Growing up in an era of darkness, Santan dared not believe that things could change for the better, until one day it finally did! By Somdatta Sengupta Dharnai, Bihar — Santan Kumar, 19, is shy, likes to keep to himself and a...

It is not easy to believe that change is possible or change is good without conviction and a vision for the future By Somdatta Sengupta Bishunpur Tolla, Dharnai, Bihar — During the day, he is busy managing his business. At...

Women in Dharnai, like Soni Devi, struggle every day to fulfill basic necessities of food, water and fuel, often risking their health and saf ety By Neha Khator Dharnai, Bihar — Till back in November last year, meeting...

In this world where we seem surrounded by news of gloom and doom, we don't often hear stories of positive change. But here is one: a story of a village that has unshackled itself from darkness, after 30 years of having its energy...

Women can move around without fear and socialise after dark since the solar-powered microgrid has started operation in the village Dharnai, Bihar — It was a moment to remember. The local panchayat bhavan was buzzing with...

Power-cuts have a major impact on our daily schedule. Now think of the people residing in the rural areas, having very little access or no access to electricity. All of us need electricity. But using unsustainable energy sources...

The story of the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna (RGGVY) survey encompassing 6 villages in Madhubani, is similar to that of other villages, with some variations here and there. No one had a clue about the RGGVY scheme. No one...

I am travelling with a team of surveyors who proudly call themselves soochna prahari. They are the local Right to Information (RTI) activists who have been filing RTIs and bringing out many cases of corruption and malpractices in...

W ith the Nalanda University revival becoming a reality, Bihar is trying to regain its status as an education hub in the international arena. The elite centre of learning which was operational 800 years back, was built in fifth century...

We finally reached the last stop of our yatra- Arrah. Amazing hospitality and delicious food welcomed us in Arrah. We could smell the home cooked Litti Chokha dipped in homemade ghee (Indian butter) from a distance. Elaichi (cardamom)...

Patna doesn't have much in the way of social spaces. Its efforts are pretty much encapsulated in the Gandhi Maidan, a wide square of scrubby grass in the centre of town, and people flock to it.    The evening scene there on Friday...

Everyone in Bihar knows the electricity problems of the state.  It’s got a massive, yawning deficit, but not the coal reserves to plug it.  Yet, somehow, the issue of energy is often overlooked in the shadows of other developmental...

The yatra team reached its second last destination-Chhapra, a land famous for the special ghee loaded dish, Litti chokha. The event was attended by women from local NGO groups. A lot of people working in the development sector also...

It’s been nearly a year since the Greenpeace campaign for decentralised renewable energy in Bihar began, and it’s seen a multitude of forms: press conferences, network events, informal meetings with political parties, reports. It came...

The sky lanterns had already set the mood for the yatra in Bodhgaya. Now it was time to enact our street play and tell people about it. The theatre yatris set out with their dholak (Indian drum) and dhapli (tambourine), singing...

After the Bhagalpur event got over, the yatra bus reached Thatha panchayat, Khagariya for malyarpan. Here we found a group of aware individuals especially women, some of whom worked for an NGO called Navjagriti. This organisation works...

Bhagalpur, famous for its silk sarees was our next stop. Unfortunately, the famous silk industry is suffering due to the power shortage in the village. The workers and weavers of the industries have taken up other jobs to earn a basic...

Araria was the next stop for the Greenpeace yatris. Tired from the long and bumpy bus journey we decided to take a small break at Purnia before we reached Araria. The sort of welcome that was given to us at Purnia showed the kindness...

Our next stop was the city of fishes-Madhubani. Amazing scenic beauty welcomed us and the greenery soothed our eyes. The land famous for its paintings is at present suffering from severe power shortage. Artists here, find it difficult...

A lot many times we have heard and seen that the biggest setbacks come with the greatest discoveries. Energy produced by thermal power plants is one such discovery. Kanti village in Bihar, has been adversely affected by the ash...

After the adventurous beginning of the yatra (journey) from Champaran, the yatris (travellers) set off for their new destination into the land of litchis. Muzaffarpur, a land famous for the sweetness of its litchi, is the largest city...