City: Mumbai

“The weather used to be good, but the climate has changed over time,” says Munir, who works at a salon in Colaba. A March 2025 report brought out by Respirer Living Sciences confirms Munir’s experience and observations. Colaba has become an urban heat island (UHI).Mumbai faced a particularly harsh summer this year. While the monsoon arrived early and brought respite from the intense heat, the UHI effect in certain pockets remains an ongoing challenge. It has led to the creation of microclimate zones in the island city. As a result, some parts of Mumbai see a considerably higher temperature than…

Who would have thought that an innocuous product invented 4,000 years ago in Mesopotamia would add to the heat island effect in Mumbai? Glass: it’s here, there, and everywhere, not just in our homes, but in our city too. Where space is at such a premium, high rises are becoming the norm. And increasingly, these skyscrapers have facades of glass.But glass is not the only culprit. Thermal resilience should inform the way we design our buildings. However, it often takes a backseat, as developers prioritise faster construction methods and maximising the number of apartments over long-term sustainability.Few of the existing…

Waste-to-energy (WTE) plants are notorious for releasing harmful pollutants, and environmental activists have long criticised them as an unsuitable solution for legacy waste. Yet governments often view them as a quick fix for waste management and energy generation, despite their risks. It is no different with the WTE plant coming up at Deonar, the country's largest dumping ground in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai. The clamour against the project is growing louder as residents fear the toxic emissions from the WTE plant and the impact on their health. Here are five things you need to know about the project and…

From the Western Expressway Highway if you turn left, you start to see mangroves beyond which lies the Mithi river. Go further towards the Kala Killa bus depot at Dharavi, and you will see a green fence beyond which lies an urban forest. This is the Maharashtra Nature Park that the Maharashtra Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) built with the support of the NGO World Wide Fund for Nature India, starting from 1983. Architect Shriya Bhatia cites this as an example of blue green infrastructure (BGI). Built on a former garbage dumping ground, the park houses indigenous plant varieties and an…

The Bombay Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST), Mumbai’s public bus service, has been an integral part of the life of the city’s residents for a century, supporting its thriving economy. Until a decade ago, it was a source of pride and a model for other Indian cities. However, its decline is now evident, largely due to a lack of transparency in decision-making regarding its operation and revival. As an environmental activist advocating for sustainable cities and a lifelong BEST user, I find its current state deeply saddening. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and BEST directly oversee the service's operations…

Nine-year-old Priti Borde, is struggling to stay indoors. The air inside her home is hot and stuffy, offering little relief compared to the lane outside. With her school closed for the summer holidays, she finds herself confined to a narrow alley barely three feet wide, idly passing time with her neighbourhood friends. Her mother has set firm boundaries—no straying into the adjacent lane and no trips to Pushpa Park, the only playground nearby. Although just half a kilometre away, the park lies beyond a busy road, making it difficult to reach. Juhu Beach, nearly a kilometre away, remains inaccessible, leaving…

“You will see how the river changes once we go outside the national park,” says Mahesh Thawani of Mumbai March, a voluntary organisation working on issues in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SNGP). I am meeting Mahesh, a long-time resident of the area, to walk along the Dahisar River, which originates in the park at Tulsi Lake. As we make our way through enthusiastic throngs of morning walkers, the river is omnipresent—providing a serene setting to a group of senior citizens singing, a refuge for birds, holding a mirror to the green of the trees along its banks and the…

There seems to be a perpetual water shortage in Mumbai, requiring the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to continually seek new water sources. To fulfil Mumbai’s ever-growing demand for water, a new dam is in the pipeline. The State Wildlife Board has given their approval for the construction of the Gargai dam over 845 hectares of land in Palghar. The dam will provide 440 million litres of water per day (MLD). Environmentalists have expressed concern over the effects of this dam. This will lead to the displacement of 619 families. Moreover, 2.1 lakh trees will be cut to make way for the…

In a bustling neighbourhood of Andheri (West), a housing society's effort to recycle black water is a lesson in self-sufficiency. Evershine Cosmic Co-operative Housing Society, comprising 186 flats, has successfully handled sewage from its homes since 2016. The society has not only reduced its environmental impact but has also managed to use the treated water effectively. This eco-conscious approach has helped the housing society meet its diverse water needs. Not many housing societies in Mumbai operate their own sewage treatment plants (STP) mainly because this involves demanding work and overseeing every step of the process. Besides, with the Brihanmumbai Municipal…

Although Mumbai has sufficient groundwater, experts opine that it is depleting at a fast rate due to rapid urbanisation and massive construction projects. There's also a lack of clear groundwater regulations and systematic records of private borewells and dug wells.  This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the rules, processes, and penalties associated with digging a borewell and extracting groundwater in Mumbai. Getting permission for groundwater extraction What are the rules for digging a borewell and extracting groundwater in Mumbai? In Mumbai, borewell digging and groundwater management are regulated under the Maharashtra Groundwater (Development and Management) Act 2009. According to…