, and the delight of watching it fade into tiny glowing embers are memories that often stay with us long after childhood.

For generations, firecrackers have been part of how many Indian families celebrate Diwali. But what if the thrill of watching something burst into the sky did not have to come with clouds of smoke, lingering gunpowder smells and piles of burnt debris?

That was the question Dr Samrat Ghosh, a chemical scientist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali, decided to explore. His answer? A firecracker that uses an entirely different approach to create the familiar excitement of fireworks, without the smoke and particulate emissions associated with conventional crackers.

And the interesting part is that his innovation began with something most people would simply throw away: an empty plastic bottle.

From waste bottles to a new kind of firecracker

In October 2017, following concerns about firecracker pollution and a Supreme Court order temporarily restricting their use in the NCR, then Union Environment Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan called upon scientists to develop safer alternatives, including electronic firecrackers.

Dr Samrat took up the challenge.

An assistant professor in IISER Mohali's Department of Chemical Sciences, he drew upon his expertise in combustion chemistry to develop what became known as the IISER-M pollution-free firecracker.

The first prototype was built using recycled plastic bottles and a specially developed combustible formulation. Instead of the conventional arrangement of chemicals packed into a paper casing, his device worked through a small launcher mechanism.

Here's how it worked: When triggered by a spark, the combustible material ignited and generated pressure, pushing the bottle upwards like a rocket. The launch produced a loud bang, recreating some of the excitement associated with traditional fireworks.

But the real innovation lay in what happened around it.

No smoke, no leftover debris, and even a fragrance!

Unlike conventional firecrackers, Ghosh's formulation was designed to produce no visible smoke or particulate matter. The device also left no conventional firecracker debris behind.

Another unusual feature was that the sound level could be adjusted, allowing users to customise how loud the explosion was.

Depending on the ingredients used in the combustible formulation, the device could even release a fragrance into the air.

The idea was to replace the familiar smell of gunpowder with something more pleasant. Imagine finishing Diwali celebrations with the scent of lavender rather than burnt chemicals!

His team developed both aerial and non-aerial prototypes. The device was also designed to be reusable, with the bottle being launched rather than destroyed in the process.

The next experiment involved something unexpected

A year after developing the prototype, Ghosh and his team began exploring ways to make the formulation more affordable.

Their next experiment involved distilled cow urine.

In 2019, the team had developed a cheaper version of its green firecracker using this ingredient. According to Ghosh, incorporating distilled cow urine reduced the cost of the formulation by 50%, without changing its performance in terms of sound, light and flight.

The team also maintained that its organic formulation produced no particulate-matter emissions. An emission study was being conducted at IISER to analyse the gases released during combustion.

The experiment was also driven by a practical consideration: making the technology affordable enough to explore wider adoption.

A different way to look at celebration

For Ghosh, the idea was never simply to make another firecracker. It was to rethink how fireworks could work while addressing some of the problems associated with conventional ones.

His innovation also had potential applications beyond Diwali. The device could potentially be used to drive animals away from agricultural fields or help clear airport runways.

The technology was still under development according to the reports in 2018, and its commercialisation and wider adoption were not established. The innovation was still awaiting patents at the time of the reports, and its journey towards wider commercial use remained a work in progress.

But perhaps that is what makes the experiment interesting. It shows how even the most familiar traditions can leave room for new ideas. A discarded plastic bottle, a scientist's curiosity and a desire to reduce pollution came together to challenge the way we think about firecrackers.

And who knows? With further research and development, innovations like Ghosh's could one day help make the excitement of Diwali a little kinder to the air we all share.

Sources:

'This Diwali go for this pollution-free firecracker' by Business Standard, Published on 29 April 2018.

'Mohali scientist makes fireworks with cow urine' by Shimona Kanwar for The Times of India, Published on 22 April 2019.

What can school students do with technology and a problem worth solving?

At vivo Ignite 2026, students developed ideas to address challenges ranging from groundwater depletion and water pollution to cybersecurity and advanced STEM applications.

With expert mentorship, prototype development and a national platform to showcase their work, the initiative is helping young innovators take their ideas further.

In partnership with @VivoIndiaOfficial

Music Credits -
Title of Musical Work: Dive In
Artist: Abbynoise
License Type: Pro Standard
Date Issued: 03 Nov 2026
License ID: S847953-18408
Licensor: Music Vine Limited
Licensee: VIKARA SERVICES PRIVATE
LTD

The first sign that winter has arrived in many North Indian kitchens is not the chill in the morning air, but the sight of a heap of red carrots at the vegetable market.

For a few months, the deep-red carrot takes centre stage in markets across Delhi and other parts of North India, where shoppers who buy orange carrots through much of the year will seek out this seasonal variety.

But the red carrot's place in the winter kitchen is tied to more than nostalgia. 

Its cultivation depends on growing conditions, including temperature, raising questions about what warmer winters could mean for a crop so closely associated with the season.

Why red carrots rule the winter kitchen

Red carrots, commonly known as lal gajar, are prized for their deep colour, sweetness and juiciness. Their arrival makes a difference to dishes in which the vegetable is the main ingredient, rather than simply one component of a meal.

In gajar ka halwa, grated red carrots cook down with milk and ghee to produce the dessert's characteristic colour and flavour. Kanji draws on a different tradition: carrot sticks ferment in water seasoned with mustard seeds, salt and spices, producing a sharp, tangy drink. Red carrots are also used in winter salads, cooked vegetable dishes and pickles.

The seasonal preference for red carrots is therefore not simply a switch from one colour to another. It is also about the taste, texture and culinary traditions associated with the red variety.

There is a scientific reason to look beyond colour.

 In a study published in 2016 in the Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, researchers Swati Saha, Pritam Kalia, Amish Kumar Sureja and S Sarkar at the ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi examined 38 tropical carrot lines over four consecutive years, from 2009 to 2012. They compared characteristics including root weight, colour and nutritional composition.

The researchers found considerable differences in the amount of carotenoids and other pigments present in the carrots. One red line, IPC-11 red, contained 9.99 milligrams of total carotenoids per 100 grams. The study also found that some carrot lines performed well under high-temperature conditions, making them potential candidates for future breeding.

A crop shaped by temperature

Carrots are generally associated with cool-season cultivation, although tropical varieties have been developed to grow under warmer conditions. Temperature influences root development, yield and quality, making it an important factor in determining how successfully a variety performs.

Saha and her colleagues put it simply: 'Temperature influences growth, yield and quality of carrots in many different ways.'

Their research was not a study of climate change in farmers' fields. Instead, it explored whether particular carrot lines could withstand heat while retaining desirable characteristics. The researchers noted that 'some inbreds performed well under extreme high temperature without affecting any quality attributes'. Such lines, they suggested, could be selected for further breeding.

India's agricultural research system also maintains red varieties suited to local growing conditions. In a 2020 article in the ICAR journal Indian Horticulture, researchers described Pusa Kesar as a variety with deep-red roots and a small, deep-red core. 

They also documented Pusa Rudhira, developed by ICAR-IARI in New Delhi, as a tropical variety with dark-red roots that matures around 85–90 days after sowing and is suitable for cultivation in the National Capital Region.

These varieties show how researchers have worked to develop carrots suited to India's agricultural conditions. 

But they also raise a question: how might the conditions in which red carrots are grown change as temperatures rise?

What warming winters could mean

The 2016 study offers a useful starting point for understanding the risks. In discussing earlier research on carrot cultivation, Saha and her colleagues noted that temperatures above 25°C could result in unmarketable roots and lower yields. They also cited research indicating that temperatures below 10°C or above 30°C could produce lighter-coloured roots.

These findings point to a potential concern for growers: that heat can affect not just how much a crop produces, but also the appearance and quality of its roots. For red carrots, whose colour is central to their appeal, that factor is important.

However, these temperature findings should not be treated as proof that climate change is already reducing red carrot production in North India. The effects depend on the variety, the timing of sowing, soil conditions, irrigation and temperatures at different stages of growth.

Preserving a seasonal flavour

The red carrot's winter popularity connects agriculture to everyday food traditions. Its arrival signals the season for halwa made in large batches, jars of kanji left to ferment and pickles prepared for later consumption.

The future of this seasonal crop will depend partly on how effectively farmers and breeders respond to changing growing conditions.

Until then, the seasonal rush for red carrots remains both a culinary tradition and a reason to pay closer attention to the crops that connect India's winter kitchens to its changing climate.

Sources:

‘Climate change and vegetable crops cultivation: A review’: By The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences, Published on 27 April 2018

‘Response of carrot (Daucus carota L.) cultivars to different sowing dates on growth and yield’: By P Madhavi Latha, P Syam Sundar Reddy, Ramanjaneya Reddy, V Sudha Vani, Published on 30 December 2015

‘Breeding tropical carrots (Daucus carota) for enhanced nutrition and high temperature stress’: By ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, Published on 11 July 2016

When a city floods, knowing where the risk lies can change how it responds.

AIResQ, co-founded by Dr. Udit Bhatia, uses AI-powered flood forecasting to help cities identify risks and plan their response. Through city-level intelligence and rapid simulations, it helps urban authorities predict and prepare for floods.

An idea that puts better information in the hands of those protecting our cities.

This Diwali, HP celebrates the Lights of Change across India.

Visit https://www.hpcreatorsgarage.com to explore more stories and share an innovation that inspires you.

In collaboration with @HPIndiaVideos

#HPLightsOfChange #HPDiwali #HappyDiwali #HP #iitgandhinagar

“People, animals, agricultural fields – everything has been severely affected,” says Dakshina, a resident of Nazira in Assam who witnessed the floods. “There were no roads, no bridges, and no accessible routes because everything was submerged in water.”

When floodwaters swallow roads, cover bridges and surround entire settlements, getting help to people becomes a race against time. In Assam, where communities face recurring floods, even getting essential supplies to stranded residents can become a challenge.

During the recent floods in Upper Assam, parts of Sivasagar and other affected districts faced precisely this problem. Water had cut off communities from the road network, and in some places, even boats struggled to reach people because the water was too shallow.

For residents, the uncertainty was frightening. People had to find safer ground while trying to save their livestock and livelihoods. Some were stranded in places where rescue teams could not easily reach them.

In this situation, Drones Tech Lab, a deep-tech company incubated at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, deployed payload-carrying drones to deliver food, water, medicines and other essentials across three districts in Assam. The operation reached more than 1,000 people in locations where even conventional relief efforts faced access constraints.

The drones also helped survey affected areas and identify stranded residents, giving relief and rescue teams a clearer picture of where assistance was needed.

For Dakshina, the intervention revealed a side of drone technology she had never seen before.

“Usually, we know drones as something used for taking videos at parties, weddings, or similar events,” she says. “But this time, we saw for the first time how drones can actually help people during a disaster.”

Behind this intervention was technology that had taken years to develop, test and adapt for India's challenging terrain.

‘We wanted India to build its own drones’

Founded in 2016 by Ritesh Kanu, Biswajit Dey and Debajit Deka, Drones Tech Lab began with a vision to develop indigenous drone capabilities in a country that relied heavily on foreign technology.

At the time, India's drone ecosystem was still taking shape. Awareness of its applications beyond photography was limited, access to funding was difficult, and building hardware-intensive technology came with significant challenges.

