City: Mumbai

In a relief for green crusaders in India’s commercial capital, Mumbai, the Supreme Court, on October 7, ordered status quo in the Aarey tree-felling case and directed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Maharashtra government not to cut down any more trees for a controversial metro car shed project till the next hearing on October 21. The same day, October 21, as Aarey’s fate will be decided by the Supreme Court, the people of Mumbai will go to vote for the government that will take forward the decision over the next five years. Assembly elections for the state of Maharashtra are scheduled on…

Maharashtrians mostly believe that the popular 10-day Ganesh Chathurthi festival, which ends on Sept 12 with the immersion of idols in the sea, was first started by Chhatrapati Shivaji. Today, it is the biggest festival in the state, especially Mumbai, with Ganesh Pandals displaying larger than life idols, gaily painted and adorned with jewellery and entertainment through the night. For idol makers and sellers in Mumbai, it is a festival for making some profit. Environmental activists, however, see it -- and especially the immersion of idols in the sea -- as a disaster. Immersion of Ganesh idols usually takes place…

Maharashtrians mostly believe that the popular 10-day Ganesh Chathurthi festival, which ends on Sept 12 with the immersion of idols in the sea, was first started by Chhatrapati Shivaji. Today, it is the biggest festival in the state, especially Mumbai, with Ganesh Pandals displaying larger than life idols, gaily painted and adorned with jewellery and entertainment through the night. For idol makers and sellers in Mumbai, it is a festival for making some profit. Environmental activists, however, see it -- and especially the immersion of idols in the sea -- as a disaster. Immersion of Ganesh idols usually takes place…

Come monsoon and Mumbai’s overburdened suburban rail system is overwhelmed when rainwater floods its tracks. This year, the Central, Western and Harbour lines were the worst hit, with trains running at 30-minute intervals, when they ran at all. Commuters like Sanjay Garg, 32, who are totally dependent on the suburban service to commute to and from work, were forced to take two days of unpaid leave, as heavy rains brought mobility to a complete halt. Sharing his anger and agony were literally millions of Mumbaikars. The only ones who enjoyed the ‘holiday’ were students as schools had to shut down.…

Come monsoon and Mumbai’s overburdened suburban rail system is overwhelmed when rainwater floods its tracks. This year, the Central, Western and Harbour lines were the worst hit, with trains running at 30-minute intervals, when they ran at all. Commuters like Sanjay Garg, 32, who are totally dependent on the suburban service to commute to and from work, were forced to take two days of unpaid leave, as heavy rains brought mobility to a complete halt. Sharing his anger and agony were literally millions of Mumbaikars. The only ones who enjoyed the ‘holiday’ were students as schools had to shut down.…

The Bombay High Court (HC) has become the last recourse for citizens to save Mumbai's miniscule tree cover -- less than a tree per head as aganst the world standard of seven trees per head. The city's few remaining trees are facing the axe from large, high-profile infrastructural projects. The High Court is playing the role meant to be played by the Mumbai's Tree Authority, a statutory body set up following promulgation of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. From getting the Tree Authority suspended for nine months, probably for the first time, and insisting…

The Bombay High Court (HC) has become the last recourse for citizens to save Mumbai's miniscule tree cover -- less than a tree per head as aganst the world standard of seven trees per head. The city's few remaining trees are facing the axe from large, high-profile infrastructural projects. The High Court is playing the role meant to be played by the Mumbai's Tree Authority, a statutory body set up following promulgation of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. From getting the Tree Authority suspended for nine months, probably for the first time, and insisting…

Co-authored by Dattatraya T Devare and Saurabh Ketkar There’s a saying by Gustavo Petra, Former Mayor of Bogota, Columbia that is often seen on social media posters and discussions on mobility. Petra says, and rightly so, “A developed country is not a place where the poor have cars, It’s where the rich use public transportation.” Perhaps the most critical element of any major city is its public transportation network. It is akin to the veins and arteries in our bodies, taking people from their homes to their destinations, to help the city build and grow. Without this crucial link, an…

Co-authored by Dattatraya T Devare and Saurabh Ketkar None of us can escape being a pedestrian. No matter which mode of transport you use, at some point of the day, you will be a pedestrian if you step out of home. But the moment you alight from any mode of transport or vehicle, and get on your own two feet in this country, you are perhaps the most vulnerable citizen on the street. In 2018, more than half of the fatalities on Mumbai streets were pedestrians; the numbers for Delhi and Bengaluru also do not look encouraging with 44% and…

Fifty-six-year-old Seema Adgaonkar glides through swampy mangroves in ankle-deep muck. The fragrance of Avicennia marina (the grey mangrove), the most widely-spread mangrove species in Mumbai, makes the trail pleasant despite the 36 degree Celsius hot and humid conditions. Adgaonkar relishes the scent as she walks in a single file with a forest guard and two helpers, towards one of the mangrove nurseries they set up on the city’s coastline. She gives the team instructions on where to plant saplings along the course and shares tips to identify some of the species with their regional and scientific names. “You’ve to know everything that…