Stories no longer lost in translation

In 2024, Mongabay India joined hands with BaiManus, a Marathi digital media platform that promotes people-oriented journalism, to tell stories from Maharashtra in both English and Marathi.

BaiManus focuses on stories from the rural and remote regions of Maharashtra — especially those of Dalits, Adivasis, nomadic communities, farmers, and agricultural labourers. The collaboration with Mongabay India particularly looked at the impact of climate change and environmental distress on women.

Here’s what their team had to say about the collaboration with Mongabay India.

“Our partnership with Mongabay India has amplified the lived experiences of marginalised communities in Maharashtra—farmers, tribal women, and youth—on a national platform. It’s helped legitimize regional journalism as a serious contributor to climate discourse, bridging the gap between grassroots realities and policy narratives through credible, in-depth storytelling.”
– Prashant Pawar, Director & Editor, BaiManus Media Research Foundation

“Translating complex climate issues into accessible, regional language without diluting their meaning is a constant challenge. There’s also a lack of reliable local data and limited media interest in rural climate impacts. Yet, regional storytelling remains vital to spark local dialogue and ensure community participation in climate solutions.”
– Suraj Patke, Project Manager, BaiManus

This partnership was made possible through Asar – a social impact group. The joint initiative, Project Dharitri, aims to promote climate change reporting at the grassroots level. It empowers women affected by the climate crisis to report on the intersections of gender and climate change in India.

“The collaboration with Mongabay has been phenomenal. Over the last one year, community reporters from different parts of Maharashtra have reported on the various ways in which women are disproportionately impacted by climate-induced challenges- from the impact of floods on specially abled women to the challenges to tribal women’s livelihoods due to erratic weather patterns. The stories have created a solid body of evidence for action as well as future work in the space.”
– Ankita Bhatkhande, Head of Communications, Gender and Climate, Asar Social Impact Advisors

As part of this collaboration, both media houses work together on building the storyline. The stories are then co-published in English on the Mongabay India website and in Marathi on the BaiManus site on the same day. This approach has ensured a wider reach among diverse audiences.

Here are some of the stories that were published over the past year.

The forgotten victims of Maharashtra’s 2019 floods

The 2019 floods in Sangli district left many struggling to recover, but for persons with disabilities, the ordeal was even more severe. With little assistance and inaccessible shelter options, their experience exposed the deep gaps in India’s disaster response systems for marginalised groups.

Unsustainable tourism, habitat changes eclipse the dazzling world of fireflies

In Bhandardara-Kalsubai, thousands gather to witness the glow of fireflies in early summer. However, unchecked tourism is disrupting the fireflies’ mating cycle — placing the species at risk and threatening the sustainability of this seasonal economy for local residents. 

“The firefly tourism story led to the National Green Tribunal issuing notices to Maharashtra’s forest and tourism departments—a significant policy-level impact. The jamun story struck a public chord, crossing 200K views on Facebook. These responses prove that regional language journalism, when done right, drives both public engagement and institutional accountability.”
– Suraj Patke, Project Manager, BaiManus

“Our firefly story explored how unregulated tourism was disrupting the reproductive cycle of fireflies in Bhandardara. Locals began raising concerns about biodiversity loss after the story went live. On the other hand, covering the life of a young farmer widow made me realize how invisible women’s grief is in rural narratives. Many women reached out, saying, “Finally, someone told our story.”
– Sanjana Khandare, Reporter

How shifting weather patterns threaten a sweet legacy

Bahadoli village, also known as Jambhulgaon, thrives on the seasonal jamun harvest. But last year’s unseasonal rains delayed flowering and slashed yields. For cultivators and traders, this meant a blow to their primary source of income.

“The jamun story opened up conversations about local biodiversity loss. Many farmers began asking how they could preserve native species. It was encouraging to see science, storytelling, and tradition come together.”
– Rushikesh More, Senior Producer

When the river rises in the city

The 2024 monsoon floods submerged informal settlements in Pune, leading to significant property loss and health concerns for the urban working poor. Residents demand early warning systems and more thoughtful rehabilitation, while experts call for responsible urban planning to manage future flood risks.

“Covering floods in rural and urban contexts revealed how climate impacts are layered—women lose land, identity documents, and often hope. Many villagers said no one had ever documented their suffering this way before. It made our reporting feel like a small act of justice.”
– Apsara Aga, Reporter

Life after loss: A day in the life of a farmer widow

This story follows a day in the life of Phulabai Pawar, one of many widows in Marathwada navigating life after the suicide of a farmer. With over 80% of farmland dependent on rainfall, erratic weather and mounting debt continue to push farmers into distress — leaving their families to pick up the pieces.

Amplifying local voices

Mongabay India was able to share impactful text and video stories from under-reported regions with a wider audience, combining thoughtful storytelling with creative flair, as a result of this collaboration.

“BaiManus reporters built deep rapport with local communities—often beginning conversations without pens or cameras—which made a real difference when it was time to film. We ensured that script and video editing process retained the nuances from the ground but also incorporated evidence and fact-checking steps. The partnership sparked thoughtful ideas, like involving a Warli artist to illustrate a story from a region where the Warli community lives, adding authenticity to the narrative.”
– Kartik Chandramouli, Senior Digital Editor

Through its collaboration with BaiManus, Mongabay India highlighted climate narratives grounded in local communities and amplified the often-marginalized voices of women.

“As we edited and translated the various drafts back and forth between Marathi and English – two very different languages of expression and emotion – we worked to retain the original voice of each reporter. By working together, we also could show how traditional knowledge, lived experience, as well as science can come together meaningfully, even without academic jargon.”
– Aditi Tandon, Senior Production Editor

Banner image: Geeta Kini, a jamun cultivator, holds an umbrella to protect the produce from heavy rainfall. Image by Rushikesh More.