Kanu says the founders wanted to address the dependence on imported systems and build technology suited to India's operational needs.

“India has been a consumer of drone technology right from the start,” he says. “We had a belief and a vision that we should be building in assets.”

For the team, indigenous technology did not mean manufacturing every component locally from day one. It meant developing intellectual property, designing system architecture, integrating software and engineering drones for specific missions.

Their early work was influenced by the challenges faced by defence personnel operating in difficult environments. The founders saw how technology could help reduce risks to human life, particularly when information about a location or threat was difficult to obtain.

Through its association with IIT Guwahati, the company developed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), flight systems, software and specialised payload mechanisms.

One of its developments was a heavy-payload drone with an indigenous carbon-fibre frame capable of carrying up to 30 kg. The company has since worked across disaster response, defence, healthcare logistics, mapping, conservation and infrastructure.

Kanu compares a drone's carbon-fibre frame to a car's chassis: it holds the different components together. Its propulsion system, which includes motors and electronic speed controllers, provides the force needed to lift and move the drone.

The real capability, however, lies in how these components work together. By modifying software, propulsion systems and payload-release mechanisms, the team can adapt a drone to the requirements of a particular mission.

During a flood, that could mean carrying essential supplies to a settlement cut off by water.

A drone can take help to floot-hit villages

The first challenge during a flood is understanding what is happening on the ground. Which settlements are cut off? Where are people stranded? Which areas need supplies most urgently? And how can rescue teams approach them safely?

Drones can survey affected areas from above, helping teams map isolated pockets and prioritise their response. Once a delivery point is identified, its coordinates can be entered into the flight plan. The drone then carries the supplies to the designated location, where the package is released for people on the ground to collect.

During the Assam operation, Drones Tech Lab used drones with a payload capacity of around 5 kg per flight. They travelled approximately 5 km on missions that took about 25 minutes.

The smaller payload was a deliberate choice based on the conditions.

“We have drones that can carry more than 50 kilos also,” says Kanu. “But the situation demanded a drone with a payload capacity of around 5 kg to make the operation more effective.”

The process involved much more than flying an aircraft. The team mapped affected locations, coordinated with government officials, prepared supply packets and identified suitable delivery points. Local authorities helped the team reach launch locations and coordinate its work with relief efforts.

Together, these steps helped the team plan where supplies needed to go and how to get them there.

Drones also helped responders understand the condition of stranded residents. Dakshina recalls how aerial surveys identified people on rooftops or trapped alongside their livestock, while providing information about water levels and possible routes for rescue teams.

When immediate physical rescue was not possible, aerial assessments helped teams determine whether people had food and water and needed urgent assistance.

Every disaster taught them something new 

The company had already deployed its technology during the 2022 Assam floods and following Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal's Sundarbans.

Each operation offered lessons in mapping affected areas, locating stranded communities and improving the software used to plan missions.

“It's not just a camera drone being flown and then dropping food material somewhere,” says Kanu. “The most important thing is that it has to be effective, and that comes only when you have the data.”

He explains that repeated field deployments have helped the team improve how it analyses affected areas and identifies locations that should be prioritised. The goal is to reduce the time between identifying a need and delivering assistance.

The company's work extends beyond floods, too. Drones Tech Lab has worked with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation on dengue-control and medicine-spraying operations, supported aerial monitoring and surveillance at Kaziranga National Park, and undertaken healthcare logistics work with AIIMS using payload drones.

Each of these applications requires the team to adapt its software, equipment and flight operations to the work being done on the ground.

How can drones reach people faster next time? 

The work also draws on the ecosystem around IIT Guwahati, where Professor Parameshwar K. Iyer is associated with the Centre for Drone Technology.

Iyer says efforts to strengthen the region's drone ecosystem gained momentum during the pandemic, when disaster management discussions highlighted the need for interdisciplinary solutions.

Facilities for testing drones and training pilots became an important part of that effort. IIT Guwahati established designated areas for drone testing and operations, helping create infrastructure for companies and researchers working in the Northeast.

The importance of having this infrastructure in place became clear during the recent Assam floods, when the response had to move quickly.

After discussions with the team and state authorities, the drones and personnel were sent to Sivasagar overnight. Within 24 hours, the team was on the ground, surveying affected areas and helping identify stranded residents.

For Iyer, the larger question is how such capabilities can be made available before the next emergency.

“We have to be ready for any kind of disaster,” he says.

He believes establishing drone facilities and services at multiple locations across vulnerable regions could reduce response times and help assistance reach communities faster.

Such preparedness would require coordination between technology providers, local administrations and disaster-management agencies. Drones cannot replace evacuation teams, medical care or the wider relief network communities depend on.

They can, however, help responders understand what is happening in areas that are difficult to reach and deliver limited supplies while further assistance is organised.

‘They had lost hope of receiving relief’ 

For Kanu, the impact of the Assam deployment was best understood through the reactions of people receiving help, rather than the distances flown or the weight carried by the drones.

He remembers how some residents had lost hope of receiving relief because no one could easily reach them. Seeing supplies arrive by drone was an unfamiliar experience.

“They had actually lost hope of receiving relief because they had no access to it,” he says. “When we look back at the work we have put into building this company over the past 10 years, moments like these show us why we started. We may be sitting in Calcutta, working on technology day and night, but seeing it reach people who need help makes that journey worthwhile.”

As disasters continue to test communities and emergency services, drones offer one way to bridge the gap between those who need help and those trying to reach them. How effectively they can do this depends on their ability to work alongside relief teams on the ground.

In Assam, technology developed over nearly a decade found an urgent purpose: carrying essential supplies across flooded terrain to people waiting for help. The next step is ensuring that when roads disappear again, the teams, infrastructure and coordination needed to respond are already in place.

For Dakshina, the experience is reason enough to make the technology available in more places. She hopes drones can help locate people and animals in danger and direct assistance towards areas that remain difficult to access.

“I sincerely hope that such systems and technologies will be made available in more places,” she says.

All images courtesy Drones Tech Lab team

What does our tomorrow look like?

Thousands gathered by the sea at Godrej Literature Live! The Mumbai LitFest 2026 to find out.

Authors, scientists, poets and thinkers shared the stage over three days. Conversations ranged from how stories shape brighter futures to resilience, identity and fearless journalism.

At the Experiential Hub, visitors wrote their own "Dream up the Mumbai of Tomorrow" bookmarks.

Tomorrow is written, debated and built when culture and vision meet.

What would you write on your bookmark?

In partnership with @godrejlitfest

#GodrejLiteratureLive #TheMumbaiLitFest #CraftingTomorrow #NCPAMumbai #GodrejDEILab #LiteratureFestival #TheBetterIndia

[Godrej Literature Live, Mumbai LitFest 2026, NCPA Mumbai, Nadir Godrej, Javed Akhtar, Godrej DEI Lab]

A firecracker goes off at the end of a residential lane. A dog sleeping beside a parked car suddenly gets up, its ears alert. Another blast follows. 

Within seconds, the dog is running, looking for somewhere to hide. It may dart across the road, squeeze beneath a vehicle, or disappear into a nearby construction site.

While pet owners can prepare a safe space for their animals at home, street animals have no such protection. They depend on the people living around them to recognise their distress and respond.

Speaking to The Better India, Dr Vikas Godara, a small-animal veterinarian and soft-tissue surgeon with over 11 years of clinical experience in India and the United States, including emergency and critical care, explains that the impact of Diwali on animals goes beyond injuries caused directly by firecrackers.

He identifies three recurring categories of veterinary cases during the festive season: noise-induced anxiety, firecracker-related injuries, and gastrointestinal complications caused by ingesting discarded food and other objects.

Here is why community animals are particularly vulnerable, and what residents can do to make the celebrations safer for them.

When the noise becomes a source of fear

A dog's hearing is considerably more sensitive than a human's. Sounds that people may dismiss as occasional festive noise can become overwhelming for animals, particularly when firecrackers burst repeatedly and without warning.

Unlike humans, dogs cannot understand when a loud sound is likely to occur or when it will stop. The sudden blasts can trigger fear responses, including trembling, hiding, excessive barking, restlessness, and attempts to escape.

Repeated exposure to loud noise can cause extreme stress and disorientation. Vulnerable animals may also experience serious physiological distress, including shock and, in severe cases, potentially fatal cardiac complications.

Godara, who is also the founder of Vetezy, an online platform providing virtual/video vet consultations and same-day care access for pet parents in India, says, “Veterinary clinics see a noticeable increase in anxiety-related cases around Deepavali. Some dogs stop eating, while others become withdrawn or display signs of extreme fear. Puppies and community dogs can be particularly vulnerable. The impact is not limited to animals that are directly targeted by firecrackers. Even a cracker bursting several metres away can frighten a dog that has nowhere quiet to retr

Why street dogs bear the greater burden

A pet frightened by fireworks may have a family to comfort it, a familiar room to retreat to and access to veterinary care. A street dog does not necessarily have any of these.

Their vulnerability is also reflected in reports from Bengaluru during Deepavali 2025.

A report published by The New Indian Express on 24 October 2025 documented 30 – 40 cases received by Mylos Rescue over four to five days, according to its founder, Lakshmi Swaminathan. These included incidents of deliberate cruelty, with dogs' legs reportedly tied with firecrackers.

At Charlie's Animal Rescue Centre (CARE), manager Kirtan Aarti reported that seven to eight dogs had been found dead after being run over by vehicles along Ballari Main Road and the airport flyover while attempting to escape the noise.

Little Hearts Animal Healing Rescue Centre, founded by Rajkumar, received approximately 10 cases of cracker-related animal injuries. The incidents were reported from areas including Ullal, Kengeri and Banashankari.

These figures offer a glimpse of the risks animals face in urban neighbourhoods. They also point to an important distinction: the consequences of a noisy celebration are not experienced equally. 

Firecracker injuries are only part of the problem

Burns, cuts and other physical injuries are among the immediate dangers of firecrackers. Crackers thrown towards animals can cause burns, while fragments and debris can injure their paws. Repeated exposure to loud blasts can also affect their hearing.

Godara says that the veterinary response depends on the nature and severity of each injury.

“Every patient needs their own tailored treatment plan,” he tells The Better India.

Dogs with physical injuries may require wound care, antibiotics and treatment for affected tissue. Animals experiencing severe anxiety need veterinary assessment and, in some cases, anti-anxiety medication.

The important thing, he explains, is that treatment cannot follow a single approach for every animal.

For residents, this means that an injured or distressed community dog should not simply be left to recover on its own. If an animal has suffered burns, is bleeding, appears disoriented or is struggling to move, people should contact a veterinarian or local animal rescue organisation.

Those attempting to help should also avoid handling a frightened or injured animal without taking precautions. An animal in pain may react defensively, even towards someone trying to assist it.

The danger that remains after the crackers stop

Once the celebrations wind down, another festive-season hazard often goes unnoticed: food waste.

“Sweets, leftover food, spoiled offerings and discarded packaging can end up in open spaces, dumping grounds and roadside bins. Community dogs and cattle searching for food may consume these without anyone knowing what they have eaten”, he explains.

