Articles by Lisann Dias

On July 8th, rains lashed Mumbai, disrupting regular life and causing waterlogging and floods in low-lying areas and on important routes. Central Railway officials mention that almost 900 train services were cancelled leaving several commuters stranded, while many BEST buses were diverted. Since then several incidents of heavy rains and flooding have been reported in the city. Commuters, civic activists and residents have questioned the claims made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) about being prepared for the monsoons.  “The half-constructed, newly-built DP road number 9 in Chandivali was waterlogged, which caused inconvenience to commuters,” said Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder…

Sanjay Baikar, a Koli fisherman has three boats parked at the Lotus jetty in Worli. The area, where his boats are parked, along with the many others, will soon be taken over by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the coastal road project. The boats were parked at the north of the jetty before the ambitious project began. They were asked to move to the southern section, when the project took over that section of the jetty.  In August, the BMC asked the fishermen to move the boats to another location as they wish to take up this section too,…

On 3rd October, the State Cabinet approved a proposed amendment under the Maharashtra Apartment Ownership Act to forcibly evict tenants that opposed redevelopment. The state has more than 1 lakh buildings that fall under the purview of this Act. The proposal was submitted by a 15-member committee of the State Housing Federation. The committee was formed in 2020 by the state government under the then divisional joint registrar Jyoti Latkar-Mete. The proposal was finalised in 2021 and submitted to the state cooperation in April this year. Once the amendment comes into force, members who refuse to vacate their flats for redevelopment in…

On October 1st 2023, we commemorated the Day of the Older Persons. The United Nations established this observance in 1990 to highlight the important role that older people play in their families, communities, and society at large. Each year, the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) has a specific theme to focus on. This year's theme revolved around “Fulfilling the Promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for Older Persons: Across Generations.” Objectives of United Nations International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) 2023 Increasing the protection of the human rights of current and future generations of senior citizens worldwide…

Bhaucha Dhakka or Ferry Wharf, located on the eastern seafront of the city, is one of Mumbai’s oldest fish landing sites. It is one of the four major sites, where fish is brought to the town.  Over the last few years, the dhakka has seen immense changes. A grimy billboard inscribed with the title ‘Sagarmala-Port-led prosperity’ stands at the side of the current trestle that leads to both the jetty and the newly constructed cruise and ferry terminal. This trestle will soon be demolished.  Bhaucha Dhakka handles both small boats and trawlers. As claimed by the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)…

As an Indian and a Goan, I get to celebrate two ‘Independence’ days. While India was liberated from the British in 1947, Goa was ruled by Portuguese till 1961. My grandparents speak about going to school during Portuguese rule. They studied Portuguese in school and spoke Konkani at home. They speak about how upper castes could easily make contacts with Portuguese officials and hence could access good quality higher education and hold high posts.  Most upper castes were ‘bhatkars’, both Hindu and Christian, who owned huge chunks of land all over and lived in palatial houses. They used the service of…