From The Marginlands

The 2026 monsoon is failing, the Cauvery catchment is running dry, and the reservoirs feeding Bengaluru are alarmingly low. So Arati Kumar-Rao and Prem Panicker call back the one person who can tell us what it means: S. Vishwanath, who first argued on Season 1 of this show that the city's water crisis was one of management, not scarcity -- a statement now tested against a year when the rain g...

Most people in health pick a lane — clinician, researcher, or policymaker. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has been all three for forty years: a paediatrician who became a leading TB and HIV researcher, then the WHO's first-ever Chief Scientist, steering global science through COVID. She now chairs the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, and was just elected to the Royal Society — making her and her...

A young person once asked: why care about nature when people are dying in Gaza? Environmental historian Mahesh Rangarajan gives the long answer — why the choice between people and the planet was always false. In previous episodes of this podcast, our guests have talked to us about particular rivers, forests, seasons, environmental fissures. This time, we take the whole arc. Environmental historian...

n this episode of From The Marginlands, Arati Kumar-Rao and Prem Panicker speak with ecologist and writer Harini Nagendra about the lost ecological memory of Bengaluru — a city once shaped by lakes, wetlands, trees and commons that sustained both biodiversity and community life. Drawing on decades of research into urban ecology, Harini traces how cities slowly sever themselves from local water, fo...

In the second episode of Season 2 of From the Marginlands, Arati Kumar-Rao and Prem Panicker speak with environmental social anthropologist Annu Jalais, whose 27+ years of research in the Sundarbans reveals a world far more complex than standard conservation narratives. We explore human–tiger coexistence, forest labour systems, migration, gender shifts, and the hidden hierarchies reshaping life in...

Dia Mirza needs no introduction. And yet, the person who shows up in this conversation is not quite the one her public life has made familiar to us. Yes, she is the longest-serving UNEP Goodwill Ambassador India has had, and yes, she carries the full weight of that role: the access, the diplomatic constraints, the careful calibration of when to speak and how. But what drives her goes back much fur...

In this season-ending episode of From The Marginlands, Arati and I dive deep into Indian forests, not just as ecosystems but as archives of memory, power, and change. Our guide into this layered terrain is Raza Kazmi, who helps us explore how history helps explain present-day conservation realities, from the shifting fortunes of tiger populations to the erasure of forest places from both maps and...

Leopards live far closer to us than most of us realise — not just in forests, but across farms, villages, and city edges. In this episode, Arati and Prem speak with Dr. Vidya Athreya, one of India’s leading carnivore ecologists, about why leopards are so remarkably adaptable, why encounters in human-dominated landscapes are increasing, and what the science actually says about conflict and safety....

Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Kalyan Varma joins Arati and Prem on From the Marginlands to explore what it means to document the natural world today. From the ethics of filming a vanishing wilderness to the uneasy rise of AI-generated imagery, this conversation asks where the line lies between seeing and showing, between witness and spectacle. How do stories of the wild stay true in an...

Each monsoon, the Himalayas make headlines for floods, landslides, and loss. But what if these aren’t “natural” disasters at all, but the result of choices we keep making? In this episode, Arati and Prem speak with environmental researcher Manshi Asher of Himdhara Collective about disaster justice, flawed development models, and the fight for fair futures in the mountains. Here, a deep dive into h...

Prem & Arati look back at episodes, pulling out key issues from each. 10:14 : Pranay Lal:    • From The Marginlands Ep4 Ft PranayLal  16:46 : S Vishwanath :    • From The Marginlands E5 Ft Vishwanath (Zen...  24:02 : Yuvan Aves :     • From The Marginlands Ep 6: Ft. Yuvan Aves  31:14 : Dr Roxy Koll:    • From The Marginlands Episode 9: Dr Roxy Koll  38:04 : Pradip Krishen:    • Busting The Aff...

Nachiket Kelkar, Head of Riverine Ecosystems and Livelihoods at the Wildlife Conservation Trust, shares his experiences and insights on the Ganges River, particularly focusing on the ecological changes observed in Bihar over the years.  Kelkar takes us into the multifaceted challenges and cultural dynamics surrounding the Ganges River dolphin and the fisher folk communities in India. It explores t...