Godara identifies gastrointestinal complications as another recurring concern during the festive period.

“Street dogs and cattle often forage through dumping grounds and open spaces, where they may consume spoiled food or objects that can cause toxicity and gastrointestinal complications.”

One common misconception, he says, is that feeding sweets to dogs only causes skin problems.

“There is a big myth that if you feed sweets to a dog, they would only get a skin issue. But that's not true. They can develop toxicity due to excessive sugar, gastrointestinal upset,” he explains.

This problem is not restricted to Diwali. People regularly leave household leftovers for community animals throughout the year. However, the quantity of discarded food can increase during festivals, making it more difficult to monitor what animals are consuming.

Feeding community dogs needs a little more care

Feeding street dogs is often one of the first ways residents express concern for animals in their neighbourhood. But good intentions do not always translate into safe feeding practices.

In residential areas, several people may feed the same dogs without coordinating with one another. Food may be left in different locations, sometimes without attention to its ingredients, freshness, or quantity.

Godara believes housing societies and neighbourhood groups need to take greater responsibility for monitoring these practices.

Referring to designated feeding areas, he says that such spaces need to be monitored to ensure people do not leave sweets, spoiled food or other potentially harmful leftovers.

“Even if the laws are in place, how much of them are followed? If somebody is feeding animals at designated areas, you can have someone who actually monitors what is being offered. But the answer is not always yes. Even people who love stray dogs do not necessarily follow these designated feeding practices,” he tells The Better India.

For him, enforcement alone is not enough. Residents must also understand what constitutes safe feeding.

Cruelty is another danger residents must recognise

Not every injury suffered by a street animal is accidental.

Godara draws attention to cases of deliberate harm and mishandling, including tying rubber bands around animals' limbs, throwing firecrackers at them and physically assaulting them.

He describes cases where rubber bands remain embedded in a dog's skin over time, eventually causing wounds as the animal grows. Community dogs may tolerate human handling, but that does not mean they are comfortable or unable to experience pain.

“These are injuries induced by human beings. I have seen many horrible examples of mishandling of street dogs. It comes in all forms and shapes,” he says.

Long guidelines may not always reach the people who interact with street animals every day. Instead, he suggests using short, memorable messages in regional languages that people can understand and repeat.

“Once we start talking about awareness, we cannot essentially force it upon anybody. It has to come from within. Something concise, something that sticks in people's heads and gets repeated over and over again, might help,” he explains.

Such campaigns, he adds, must reach beyond residents who regularly interact with street dogs. Domestic workers, security guards, gardeners, delivery personnel, dog walkers and families living in neighbouring localities are often among those who encounter community animals most frequently.

Their participation can make a difference, particularly on nights when firecrackers are being burst across several streets simultaneously.

What residents can do for pets and community animals

Protecting animals during Diwali does not always require specialist intervention. A few precautions taken before and during the celebrations can reduce their exposure to harm.

1. Alert neighbourhood residents: Inform security guards, domestic workers, delivery personnel and other residents about the risks of bursting crackers near animals.

2. Keep resting spaces safe: Avoid bursting crackers near places where dogs usually sleep or seek shelter. Check beneath parked vehicles before starting them.

3. Provide safe, suitable food and water: Do not feed community dogs sweets, spoiled food or festive leftovers. Ensure that food and water are placed in appropriate, monitored locations.

4. Watch for injured animals: If a dog is bleeding, burnt, limping or showing signs of severe distress, contact a veterinarian or animal rescue group rather than leaving it untreated.

4. Dispose of firecracker waste responsibly: Remove discarded cracker remains and packaging from places where animals forage or walk, while ensuring that debris is handled safely.

5. Coordinate with local feeders and rescuers: Neighbourhood groups can identify vulnerable animals, share emergency contact details and arrange help when required.

 Collective care can make neighbourhoods safer

Godara believes neighbourhood-level participation is essential, including exploring temporary shelters or community-supported spaces where animals can receive care.

“Adoption is the only permanent solution, but not everyone will be willing or able to bring a community dog into their home. However, neighbourhoods can still contribute through collective care and support,” he says.

He emphasises that this cannot be achieved through a single institutional directive. It requires grassroots participation and cooperation.

There are already examples of residents and animal welfare groups taking this concern into public spaces.

In Kolkata, the West Bengal Animal Rights Activists' Front (WBARAF), a city-based forum of animal lovers that works to protect, rescue and advocate for community animals, organised a march against the use of illegal and loud firecrackers.

More than 100 members, led by the forum's president, actor Sreelekha Mitra, gathered outside the Academy of Fine Arts and marched towards Rashbehari More. Participants carried placards reading 'Let animals live in peace', 'Say no to firecrackers' and 'Celebrate kindness, not noise'.

The march highlighted the psychological and physical harm caused to community dogs, cats and birds by loud firecrackers, including hearing damage, disorientation and accidents.

Godara has also noticed a change in the number of injured community animals reaching veterinary clinics over the years.

“Initially, I used to see three dogs at my clinic after Diwali. Currently, what I am seeing is 30 dogs. That does not necessarily mean the problem has become worse. The dog population has also increased, and more people are now aware enough to bring them to a veterinarian,” he explains.

He believes awareness, social media documentation and greater public scrutiny have encouraged people to report cruelty and seek medical attention for injured animals. However, increased reporting does not mean the underlying problems have disappeared.

For a street dog, a neighbourhood is its home. Its resting place may be a pavement, a space beneath a staircase, or the corner of a residential lane. 

It cannot choose to leave when the noise begins.

A celebration need not come at the cost of another living being's safety. Sometimes, making room for animals to live through the night in peace begins with not bursting a cracker where they sleep.

Sources:

'Deepavali celebrations cause rise in animal abuse, injuries in Bengaluru rescue centres': By Gayathri M Kurup, Publsihed on 24 October 2025

'Concern for pets dogs humans a week before festival of lights': By Suman.Chakraborti, Published on 1 November 2026

He once struggled to afford daily meals after coming to Mumbai to pursue engineering. Today, Ravi Dubey is stepping into one of Indian mythology’s most iconic roles, Lakshman in Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana! :star2:

Over a 21-year journey, Ravi went from television shows like 12/24 Karol Bagh and Jamai Raja to becoming a familiar face in Indian entertainment. His journey is a reminder that the road to success is rarely straightforward.

From Jamai Raja to Lakshman, Ravi Dubey’s story is one of ambition, persistence and reinvention. Watch his inspiring journey and discover the milestones that brought him here!

#Ramayana #Lakshman #ramayancast #RealRamayan #RaviDubey#latestmovie #ramanyanareviews #IndianTelevision #TVActor #BollywoodJourney

Everyday tasks can mean something different when you have to relearn how to do them.

KalArm, developed by Makers Hive, provides affordable bionic hands for people with upper-limb loss. Founded by Pranav Vempati, the innovation aims to help people regain greater independence in their everyday lives.

A reminder that technology can do more than solve problems. It can help people reclaim possibilities.

This Diwali, HP celebrates the Lights of Change across India.

Visit https://www.hpcreatorsgarage.com to explore more stories and share an innovation that inspires you.

In collaboration with @HPIndiaVideos

#HPLightsOfChange #HPDiwali #HappyDiwali #HP #KalArm

Note: A trip to the hills can offer a welcome change from the haze, traffic, and polluted air of a busy city. But while a few days amid greener surroundings may give you a breather, travelling cannot be a permanent solution to the problem of air pollution. Hill towns, too, experience changing air quality, and their clean-air promise should never be taken for granted. If you are planning a getaway, however, these five hill stations are worth considering. Just remember to check their latest AQI before you set off.

As winter approaches, the skies above several cities begin to look different. A familiar haze settles over buildings, traffic moves beneath a blanket of smog, and stepping outdoors becomes uncomfortable. For people living in crowded urban centres, even a morning walk can mean spending time in polluted air.

It is little surprise that the hills begin to look inviting at this time of the year. With forest trails, open landscapes, and fewer vehicles than in major cities, mountain towns offer a different environment. But does travelling to the hills actually mean breathing cleaner air?

Not necessarily. Tourism, road construction, traffic, and seasonal weather conditions can affect air quality even in smaller hill towns. Looking at local AQI readings, rather than assuming that every green destination has clean air, can help travellers make a more informed choice.

Here are five hill destinations to consider, along with their latest available air quality readings.

1. Landour, Uttarakhand

For Delhi residents looking for a mountain escape, Landour offers a suitable alternative to the crowded streets of Mussoorie. Situated above the popular hill station, this small cantonment town is surrounded by oak and deodar forests, with walking trails and old colonial-era buildings.

Visitors can explore the Circular Road, stop at Char Dukan for a cup of tea, or walk towards Lal Tibba, one of the area’s best-known viewpoints. Its slower pace and forested surroundings make it appealing to travellers who prefer a peaceful break over a packed sightseeing itinerary.

AccuWeather’s latest dated reading available for Landour was 85 on 6 November 2026, classified as Poor on its air quality scale. 

2. Gangtok, Sikkim

For those willing to travel further from Kolkata, Gangtok offers a Himalayan alternative. Located at approximately 1,650 metres, the Sikkimese capital combines mountain views with monasteries, local markets, and natural surroundings.

Visitors can explore Rumtek Monastery, walk along MG Marg or take a trip to Tsomgo Lake. The surrounding mountain landscape also offers opportunities to experience Sikkim’s local culture and food.

On 6 November 2026, Gangtok recorded an AQI of 33, classified as Good under India’s AQI scale. The reading came from the Zero Point GICI monitoring station under the Sikkim State Pollution Control Board.

3. Madikeri, Karnataka

Bengaluru residents looking for a change of environment can head to Madikeri in Kodagu, a region known for its coffee plantations, forest patches, and waterfalls.

Visitors can explore Abbey Falls, located around eight kilometres from Madikeri, or head to Raja’s Seat for views of the surrounding valleys. Coffee estate stays also offer an opportunity to walk through plantations and learn about how coffee is grown.

On 6 November 2026, Madikeri recorded an AQI of 22, classified as Good. The reading came from the Stuart Hill monitoring station operated by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. The station recorded a 24-hour AQI range of 3-28.

4. Chikkamagaluru, Karnataka

Known for its coffee-growing landscape, Chikkamagaluru offers another mountain escape for people looking to spend time away from Bengaluru’s busy roads.

One of its highlights is Mullayanagiri, Karnataka’s highest peak. Visitors can also explore Kemmangundi, which is surrounded by forests, mountain streams, and gardens. The surrounding coffee estates provide another way to experience the region.

On 6 November 2026, Chikkamagaluru recorded an AQI of 38, placing it in the Good category. The reading came from the Kalyana Nagara monitoring station.

5. Coonoor, Tamil Nadu

Coonoor, in the Nilgiri Hills, is a peaceful alternative to Ooty for travellers who want to experience the mountains without spending their entire holiday in a busy tourist centre.

The hill town is known for its tea-covered slopes and scenic railway journey. Visitors can explore Sim’s Park, walk through tea estates or visit viewpoints such as Lamb’s Rock and Dolphin’s Nose.

On 6 November 2026, AccuWeather reported an AQI of 11 for Coonoor, placing it in the Excellent category on its own scale. 

