Feature Article

Three years after a public interest litigation case was filed in the Supreme Court to stop a local factory polluting its drinking water, the wells in Bichhri, a hamlet in Udaipur district, continue to be full of contaminated water. Why is public interest

PIL allows a citizen to move a court on behalf of persons who are unable, because of poverty or disability, to seek judicial redressal

• Sanitation in Ratlam: In a landmark judgement in 1980, the Supreme Court explicitly recognised the impact of a deteriorating urban environment on the poor. It linked basic public health

What the Constitution of India has to say in connection with public interest litigation

Decline in supplies has badly affected many traditional crafts. Woodcarving in Saharanpur is one of them. Despite a revitalised export market, the craft that had begun as a sustainable proffession is dying a slow death

The balding hills of Jadhera panchayat in Himachal Pradesh are regaining their vegetation, thanks to an unusual village chief

Studying the history of human interaction with nature can be very useful in formulating resource management policies. It can also provide a clearer insight into the causes of poverty

That is what Lata Srikhande, a Pune housewife, did to solve her domestic waste disposal problems. Now her neighbourhood is following suit

The British perceived these valuable community resources as a "wasteful system"

In Pakistan, they are controlling population growth by raising the living standards of local communities through Pasbaan, the social development wing of the country's family planning association