September, 2020 Citizen Matters

India urgently needs urban forests. What’s stopping us from creating more?

September 30, 2020 Neeta Lal/TheThirdpole.net

Lack of political will and outdated laws hamper the creation of urban forests in India, but there is no dearth of good examples that can be adopted.

What makes our cities clean: On Swachh Survekshan, rankings and beyond

September 29, 2020 Rishabh Shrivastava

Key highlights from a webinar organised by Citizen Matters on the Swachh Survekshan 2020 and the deeper insights from experts.

COVID effect: Home buyers in Ahmedabad want farm houses and bungalows

September 28, 2020 Binita Parikh

Having been cooped up indoors for so long, and with work from home becoming more prevalent, the need for more space at home is driving buyers’ preferences.

Back to school: Are we ready to go the same way as global schools are going?

September 23, 2020 Swati Amar

Many countries have started reopening schools amid immense challenges. As schools in our cities, from Gurgaon to Hyderabad, also see partial reopening this week, what are parents, administrators and students saying?

Pune: As COVID curve keeps rising, traders search for alternative sites

September 21, 2020 Ambika Shaligram

With no hope of the pandemic situation improving anytime soon, most of the trading community in Pune’s traditional markets are amenable to the idea of moving to the city’s outskirts.

City Buzz: Delhi serosurvey results | Remdesivir shortage in Pune | Anti-pollution body seals Gurgaon mall…and more

September 19, 2020 News Desk

Catch our weekly update on COVID-19 from various cities and news of other important urban developments.

Six ways to make our cities child-friendly

September 17, 2020 Nikita Luke, Rohit Tak, Claudia Adriazola-Steil and Ariadne Samios

The pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for safe outdoor areas for children, many of whom have experienced mental and physical health issues due to restricted socialization and activity.

Delhi: Crores allocated, but winter smog from stubble burning likely this year too

September 16, 2020 Asha Ramachandran

Health experts fear that the effects of COVID-19, primarily respiratory problems, could be worsened by heightened air pollution due to smoke from the annual stubble burning.

Making waste pickers’ lives better: An experience from Hyderabad

September 14, 2020 Laxmi Vadapalli

A project aimed at providing alternative occupations for waste pickers in an industrial estate in Hyderabad holds important lessons. What would really make their lives better?

City Buzz: Cases rise in Delhi | COVID-19 facilities under stress…and more

September 13, 2020 News Desk

Catch the key highlights from our cities on COVID-19 and other public health developments this week.

From selling turmeric water to security services: How the jobless in Delhi are rebuilding their lives

September 12, 2020 Vijaya Pushkarna

More and more people who lost their jobs to the pandemic are making new beginnings. Earnings may be less initially, but the road ahead promises flexibility and independence.

Almost every family in Chandigarh has two cars. This is what it has cost the city

September 11, 2020 Raj Machhan

The average minimum temperature in the city has risen by 1.8 degree Celsius over the last seven decades, caused primarily by lack of public transport and loss of green cover.

These Delhiites always worked from home, but COVID has left them jobless

September 9, 2020 Avi Majithia and Malavika Narayan

Home-based workers in Delhi are engaged in various trades: from hand embroidery to manufacturing, packaging and more. But COVID has shut down most of the factories in the city that provided work for them.

New areas included within Ahmedabad city limits, but who gains?

September 8, 2020 Darshan Desai and Neha Amin

The question is especially pertinent given that the AMC is unable to provide basic infrastructure even within its present jurisdiction and faces a big loss of income due to COVID.

Which are the most dangerous roads for pedestrians in Hyderabad?

September 7, 2020 Varun Shridhar and Anusha Chitturi

Summary findings from The Footpath Initiative project, that analysed accident data in Hyderabad to understand the details of road crashes leading to pedestrian deaths in the city.