Reporter. Fellow at Village Square. Email: aatreyee.dhar56
@gmail
.
Awards:Laadli_PF, Red Ink Awards 2022. Bylines:Guardian, BBC Future, Telegraph UK, BMJ+
My story for
@BBC_Future
on the solution employed by the indigenous communities in Arunachal and Nagaland to avoid human vs mithun conflicts, a consolidation to what they had been doing since ages: protecting mithuns and its habitat, in turn the forests.
Only privileged people can afford the nihilism to stick with 'Nothing is going to change in the country. Everything will be wrong and will continue to do so in the coming years'. Reporting from rural corners and seeing a bunch of village folk indulging in initiatives despite+
This is what we call well-heeled tourism with buildings 100 percent illegal. Also,this fierceness of river flow is not your polished Instagram-filter to earn likes, it is a sign of river flowing above danger-level.
Folks cannot arrange drinking water, women are refusing to eat food coz defecation is not possible in submerged toilets but politicians have to use disaster as photo-ops. Mitigation will stop at "rescue and relief" and then they will do nothing in the non-flood months.
This is unacceptable. Aggressive monoculture plantations like palm oil under Modi's regime will spell death knell for the precious forest preserves including its untapped resources in Meghalaya. Don't trust these self-style godsman-run like corporations to understand ecology.
My story for
@down2earthindia
supported by
@earthjournalism
on how epileptic seizures caused by neurocysticercosis (a zoonotic disease) is leading to loss of lives and deaths in Assam's tea gardens.
If sites like Feminism India don't pay writers for their diligence and painstaking efforts in weaving a research piece, then we don't trust you for posturing stances supporting the less privileged. Please, exploitation is at the heart of your system.
I am simply angry coz NE climate change coverage seems limited to Assam. People have been killed in landslides (4 children) in Meghalaya, and there are serious climate change concerns here. Record-high rainfall and I will angered at national media for not taking this seriously.
My story for
@Telegraph
on how Japanese Encephalitis cases are spreading to non-endemic areas of Assam due to climate change and the need for active surveillance to help contain the spread of such vector-borne diseases.
Hey guys, I am officially an EJN grantee.Hoping to do a story on epilepsy cases caused by neurocysticercosis in Assam's tea gardens and will increase the grant money if required.
I am seeing a lot of tweets about the winners of the Elephant Whispers dismissing their subjects in their win. I think the winners just threw in two lines about them in the short speech window that was given to them which imo is not enough. Give or take, docs end up exploiting+
I am sorry but the Wire pretending as if there was no fault of its editorial board is beyond my comprehension. To scrutinise reports by your reporters, show restraint and ask for proofs is the job of an editor. Just scared for reporters now.
Devesh Kumar “got in touch with our reporter and told us that he had received information from a personal friend of his who is a senior executive at Instagram’s office in Singapore” -- The Wire's police complaint.
I would really like to thank the jury under 'Health and Wellness' for
@mumbaipressclub
for not glossing over the issue of neglected tropical diseases which only gain attention post-outbreak or after recording death en masse, the same thing that happened with Covid. +
I had travelled to the reserve forest in Assam's Chalapathor Shyamgaon at the dead of the night to catch locals defending their forests against timber smugglers, without any acknowledgement. My piece for
@guardian
on their efforts to preserve forests.
Disgusted by news outlets doing interviews of this Anant Ambani on his Vantara project which sounds no less than those kings or millionaires trafficking animals from jungles to just fulfill their extravagant lifestyle. Are they thinking about the POV of animals?
My story for
@down2earthindia
on the loopholes in Assam's flood management (hint: embankments are not a sol) that fails to fight chronic flood events that will increase in future. Thanks
@rocksea
@Abinash0294
for your inputs.
In Assam, an ‘ATM’ is supplying arsenic-free groundwater to villagers
Arsenic is a threat to public health across Assam, affecting over 16 lakh people according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Thank you so much
@mumbaipressclub
for shortlisting my investigation on neurocysticercosis (an unheard tropical disease) in tea gardens. It was real hard work putting out the story and pushing myself alone despite rebuttals from owners of tea gardens and medical officials..
My story for
@BehanBox
on how human elephant conflicts impact women from imminent mental health issues, unforgiving work labour to starvation during elephant raids and almost nil representation in mitigation-oriented tactics.
