Latest news with #Vulnerable
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
JoJo Siwa breaks down on stage in London; Admits she's exhausted and ‘faking it'
JoJo Siwa, the vibrant performer known for her high-energy shows and colourful personality, recently had an emotional moment on stage in London. During her performance at Colours Hoxton, the 22-year-old singer broke down in tears, revealing to her audience that she has been struggling with exhaustion and the pressure of maintaining her upbeat persona. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A Vulnerable Moment on Stage Siwa, who has been in the spotlight since her early days on Dance Mums, shared a heartfelt confession with her fans. She admitted that since she was nine years old, she has gone through phases where she felt like 'one of the most hated people in the world.' Despite her immense success, she acknowledged that she had been holding onto things beyond her control, particularly during her teenage years. During her emotional speech, Siwa reassured her audience that she now feels 'incredibly loved' but admitted that nights like this make her reflect deeply. She told the crowd, 'I don't cry that often, but nights like this really hit me. I can be up here, sing my songs, and commit to the bit, but I just want you to know that inside, my heart is smiling.' The Toll of a Hectic Schedule Siwa's packed schedule has been relentless in recent months. She performed in Mexico, celebrated her birthday in Florida, flew to London for back-to-back shows, and returned to Los Angeles after her April appearance on Celebrity Big Brother. She obviously suffered from the constant travel and performances, which caused her to lose it on stage. In a recent Instagram Q&A, a fan asked where she gets her energy, to which Siwa responded, 'I try to find happiness in every moment, even when it's hard, or fake it when I am empty. Currently, what's happening hahaha.' Another fan asked if she ever takes a break, and Siwa admitted that she briefly rested around her birthday but plans to take a 'little break' in early June.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Awareness campaign on tribal welfare schemes to be held in Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district from June 15
The District Administration of Palnadu, under the guidance of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA), Government of India, will launch an intensive awareness campaign from June 15 to 30, 2025 to educate tribal communities about key welfare schemes, especially aimed at Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), such as the Chenchu population. The District Collector P. Arun Babu told The Hindu that these awareness camps would enhance the living standards of the PVTGs in the district, so that they could easily access all the welfare schemes benefits. According to the 2011 census, there is a total of 7,235 PVTG Chenchu population with 2,143 households in 51 habitations, with a literacy rate of 35.1% in the district. The campaign is part of the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), launched a couple of years back by MoTA, designed to uplift PVTG tribal communities by ensuring access to essential services. In the first phase, 51 Chenchu habitations in Veldurthi, Macherla, Durgi, Karampudi, Bollapalli, and Rentachintala mandals will be covered. With coordination from nine government departments, awareness sessions will highlight 11 essential schemes, including housing, drinking water, electricity, LPG connections, road connectivity, mobile medical units, and Anganwadi centres. The second phase will extend similar benefits to 31 Chenchu habitations in non-PVTG mandals of the district, following Central Government approval. Additionally, under the Dharati Abh-Janjatiya Grama Utkarsh Abhiyan (DA–JGUA), 17 habitations across five mandals — Macherla, Durgi, Dachepalli, Achampet, and Bollapalli — will be surveyed to identify infrastructure gaps. With coordination from 17 departments, awareness sessions will cover 25 welfare schemes to bridge the development divide. The District Administration, under Collector P. Arun Babu, will conduct these sessions through the respective Municipal Planning and Development Offices (MPDOs). Tribal residents are urged to attend with necessary documents such as Aadhaar, bank passbook, health card, job card, electricity bill, gas connection details, and land-related documents to resolve grievances and avail benefits effectively.
