Articles by News Desk

City of Women is an upcoming podcast about how women in the city explores the calculated strategies, the backdoor negotiations and the sometimes absurd lengths women go to have fun and feel free in their city. Every Indian woman knows that being out in the city comes with rules - rules that determine who gets to be where and what you can and can’t do. But this show is not about those rules. It’s about how they get broken, bent, and jumped over when women decide to do things just for themselves. City of Women is fun, complex, and a…

BBMP moots controversial Pet Dog Licensing Bylaw again BBMP has again drafted the Pet Dog Licensing Bylaw, which had been withdrawn in 2018 following opposition from dog lovers. According to the draft Pet Dog Licensing Bylaws 2020, a flat-owner can rear only one dog, and a person living in an independent house can keep only three. Owners need to fix a microchip and sterilise their pets. But the rules have been relaxed for those who rear abandoned, rescued and local breeds after getting the necessary certification. Dog owners who don't have license will have to pay a fine of Rs…

North East Delhi Riots: Death toll reaches 42; situation normal now The death toll touched 42 in the violent North East Delhi riots that began on the night of  February 23rd in Jaffrabad and neighboring areas of North East Delhi. It was reported that more than 500 women were sitting on silent protests against the CAA-NRC on the Seelampur-Jaffrabad stretch blocking the entry and exit of Seelampur Metro Station. There had been incendiary comments by local political leader Kapil Mishra, urging the police to evict them, failing which things could get chaotic. Days later, communal clashes -- labeled as clashes…

In the last couple of months, many apartment complexes in Bengaluru got notices from the state Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), asking them to pay a penalty of Rs 5 lakh, for discharging untreated sewage outside their premises. Many of these apartments were already running Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and these were functioning well as per routine lab tests that the apartments used to get done. So, the apartments wrote to KSPCB instead of paying up. But the Board did not respond to the residents’ concerns. Instead, it issued them a ‘show cause’ notice, mentioning that they hadn’t paid the fines…

Officials warned for not sealing groundwater tapping units properly A Madras High Court bench led by Justices Vineeth Kothari and R Suresh Kumar expressed disappointment over officials not complying with the rule that mandates sealing firms that illegally draw groundwater. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) moved by M V Sivamuthu of Neat India organisation against firms that misuse groundwater resources without obtaining license under the Chennai Metropolitan Ground Water Regulation Act, 1987, especially drinking water manufacturers in Chennai. The bench further warned that it intends to take contempt action against the authorities in-charge in Tamil Nadu…

Women’s labour is often unseen and their stories, often unheard. This unseen, invisible, and often unpaid labour is the ground upon which all ‘development’ in this monster economy takes place. We are witness to a moment in time when women are organising, fighting, and demanding their rights, questioning the very ideas of growth, progress and citizenship. In short, they are making their voices heard and making their labour visible. As part of our ongoing Satyagraha for the Sacred Economy, Gram Seva Sangh, Centre for Budget and Policy Studies along with few more organisations want to create a platform in the…

How easy is your daily commute in your city? Does the air refresh you, or does it make you wheeze? Do you have to pass by mounds of garbage as you walk to the neighbourhood grocery? How difficult is it to avail basic municipal services in your city?  In order to assess the quality of life in Indian cities and help Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) plan and execute projects better, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a two-pronged approach. The Ease of Living Index and the Municipal Performance Index will help evaluate the 100 smart cities and…

Shaheen Bagh: Mediation ends with Road 9 opened Following talks between Supreme Court appointed interlocutors and anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh, road number 9, a one-way route connecting Noida with Kalindi Kunj, was opened to allow one-way traffic from the Shaheen Bagh-Jamia Nagar locality and Ashram towards Noida through the Kalindi Kunj bridge. While it may not completely resolve traffic problems, it’s being considered a positive start. Hearing pleas against the blockade of roads for protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act at Shaheen Bagh, on February 17th, a Supreme Court Bench had appointed Senior Supreme Court lawyer Sanjay Hegde, advocate…

HC cracks a whip on illegal buildings along ECR in CRZ-1 and II A Madras High Court bench comprising Justices M Sathyanarayanan and R Hemalatha have instructed the State Coastal Zone Management Authority (SCZMA) to carry out a detailed survey and identify the total count of unapproved buildings on ECR from Uthandi to Mahabalipuram. The bench had issued lock and seal notices to over 700 building owners a few years ago for violating the norms. Chennai Corporation has been directed to submit a report detailing the action taken against the owners. Further, the Justices ruled that GCC should develop a…

The city with a population of over 12 million has nearly 8 million vehicles on road as of 2020. The draft revised Master Plan for Bengaluru – 2031 states that the modal share of public transport in total overall trips is only 48% as against 82 % for Mumbai.A city such as Bengaluru which has only 42 Kms of Metro serviced  that too for limited locations and a negligible suburban rail service, an efficient bus transport system is the only most significant public transport system available in the short and medium term. Since the arrival of metro services in the…