Articles by Sneha Singh

"I say no to passengers who want to go to Viviana Mall because of the service road traffic, " says Manik Patil, an auto rickshaw driver who drives from Kapurbawdi to Majiwada in Thane. The service road in question is a 1.3 km road that starts from Cadbury junction to Majiwada Naka Pokhran Road 2, near Thane’s biggest mall – Viviana Mall. Given its location, the road often ends up being a hub of traffic jams. A local resident Avinash Tripathi says, "Just a few days ago, it took me around half an hour to cross 500 metres on the…

Around 10 lakh people use the Thane railway station, bringing massive footfall to the vicinity. However, reaching the station has become a headache for commuters, as all roads leading to the station have heavy traffic. The roads leading up to the station are part of a busy, bustling market with shops selling daily necessities and vegetable vendors selling their wares on the roadside. This 1.2-kilometre stretch is used by buses, autos and private vehicles to ply to and from the railway station. Travelling by this road takes around 20-30 minutes, thanks to the road being packed with vehicles and hawkers. People have to…

Water is an essential part of life and its abundance is necessary for food and livestock security. Safe, adequate and equitable water supply, therefore, is required to conserve biodiversity and the environment. But Mumbai is severely lagging in this. In Thane district particularly, situated next to Mumbai Metropolis, the area is abundant in only water supply issues, no water. For the past few years, Thane’s roughly 22-lakh strong population has struggled with adequate water supply. Many parts of Thane, namely Kolshet, Hiranandani Estate, Mumbra, Diva, Waghbil and Kasarvadavli, are either not receiving proper water supply, or are receiving impure water…