Can the hills really offer cleaner air?

Travelling to the hills can mean spending less time around congested roads and dense urban development, but a lower AQI is never guaranteed. Weather conditions, tourist traffic, construction, and local pollution sources can change readings from one day to another.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board, an AQI between 0 and 50 falls in the Good category, while 51 to 100 is considered Satisfactory.

It is also important to check which AQI scale a platform uses. India’s CPCB index and international indices can have different categories and breakpoints, so their numbers cannot always be compared directly.

Before planning a trip, check the latest readings and identify the monitoring station or data source behind them. Choosing accommodation away from busy roads and exploring quieter parts of a destination can also help.

The hills cannot promise pollution-free air. But checking the numbers before travelling can help you make a more informed choice about where to spend your next break.

Description: She just made history as Los Angeles’ first South Asian mayor-elect! Kerala-born Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Karen Bass with 52.1% of the vote.

But her journey to this moment began thousands of miles away.

Born in Thrissur, Kerala, Nithya spent her early years in Thiruvananthapuram before moving to the US with her family at around six.

After graduating from Harvard in 2003, she returned to India to work with communities often left out of urban development plans.

In Delhi, she supported slum residents facing eviction ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

In Chennai, she founded Transparent Chennai, using data mapping to make civic issues in underserved neighbourhoods visible to policymakers.

After earning a master’s in urban planning from MIT, she moved to Los Angeles, working on housing and homelessness.

In 2020, she entered politics, winning a seat on LA’s City Council. She was re-elected in 2024.
Now, she is set to lead the city.

She once worked to make overlooked communities heard. Now, she has a city of millions listening. ❤️

#WomenInPolitics #IndianWomen #NithyaRaman #LosAngelesMayor #WomenInPolitics #Kerala #IndianInspiration #Thrissur #InidaninUSA #UrbanPlanning #WomenWhoLead #IndianDiaspora #MadeHistory #TheBetterIndia

Chandigarh's iconic Sukhna Wetland has been officially designated as India's 103rd Ramsar Site. The wetland has been assigned Site Number 2602, placing Chandigarh on the global map of internationally recognised wetlands.

On the edge of Chandigarh, where the Shivalik Hills rise towards the Himalayas, Sukhna Lake offers residents more than a stretch of open water. 

Its banks, surrounding vegetation and adjoining woodland form habitats that sustain wildlife, including birds that travel thousands of kilometres between continents.

Sukhna is a peri-urban reservoir. This means it is a waterbody located within or near an urban area, while still performing important ecological functions.

Now, this ecological importance has received international recognition.

Four habitats, one interconnected ecosystem

A wetland is not simply an expanse of water. Its ecological character depends on the different habitats that exist within and around it, and these habitats allow different forms of wildlife to use the wetland in different ways. Some species depend on the open water, while others use the vegetation along the banks or the surrounding woodland.

This diversity is particularly important for birds that use Sukhna as a seasonal stopover.

For migratory waterbirds, wetlands are not isolated destinations. They form part of larger geographical routes connecting breeding grounds, feeding areas and wintering habitats.

A stop along the Central Asian Flyway

Sukhna lies along the Central Asian Flyway, a major migratory route used by birds travelling between their breeding and non-breeding grounds.

During these journeys, birds need suitable places to feed, rest and recover before continuing their migration. Wetlands such as Sukhna provide these essential habitats.

The lake serves as a feeding, breeding, roosting, and wintering ground for migratory waterbirds. Each of these functions matters at a different stage of a bird's life cycle.

Sukhna also supports species with different conservation statuses, highlighting the importance of protecting its habitats.

India’s Ramsar Site network grows to 103! With Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh and Sauj Jheel in Uttar Pradesh joining the list, India’s commitment to wetland conservation continues to grow. These wetlands conserve biodiversity, strengthen water and climate security, and sustain local livelihoods. Their recognition also reinforces the importance of protecting these vital ecosystems for future generations. #AmritDharohar

— MoEF&CC (@moefcc) October 15, 2026

Three notable species associated with the wetland include:

Common Pochard: Classified as Vulnerable, this diving duck depends on suitable freshwater habitats. 

Pallas's Fish Eagle: Classified as Endangered, this large raptor is associated with wetland and riverine ecosystems. 

Black Pond Turtle: Classified as Endangered, this freshwater turtle depends on suitable aquatic environments for its survival.

What does the Ramsar designation mean?

The Ramsar Convention is an international agreement for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Named after the Iranian city where it was adopted in 1971, it provides a framework for recognising wetlands that are important at an international level.

Being included on the Ramsar List brings international recognition to a wetland's ecological significance and draws attention to the need for its conservation.

With Sukhna's inclusion, India's Ramsar network now stands at 103 sites. For Chandigarh, the designation places one of its important urban wetlands within this international conservation framework.

Its new status is therefore more than an international listing. It is recognition that even within a planned city, a wetland can remain part of a much larger ecological network, connecting local landscapes with wildlife and migratory routes that extend far beyond national boundaries.

Sources:

‘India’s Ramsar Site tally reaches 103 with addition of Sukhna Wetland (Chandigarh) and Sauj Jheel (UP)’: By PIB Delhi, Published on 15 October 2026

‘The Ramsar Sites Criteria-The nine criteria for identifying Wetlands of International Importance’: By Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

‘Sukhna Lake-Chandigarh’: Chandigarh Tourism

This Diwali, HP celebrates the Lights of Change – the thoughtful innovations lighting up India and making lives brighter. From turning farm stubble into a resource to making healthcare more accessible, these stories show how one idea can solve a real problem and create an impact that reaches far beyond itself.

Watch these stories of dreamers and achievers who are making a difference, and discover the many ways innovation is shaping a brighter India.

Visit https://www.hpcreatorsgarage.com to explore more stories and share an innovation that inspires you.

In collaboration with @HPIndiaVideos

#HPLightsOfChange #HPDiwali #HappyDiwali #HP #Innovations #innovators

Picture a small workshop in Goa, barely large enough to turn around in. A furnace glows in one corner, the air thick with heat and the faint metallic smell of melting gold. An artisan bends over a workbench, a single sharpened wire in hand, and begins to carve a name into a ring, stroke by careful stroke, with no machine to help him. 

This is the world Prachi Shirodkar spent months filming for her documentary Bhaangar Kalakusar Karigiri, a world she knew intimately because her own father and grandfather had once worked in it. 

The 28-year-old directed, shot and narrated the documentary, handling the filming herself, while her father wrote the script and her partner edited the film.

‘Lockdown changed all my plans’

Shirodkar was one year into a B.Arch degree in 2020 when the country went into lockdown.

With classes paused and the world outside shut down, she found herself alone with her thoughts for the first time in years. "When you're by yourself, that's when you really get to know yourself," she says of that period. 

What she discovered was that design had never been the thing pulling at her. Storytelling was, and always had been. 

She had grown up around theatre and acting, but with no one in her family from the film or media industry, architecture had felt like the safer, more familiar choice after school. 

The lockdown gave her room to reconsider, and she switched to mass communication instead. "This was my element," she tells The Better India. "I am myself. I know what I'm doing, and I love it." 

Her father's script, her camera & a story rooted in Goa 

For her final-year project, Shirodkar turned the camera on the goldsmiths she had grown up watching at work. "I'm not trying to represent the community here; it's about their art and their skill," she says of her intention.

She also made a deliberate choice to include women artisans in the film. "It's not just men who do this anymore," she says. 

Making the film in Konkani was never really a decision at all. "I am Goan, this is happening in Goa, and Konkani is my mother tongue. I didn't have to think twice," she says, noting that even within the language, the dialects of Mapsa, Pernem and Margao carry their own small differences. 

Her father, who had worked in the trade himself, wrote the film's script in that specific vocabulary, giving her a foundation to build the film around.

The project almost didn't happen. It began as a college group assignment that fell through when the group arrangement did not work out, and Shirodkar shelved it, intending to return to it only after graduation. It was her partner, Mario Pimenta, who convinced her to pick it back up. "It was his idea. I'm grateful he pushed for it," she says. 

He went on to edit the film while she handled the filming, direction and narration herself, despite having never operated a camera before. There was no fixed shoot schedule and barely any budget. 

"Whatever I had in hand was what mattered," she says of how she funded it. Shoots depended entirely on when her subjects, many of them relatives and family friends she had known for years, happened to be free.

This meant filming in scattered bursts across several weeks rather than in one continuous run. Piecing together a coherent narrative from those fragments was one of the hardest parts of the process. 

"I kept asking myself whether I had the flow right or was missing something," she recalls. One moment stayed with her long after the shoot ended: a craftsman engraving a name into gold with nothing but a slim metal wire. "It doesn't even look like a knife; it looks like a wire," she says. "He carved the entire name using just that. Our hands are so skilled."

‘You have a camera, you have a story’ 

The film's festival run began with rejections. Then came an unexpected first selection at Jackson Doc Fest in Tennessee, USA, followed by screenings in Kerala at the International Folklore Film Festival and a selection for the International Cultural Journal Award in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. 

It also won Best Documentary at the Miseentage Indian Film Awards, and Shirodkar was recently conferred a Young Achievers Award by Rotary International for her contribution to culture. "They just called out my name, and I was genuinely taken aback," she says of the moment.

She now works as an assistant director in Mumbai, and the scale of commercial production has reshaped how she thinks about her own filmmaking.

"What you learn in theory is so different from what happens in practice," she says, adding that if she made the film again today, she would write a fuller script and bring in a dedicated cinematographer rather than shoot it herself.

Her advice to other young filmmakers starting out without money or a team is blunt and repeated often in conversation: find people you trust, however small the crew.

"If you have the right people with you, everything will fall into place," she says. Do not let the absence of a budget stop you from starting. 

"There are filmmakers who have made it happen with very little money, and they've done so well," she says. "You have a camera, you have a story. Just go shoot it." And look close to home first, she adds, because the most powerful subjects are often the ones already around you. "Start from where you belong, and then go step by step."

“She Continued Performing Tamasha Even When She Was Nine Months Pregnant.”
This is the story of Vithabai Narayangaonkar, Maharashtra’s legendary Lavani and Tamasha artist.

She received film offers, fame and national recognition, but she never abandoned her art or the troupe she performed with.
Some people don’t just live their dreams. They dedicate their lives to keeping an art form alive for generations to come.

Now, Vithabai’s extraordinary life is set to be brought to the big screen through Shraddha Kapoor’s upcoming film ‘Eetha’.

#Lavani #Tamasha #Eetha #MaharashtraCulture #LavaniDance #ShraddhaKapoor #ApsaraAli #MarathiCulture #Maharashtra #TheBetterIndia

The GPS on your phone helps you find your way to a favourite restaurant, avoid traffic jams and take an unfamiliar road with confidence. It tells you where you are and helps you figure out where to go next.

Now, imagine a similar guiding system inside an operating theatre, helping a surgeon navigate the delicate structures of the human brain or spine.

That is the idea behind easyNav™, an image-guided surgical navigation system developed by Bengaluru-based health-tech company HRS Navigation. Using medical images to map a patient’s anatomy and track surgical instruments in real time, the technology helps surgeons understand where they are operating, particularly when working around sensitive nerves, blood vessels, and other critical structures.

