Articles by News Desk

Even as our cities grapple with diverse challenges and issues, there is always hope as long as there is an active citizenry willing to engage, act and push for positive change. In the 15th year of Citizen Matters and the 10th year of Oorvani Foundation, we are excited to host a convening of such people committed to making better cities. The India Civic Summit 2024 in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 23rd will bring together citizens and community volunteers, who are dedicated to solving civic, environmental and urban challenges in their respective cities. There will be inspiring stories. There will be…

New names for eight suburban railway stations The state government has given its in-principle go ahead for the renaming of eight suburban railway stations in Mumbai. Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said that after the decision is ratified by the state cabinet, the proposal will be sent to the Union government. Curry Road station will be called Lalbaug, Sandhurst Road will be renamed Dongri,  Marine Lines as Mumbadevi, Charni Road will be called Girgaon, Cotton Green station is set to be renamed Kalachowki, Dockyard is to be called Mazgaon, King’s Circle as Tirthankar Parswanath, and Mumbai Central as Nana Jagannath…

Food Safety Department collects food samples in Chennai To curb the use of food colouring agents that have harmful chemicals in them, the Food Safety Department in Chennai has been conducting inspections in various food stalls and eateries around the city. In the last two days, the department has taken samples of food that may contain non-permitted food colour, from 200 eateries and sent them for analysis. Almost a month ago, the sale of cotton candy in the city was banned after food safety officials found the presence of Rhodamine-B, an industrial-grade dye in the candies. According to officials, their…

Ways to manage water To tackle the water crisis , the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has banned using potable water to clean vehicles, gardening, construction, fountains, swimming pools and entertainment other than drinking water in cinema halls and malls. It imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 for violators. It is now mandatory to take prior approval ahead of drilling borewells in the city's limits, as over 3,000 borewells have dried up. The transport department has been asked to impound private water tankers. The water shortage has hit citizens in various ways. Many reverse osmosis (RO) drinking water plants…

In the backdrop of a city reeling under water shortage, Opencity held a Bengaluru Water Datajam on March 3rd to look at what data says about the state of water supply in the city, and what can be done to improve the water situation even in dry years. The event was held by Opencity in collaboration with Well Labs, MOD Foundation, Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF), and Biome Environmental Trust. In the day-long event, 32 participants from varied backgrounds, including urban planners, GIS experts, software developers and other active citizens joined hands to analyse public data in the context of water…

Pod taxis to run in BKC Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)  has recently given the go-ahead to introduce a pod taxi service between Bandra and Kurla. The route will go via the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and will be 8.8 km long. A pod taxi is a driverless vehicle, which can accommodate five to six people. The pods are suspended 8 to 10 metres over the ground from an overhead rail. Their movement is powered by electricity. They descend at designated stops to let the passengers out and take in new ones. The taxis will stop at 38 stops…

Voter awareness campaign begins in Chennai There are 39.01 lakh voters in Chennai. However, there is an urban apathy during elections in Parliamentary constituencies in the city, leading to low voter turnout. In a bid to increase electoral participation, especially among first-time voters, the government is planning to conduct various awareness programmes. As part of it, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata flagged off three vehicles in Ripon Buildings to create awareness in the city’s three Parliamentary constituencies. The vehicles will carry electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs). Similarly, 'Pedal for Vote Cyclothon' was also flagged off…

Water woes worsen Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) sources said that the “water input” for the city has fallen by 50%. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar explained that 6,997 of 16,781 borewells are dry. The water crisis is due to low monsoons in September last year, which led to a drought in 195 taluks. Later, the number went up to 216 of the 236 taluks, including Mandya and Mysuru districts, the source of Bengaluru's water. Areas under Mahadevapura zone, including Kadugodi, Byrathi, Hoodi, Whitefield, Varthur, Marathahalli, Bellandur and AECS Layout, are some of the worst affected. Other places facing…

In 2023, Citizen Matters published an in-depth series on the rainfall deficit in the city. Over the last two months this year- due to depleting groundwater levels, weak southwest monsoon rains, and reduced water levels in the Cauvery River basin-the water crisis is at our doorsteps. 223 taluks have been declared drought-hit by the state government. As per estimates, 7,408 villages and 1,115 wards in urban local bodies are at risk of drinking water shortage.  The state government, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) have stepped in to take stock of the crisis.…

Budget focuses on SWD development under Singara Chennai 2.0 The Greater Chennai Corporation's budget for 2024-25 has allocated ₹1,321 crore for constructing stormwater drains in the Kosasthalaiyar and Kovalam basins as part of the Singara Chennai 2.0 initiative. Mayor of Chennai R Priya presented the budget on Wednesday which focused on various schemes and programmes including road development, infrastructure, education, health and solid waste management. For relaying of roads around the city, ₹390 crore has been allocated under the Nagarpura Salai Mempattu Thittam (NSMT) and Singara Chennai 2.0 schemes. Many initiatives for school children were also announced. These include setting…