When Abortion Rights Meet Stigma
Also this week, the climate threat to Kashmir's Chinar trees, and water woes in Maharashtra's villages
India legalised abortion in 1971. And care guidelines say that service providers should counsel the women while maintaining their privacy and confidentiality, and being respectful and non judgemental. But women seeking abortion in various Indian states have to contend with rude and abusive behaviour.
Added to this, many women and even officials think the procedure is illegal. Studies conducted in Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam and Madhya Pradesh show that less than 50% of women are aware about abortion laws.
The stigma attached to abortion and active discouragement by public health personnel means that women end up resorting to unsafe abortion services putting their lives at risk, Menaka Rao reports in this first of a four-part series.
How Stigma, Lack Of Awareness Endanger Women Seeking Abortions
Kashmir’s iconic Chinar trees are deeply rooted in the region’s culture, environment and heritage. In about 50 years, the number of trees fell by a quarter, with experts attributing the decline to climate change, illegal felling and urban expansion.Â
The diminishing numbers of Chinar trees are a significant concern for the local ecology, culture, and environment. They also play a vital role in preventing soil erosion, as their deep roots stabilise the soil, helping to prevent landslides and floods. Experts stress the need for stronger laws and proactive conservation, Suhail Bhat reports.
Kashmir’s Iconic Chinar Trees are Disappearing
In 2019, the Union government combined a bunch of programmes to provide clean drinking water, and took up works in mission mode with an ambitious target: Every household was to receive piped water (Har Ghar Jal) by 2024. But the target is some distance away: about 80% of households across India now have tap water connections, according to Jal Jeevan Mission data. In Maharashtra, that figure is 88%.
Even households with connections get water only once or twice a week, forcing locals to arrange for water through private operators, Varsha Torgalkar reports from Parbhani and Solapur. This creates a double indemnity--the villagers pay water charges to local bodies, and also spend money buying water to meet their needs.Â
Maharashtra Villages Struggle To Get Water Under Jal Jeevan Mission
For IndiaSpend Hindi, Alka Barbele reports how the use of ‘potash guns’ during Diwali led to explosions and debilitating injuries. Delhi’s AIIMS has recorded 10 such cases; six of the patients have lost vision in both eyes and four in one eye, besides other injuries and burns.