News

Does nature stand a chance in this urbanisation frenzy?

July 13, 2017 Smita Mitra

Indian cities need serious, sustained focus on the various components that can improve and nurture their ecosystems. While a few individual and community driven projects raise hopes, a lot remains to be done.

Debate over GST on sanitary napkins: What are we missing?

July 12, 2017 Shree D N

A recent comment by a Kannada actor defending GST on sanitary napkins and terming them as a western imposition sparked off a furious debate on social media. But have the shrill arguments clouded the nuances of the issue?

Why these Kolkata morning walkers have reserved their Sunday mornings for protest!

July 10, 2017 Somendramohan Ghosh

The 192-acre Rabindra Sarobar is a beautiful green oasis in the heart of Kolkata and a favourite of many old timers in the southern part of the city. But reckless urbanisation and callous maintenance is taking its toll, leaving many regular visitors deeply distraught.

Novel ecosystems: How our cities are changing nature

July 6, 2017 Smita Mitra

Looking at urban spaces as ‘novel ecosystems’ – emerging ecologies that have no historical predecessors – can change how we think about afforestation and conservation efforts.

Where a dumping ground is a tourist attraction!

June 30, 2017 UNDP India

A half-hour drive from Goa, the small municipality of Vengurla is recycling 7 tonnes of waste generated daily and earning money from plastic sold to contractors for road-building in nearby areas.

Will Mysuru’s bike sharing system transform the way its citizens commute?

June 27, 2017 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

Trin-Trin, the country’s first city-wide public bicycle sharing system, has already seen 1300 registrations since its launch on June 4th. An interview with one of the key proponents reveals the details of the initiative.

Why Karnataka’s draft law regulating private health care is important for citizens

June 23, 2017 Akhila Vasan

Healthcare activists argue that the Karnataka Private Medical Establishments Amendments Bill 2017 proposes a much-needed citizen-centric overhaul and regulation of the private medical sector in Karnataka.

Swachh rankings: Why Alappuzha with its award winning system is in the bottom 100

June 20, 2017 Navya P K

The Alappuzha model of waste management was presented as a zero-waste model at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015. Yet the city stands at a dismal rank of 380 in the recent clean city rankings. Navya P K finds out why.

Why India’s clean city rankings need a serious rethink!

June 16, 2017 Navya P K

The top ranked cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2017 undertaken by the MoUD do not segregate, process or dispose of their waste scientifically. In the first part of an in-depth study, Navya P K finds that the survey criteria are in conflict with the government’s own SWM policy!