Sustainability

Odisha resident Subrat Nath has turned his home into a mini garden with rare flowers and fruit plants. His exotic collection includes the Miyazaki mango which sells for Rs 2.5 lakh per kg. With lilies, lotuses, and other rare plants thriving at home, Subrat hopes his work will inspire others to pick up gardening.

Bengaluru residents Rohit Malekar and Suma Raj share how they practice rainwater harvesting which has helped them mitigate the water crisis.

IFS officer Vikas Nayak came across a barren land in the ravines of Firozabad district in Uttar Pradesh. Once a breeding ground for thieves and dacoits, he developed it into a green oasis with wood huts, geo treks, a butterfly park, and more.

Surat-based Rashi Agarwal launched Roohani Rang, a handmade stationery business. It recycles cotton waste to create sustainable products like journals, planners, sketchbooks, calendars, etc — all designed by artisans skilled in traditional Indian art forms.

Dr Naveen Kumar from Chennai is on a mission to combat health issues caused by adulterated food. For this, he encourages his patients to grow their own food using organic farming. He cultivates native seeds on his terrace and distributes them to patients and others, motivating them to grow fruits and vegetables at home.

With soaring temperatures and warnings of heatwaves in several Indian cities, architects share how to build homes that stay naturally cool and don't require air conditioning at all times.

Shipra Singhania’s home in Alwar, Rajasthan is built using natural, cooling materials like neem, jaggery, and turmeric. It also has a rainwater harvesting system.

George Ramapuram, founder of Earthitects, is an expert in designing homes in harmony with nature. Estate Paathiri, his project in Wayanad, Kerala, is built around a decades-old tree and preserves the ecosystem by seamlessly blending indoor-outdoor living.

For 15 years, Odette Katrak has been striving to save water, even when the Bengaluru water crisis was not in the news. With her framework, she breaks down the notion that tap water is the only water resource in our houses.

Uttarakhand-based Dr Anshu Rathi stocks her kitchen cabinet with homegrown Indian spices, such as turmeric, black pepper, saffron, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom and more. Here’s how she grows them.