Nilesh Shinde, the organiser of the Mumbaicha Samrat Ganpati at Khetwadi, is confused. Just as many other organisers of Mumbai's famed Ganeshotsav, he has also been preoccupied with the Bombay High Court's recent order. The Court, in its order, asked all civic bodies to intimate sarvajanik Ganesh mandals that they have to mandatorily follow the Central Pollution Control Board  (CPCB) guidelines of 2020 and shun PoP idols altogether. Yet, not all are aware of the rationale behind this."Why didn’t they put a ban on PoP for the past so many years? It is not as if people have started celebrating…

Jakkur Lake is on the outskirts of Bengaluru, north of the bustle of the city centre. There is a strong breeze in the morning, but the lake lies calm. Cormorants stretch out their wings to dry. Runners stretch their legs before jogging the 5 kilometre path around the lake.  Just as the lake serves the surrounding community, the community serves the lake. Jala Poshan, or “Nurturing Water” in Hindi, is a community-led trust that works to create a healthy community space around Jakkur Lake. The creation of the trust was initially facilitated by Satya Foundation, which provided funding and fostered…