The story behind Sadhguru's night safari is beyond the usual suspects-the legal provisions making it an offense or not. There is a belying hypocrisy as well as to how people who belong to KNP feel left out and wronged. I report for
@boomlive_in
I report for the British Medical Journal (
@bmj_latest
) on how Assam's child marriage crackdown has been endangering the pregnant teen's health from being forced to deliver at home by the husband's familiy to waiting on end to enlist at the +
Looking forward to 9 months of rural reporting this year after a long stasis stemming from anxiety and depression of freelancing. But November has been nevertheless good.
Hey folks, I have been selected to attend this International symposium on tools for wildlife conservation at Latvia and I am excited. Thanks to
@AniruddhaHD
and
@goswamirk
for helping me out with their observations from field-work as awesome conservationists.
Some dude I met said Assam floods ain't a big deal coz it's so normal in Mumbai. My mind was bursting inside, lol. He cannot even fathom Brahmaputra's wrath and the plight of victims staying in chars and chaporis.
Indian organisations should consider paying freelancers for travel expenses especially while covering climate change. There is this place I am reporting on which has no research on Google, only the locals as witness to alarming changes in their ecosystem.
My story for Mint Longform where I look at how heat waves affect outdoor workers and the fallacies with out Heat Action Plans. Thank you
@damrita
for the thorough edits.
"The larger question of livelihoods remains, as extreme heat is likely to make India’s most common occupations, from farming to construction work, more perilous. How much can workers adapt? And do they have an option not to?"
#heatwave
#climate
#livelihood
#workers
With support from
@earthjournalism
, I report with
@chandranisinha1
on the failure of
decentralised solar energy schemes climate vulnerable areas of Assam-from schools to makeshift homes across river banks for
@third_pole
. Do read.
My story for
@third_pole
on how village-based disaster management committees are tackling climate change, from co-ordinating evacuations to relaying information on possibility of floods and catering to sanitation and hygiene of women.
I travelled to the chars to analyse the family policy enforcements and how climate change blocks key access to contraception and other measures for women. Read my report for
@ClimateTracking
Hey folks, do you know whom to tag? Flood victims I have talked to from Darrang (where tributaries from Bhutan to Brahmaputra) are overflowing are not being able to drink safe water since 4-5 days and they are requesting help.
Amidst a horde of rejected pitches, I guess the news of mum's follow-up review on her clear cell adenocarcinoma just cheers me up. Yo, she beat cancer!!
Happiness is when your editor says 'Aatreyee, your hardwork has finally paid off. The article reads well. Hope you are happy with the story'. Still rem how I was depressed owing to bad friendships and hiccups last year leading to limiting self confidence. These words made my day
Completed my trek yesterday and was greeted by this view where the mist draped the bright-green rolling hills of Dzukou valley cut by a small stream and a cave. Not to say I have chronic diseases that my parents advised me against almost such a plan but pulled through the night
I followed up with farmers and experts on drought-hit areas of Assam this month. Turns out it was predicted longtime back considering the rainfall precipitation data spanning over 100 years but the State failed in its drought-proofing systems.
Spending last month reporting for more than a week for elections from mostly uncovered corners of India just makes you believe that more than half of the hot takes on Twitter by everyone do not matter to people in rural India. Hence, stopped engaging or reading ppl's posts here.
My story for the
@guardian
on indigenous entrepreneurs based in Naharlagun trying to create 3D printed replicas of animal fakes to curb poaching in their state. Do read.
Analysed northeast India's deforestation rate for
@ClimateTracking
, the main drivers being the expansion of monoculture plantations, the thriving illegal timber smuggling racket and the fossil fuel industry at large.
Hey, I will be on a panel discussion on Assam floods today hosted by
@borokachari
at 8:30 p.m. I am still preparing cues and notes, but yes tune in. I will mainly focus on the shoddy disaster politics belying floods and the violence of the inaction that baffles me.
I am not a graceful poser but this saree color combo matches the very bird who greets me hiding amongst the verdant greens atop tree branches in the early morning hours, marking its subtle presence with its tuk-tuk sound: the blue throated-barbet.
My story for
@MongabayIndia
on climate change impacts seen in Barak valley's Son Beel and the Kaibarta fishermen having had to deal with the loss in fishes (Hilsa and Chapila)+crops from the beel.
