community-led conservation

Amid India’s growing water crisis, meet five inspiring water warriors who are restoring ponds, building check dams, and bringing clean water to millions. This September, The Better India Showcase 2025 is honouring their impact.

Once hunted for meat, the Asian Giant Tortoise is making a quiet comeback in Nagaland—thanks to the relentless efforts of tribal youth turning protectors.

In Delhi-NCR’s urban sprawl, Ramveer Tanwar — a former engineer — has been reviving dying ponds through community-led efforts. His initiative, Jal Chaupal, has helped restore over 80 wetlands across India, improving groundwater, biodiversity, and local pride.

Born on Majuli Island, Munmuni Payeng grew up watching floods wash away land and lives. At 25, she’s leading a community-driven mission to plant one million native trees to heal the land and protect Assam’s future.

Many communities in India live in harmony with wildlife, driven by tradition, spirituality, and deep-rooted respect for nature. These stories prove that peaceful coexistence isn’t just possible — it’s already a lived reality.

In Kerala’s Western Ghats, 20 local women are restoring a rainforest from the roots up. At Gurukula Botanical Sanctuary, they’ve nurtured over 2,000 native plant species and brought back birds, frogs, and even signs of tigers — with no formal training, only care.

Uttar Pradesh’s Chambal Sanctuary records 2,026 gharials in 2025 — the highest since 1975, driven by decades of conservation and local support.

From army veteran to earth warrior, Ramesh Kharmale and his family are reviving barren hills — one trench at a time