Hans India
27-05-2025
- General
- Hans India
Parvatipuram aims to develop in a saturation mode under PM JANMAN
Parvatipuram: Parvathipuram Manyam district administration is aiming to gain all round development through Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) scheme. This programme is aimed to saturate Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) with basic facilities like housing, water, sanitation, education, healthcare, connectivity, and livelihood. District Collector A. Shyam Prasad is spearheading the implementation in Parvatipuram, emphasizing timely completion. In Seethampeta ITDA, 447 PVTG habitations across four mandals covering 49,611 tribals have seen 2,530 houses sanctioned. Apart from this,417 drinking water schemes, roads, anganwadis, hostels, and multipurpose centers developed. All habitations are electrified; 27 BSNL towers and 53 Van Dhan Vikas Kendras are operational. In Parvatipuram ITDA, 3,323 houses have been sanctioned (1,827 grounded), 16 road works (34.77 km) sanctioned, 376 FHTC projects initiated (55 completed), and mobile connectivity extended to 248 habitations. Anganwadis, hostels, and multipurpose centers are under construction. Over 1.5 lakh welfare documents like Aadhaar, Ayushman cards, and caste certificates have been issued across both ITDAs. The Collector affirmed the programme's top priority status, calling it transformative for tribal welfare and district infrastructure, with a strong focus on saturation-based,timely execution.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Clean energy, costly future: Rajasthan's forest communities fight to save ancestral land
Ravi Sahariya (26) sits silently among a group of villagers at a small temple in Moondiyar, a village bordering the ecologically-rich Shahbad forest in Rajasthan 's Baran district. The forest, vital to the lives of tribal families like his, is now under threat as 408 hectares of it are proposed to be diverted for a massive renewable energy project. More than 1.19 lakh trees are to be felled. #Operation Sindoor India responds to Pak's ceasefire violation; All that happened India-Pakistan ceasefire reactions: Who said what Punjab's hopes for normalcy dimmed by fresh violations The meeting at the temple has been called to oppose the 1,800-megawatt pumped storage project being built by Greenko Energies Private Limited. A pumped storage project acts as a giant water battery. It stores extra renewable energy by pumping water uphill and releasing it later to generate electricity when demand is high or supply drops. While only three villages -- Kaloni, Mungawali and Baint -- are officially listed for land acquisition, the project's shadow looms much larger, affecting at least seven nearby villages that are home to hundreds of forest-dependent tribal and Dalit families. Moondiyar has about 2,500 residents, including around 400 Sahariyas -- a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) characterised by extreme poverty and a low level of literacy. For generations, families like Ravi's have survived by collecting forest produce such as mahua and amla and grazing cattle in the Shahbad forest. Live Events "I earn about Rs 50,000 a year," Ravi says. "Of that, Rs 40,000 comes from selling forest produce. The rest comes from harvesting chickpea during the season. We spend Rs 15,000 alone on our children's school fees." Ravi's wife Krishna is the village sarpanch. Until recently, his family of seven lived in a mud hut. Now, they have a small two-room house built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Their only electronic possession is a mobile phone. "If the forest goes, we go," Ravi says. "I will have to go to the city to find daily-wage work." Dalits and Sahariyas make up nearly half of Moondiyar's population. Most survive on forest produce -- mahua, tendu patta, chironji, khair and gond, among others. Losing the forest means losing food, income and identity. Ravi owns five bighas of land next to the forest. "My land is now surrounded by plots bought by brokers. We used to grow enough wheat just for the family. Now, I have no access. No one will let me pass. I will be forced to sell," he says. Greenko Energies claims no land is being acquired in Moondiyar. But villagers say brokers, sensing an opportunity, are buying tribal land for cheap to sell at higher prices later. "Non-tribal agents bought land from tribals in distress," says Jitendra (28) from the nearby Kaloni village. Legally, companies cannot buy land directly from tribals. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013, requires the government to act as an intermediary. Additionally, the Rajasthan Tenancy Act bars the sale of tribal land to non-tribals without the district collector's prior approval. Baran Collector Rohitashva Singh Tomar says he has not received any land-acquisition proposal from the company or granted permission for transfer of any tribal land. Greenko Energies' forest-diversion application to the Union environment ministry claims forest rights have been settled in the affected villages -- a prerequisite for using forest land. But villagers are unaware. "I do not know, sir," Ravi says, when asked if his forest rights have been officially recognised. The collector says forest rights recognition is a "dynamic process" and that he will check whether any claims from the affected villages are still pending. Loss of forest also threatens to worsen malnutrition, already rampant among Sahariya children. Last September, more than 170 malnourished children were found in Baran's Shahbad-Kishanganj area. Many belonged to villages like Moondiyar and Kaloni. "No forest means no income, no food. Malnutrition will rise. People will be forced to migrate," warns Laxman Singh Mehta, a farmer from Kaloni. Researcher Bhargavi S Rao draws a