Founded in 2015 by Arpit Paliwal and Shweta Paliwal, HRS Navigation has developed an indigenous alternative to imported surgical navigation platforms. Its systems are now installed in more than 200 hospitals and have supported over 20,000 surgeries, according to the company.

But the motivation behind the startup was not simply to build sophisticated medical technology. It was to address a question that Arpit encountered repeatedly: why should access to advanced surgical care depend so heavily on where a patient lives or how much they can afford?

Why surgical precision needed to reach beyond metros

An electronics engineer who also completed an executive programme at IIM Calcutta, Arpit spent around 11 years in an international role before deciding to build a medical technology company in India.

His experience had given him an understanding of surgical navigation and the standards these systems needed to meet. It had also helped him recognise a gap in the market.

Surgical navigation technology was already available internationally, but its adoption in India was constrained by more than the cost of purchasing a machine. Some imported systems required hospitals to buy recurring consumables for every procedure or upgrade their operating theatres to meet specific infrastructure requirements.

For hospitals working with limited budgets, these expenses could make the technology difficult to sustain, particularly when treating patients who could not afford to pay much for surgery.

Arpit recalls meeting families who were struggling to afford treatment. One interaction that stayed with him was that of a father who told him to proceed with his child’s operation, saying he would sell his house to arrange the money.

“I have seen that kind of reality,” he says, describing the experiences that motivated him to build something for India.

For him, the problem was not a lack of medical expertise. It was that the tools available to support complex procedures were not always accessible to the hospitals and patients who needed them.

Simply reducing the price of an imported system would not necessarily solve this problem. The technology also had to work within the realities of Indian hospitals.

“You need to adapt your system to work with the requirements of Indian infrastructure,” Arpit explains.

That became a guiding principle for HRS Navigation. Starting with a small office and building its technology from the ground up, the founders set out to develop a system that could work with the equipment hospitals already had, without compromising on accuracy.

It was a demanding undertaking in a field requiring extensive research, engineering, testing and regulatory compliance. Arpit says developing the technology from the prototype stage took years of work, including studying research papers and building the team’s technical expertise at a time when many of today’s AI tools were not available.

The effort eventually led to easyNav™, designed around two priorities: precision that meets demanding clinical requirements and adaptability that makes the system practical for Indian hospitals.

How does a GPS for surgeons work?

To understand the technology, consider what happens when someone drives through an unfamiliar city without navigation. They must rely on signboards, landmarks and their own judgement to decide which road to take.

A GPS adds another layer of information, showing their position in relation to the route and helping them correct their direction as they move.

Surgical navigation applies a comparable principle inside the operating theatre, using medical imaging rather than road maps.

Before surgery, CT scans provide detailed images of the patient’s anatomy. These images are used to create a reference for the procedure. During the operation, the navigation system tracks the position of surgical instruments and displays where they are in relation to that anatomy.

This gives the surgeon an additional way to check the instrument’s position and trajectory, particularly when the target lies deep inside the body or close to structures that must be preserved.

In brain surgery, for instance, the system can help a surgeon plan the route to a tumour and understand its relationship with important structures. In spine procedures, it can help determine the entry point and trajectory for placing screws.

Dr Ranjit Deshmukh, consultant neurosurgeon at Sahyadri Hospital, Pune, explains that complex procedures have traditionally relied on anatomical landmarks, surgical experience and imaging during the operation to establish orientation.

“Navigation provides an additional layer of anatomical guidance, helping the surgeon plan and execute these procedures with greater confidence,” he says.

With easyNav™, Dr Deshmukh says he can understand where his instruments are in relation to the patient’s anatomy in real time. He particularly values this in complex brain surgeries involving deep-seated tumours, lesions near major blood vessels and procedures around the skull base.

The technology can also support planning when a tumour lies close to functional areas of the brain. Information from techniques such as functional MRI and tractography can help surgeons understand these relationships and plan an approach that aims to remove as much of the tumour as safely possible while preserving critical functions.

Importantly, navigation does not replace a surgeon’s judgement or experience. Instead, it provides additional information to support decisions during critical stages of an operation.

Dr Deshmukh says he has used international navigation platforms for around 15 years and finds easyNav™ comparable in ease of use and overall workflow. "Once a surgical team becomes familiar with the system, it integrates into the procedure without adding unnecessary complexity," he adds.

He has also noticed a reduction in uncertainty during many complex cases, although he cautions that complications and revision rates depend on several factors and cannot be attributed to a single technology.

For Arpit, maintaining this precision while making the system affordable required extensive research into components, performance, and design. The team worked to meet international quality and regulatory parameters while developing a system suited to the infrastructure and needs of its intended users.

From a small-town hospital to a mother’s second chance

The value of this approach becomes clearer when the technology reaches hospitals beyond major metropolitan centres.

Arpit recalls a surgeon in a small town in Maharashtra who used the system to operate on a young child from a farming family. The family had limited financial resources, and the surgeon operated for around Rs 10,000.

When the surgeon shared the outcome with colleagues, they were surprised that such a procedure had been performed at a small centre.

For Arpit, this was precisely the kind of change HRS Navigation had hoped to enable: helping skilled doctors access tools that can support complex surgery, even outside the largest hospitals.

Another example comes from a trust hospital in Siddhagiri, Maharashtra, where the system has been in use for several years. According to Arpit, patients travel there from Maharashtra and neighbouring Karnataka because the hospital offers treatment at affordable rates.

He recalls the case of a mother of three who had a brain tumour in a particularly difficult location. After approaching several larger hospitals, she eventually underwent surgery at the trust hospital.

The procedure was successful, and she survived with her neurological functions preserved, Arpit says.

Stories such as these illustrate why surgical navigation can matter beyond the operating theatre. When a hospital can offer complex procedures at an affordable cost, patients may have another option closer to home instead of having to travel to a major city.

The impact is not limited to patients, either. Surgeons can gain confidence from being able to verify their instruments’ positions during difficult procedures. Arpit recalls how some senior surgeons initially questioned the system when its guidance differed from their expectations. After repeatedly checking its accuracy during operations, he says many began relying on it as an important part of their workflow.

The company also points to a memorable procedure in Guntur in which a patient undergoing brain surgery remained awake and watched the film Baahubali.   Unlike most brain surgeries, which are performed under general anaesthesia, an awake craniotomy requires the patient to remain conscious so doctors can monitor essential brain functions in real time. In this case, the patient was comfortable enough to watch a film while the surgical team monitored his responses using HRS Navigation's technology. "The case attracted widespread media attention," Arpit says. For the team, the procedure was a memorable demonstration of how image-guided technology can support surgeons in carefully selected operations where monitoring a patient's core functions is essential.

HRS Navigation’s systems are now used across a wide range of hospitals, from smaller centres in places such as Guntur and Gorakhpur to larger institutions, including Apollo hospitals and AIIMS facilities.

Dr Deshmukh believes such technologies can help narrow the gap between metro and non-metro healthcare facilities, provided hospitals also have the clinical expertise, training and technical support needed to use them effectively.

“Advanced surgical technologies should not be limited to a few tertiary centres in major cities,” he says.

Building medical technology in India, for the world

Making precision technology accessible also means rethinking the business model behind it.

Arpit says HRS Navigation has avoided recurring consumable costs for every procedure, a model he believes can help hospitals use the system without having to weigh the expense of additional supplies against a patient’s ability to pay.

The company has also designed easyNav™ to work with existing operating theatre infrastructure, reducing the need for hospitals to make extensive changes before adopting the technology.

These decisions are part of a larger ambition: to demonstrate that sophisticated medical devices can be designed and built in India without compromising on performance.

Arpit says HRS Navigation has received international recognition for its product design, including an iF Design Award from Germany and an A’ Design Award from Italy. The company has also been selected by India’s Department of Science and Technology for recognition linked to the country’s 75 years of independence.

For him, these milestones matter because medical technology made in India should be judged on what it can achieve, rather than assumptions about where it comes from.

“We have taken a long path of doing it from India,” he says, describing the company’s ambition to become globally respected.

That ambition is closely tied to the reason he started the company in the first place. The goal is not only to compete with established international manufacturers but also to make precision healthcare more accessible to people who might otherwise struggle to reach it.

Surgical navigation cannot, on its own, solve every challenge in healthcare. The right equipment must work alongside skilled surgeons, trained teams, reliable support and hospitals that patients can afford to access.

"But when those pieces come together, technology can expand what a hospital is equipped to offer and give surgeons another tool to make informed decisions," adds Arpit.

For the family trying to afford an operation, the surgeon working in a smaller town, or the patient who needs a complex procedure without travelling hundreds of kilometres, that difference can be deeply personal.

And that is the promise behind HRS Navigation’s homegrown GPS for surgeons: not simply helping doctors find their way through the human body, but helping more patients find their way to advanced surgical care.

All images courtesy of HRS Navigation team

In 1995, Professor Sekhar Raghavan noticed something unusual about the water coming from his tap in Chennai. It had turned salty. 

As groundwater levels fell, seawater was seeping into the city's underground freshwater reserves, making the water increasingly difficult to use.

The problem was not that Chennai received too little rain. The city received substantial rainfall, but much of it flowed through roads and drains into the sea instead of replenishing the groundwater beneath its homes.

For Raghavan, this raised a question. If the rain was falling over the city, why was so little of it being saved?

His answer was to take rainwater harvesting to the people. Armed with a bicycle and a simple message, he began visiting neighbourhoods, going from door to door to convince residents to collect rainwater and direct it back into the ground.

Nearly three decades later, his campaign offers a lesson to another Indian city struggling with water scarcity: Hyderabad.

When the rain falls, but the wells run dry

Home to around 1.5 crore people, the city is grappling with an acute drinking water shortage driven by uneven regional water availability, competing agricultural and industrial demand, and a monsoon deficit.

More than 330 of Telangana's 600-plus mandals have been classified as drought-hit, while only around 500 of the state's 6,000-plus lakes have water, according to data shared by the state irrigation department.

The pressure is visible in the city's growing dependence on tankers. 

Daily bookings have surged to between 6,000 and 8,000, prompting Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board Managing Director Ashok Reddy to direct officials to onboard additional tanker operators and begin their registration.

In parts of Secunderabad Cantonment and Hyderabad's outskirts, residents have reported receiving drinking water only once every three to four days. One of the city's main reservoirs has also reportedly fallen to around 13% of its capacity.

But the shortage is not only about how much water a city receives. It is also about how much it can retain.

That is where Chennai's experience becomes relevant.

One bicycle, one neighbourhood at a time

When Raghavan began his campaign in 1995, rainwater harvesting was not a familiar practice among most urban households. He set out to change that, explaining how rainwater collected from rooftops, driveways and other surfaces could be filtered and directed into recharge structures, allowing it to seep into the soil and replenish underground aquifers.

Instead of allowing rainwater to run off into drains, households could capture it and help restore the groundwater they depended on.

However, convincing people was harder than explaining the science.

Raghavan cycled through neighbourhoods, speaking to residents and encouraging them to install harvesting systems. Many initially dismissed the idea, but he continued working with communities to demonstrate how it could be done.

