City: Mumbai

On June 30th, the Shiv Sena rebel leader Eknath Shinde became the 20th Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and Bharatiya Janata Party's Devendra Fadnavis returned to power as his deputy. In their first cabinet meeting, held hours after the oath-taking ceremony, the first decision they took was to shift the construction of the metro car shed for the 33.5 km underground Colaba-Bandra-SEEPZ Metro Project (Line 3) from Kanjurmarg back to the Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon. Effectively affecting the Aarey forest as a whole. Backlash followed as environmentalists took to the streets in protest after two-odd years. Commonly known as 'Aarey…

Tansa dam, which supplies water to Mumbai, is now full One of seven reservoirs in the city, the Tansa dam, has filled up thanks to steady and sometimes heavy rainfall in Maharashtra. However, the dam is now overflowing, which could be dangerous for those living close to it. With a height of 128.17 metres and an overflow level of 128.63 metres, the dam is at risk of rising water levels. Authorities in the area have begun preparations for any outcome in the next few days. Earlier in the monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had announced a 10 per cent water cut in this…

In a lesser-known corner of Mumbai, at Anik Depot, a Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) museum has been set up showcasing the evolution of the iconic transportation company BEST, from a horse-drawn tramway service to the electric buses we see now. The Mumbai Research Centre of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai organised an educational experience to visit the museum, thanks to the kind courtesy of the BEST museum curator Yatin Pimpale who guided our group with expert inputs. The visit was a sequel to a lecture series in 2020 on the evolution of transportation in Mumbai, thus tying in…

On July 12th, Citizen Matters hosted a panel discussion on the National Youth Policy in collaboration with Youth for Unity and Voluntary Action (YUVA), a non-profit developmental organisation that enables vulnerable groups to access their rights.  Moderated by Sabah Virani, Reporter at Citizen Matters Mumbai, the panel consisted of YUVA Project Lead, Youth Work, Sachin Nachnekar and youth activists from YUVA in Mumbai named Pranaya Patade, Shehenshah Ansari, Sana Shaikh, Asma Ansari, and Swapnil Shinde.  All of them had earlier participated in consultations that YUVA organised to understand the youth’s perspective on the new draft National Youth Policy (NYP), an…

As the monsoons intensify, Mumbai’s beaches are getting dangerous. Since June this year, they have claimed six lives, according to information from the Mumbai fire brigade. While three youngsters from Chembur drowned together on the Juhu beach on June 14th, yet another life was lost at Dadar’s Chowpatty. On July 3rd, a courier employee, Ashish Dusar lost his life at Juhu beach while trying to save the life of a ten-year-old boy. Over 27 people have been rescued and saved from drowning by lifeguards since the onset of monsoons in June this year.  The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Iqbal…

When 36-year-old Rupesh Patil started fishing 20 years ago, taking over the reins of the business from his father, he used to catch a boat full of fresh Surmai (seer fish) or Javla (shrimp) regularly. "But the income in this business is not like before," he says. Patil is a fisher from Worli Koliwada in Mumbai, where other fisherfolk like him who fish at the nearby Cleaveland Bunder have been complaining of a falling catch for the past few years.  Adding to their woes are the rising fuel prices and the destruction that was left behind by Cyclone Tauktae in…

Mumbai on red alert despite rains subsiding Despite some respite from heavy rainfall on the morning of July 8th, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a red alert in the city for the weekend, citing heavy rainfall at isolated places. There is the additional possibility of occasional strong winds reaching 40-50 kph. The city's local trains and buses - its lifelines - have remained normal, barring a few inconveniences. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in the meantime, has barred entry into beaches on days of heavy rainfall. Source: NDTV, Mint COVID cases reduce Mumbais daily COVID cases have continued on a downward trail, with only 695…

In an earlier article, we investigated the pervasive pattern of unfilled seats reserved under the Right to Education (RTE) Act. Here, we spend an evening at an RTE verification centre in suburban Mumbai, talking to parents and a member of the RTE verification committee about the admission process. On the afternoon of May 27th, I met 3 mothers waiting in worry to secure admission for their children to different private schools. They were at the Gilbert Hill MNP Urdu School for the verification of their documents. This was no routine admission step; their children were among the select few that…

A people’s protest to ‘Save Aarey’ was held on July 3rd at Picnic Point in Aarey Colony, following the Maharashtra government's decision to overturn the legal protection Aarey had earlier received. The newly-appointed Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took the decision to relocate the metro car shed project back to the forest in his first meeting since taking the oath. The move to reverse the decision of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition government created a stir amongst environmentalists and citizen activists from all over Mumbai and protests were organised almost overnight after the decision was made. However, this project isn’t Aarey's…

I travel across cities in India for work and leisure, but Mumbai has always been important to me, as I have family and friends in the city. Coming from Bengaluru, the city’s heat and humidity have not really been in my favour. Outdoor walks during the evenings always help me recover from my physical and mental fatigue. Recently, taking my son to a nearby public space - a park near our house in Vashi, Navi Mumbai - has become my routine. 'Gorakhnath Shivram Palve' is a neighbourhood park, one of the many in this planned extension of Mumbai. Visiting a…