parallel with the Pavagada solar park in Karnataka. "People lost land and left for cities to become construction workers. Women, children and the elderly stayed behind, with worsening nutrition. Anaemia rose. This is a public health issue but no one is paying attention," she says. This is the dark side of the clean-energy push, she adds. "We are pushing people off the land that feeds them, without giving them new skills or support." India's renewable energy ambitions are massive. The country aims for 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030. Rajasthan, with the highest renewable energy potential, plans to add 90 gigawatts by then. The rapid expansion of renewable energy is critical for India to meet climate goals and achieve energy independence. But it has brought conflict too. A 2024 report prepared by research group Land Conflict Watch found 31 land conflicts linked to renewable energy projects across 10 states, affecting nearly 44,000 people. Eight of these were in Rajasthan alone. In Shahbad, the forest is not just land. It shields the villages from Rajasthan's punishing heat, nourishes groundwater and provides food, shade and grazing land for both people and wildlife. Brijesh Kumar, a gram panchayat member from Kaloni, says Shahbad will turn into another Jaisalmer -- where summer temperatures easily reach 47-48 degrees Celsius -- without the forest. "It keeps us alive." Greenko Energies plans to cut more than 1.19 lakh trees, some over 100 years old, for the project. It has received the environment ministry's Stage-1 clearance and is awaiting final approval. Villagers claim trees are already being cut. This PTI correspondent saw several uprooted trees at the site. It was not clear who was responsible. Water conservationist Rajendra Singh visited the site and estimates the number of trees to be felled as four times higher. Greenko Energies denies this. A company representative claims no trees have been cut yet. Only a minimum number of trees will be removed after the final forest clearance, he says. Range Forest Officer Rajendra Prasad Meghwal says he is not aware of the tree felling but promises an investigation if a complaint is filed. The Shahbad forest is also home to many endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, including leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, vultures, wolves, jackals, porcupines and pythons. Locals say they have even seen a cheetah that possibly strayed from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, just 48 kilometres away. India declared cheetahs extinct in 1952. The government recently brought some African cheetahs to Kuno National Park as part of a globally-watched reintroduction effort. Social activist Jitendra Sharma, part of the Save Shahbad Forest campaign, warns of increasing human-animal conflict. "Where will leopards and cheetahs go? They will enter our homes," he says. Even the Environmental Impact Assessment report says the project will fragment the landscape, disturb biodiversity and likely increase conflict between animals and humans. Yet, not everyone is against it. Bhup Singh (45), whose land falls within the project area, says, "We need jobs. Our forest is already degraded. Trees were cut, no one cared. Maybe the project will help our children survive." However, others remain sceptical. Manak Chand (65) from Moondiyar says, "A company set up a crusher plant in a nearby village and promised people employment. Not a single person got a job; they brought people from outside." Neeraj Kashyap grazes his 125 goats along the banks of the Kuno river, from which the project will lift water. The forest feeds them. "If it goes, what will our children eat?" he asks. "We have only our animals. If the company cuts the forest and does not help us, we will starve." The forest has long protected Shahbad. Now, villagers wonder who will protect the forest.
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Business Standard
11-05-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Green energy vs survival: Rajasthan's forest communities at a crossroad
Ravi Sahariya, 26, sits silently among a group of villagers at a small temple in Moondiyar, a village bordering the ecologically-rich Shahbad forest in Rajasthan's Baran district. The forest, vital to the lives of tribal families like his, is now under threat as 408 hectares of it are proposed to be diverted for a massive pumped-storage project. The meeting at the temple, attended by around 30 people, has been called to oppose the 1,800-megawatt hydro project being built by Greenko Energies Private Limited. While only three villages -- Kaloni, Mungawali and Baint -- are officially listed for land acquisition, the project's shadow looms much larger, affecting at least seven nearby villages, home to hundreds of forest-dependent tribal and Dalit families. The project entails two large reservoirs covering a total of 624 hectares. Water will be lifted from the Kuno river, near Mungawali village. Though it promises clean energy, locals fear it could destroy their way of life. Moondiyar has about 2,500 residents, including around 400 Sahariyas, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) characterised by extreme poverty and a low level of literacy. For generations, families like Ravi's have survived by collecting forest produce like mahua and amla and grazing cattle in the Shahbad forest. "I earn about Rs 50,000 a year," Ravi says. "Of that, Rs 40,000 come from selling forest produce. The rest comes from harvesting chickpea during the season. We spend Rs 15,000 alone on our children's school fees." Until recently, his family of seven lived in a mud hut. Now, they have a small two-room house built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. Their only electronic possession is a mobile phone. "If