Articles by Tarun Sharma

In the larger narrative on climate change and urbanisation, the plight of India’s small and mid-sized cities has mostly slipped through the cracks. Not that the global and national media is oblivious to the stellar rankings, which highlight that 15 of top 20 most polluted cities are in India. However, the specific contexts in which this toxic air has been brewing are not well looked into and understood. While the metropolises hog the spotlight, these smaller cities housing millions are silently choking under a haze of neglect.  Our recent report “Declining Air Quality in Small and Mid-sized Cities” highlights the…

Co-authored by Tarun Sharma and Yutika Vora Many viruses have come and gone (though not fully), but COVID-19 has affected our daily lives like nothing else has, in many of our lifetimes. The spectre of this virus is still unfolding and the stories of its onslaught and the response of various countries are rapidly emerging. Lessons from this human-virus conflict will certainly shape a lot of thought and decisions in the way humanity deals with public health emergencies including responses of governments and citizens.  Some such observations are instructive for all of us: citizens and city governments.  Role of citizens…

This article is a part of the Nagrika Knowledge Series that explores important issues affecting citizens and city governments in small cities. Co-authored by Yutika Vora and Tarun Sharma In a small city in Karnataka, a street was named after an important public figure, closely associated with the history of the town. Recently, this street was renamed after a national public figure, someone who has received acclaim for India globally but was not from this city. As we spoke to a resident, she lamented the fact that no one would finally remember what the original name of the road was;…