July, 2019 Citizen Matters

Ludhiana’s bridge of chaos makes life miserable for commuters

July 31, 2019 Raj Machhan

The old British built Jagraon bridge, that shared the traffic, has been closed since 2016, so that the new bridge sees pile up lasting for hours at peak times. Work on a new bridge, however, remains in limbo, as do many other infrastructure projects in the city.

Meet the guardian angel of Mumbai’s defence against climate change

July 30, 2019 Kartik Chandramouli/Mongabay

Seema Adgaonkar, one of the four Range Forest Officers at the Mumbai Mangrove Conservation Unit until recently, has been guarding the city’s vital mangroves that act as a natural barrier against sea level rise and coastal flooding.

A wetland on just 1% of Bandra Kurla Complex could lessen Mumbai’s flooding problems!

July 29, 2019 Apekshita Varshney

A wetland of that size with two retention basins has managed to mitigate urban flooding to a large extent in an Australian suburb. And such wetlands can be created even in a congested city, as Japanese examples have shown. These and other innovative solutions from the east merit serious consideration in flood-prone Mumbai.

How northeastern migrants are building a home away from home in Delhi’s Humayunpur

July 26, 2019 Arunav Chowdhury

Take a peek inside the melting pot that is Humayunpur, where you will find northeastern migrants from across the city gather to shop for groceries, eat native food and look for houses to rent. ‘It’s just like home,’ they say.

12 years and 1100 crores behind it, Pune BRTS fails to solve commuter woes

July 25, 2019 Ekta Joshi

Flawed design, poor implementation, and the near absence of a centralized authority has left the bus rapid transit system in shambles, with infrequent buses, shabby and ailing infrastructure, and road mishaps on these corridors being the norm.

Why Mumbai needs parks more than parking lots for its 32 lakh cars

July 23, 2019 Sonal Alvares

Open space available to the average Mumbaikar is 1.28 sq m as against international standards of 11 sq m. And to make matters worse, a large chunk of public space is taken up by cars and spaces meant for cars.

35 years on, govt looks away as Bhopal neighbourhood continues to drink chemical-laden water

July 20, 2019 Shuriah Niazi

Two generations have seen the light of day since the disastrous gas leak at Bhopal’s Union Carbide factory. Yet, children are still born with congenital defects and people battle chronic illness, as thousands of tons of chemical waste lie in the open, contaminating air and water. Is the state even bothered?

Report card: How charged up are electric buses in Indian cities?

July 18, 2019 Revathi Siva Kumar

In June, the government called for proposals from state transport departments for deployment of 5,000 electric buses, to be supported under the FAME-II scheme; but how close are our cities to realising that vision?

How one of Delhi’s tallest structures is contributing to climate change

July 17, 2019 Sri Krishna

Intense summers are not uncommon in Delhi, but when temperatures soared to 48 degrees this June, it was a record even by city standards. Could emissions from the East Delhi Ghazipur landfill have had a role to play?

Why Mumbaikars are getting angrier about tree felling

July 16, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Around 500 people from different walks gathered at a public hearing on July 8th to raise their voices against the proposed felling of 2702 trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony. This is just the most recent example of growing citizen engagement and efforts to save the green cover of the city.

Ill-planned, ill-executed PPP projects behind Uttarakhand’s crumbling health services

July 13, 2019 Rishabh Shrivastava

Health centres in villages have become mere referral points for private hospitals in the city, which themselves suffer from inadequate infrastructure and failing emergency services. Proposed PPP projects show a big gap between potential and actual results.

Traffic jam at 13000 feet: What summer tourism means for hill towns in Himachal!

July 10, 2019 Ashwani Sharma

Summer heat in the northern plains sees tourists flocking in huge numbers to Shimla, Kullu-Manali and the scenic Rohtang Pass. But just look at what it does to the ecology and the regular lives of citizens here.

What’s making the water in Shillong oily and undrinkable?

July 9, 2019 Linda Chhakchhuak

Authorities say it is because of the high usage of chemicals needed to treat the turbid waters in the once pure rivers and springs of the region. But what is polluting the water in the first place?

Will Kochi’s new integrated transport system be more friendly towards people with disabilities?

July 6, 2019 Nelda Tomy

A recent survey undertaken as part of an academic project brought to light the woes of people with disabilities in Kochi when it came to commute. A look at what needs to be done to make the city transport system more inclusive

A must-have checklist for apartment buyers as cities run dry

July 5, 2019 Vishwanath Srikantaiah

Multi-storied apartments dot the skyline in all our cities, defining the aspiration of many urban citizens. But don’t forget the terrible water crisis we face today; if you are planning to invest in a flat, make sure the apartment has smart water management in place.