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Dear Reader,
Wayanad in Kerala is experiencing devastating landslides triggered by heavy rainfall, resulting in tragic loss of lives, with 380 reported deaths. Credible studies on landslide calamities in Wayanad have attributed them to human-induced pressures on natural resources, unscientific land use, unsustainable agricultural practices, and the impact of extreme weather events due to climate change.
Keraleeyam Masika argues that even when studies on preventive measures for floods and landslides are conducted and presented to the State Disaster Management Authority, the local authorities do not take cognisance of the recommendations and are underprepared to prevent the loss of lives.
It cites how The Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, an independent Trust working on conservation based in Wayanad's Kalpetta, conducted a study after the devastating 2018 floods and suggested preventive solutions to the government. However, the district administration seems not to have taken these lessons on board in preventing the current disaster.
In the marshes of Gujarat's Little Rann of Kutch, spread over 5,000 sq km, the salty water table has supported the livelihoods of agariyas, traditional salt farmers and local migrants, who produce 30 per cent of India's inland salt. However, their gruelling labour in harsh conditions has been barely able to provide them even basic sustenance, pushing them into debt and distress. The disproportionate cost of diesel for the pumps, used to drain water from the wells, constituting 65 per cent of the input costs, has been the main reason weighing down the salt makers.
Now, as part of a government scheme, they have newfound access to life-transforming solar pumps at subsidised rates instead of diesel-powered ones. Not only have the solar pumps led to a dramatic lowering of costs, lifting them out of debt and poverty, but have also reduced emissions and pollution. The Migration Story reports from the Little Rann of Kutch.
By the 2011 census, a decade and more ago, India had more than 43 million widows. Widowhood can often be cruel and dispiriting. Social ostracism, weakening family ties and financial distress are exacerbated by deep-seated cultural stigmas and discriminatory practices. Gender biases further accentuate these issues, leaving the widows particularly susceptible to neglect and abuse. The India Forum argues that there is an urgent need for community-based support and special inclusion measures for widows, especially focusing on their health-related vulnerabilities.
And, the constitutionally mandated reservation system in India has played a critical role in promoting inclusivity and opportunities for the marginalised. However, there has been a growing perception that reservations along broad community lines, while playing their role, have fallen short of extending affirmative action to the "most disadvantaged" and most marginalised groups.
Last week, by a 6-1 majority, a seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court upheld the validity of sub-classification within the Scheduled Caste categories. This, the apex court said, was needed to redress and redirect the reservations to the most disadvantaged and "exclude the creamy layer". The Supreme Court Observer brings you the nuances and finer points of this far-reaching verdict.
For more such stories from the grantees this week, please read on.
Warmly,
Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF
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