Tamil Nadu

After years of documenting farmers’ struggles, M J Prabu made a decision that changed his life. He left the newsroom, returned to his village, and began rebuilding what farming had slowly lost: native seeds, shared knowledge, and farmer trust.

BookWater, founded by Bharath and Balachander, uses QR codes and IoT sensors to track water quality, reuse cycles, and plastic safety in Chennai’s water cans. With 3000 users and 50000 cans monitored monthly, the startup is improving public health while promoting recycling and sustainable water delivery.

In Chennai, women drive dark green e-autos selling fresh vegetables — packed not in plastic, but in bright yellow manjapai cloth bags. This eco-friendly project empowers women, revives tradition, and tackles plastic waste.

What do you do with a weed that grows back in 14 days and kills everything in its path? In Trichy, 25-year-old ecologist Sushmita Krishnan found an answer — she turned it into handmade paper and trained 150 women to do the same.

By making the HPV vaccine free for girls under 14, Tamil Nadu hopes to close long-standing gaps in access and awareness, helping families take a preventive step against cervical cancer.

For over three decades, the villagers near Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary have consciously avoided bursting crackers, not just during Diwali, but also during weddings and temple festivals.

Each Navratri, Chennai’s Mylapore turns into a living gallery of dolls and stories. Behind every stall are families who have kept this craft alive for generations — and whose livelihoods depend on these festive days.

They said the Desert Rose was too exotic. Too delicate. Not worth it. Jalandhar proved them all wrong. From a small village in Tamil Nadu, he built a blooming business around a plant that requires almost no maintenance, just sun, water, and love.

Once threatened by poaching and tree-cutting, Elathur Lake in Erode is now home to 187 bird species and a proud Biodiversity Heritage Site — thanks to its people.

In Tamil Nadu's Nellivasal village, students at a government school had to defecate in the open due to the lack of proper toilets. Architect Barnala Michael, along with his friend Vishnupriya, constructed low-cost, sustainable toilets, addressing hygiene issues and promoting eco-friendly practices.