City: Mumbai

Every year, property consultants produce reports that highlight the many unsold flats in Mumbai. The inventory is almost at 3 lakhs in 2020, according to a non-brokering real-estate research firm Liases Foras. The number prompts an inevitable discussion about the lakhs of vacant homes in plush, gated enclaves while at least half of Mumbai's 1.9 million people live in decrepit and squalid conditions. The average per sq ft price for homes in the city has risen from Rs 5,734 in 2009-10 to Rs 12,112 in 2019-20. The number of homes sold haven't caught up. Although the prices fell in 2020-21…

Mangrove Action Project recently announced the winners of their 2020 Mangrove Photography Awards. The intimate relationships between wildlife, coastal communities and mangrove forests, as well as the fragility of these unique ecosystems from both above and below the water line, were captured by amateur and professional photographers from nearly 70 countries. We are thrilled to find that two photographers from India are among the winners, both having captured the flamingos at Talawe, Navi Mumbai. There are also a few 'Highly Commended' photographs from India. In it's sixth year, the competition received over 1,100 entries in five categories - threats, conservation,…

A safe, convenient and joyous walking environment continues to elude the Mumbaikar. Reducing the stress in walking will enhance business competitiveness that is ultimately central to the city's existence. Benchmark for a good footpath within Mumbai at Veer Nariman (Photo: Walking Project) Residential areas, transit hubs like railway stations or business districts are the primary areas where a lot of walking happens in a short distances. 1-2 square kilometre areas or 1-5 kilometres of road stretches could see millions of people make walking trips, from straight line walking to crossing the street. Unfortunately, this is where there are worst experiences.…

On August 9, a leopard made its way from Aarey forests to an abandoned warehouse in Andheri East. The animal was mapped, trapped and released back to the forests. This was one of the happier stories of man-animal interaction in a city like Mumbai. Six leopards have been rescued from Mumbai Metropolitan Region since 2017 and dozens have strayed into human habitats. In July 2018, a man was hurt by a leopard, when he tried to save his pet dog in Mulund’s Rahul Nagar, on the periphery of SGNP. In January 2018, a leopard had entered a ground floor flat…

The pandemic has pushed our major parts of our lives online and the unintended consequence of it has been a subsequent increase in online scams and frauds.  Take the case of 28-year-old Charles Aphrem, who lives in IC Colony, Borivali West. Charles along with his friends decided to go for a weekend break to  Alibaug on 21 August 2020. He came across a post on Facebook, where a certain Harish Parmer had advertised a stay at Alibaug for Rs 2500 per person  (including all meals) for a day. The photos looked legitimate and upon further investigation, Charles saw that Harish…

It's that time of the year in Mumbai now. If you visit the mangroves of Mumbai these days, you will see clouds of dragonflies (Pantala flavescens) dancing above them. Dragonflies helicoptering above the mangroves at Thane Creek (Photo: Gopal) Dragonflies undertake one of the longest migrations known among insects. They fly all the way from the Deccan to South Africa riding the North-East monsoon winds. In Kerala, the dragonflies appear just around or after the festival of Onam in September, when the South West Monsoon loses steam and are called Ona-thumbi or the dragonflies of Onam. In Mumbai, we do not have a…

It's been three months since Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide but the swelling media coverage could deceive you into thinking that it was two days ago. In fact, there was an unfortunate death two days ago. (Actually, there were many, if you count the 300+ deaths Maharashtra has been recording all week. Its current total of coronavirus cases is more than a million. But we know you're bored of all that.) Anyway, back to the one death two days ago. A barricade on Western Express Highway fell on a pillion bike rider and killed him instantly. The incident resurfaced…

Tens of thousands of flamingos congregate annually in Talawe Wetlands, in Navi Mumbai on India's west coast. These annual visitors comprise Lesser and Greater Flamingos, the two varieties that migrate to India. Flamingo congregation at Talawe, May 2020 (Photo: Surabhi Agarwal) With India's coronavirus lockdown, this year saw a 25% increase in numbers of these migratory birds. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), estimates that number this year may be more than 1,50,000 vis-à-vis 1,34,000 counted last year. Flamingos at sunset (Photo: Surabhi Agarwal) These wetlands, habitat of flamingos, are in danger of being taken over for development for a golf…

When I dial Dr Rahul Ghule's number for an interview, I expect the phone line to be busy. In fact, I am prepared for it. For the past four months, Dr Ghule has repeatedly tweeted his phone number urging anyone with COVID-19 or related ailments to get in touch. But Dr Ghule answers immediately. “Most people WhatsApp me,” he says.  Dr Ghule is the Founder and CEO of 1Rupee Clinic which has been running Emergency Medical Rooms across railway stations in Mumbai since 2017. The doctors at these rooms or clinics offer checkup and out-patient department services and charge one…

When I made my 2020 planner on the first day of this year, I marked important academic and professional dates for the next six months. The first of these was my university graduation due in the month of March. We are now in September and the aforementioned graduation still seems a far mile away. To be fair, nothing about this year has been normal. With the coronavirus setting in from early March and a nationwide lockdown being declared from the end of that month, we’ve lived a life that is completely different from anything we might have experienced before. As…