Mainstream journos talking of climate change now. Where the fuck were you all these years? Just coz some MLAs landed here, so you have the galls to talk of floods.
I am highlighting this piece by me for
@guardian
with the focus on Kaziranga National Park, the onus of protecting Assam's reserve forests rests on villagers with only 1-2 staffers by the forest department. If you can support them, my job is done.
RW Twitter handles are dissing on me for posting pics of beef momos and smoking cigs. Lol.
I will smoke whenever I want to, and beef momos are the best.
Saw an editor asking to pre-report and pitch for a measly Rs 2500-3000?
Pitching is hard-work and no reporter would subscribe to the low-paying devaluing of his/her efforts. If anything, this amounts to sheer exploitation.
Please don't exclude northeast India from your grants. We have tropical rainforests here
and investigative stories that cannot do without grants. Please.
Re-upping this piece I had done on September discussing the detrimental impacts of expansive palm oil cultivation-already in pipeline-across NE India. If this doesn't hit you, maybe retrospect about what swallowed Indonesia's Orangutan species.
International editors after seeing my portfolio: Can you quickly do this story for us as we think you are the right fit?
Meanwhile, Indian editors: We will see how many years of experience you have.
Guess I am excited for my story of the year (most likely to be published tomorrow) on a zoonotic disease killing lives and livelihood in Assam supported by a grant. Else, my freelancing career is on an edge now.
Four innovations that can be part of India and Bangladesh’s flood defences:
💧Drainage systems that don’t clog up
💧Holding slopes together with grasses
💧Increasing resistance to riverbank erosion
💧Zero-waste clean drinking water
✍️
@carbon_stink
Minor corrections are waiting to happen, here's my report for
@third_pole
looking at Project Tiger's success with gaps issues in terms of curbing poaching, ensuring FRAs and conservation of non-charismatic species.
I had pitched to a former editor at a global publication and I loved how she directed me to the right email address followed by some notes to add on my pitch and a hearty "Best of Luck".
Really acknowledge the fact that climate journalism needs to be translated into non-English languages. It has to be dissipated into circles that are affected the most. Not in the realm of elite journalism which I despicably hate.
I cannot buy the bravado of some journalists on social media. "I am the first to do this" Or repeatedly emphasizing on their earlier award-winning stint is nauseating. I judge them the moment they sell themselves too much.
Glad to be a part of the new cohort of Village Square Fellows this year. Looking forward to being mentored by
@Rubenbanerjee
and working with the amazing staff at
@VillageSqIndia
. Here's looking forward to 9 months of rural reporting.
My story for the
@newhumanitarian
on Assam's floods that was combined with the impacts in northeastern Bangladesh as well. Cannot find the amazing reporter on Twitter. Here's the story.
Half of your freelancing career is unpaid work: reading up on research and pre-reporting without the surety whether your story will see the light of the day or you will get paid for sure on time.
Why are foreign editors so amazing? I wasted one day of ground report as I couldn't find strong cases. And did a ground report for the second time yesterday and my editor mails me to not rush the story and not worry about missing the deadline. I am crying😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
If I openly call out some famous media organisations exploiting freelancers to the point of bullying/gaslighting them for meagre payments, I might be well blacklisted. Not to forget that a freelancer won Pulitzer this year.
Had to rant but extremely hurt when parents make light of your work, or achievements playing the non-temporary and lack of security card. Worse is pushing yourself in that toxic environment.
or journalistic endeavours+ even research papers somewhat end up exploiting the subjects. I want to hear your views on the reparations part or how we can rectify this?
As a fermented fish connoisseur myself, I had to do this story on the business of dry fish among the indigenous Tripuris, India's only state with the highest numbers in terms of fish consumption. Do read.
I don't like these torchbearers of independent media outlets in India coz of the way they treat freelancers in terms of payment, save 1-2 orgs. It angers me when they become fierce champions of truth to power in their glib ads but fail to value freelancers.
Took my date to birding at Deepor Beel. Got stuck in the marshes and had to be pulled out, thought of missing my shoes for a second. All this playing around with a flock of black-crested stilts and lesser whistling ducks nearing their roost with the setting sun.
By Nov end, you will have a story of a disease that has wrecked the lives of marginalised tea garden workers in Assam, mercilessly killing a few and hasn't covered by any local/national/international media. Thanks to
@earthjournalism
and
@down2earthindia
for their support.