Through the Rain Centre, which he led, he also worked with a team of plumbers and well-diggers to survey systems across the city and demonstrate rainwater harvesting through model houses.

How Chennai turned an idea into a law

In October 2002, the Tamil Nadu government enacted legislation to make rainwater harvesting compulsory. An ordinance followed in June 2003, extending the requirement to all existing buildings across the state, including Chennai.

Property owners were required to install systems by 11 October, 2003. Non-compliance could invite penalties, including fines or disconnection of government water supply.

The government's November 2003 announcement reported that 99.5% of Chennai's residents had implemented rainwater harvesting in their houses and apartment complexes.

But installing a system and making it work are two different things.

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A Rain Centre survey conducted in a residential colony between October and November 2003 found that around half the residents had implemented rainwater harvesting unsatisfactorily. Even among those who had installed systems correctly, many focused only on collecting rooftop rainwater.

They overlooked another important source: the rain falling across the rest of their premises.

In apartment complexes, this surface runoff could amount to twice or more the volume collected from rooftops.

Although this water may not be suitable for direct household use, it can still be directed into the soil to replenish groundwater. As it moves through the soil, natural filtration helps remove contaminants.

The missing piece: What happens beyond the rooftop?

Raghavan's work also highlighted a larger gap in Chennai's approach.

While households had a responsibility to harvest rainwater within their properties, public spaces presented another opportunity.

Roads, parks and playgrounds receive considerable rainfall. Yet much of the water flowing through Chennai's stormwater drains is channelled towards the city's waterwys and eventually discharged into the Bay of Bengal.

Instead of allowing all this runoff to escape, the Rain Centre advocated directing suitable urban runoff into recharge structures.

This, however, requires careful planning. Road runoff carries solid waste, fine silt and other contaminants that can clog harvesting structures. Systems must therefore account for filtration, waste removal and regular maintenance.

The city also needs adequate open spaces and appropriately designed recharge structures to prevent stagnant water and flooding.

In other words, collecting rainwater is only one part of managing it.

What Chennai's experience tells Hyderabad

The results of Chennai's efforts became more visible after the rains returned. 

Tamil Nadu received below-average rainfall in 2003 and 2004, making the immediate benefits difficult for residents to see. The following year brought heavier rainfall, offering a clearer demonstration of what functioning harvesting systems could achieve.

After the 2005 rains, the Rain Centre observed groundwater levels rising by around 20 feet in areas it monitored, encouraging the team to continue its work.

For nearly 15 years, rainwater harvesting helped Chennai strengthen its groundwater reserves. However, the city's 2019 water crisis exposed the limitations of relying on infrastructure that was no longer adequately maintained. Clogged filters, neglected recharge pits, and poorly functioning systems weakened the impact of the original initiative.

Today, Chennai is exploring additional approaches, including sponge parks and underground rainwater capture systems, to improve its capacity to retain rainfall.

For Hyderabad, the lesson is not simply to replicate Chennai's legislation or install harvesting structures across buildings. It is to build a system in which households, communities and civic authorities share responsibility for capturing rainwater, maintaining recharge structures and protecting groundwater.

Raghavan's journey began with a salty tap and a bicycle. What followed was a citywide conversation that helped turn an overlooked resource into an urban water-management priority.

Sources:

‘Can storm water drains help in recharging groundwater: The case of Chennai’: By India Water Portal team, Published on 22 November 2014

‘Hyderabad in the grips of severe drinking water crisis—8,000 tankers a day, supply once in 3 days’: By Deepika Amirapu, Published on 24 October, 2026

‘Chennai Water Crisis: 71-YO 'Rain Man' Helps Hundreds Recharge Their Groundwater’: By Tanvi Patel, Published on  29 Jun 2019

On 5 November, Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) reached 370, placing the capital in the very poor category. At Jahangirpuri, the reading climbed to 459, entering the severe category.

As winter settles over northern India, the familiar response is to increase road sweeping, sprinkle water and intensify construction-site inspections. 

Yet there is a problem with the way cities clean their roads. A street can look spotless while fine particles escape into the air. Vehicles can then lift the remaining dust again, exposing pedestrians, cyclists and residents to pollution.

The question is not simply whether municipalities should sweep more often, but whether they can remove dust without making it airborne.

Three Indian cities offer different answers. Lucknow has expanded mechanised sweeping, Parwanoo has focused on repairing the surfaces that generate dust, and Chandigarh is testing a method that combines treated-water washing with mechanical cleaning.

Together, their experiences show why cleaner roads require more than a broom.

Lucknow takes cleaning beyond the broom

In September 2026, Lucknow won the top position in the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan among cities with populations exceeding 10 lakh. Its Ward 70, in Zone 4, also ranked first nationally among wards with more than 30,000 residents. 

The recognition followed a citywide effort to tackle several sources of pollution, including road dust, vehicle emissions and waste burning.

The Lucknow Municipal Corporation deployed 97 electric mechanised sweeping machines. These machines use rotating brushes to collect debris, while suction systems can help capture finer material instead of simply pushing it aside.

The city also paved approximately 559.85 km of roads end-to-end, reducing exposed surfaces that passing vehicles can disturb. Officials said the combination of mechanised sweeping and paving helped control resuspended road dust. 

The ward-level recognition is particularly significant because air pollution is experienced locally. A city may have an ambitious clean-air plan, but residents encounter its results on the street outside their homes.

Ward 70's achievement shows how clean-air action can be assessed at a neighbourhood level. However, the award does not establish how much pollution the ward's individual interventions reduced. The challenge is to translate recognition into sustained, measurable improvements in the air residents breathe.

Parwanoo fixes the road that creates the dust

In Parwanoo, a town in Himachal Pradesh, officials began by asking a different question: what if the road itself was generating the dust?

An IIT Kanpur study covering the town's 8.5 sq km identified road dust as a major source of air pollution. The municipal response focused on repairing the surfaces and conditions that allowed dust to accumulate. 

A 9 km stretch of road was upgraded with paver blocks and interlocking tiles, replacing crumbling surfaces. Drainage systems were improved to prevent erosion, while construction and demolition waste came under closer scrutiny.

The town also developed a 0.27-acre green buffer zone, intensified plantation efforts, and curbed open garbage dumping.

The outcome was measurable. Parwanoo's annual average PM10 concentration fell from 66 micrograms per cubic metre in 2017-18 to 39 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023-24, a reduction of about 41%. 

PM10 refers to particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less. Road dust can contain these particles, which can enter the respiratory system.

The reduction cannot be attributed to paving alone. Parwanoo's efforts included several interventions, and the town's experience demonstrates the value of addressing dust at its source rather than relying exclusively on cleaning after it has accumulated.

Chandigarh tests whether washing can help

Chandigarh is approaching the problem through a pilot project.

In September 2025, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee directed officials to launch a dust-control initiative on a dust-prone road corridor. The plan combined road washing with treated water, mechanised sweeping and cleaning of road shoulders. 

Road shoulders matter because loose soil and debris along the edges can be repeatedly disturbed by vehicles. Cleaning only the central carriageway can leave a substantial source of dust untouched.

The committee planned to monitor PM10 levels during the pilot and use the findings to decide whether the intervention could be expanded across the city.

The project also sits within a wider effort to control construction and demolition waste. Authorities directed institutions and agencies to suppress dust at stockyards, cover loose soil with vegetation and use sprinklers or anti-smog guns where appropriate. 

The distinction is important: Chandigarh's project was announced as a pilot, not a proven citywide success. Its value lies in testing whether road washing and mechanical cleaning can work together, and whether air-quality monitoring can establish their effectiveness.

What Delhi can learn

Delhi's pollution is not caused by road dust alone. Vehicle emissions, industrial activity, construction, waste burning, agricultural fires and winter weather conditions all contribute to the city's air-quality episodes. 

But that does not make road dust control insignificant. It makes targeted interventions more important.

• Lucknow demonstrates the value of mechanised cleaning and neighbourhood-level action. 

• Parwanoo shows why repairing damaged roads and controlling construction waste can prevent dust from accumulating. 

• Chandigarh is testing whether treated-water washing and shoulder cleaning can improve the results.

The larger lesson is that road cleaning should not be measured only by the amount of dust collected or the number of machines deployed.

Municipalities need to measure how much dust remains on roads, how quickly it returns, and whether particulate pollution declines.

For a city like Delhi, where winter pollution can become a public-health emergency, cleaner roads are not a complete solution. But they are a tangible civic intervention that can be planned, monitored, and improved.

The real test of a clean road is not how it looks after a sweeping vehicle passes. It is how much dust stays out of the air afterwards.

Sources

'Lucknow is known for traffic and dust. How did it top India’s clean-air ranking?': by Maulshree Seth for The Indian Express, Published on 8 September, 2026

'Parwanoo: Industrial town, cleaner crown!': by Ambika Sharma for The Tribune, Published on 13 September, 2025

'Pilot dust-control project in Chandigarh to see road washing with treated water': by Express News Service for The Indian Express, Published on 7 September, 2025

'Delhi AQI at 370 today, 10 monitoring stations record severe pollution': by Express Web Desk for The Indian Express, Published on 5 November, 2026

'CAQM reviews progress of Special Campaign for Removal of Legacy Dust across 12 MCD Zones; Directs Sustained Dust Mitigation Efforts': by Press Information Bureau, Published on 28 July, 2026

Every Diwali, the night sky turns into a canvas of colour. Golden fountains of light shoot upwards, flower pots scatter sparkling trails across balconies, and rockets burst into brilliant shades of red, green and blue. For a few hours, the neighbourhood seems to glow with celebration.

But when the last spark fades, another side of the festivities begins to show. A cloud of smoke hangs over the streets, the familiar smell of burnt chemicals lingers in the air, and the sound of crackers gives way to coughing, irritated eyes, and difficulty breathing.

Firecrackers may last only a few seconds, but the pollution they leave behind can stay in the air much longer. This has led to the growing popularity of an alternative: green crackers. But are they actually better for the environment, and does the word 'green' mean they are safe to burst?

What happens when a firecracker goes off?

The colourful explosions we enjoy are the result of carefully mixed chemicals that release energy when ignited. But this reaction also releases a cocktail of pollutants into the atmosphere.

Conventional firecrackers can emit particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and other harmful gases. These tiny particles can enter the respiratory system, with some travelling deep into the lungs and even entering the bloodstream.

For people with asthma, respiratory conditions or heart problems, exposure can make existing symptoms worse. Children and older adults are particularly vulnerable. Even otherwise healthy people may experience coughing, throat irritation, breathlessness and burning eyes.

There is also the problem of noise pollution. The sudden, loud bursts can cause distress to infants, older people, pets and those sensitive to sound.

And when thousands of crackers are burst across a city within a few hours, their emissions add to the pollution already coming from vehicles, industries and other sources.

What makes a firecracker green?

To address this problem, scientists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), along with the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), developed what are known as green crackers.

Introduced in India in 2019, these are firecrackers made with modified chemical formulations and reduced quantities of certain raw materials. The idea is simple: retain the familiar sparkle and sound of fireworks while releasing fewer pollutants.

According to NEERI's criteria, a green cracker must reduce particulate matter emissions by at least 30% compared with its conventional counterpart. Another qualifying formulation must achieve at least 20% lower particulate emissions, along with a minimum 10% reduction in gaseous emissions such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

The chemistry behind the sparkle

So, what actually changes inside these crackers?

