As COP28 debates phrasing on fossil fuels, a snapshot of life near India’s coal mines
India eventually agreed to ‘phase down’ – not ‘phase out’ – fossil fuel. But how will this impact residents of Medhauli?
Mridula Chari
Independent reporter, Mumbai
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I am an award-winning independent reporter based in Mumbai, India. I cover development, public policy, environment and human rights. I have won two Ramnath Goenka Awards for Excellence in Journalism, one Shriram Sanlam Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism, third place at the PII-ICRC awards and one special mention for the ACJ Award for Investigative Journalism for my work.
I have been a journalist for nine years. I have worked at the news website Scroll.in and the data-research organisation Land Conflict Watch. I am now a freelance reporter. I can also record audio and shoot short videos. My work has appeared in Undark, Evening Standard, Scroll.in, Times of India, Mint, Article 14 and Indiaspend.
My recent work includes analysis of public policies related to climate change for Newslaundry and Article 14; a report on how research of elephant decision-making can reduce human-elephant conflict for Undark; how night schools in Mumbai help girls and women to access education for Evening Standard; an investigation of how women in Adivasi communities are affected by and fighting against climate change for Scroll.in; a longform history of hunger in India for the news website FiftyTwo; a two-part series for Article 14 that investigates land pooling schemes in Madhya Pradesh and Punjab; and an investigation of how injustice and local displacement are built into India's solar energy push for Mint.
Recent work
Modi’s G20 Push For Green Credit Scheme Wants Private Plantations To Replace Forests, Rejected By His Own Experts
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is pushing a vaguely worded programme—first proposed 15 years ago when he was Gujarat chief minister—that encourages the replacement of government and community-governed forests by private plantations as part of India’s climate-change commitments. Over five years, the idea of such private run plantations has been opposed at least three times by one of his own ministries and by a Supreme Court committee. In June, the environment ministry suddenly cut short mandatory public consultation, and in September Modi urged G20 nations that his green credits plan be considered globally.
In India, A Nuanced View of How Elephants Make Decisions
Experts say that understanding how the giant mammals weigh risk and reward could help prevent clashes with people.
India’s night schools give women a second chance at education
Juggling work and school is often too much for the poorest women and girls in India. Mumbai’s night schools offer a lifeline for those hoping to change their futures.
The cost of Telangana’s drive to plant two billion trees
The state’s massive afforestation programme has seen impressive results. But many cultivators have been evicted from lands they used for decades.
Battered by climate change, Central India’s forest products are disappearing
They are crucial to millions of people and a vast Rs 2 lakh crore economy. But with unpredictable rains and extreme temperatures, their yields are falling.
Awards
This is a selection of articles for which I have won awards. You can see the full list on my Awards page.
Contact Me
You can email me at mridula.chari@gmail.com
My DMs are open on Twitter @mridulasee