This conversation delves into the Great Nicobar Project, a massive infrastructure initiative at the southern end of the Nicobar Islands, focusing on its economic viability, ecological impact, and the implications for indigenous communities. Pankaj Sekhsaria and M Rajshekhar break down and analyze the project, which includes a transshipment terminal, airport, and township, raises significant concer...

Photojournalist Ed Kashi and documentary filmmaker Julie Winokur have spent decades telling urgent, human stories — from climate injustice to ageing, migration, and forgotten coastlines. In this episode of From the Marginlands, Arati and Prem talk to them about the art of long-form storytelling, the patience it demands, and why bearing witness matters now more than ever. Show Notes: Ed Kashi'...

In this episode, Dr. Abi Tamim Vanak discusses the misclassification of vital ecosystems as "wastelands" in India. Championing the importance of recognizing Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs), and the role of pastoralists in managing these landscapes, he emphasizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Through the One Health approach he highlights the need for ad...

In this episode, featuring ecologist Pradip Krishen, Prem and Arati explore the restoration of ecosystems. Pradip shares his journey and insights into the importance of native plants, observation, and community involvement in restoration efforts. The discussion highlights the challenges faced in restoration projects, the impact of government policies, and the need for ecological literacy among the...

This episode focuses on the importance of environmental storytelling, emphasizing the need to go beyond surface-level reporting and explore deeper narratives that connect individual experiences to broader community and global contexts. Prem and Arati discuss various aspects of crafting compelling environmental stories, including research methods, data collection, and narrative techniques, while hi...

In this episode, Prem and Arati discuss our warming oceans with Dr. Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist and winner of the prestigious National Science Award, in 2024. What are the implications of increasingly intense and frequent marine heat waves? Why should we care? Who bears accountability of historical emissions? What does the interconnectedness of oceans and climate mean for tackling this c...

In this episode, Prem Panicker and Arati Kumar-Rao discuss significant updates regarding environmental incidents off the coast of Kerala. The conversation then turns to The State Of India's Environment through Figures, a study released by the Center for Science & Environment (CSE) on June 5, 2025. Prem & arati focus on increasing Air pollution, Forest Diversion, Shrinking Farmlands, a...

On May 23, 2025, the MSC Elsa 3, a 28-year-old container ship, left Vizhinjam Port for Kochi, carrying 640 containers—13 of them packed with hazardous cargo, including calcium carbide, a chemical that can ignite with a spark. Less than 24 hours later, 38 nautical miles off Kerala’s coast, it sent out a distress call after developing a 26-degree list to starboard and flooding in a cargo hold. By da...

In this episode, Arati and Prem dive into the heart of Bangalore’s flood crisis and the intricate dance between humanity and nature. We unpack the city’s recent flooding woes, echoing themes from our previous conversation with S Vishwanath on urban planning and his six pillars of water conservation. Our guest for this episode is Yuvan Aves, a passionate naturalist, writer and activist, who shares...

In this episode, Arati Kumar-Rao and Prem Panicker explore the intricate relationship between visual storytelling and the narratives behind images, particularly in the context of nature and rivers. They discuss the importance of language in nature writing, emphasizing how evocative prose can connect readers to the land. The conversation shifts to the concept of rivers as living entities, touching...

In this episode, Aarti Kumar Rao and Prem Panicker focus on the ongoing extreme heat waves and their implications. They critique the media's coverage of the issue, highlighting a lack of urgency and depth in reporting. The conversation explores the impact of heat on urban planning, the rural workforce, and public health, emphasizing the need for a more interconnected understanding of environm...

In this episode, Arati Kumar-Rao and Prem Panicker navigate the complexities of grief following Arati's recent loss of her mother. They reflect on the profound influence of Arati's mother on her life, particularly in storytelling and communication. The conversation transitions into a discussion on environmental issues, focusing on the detrimental impact of development on Mumbai's ma...

From The Marginlands hosts Prem & Arati scour the mainstream India newspapers  to find news about the environment and then sit down with acclaimed author Nilanjana Roy to discuss writing landscapes.  Contact us: Email the Podcast Arati Kumar-Rao on Instagram Prem Panicker on X (Twitter) Prem on Substack From The Marginlands on Instagram