Scientists work on changing the ingredients, reducing the amount of material used, and making combustion more efficient.

There are three recognised categories:

• SWAS (Safe Water Releaser): These crackers release water vapour during combustion, which helps suppress dust particles and reduce particulate emissions.

• STAR (Safe Thermite Cracker): These use iron oxide-based formulations to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions.

• SAFAL (Safe Minimal Aluminium): These use zeolite-based materials, which have a porous structure, to help reduce the amount of aluminium required.

Green crackers also exclude certain harmful chemicals, including barium nitrate, and use modified formulations to reduce ash and other emissions.

Are green crackers completely safe?

Here's where the distinction matters: less polluting does not mean pollution-free.

Even green crackers release particulate matter and gases when burnt. Some green crackers could release higher numbers of ultrafine particles than conventional ones. These extremely tiny particles are concerning because they can penetrate deep into the respiratory system. 

This does not mean every green cracker is more harmful, but it shows why simply measuring the total quantity of emissions does not tell the whole story.

There is another important point. A 30% reduction in emissions from an individual cracker does not mean the air in a city becomes 30% cleaner. The overall impact depends on how many crackers are burst, the pollutants they release, weather conditions, and other sources of pollution.

Green crackers, therefore, are a step towards reducing the damage, not a licence to burst as many as we like.

If buying them, look for products from authorised manufacturers with valid certification rather than trusting packaging that simply says 'eco-friendly' or 'pollution-free'.

Perhaps the best way to make Diwali brighter is to think beyond the few seconds a firecracker lights up the sky. Green crackers offer a way to reduce some of the harm, but they cannot take pollution out of the picture entirely. 

Choosing to burst fewer crackers, exploring other ways to celebrate, and being mindful of the air we all share can make a difference. After all, a festival of lights should leave behind happy memories, not air that makes it harder for people to breathe.

Sources:

'Green firecrackers may pollute less, but how clean are they? An expert explains' by Hina Rohtaki for The Indian Express, Published on 31 October 2026.

'EXPLAINED | Green Crackers Allowed for Diwali: What Does ‘Green’ Really Mean?' by Sunny KS for Open The Magazine

Imagine walking through the Western Ghats after the monsoon. The soil is damp, leaves glisten with rain, and tiny saplings grow in the shade of towering trees.

Each tree seems to live a life of its own, reaching towards sunlight. Yet beneath your feet, another world is at work.

Tiny fungal threads spread through the soil, forming partnerships with tree roots. They help trees find water and nutrients, while the trees provide them with food. Some fungal threads may even connect neighbouring plants.

This hidden world has earned a nickname: the ‘wood wide web’. But can trees really share resources through it? And what might these underground relationships tell us about protecting forests?

The surprising give-and-take beneath tree roots

Trees use sunlight to make sugars through photosynthesis. But getting essential nutrients from the ground is another matter.

That is where fungi come in. Their microscopic threads reach into tiny spaces in the soil that tree roots cannot easily explore. They help plants take up nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, and can also improve access to water.

In exchange, trees supply the fungi with carbon-rich sugars. Scientists call these partnerships mycorrhizal associations. The name may be unfamiliar, but the arrangement is simple.

The fungal threads, known as hyphae, can spread through soil to form a larger web called mycelium. Some fungi associate with several plants at once, potentially linking their roots in what researchers call common mycorrhizal networks.

The links are intriguing. What is less certain is whether they regularly allow one tree to support another.

How scientists began mapping the wood wide web

In 2019, an international team of researchers, including scientists from Stanford University and ETH Zurich, set out to understand where different tree-fungus partnerships occur around the world.

They analysed records from more than 1.1 million forest plots across over 70 countries, covering upwards of 28,000 tree species. With the help of computer models, they mapped the distribution of major types of tree-root partnerships, including those involving fungi and nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

The study, published in Nature, showed that these relationships vary with climate. In cooler regions, for instance, the way dead leaves and other organic matter break down can influence which fungal partners thrive.

The findings revealed global patterns beneath the forest floor. They also raised questions about how changes in temperature and rainfall could affect the partnerships on which trees depend.

Importantly, the scientists mapped broad patterns of association. They did not trace individual fungal threads linking particular trees.

Do older trees help younger ones?

Perhaps the most captivating idea linked to the wood wide web is that of a ‘mother tree’: a large, older tree that nourishes nearby seedlings through shared fungal connections.

Picture a tiny sapling struggling for sunlight beneath a thick forest canopy.

Studies have found that materials can sometimes move between plants associated with fungal networks. But observing movement does not automatically show that a mature tree deliberately helps a seedling, or that the transfer makes the younger tree healthier.

In 2023, researchers reviewed studies of common mycorrhizal networks in Nature Ecology & Evolution. They warned that some popular claims had travelled further than the evidence. In particular, they found no published peer-reviewed evidence that mature trees preferentially send resources or warning signals to their own offspring through these networks.

So the underground partnerships are real. The popular picture of forests acting like families that look after one another remains unproven.

What happens when forest soil is disturbed?

Think of the rainforests of the Western Ghats, the sal forests of central and eastern India, or the mountain forests of the Himalayas. Their climates, soils and trees differ, and so do the organisms living around their roots.

The 2019 global study offers clues about where different partnerships might occur. It cannot tell us exactly which trees are connected beneath any particular Indian forest.

That is why studying local soils and fungi matters. Forest health depends on far more than what grows above ground. Underground organisms help trees obtain nutrients, support the recycling of organic matter and influence how plants respond to changing conditions.

When forests are cleared or soils disturbed, these relationships can be disrupted too. Understanding them could help scientists think more carefully about restoring degraded land and protecting existing forests.

The next time you walk among trees, consider the soil beneath them. Hidden there are thousands of living connections, doing essential work even as scientists continue to uncover how they function.

Protecting a forest begins with understanding the life we can see, and the life we cannot.

Source:

‘Stanford researchers map symbiotic relationships between trees and microbes worldwide’: By Stanford Report, Published on 15 May 2019

‘Mycorrhizal feedbacks influence global forest structure and diversity’: Published on 19 October 2023 

The next time you pick up a notebook, pause for a moment. An earthy brown cover, a leaf logo, or the words ‘eco-friendly’ might make it look like the greener choice. But appearances can be deceptive. What you should consider is the paper inside, the materials used to make it, how long it lasts, and whether it can be recycled after use.

For Ashutosh Ananth, co-founder of paper and stationery brand ‘Rescript’, sustainability is about looking beyond appearances and rethinking how everyday paper products are made.

“A notebook being sustainable is about much more than having a kraft cover or looking natural. You have to look at what it is made from, how it is put together, how long it will last, and what happens to it after you are done using it,” he says.

Founded in 2021 by Ashutosh and his school friend Naren Raj, the brand makes copier paper, notebooks, journals, planners, and other stationery using 100 percent recycled paper.

After pursuing ideas such as biofuels in 2019, the friends entered corporate gifting. That experience showed them how much paper businesses consume every day. “We realised that the opportunity was much larger than gifting. If we could make everyday paper products more sustainable, the impact could be greater,” he says.

Recycled paper and notebooks became their starting point, eventually growing into a wider stationery range.

So, what should you look for when buying a notebook? The co-founder shares six things consumers should check before making a choice.

1. Check what the paper is made from

Since paper makes up most of a notebook, its composition is the first thing to examine. Rather than relying on broad descriptions such as ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’, he recommends looking for a clear statement of the recycled content.

“A notebook made with 100 percent recycled paper reduces the need for virgin fibre and gives already-used paper another life,” he explains.

The percentage matters. A notebook containing 10 or 20 percent recycled fibre is different from one made entirely from recycled paper, even though both may be marketed as containing recycled material. If virgin fibre is used, consumers should also look for information about whether it is responsibly sourced.

“Look at the fibre composition, including how much is recycled and where any virgin fibre comes from,” he adds.

2. Look for credible certifications

Claims are more meaningful when independently verified. Ashutosh recommends checking recognised labels such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), while understanding what each means.

An FSC Recycled label verifies that the relevant fibre is 100 percent recycled. FSC Mix, on the other hand, can include a combination of recycled material, FSC-certified virgin fibre and controlled virgin fibre.

“A precisely stated fibre composition, certification number, and manufacturing information tell you much more than a brown cover with a leaf printed on it,” he says.

3. Do not judge the paper by its colour

Brown, beige, and grey paper are mostly associated with sustainability. But a notebook’s colour alone cannot tell you how responsibly it has been made.

“A brownish or grey notebook does not necessarily mean it is more sustainable,” he says. “Colour can tell you something about how the paper has been processed, but it does not tell you enough about where the fibre came from, how much of it is recycled, or how responsibly the notebook has been made.”

Bright white paper may undergo additional processing, bleaching, and optical brightening. Recycled paper can also be made bright white, while virgin paper can be brown or beige.

“Rescript uses careful sourcing, segregation, de-inking, and controlled processing, while avoiding chlorine bleaching, to achieve its natural warm-white shade. For us, the goal was never just to make recycled paper. It was to make recycled paper that people would choose because it is good paper,” he explains.

4. Examine the cover and finishing

A notebook may contain recycled paper but still include materials that make it harder to recycle. Plastic lamination, synthetic covers, heavy coatings, foil, and other decorative finishes can add to the number of materials used. When these are permanently bonded to paper, separating them at the end of the notebook’s life can become more difficult.

“It is common to talk about sustainable paper while adding heavily laminated, plastic-coated or synthetic covers around it,” he says. He recommends paper-based or recycled covers and avoiding finishes that serve little practical purpose.

5. Make sure it is built to last

Sustainability is not only about what a notebook is made from. It is also about how long it remains useful. A notebook with weak pages, poor binding, or a cover that falls apart prematurely may need to be replaced before it has served its purpose.

“A notebook that falls apart halfway through its life and has to be replaced is not particularly sustainable,” the co-founder says.

Check the binding, paper strength, and construction. Thread binding keeps materials relatively simple, while a metal spiral can usually be separated from the paper before recycling.

“Choosing to stay sustainable should not mean accepting an inferior product,” he says. “The ideal is to get both things right. A lower-impact material and a genuinely good product made from it.”

6. Consider what happens after the last page

Ashutosh recommends choosing products with easier construction and fewer unnecessary non-paper components. Once a notebook has been completely used, removable metal spirals and other separable parts should be taken off where possible.

Plastic lamination, glitter, foil, and heavy coatings deserve particular attention because some can interfere with the recovery of paper fibres. Recyclability also depends on the facilities available locally, so consumers should check what their local recycler accepts.

“The less the construction, the easier it generally is to recover and recycle the materials,” he says.

His advice is to use the notebook fully, separate removable components, keep the paper clean and dry, and check local guidance.

“Recyclability is not just about whether a material can theoretically be recycled somewhere in the world. It is about whether the product has been designed sensibly enough, and whether the recycling system available to you can actually recover it,” he explains.

Turning recycled paper into an everyday choice

For Ashutosh and Naren, these considerations are central to Rescript’s effort to make recycled paper a common choice for consumers and businesses.

