City: Mumbai

“Ek Akela Is Shehar MeinRaat Mein Aur Dopahar MeinAabodaana Dhoondta Hai Aashiyana Dhoondta Hai” (A single, solitary man seeks day and night for his fortune and a shelter in this city). These lines by Gulzar — sung in the rich, deep voice of Bhupinder for the movie Gharonda (1977) and mouthed by Amol Palekar wearing a haggard, defeated look on screen — resonate among many youngsters in Mumbai even today, as they look for a sanctuary in the city, a space they can call home. Mumbai, with its charm and promises of a better future, draws people from all over the…

Mumbai may not yet be Delhi but it doesn't mean that the air we breathe in the city is healthy. Though Delhi stands out among the most polluted cities during winters with its smog and alarming levels of AQI, the toxicity of Mumbai air is considered to be higher, according to this report from The Times of India. This is because of the increasing concentration of PM2.5 from automobiles, industries, construction activities and garbage burning, all of which affect air quality. Read more: Mumbai’s air pollution: Smog chal raha hai Mumbai's proximity to the sea is no longer a guarantee…

Oval Maidan in Mumbai is at once several things for Mumbai and Mumbaikars. It is an important ground for cricket and has been declared a Grade 1 Heritage Maidan by the government. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai', it serves as a much-needed green lung and open space in the city. However, not many people know that the Oval Maidan is also home to a successful rainwater harvesting system. Although not visible above ground, this system has been quietly and consistently replenishing the water table and providing water for the upkeep…

In the year of most elections all over the world and some stunning results in various parts of the world, I too was preoccupied with elections in Mumbai - General, State assembly (and BMC, which are yet to happen). The year started with a carry forward of winter pollution and in no time temperatures soared where we were left dealing with extreme urban heat amidst election frenzy in the country. As we covered various issues ranging from pedestrian rights, water scarcity, student stress, climate change and voter awareness, I realise more than ever that most of the problems we grapple…

I have to start with a confession — all my life I have never segregated my garbage. I had convinced myself that I was doing my bit for the environment by carrying a cloth tote bag, that ubiquitous flagbearer of environment conservation, that all-encompassing solution to multiple environmental problems. So, imagine my shock when I realised that carrying a tote bag everywhere — from the market to a meeting to a concert — wasn’t enough! I was hit by this revelation when I was assigned a story by my editor — an explainer on 'What happens to the garbage we…

Three days before I began writing this article, a bench of Bombay High Court judges criticised the BMC for its inaction in clearing hawkers from railway station areas across Mumbai while addressing a petition. Sadly, this isn't the first time the court has heard such a petition. A simple Google News search for "Bombay High Court hawkers" over the past 20 years brings up over 14,000 results, showing how often this issue has been raised. Recently, BEST also came under fire for removing buses from routes affected by hawker encroachments in Borivali. Clearly, the unregulated presence of hawkers is widely…

“Panchhi nadiya pawan ke jhonke, koi sarhad na inhe roke…”  (Birds can fly where they want/ water can take its course/ the wind blows in every direction/ no barrier can stop them) — thus go the Javed Akhtar penned lyrics of the song from the movie Refugee (2000, J. P Dutta). As I read about the Panje wetlands in Uran, I wondered if these lyrics hold true today, when human interference is wreaking such havoc on natural environments, and keeping these very elements out. But then, I also wondered if I should refer to Panje, a 289-hectare inter-tidal zone, as…

In recent years, air quality in Mumbai has significantly declined, raising serious health and environmental concerns. Reports indicate a 305% rise in air-pollution-related complaints over the last five years, with studies suggesting a 30% increase in pollution. Key factors contributing to this deterioration include complex weather conditions, such as La Nina, which slows down the wind movement and traps pollutants, along with emissions from local sources and pollutants from neighbouring areas. Over the years, managing air quality within a city’s boundaries has been proven to have limited impact only. Scientific evidence shows that pollution from one area can travel to…

या मालिकेच्या पहिल्या  भागात, आपण बघितले  कि कशी जय भीम नगरच्या रहिवाश्यांची घरं पाडली गेली आणि त्या ठिकाणी असलेल्या हिरानंदानी गार्डन्सच्या कायदेशीरदृष्ट्या संशयास्पद इतिहासाचा आढावा घेतला. ५ ऑक्टोबर रोजी, मुंबई उच्च न्यायालयाच्या शिफारशीनुसार पवई पोलिसांनी बीएमसीच्या एस वॉर्डमधील अधिकाऱ्यांवर, हिरानंदानी ग्रुप (HGP Community Pvt Ltd) आणि चार सहकाऱ्यांवर जय भीम नगरमध्ये अनधिकृत पाडकाम केल्याबद्दल एफआयआर नोंदवला. आरोपींवर गुन्हेगारी कट, सार्वजनिक सेवकाने इजा करण्याच्या उद्देशाने चुकीचा दस्तऐवज तयार करणे आणि खोटी माहिती पुरवणे यांसारख्या आरोपांचा समावेश आहे. पाडकामापूर्वी जय भीम नगरमध्ये राहणाऱ्या ६०० -६५० कुटुंबांपैकी सुमारे १००-१५० कुटुंबे अजूनही तिथे राहत आहेत. मागील काही महिन्यांत तीव्र पावसाचा सामना करत राहिलेल्या या…

Visitors to Mumbai are often surprised by the city's lax attitude towards household waste segregation. Despite being aware of the importance of segregating garbage at its source, many residents fail to practise it because of various reasons. Meanwhile, Mumbai's dumping grounds are overflowing, and the situation worsens every year. Proposed solutions like waste remediation and waste-to-energy plants come with their challenges.creative Achieving real, on-ground change depends significantly on behavioural shifts. Moreover, experts have repeatedly pointed out that source segregation and decentralised processing are crucial to addressing waste issues. Can targeted interventions help? One major issue of legacy waste in the…