A veteran journalist recalls the devastation, the race to Ground Zero and a remarkable night with Sharad Pawar following the earthquake that shook Maharashtra and India. Flashback: Latur, circa September 29–30, 1993 As the world woke to an unprecedented calamity that had engulfed Maharashtra, I was probably the first outstation journalist to reach Latur — barely 15 hours after the earthquake struck in the dead of night on September 29–30, 1993. It was around 3:56 a.m. when th

Latur: At the age of 71, retired chemistry lecturer Dr. Shobha Parshuram Arya continues to transform her passion for art into intricate sculptures and paintings, creating masterpieces without the help of machinery or specialised equipment. A former lecturer at the Government Women’s Polytechnic, Latur, Dr. Arya has devoted her post-retirement years to sculpture and painting. Working only with her hands, she carves stones into artistic creations that depict emotions, devotion

Farmers in drought-scarred Latur find their claims trapped in a maze of technicalities and delay. Latur district has long been hostage to the vagaries of the monsoon. With the weather being increasingly defined by erratic temperatures and monsoon patterns, agriculture in Marathwada region is fast becoming a gamble. Each season, farmers stake their livelihoods on the caprice of rain which is either too little or unseasonal, causing crops to wither or rot. The Kharif season of