Their paper is made from 100 percent recycled material and processed without chlorine bleaching. Its published comparisons state that the paper uses around 50 percent less water and produces 37 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions than its conventional paper benchmark. The company holds FSC certification under licence code FSC C163185.

As of September 2026, it has used more than 1,000 tonnes of recycled paper since its launch. The company estimates that this represents more than 18,000 trees saved, around four crore litres of water conserved and approximately 13 lakh kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions avoided compared with producing an equivalent quantity through conventional virgin-paper processes.

It now supplies products to individual customers as well as institutional and corporate buyers, including DMart, JP Morgan, Hero MotoCorp, LIC, and ICICI Prudential. Ashutosh says replacing conventional paper at scale can accelerate the impact.

“We use recycled paper because we believe it is the right material choice, but the ambition is not only to make a sustainable notebook. It is to make a notebook that someone would choose for its paper, texture, construction, and experience even if sustainability were not the first thing on their mind,” he concludes.

All pictures courtesy Rescript.

It is amazing how fallen leaves are helping feed over 1,200 students at IIT Bombay 🔥

With support from IIT Bombay-funded startup Infixen, nearly 2 tonnes of garden waste generated every day are being converted into fuel pellets that help power the kitchen at Hostel 16. This innovation has helped reduce LPG consumption by 60% while preparing meals for more than 1,200 students.

The same garden waste that once cost the institute nearly ₹50 lakh every year to transport away is now becoming a valuable energy resource. From discarded leaves to cooking fuel, IIT Bombay is turning waste into a sustainable solution. :green_heart:

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“Acting is not a real job that pays. How will you survive with theatre?”

For Lalit, whose father drove an auto-rickshaw and whose mother was a homemaker, it was a difficult question to answer. He loved theatre, but his family worried about how he would earn a living from it. 

But passion is stubborn that way. Even when today’s questions go unanswered, it stays.

Lalit kept training with theatre groups across Delhi, often paying out of pocket, until a poster near Mandi House, the city’s theatre district, caught his eye. It was for Bargad, a fellowship offering free training and a monthly stipend.

He instantly knew where he had to be. “What’s the harm in trying, I thought to myself and am I glad I did?” he recalls with glee.

In January 2025, he joined its first cohort of 14 fellows and on day one, co-founder Amba asked them to write down what they hoped to gain from the programme. “She asked us to re-visit it after six months,” Lalit says.

He had hoped that the programme would lead him to a “well-known drama school” and return with a qualification he could show his family. So he wrote, folded the paper and slipped it into a pocket. 

His family’s question was still unanswered. But it was one Bargad had been built to confront.

Who gets to tell their stories?

Behind the fellowship was a larger question: who gets to pursue theatre when training costs money, time and the security of a regular income?

For Amba, Co-Founder of Bargad and Academic Head of the Fellowship, the journey into this question began with her own experience of the performing arts. After training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and working in London for five years, she returned to India with a desire to build a theatre practice of her own.

The question for her wasn’t just one of who gets access to theatre training and professional opportunities, but whose stories, imaginations and artistic voices get valued in the first place. 

“I realised there is heavy gatekeeping in the performing arts, and how much of it is shaped by caste and privilege - an accident of birth,” she says. “Who gets through the door? And historically, who has been told that the door belongs to them? Bargad is an attempt to question that gatekeeping,” Amba says

For Anirudh, Co-Founder of Bargad and Course Director of the Fellowship, the question became personal about 10 years ago, while working on a play about the Criminal Tribes Act. Until then, he says, his privileged background had blinded him to many inequalities.

“I was born into a privileged caste and class with access to education and exposure, and I lived most of my life in a little bubble, blind to everything around me,” he tells The Better India. “That play was my first honest encounter with the reality of caste and with Ambedkar’s writings. It felt as if everything I had learnt and believed was a lie. The ground beneath me shifted.”

In 2025, this led to the founding of Bargad by Amba-Suhasini K Jhala and Anirudh Nair, with Sanyukta Saha, who runs the Agaaz Theatre Trust, and Shambhavi Singh, founder of Oddbird Theatre. Its first cohort began in January 2025.

For Amba, widening access meant more than inviting new people into existing institutions. It meant changing the conditions that decide who can enter at all.

Paying students to make theatre possible

There on, Bargad’s first answer was practical: make training free and pay the people undertaking it.

The first two cohorts received ₹10,000 a month and the third, which begins January 2027, will receive ₹15,000. Classes run from 4 pm to 8.30 pm, six days a week, allowing fellows to earn during the day. Many applicants are financial contributors in their families, and attending classes can mean giving up hours they would otherwise spend working.

“For the fellows, the opportunity cost of taking time out to train in the arts is quite high,” Anirudh says. “The guarantee of a stipend also helps convince their families.”

Before joining, Lalit had paid to learn theatre and sometimes depended on his siblings for money. The stipend gave him a measure of financial independence.

“For the first time, I was being paid to do theatre,” he says. “Initially I was in disbelief but I knew this would be a great opportunity to afford what I enjoyed the most. With the stipend, I did not have to ask my brother or sister for money, and I spent it on travel, books and personal necessities.”

He did not tell his parents when he was selected; only his brother knew. The question of what theatre could offer him remained unresolved, but for the first time, he had room to find out.

Bargad also challenges the assumption that a lack of formal training means a lack of ability. Applications grew from around 75 in the first year to about 200 in the second. Candidates can apply in English or Hindi through written or video submissions. 

An independent online jury shortlists around 30 applicants for three rigorous in-person audition rounds, followed by a group audition testing their listening, collaboration, responsiveness to direction and ensemble skills. A second jury selects the final 14.

"We keep the batch deliberately small so that each fellow receives sustained individual attention, close mentorship and the space to take risks, experiment and grow within a close-knit ensemble," explains Amba.

The six-month curriculum covers voice, movement, acting, improvisation, writing and devising, with visiting practitioners from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai. The emphasis is not only on learning techniques, but on finding ways to use them to make original work.

A scene is never really finished

Neel Chaudhuri, a devising teacher who has taught at Bargad since its inception, works with fellows to develop performances from prompts in the subject of ‘Devicing’ or as he puts it, “to learn to learn to look within and ideate on what story one would like to tell independently.”

In ‘Divising Labs’ held every other week, fellows build short scenes and return to them over time, watching how an idea changes with further work. “The idea is not that they have to make a perfect scene in two weeks, but that they should follow a process, learn how a story is conceptualised and all that goes into seeing it to fruition,” he says.

The distinction is important. Rather than treating the first version of a scene as a finished product, the process encourages fellows to revisit their choices, test different approaches and discover what the work might become. The focus is on developing an idea, not simply producing something quickly.

That approach also opens up what can count as material for theatre. “A scene need not begin with an extraordinary event or a fully formed story. An everyday object, a remembered incident or a private discomfort can become a starting point. The work lies in examining the experience and finding a way to communicate it to an audience,” Neel explains.

Classes are conducted mainly in Hindi, and faculty are asked to work bilingually. “Fellows can ask questions and experiment without feeling that they must already know the conventions of theatre. And language is a big part of it,” he says.

When life becomes the story

For Prerna Bisht, who joined the fellowship in 2026 after an unsuccessful application the previous year, that process began with food.

During a workshop led by Vamsi, an interdisciplinary theatre artist who explores the layered relationship between caste and food, fellows were asked to tell stories through what they ate. The prompt took Prerna back to her childhood in Haryana, where her family’s non-vegetarian food was treated as something to conceal.

“My father would shut every door and window while cooking so that nobody would know what we were eating,” she says. “Once, a neighbour’s child walked in, and we hurriedly hid our plates. For a long time, I was ashamed of my food and I often ate my school lunch hidden from everyone,” Prerna recalls with a tinge of sorrow in her voice.

The memory was about more than a meal. It captured how the fear of being judged could follow someone beyond the home, turning an ordinary part of one’s life into a source of embarrassment.

The workshop gave Prerna a way to revisit that experience and examine what it had meant to her. “At Bargad, food became a way into a story about social pressure, secrecy and the shame I had carried into school. I felt liberated,” she says.

This is one of the possibilities of devising: experiences that might otherwise remain private can be shaped into material for performance. The process does not erase what happened. It gives the person telling the story a way to look at it differently and decide what they want to share.

Taking the story to the stage

After any programme, the question that often arises in the minds of students is: “What next?” In theatre, that anxiety can be manifold with scarce opportunities, rising costs and inaccessibility. 

To solve this, the founders began Bargad ka Chabutra, a further six-month programme that alumni can apply to. It includes masterclasses on running workshops, fundraising and producing, among other supportive teaching. Students can also apply for one of two production grants of Rs. 1 lakh each.

Lalit’s cohort used one grant to expand a 15-minute scene about manual scavenging into Hawa Mahal, a full-length play. The group interviewed manual scavengers, whose experiences informed the production. Lalit then became a part of a larger production team and designed a set made from pipes and windows that also doubled as manholes.

Over seven months, the students developed the production, learning not only how to shape a story but also how to organise the work needed to bring it to an audience. For Lalit, that meant taking on responsibilities beyond acting and helping turn the group’s research into a stage production.

Finding space for the story

Getting a play on stage presented another challenge. Auditoriums around Mandi House can cost ₹80,000 to ₹1 lakh a day, while affordable independent venues are limited and often booked well in advance. Hawa Mahal had six performances, including one at Ashoka University.

For Lalit, the response after one performance made the work feel worthwhile.

“After three shows, in a post-show meeting, the audience told us thank you for telling this story,” he says.

But taking a story from the classroom to an audience requires funding, rehearsal time and space. The ability to develop a production is of little use if there is nowhere affordable to stage it. “In theatre, it is impossible to work without space, both to build work and to show it to audiences,” Neel says.

Bargad has tried to address this by building a network of spaces, people and resources that can help the fellows bridge the gap. Nikhil Mehta of Black Box Okhla has hosted the fellowship and its alumni programme. Other fellows have continued their work in different ways: a graduate from a village in Bihar received a Rs. 1 lakh grant to write a play, a fellow from the second cohort joined the National School of Drama, and another won a full scholarship to Drama School Mumbai.

Keeping the door open

Bargad’s future depends on making these opportunities sustainable. Over two years, the programme has relied on around 20 to 25 individual donors, contributing between Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 5 lakh.

Their support has helped keep it running, but relying on individual generosity makes long-term planning difficult.

“Sustainability is not about finding more well-wishers every year,” Amba says. “It is about finding long-term partners who understand that access cannot depend on annual generosity, so we can plan three, four, five years ahead.”

With more stable funding, she hopes to establish year-long courses in every metro, tour productions and offer larger bursaries. These ambitions would expand the opportunities available to performers who might otherwise struggle to enter the field.

Giving theatre a future

By the end of the fellowship, the qualification Lalit had once hoped for no longer mattered to him.

“I had so much confidence by then that I did not need a tag,” he says. “I can proudly say that I studied in Bargad’s first batch. Now, I don’t even know where that piece of paper I wrote on is,” he laughs.

His family’s question, how will you survive with theatre, still has no single answer. But Lalit now asks it as someone who has put a play on stage, and who is no longer waiting for anyone’s permission to make the next one.