the jungle goes, we go," Ravi says. "I will have to go to the city to find daily-wage work." Dalits and Sahariyas make up nearly half of Moondiyar's population. Most survive on forest produce -- mahua, tendu patta, chironji, khair, gond etc. Losing the forest means losing food, income and identity. Ravi owns five bighas of land next to the forest. "My land is now surrounded by plots bought by brokers. We used to grow enough wheat just for the family. Now, I have no access. No one will let me pass through. I will be forced to sell," he says. The company claims that no land is being acquired from Moondiyar. But villagers say brokers, sensing an opportunity, are buying tribal land cheaply to sell at higher prices later. "Non-tribal agents bought land from tribals in distress," says Jitendra, 28, from the nearby Kaloni village. Legally, this is problematic. The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Act, 2013 requires the government to act as an intermediary. Companies cannot buy land directly. Also, the Rajasthan Tenancy Act bars the sale of tribal land to non-tribals without the district collector's prior approval. Baran Collector Rohitashva Singh Tomar says he has not received any land-acquisition proposal from the company or granted permission for any tribal land transfer. Greenko's forest-diversion application to the Union environment ministry claims that forest rights have been settled in the affected villages -- a prerequisite for using forest land. But villagers are unaware of this. "I do not know, sir," Ravi said, when asked if his forest rights have been officially recognised. The collector said forest rights recognition is a "dynamic process" and he would check whether any claims from the affected villages are still pending. Loss of forest also threatens to worsen malnutrition, already rampant among Sahariya children. According to a PTI report from September last year, more than 170 malnourished children were found in Baran's Shahbad-Kishanganj area. Many belonged to villages like Moondiyar and Kaloni. "No forest means no income. No income means no food. Malnutrition will rise. People will be forced to migrate," warns Laxman Singh Mehta, a farmer from Kaloni. Researcher Bhargavi S Rao drew parallels with the Pavagada solar park in Karnataka. "People lost land and left for cities to become construction workers. Women, children, the elderly were left behind. With no forest and no support, nutritional security worsens. Maternal mortality, infant deaths increase. It is a public health issue no one talks about," she said. This is the dark side of the clean-energy push, she added. "We are pushing people off the land that feeds them, without giving them new skills or supports," Rao said. India's renewable-energy ambitions are massive. The country aims for 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030. Rajasthan, with the highest RE potential, plans to add 90 GW by then. But this rush could lead to conflicts. A 2023 report prepared by Land Conflict Watch found 31 land conflicts linked to renewable-energy projects across 10 states, affecting nearly 44,000 people. Rajasthan alone had eight such cases. In Shahbad, the forest is not just land, it is life. It shields the villages from Rajasthan's punishing heat, nourishes groundwater and provides food, shade and grazing land for both people and wildlife. Brijesh Kumar, a gram panchayat member from Kaloni, said without this jungle, Shahbad will turn into another Jaisalmer. "It keeps us alive. If it goes, so do we," he said. Greenko plans to cut 1.19 lakh trees, some of which are more than 100 years old, for the project. It has received the environment ministry's Stage-1 clearance and is waiting for the final approval. Villagers claim that trees are already being cut, even without full permission. This correspondent saw several uprooted trees at the site. It was not clear who was responsible. Water conservationist Rajendra Singh visited the site and according to his estimate, the number of trees felled is much higher. "It is not 1.19 lakh, it is four times more," he said. Greenko denies this. A company representative claimed that no trees have been cut yet and said only a minimum number of trees will be removed after the final forest clearance. Forest Officer Rajendra Prasad Meghwal said his department has not received any complaint but will investigate if one is filed. The Shahbad forest is also home to many endangered species listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, including leopards, sloth bears, striped hyenas, vultures, wolves, jackals, porcupines and pythons. Locals say they have even seen a cheetah that possibly strayed from Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, just 48 kilometres away. Social activist Jitendra Sharma, part of the Save Shahbad Forest campaign, warns of rising human-animal conflict. "Break the forest and you break the balance," he says. Even the Environmental Impact Assessment report says the project will fragment the landscape, disturb biodiversity and likely increase conflict between animals and humans. Yet, not everyone is against it. Bhup Singh, 45, whose land falls within the project area, says, "We need jobs. Our forest is already degraded. Trees were cut, no one cared. Maybe the project will help our children survive." Others are not so sure. Manak Chand, 65, from Moondiyar says, "Another company promised jobs earlier. No one from our village got hired. They brought outsiders." Along the banks of the Kuno river, Neeraj Kashyap grazes his 125 goats. The forest feeds them. "If it goes, what will our children eat?" he asks. "We have only our animals. If the company cuts the jungle and does not help us, we will starve." The forest has long protected Shahbad. Now, villagers wonder who will protect the forest.
