CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Recently, Chennai has lost many trees to rains, cyclones and civic work. But the act of preserving existing tree cover and carrying out urban greening activities is only happening in pockets of the city.  There have been instances of tree felling for work on stormwater drains across the city. Many avenue trees were lost in areas such as K K Nagar. Very little has also been done to protect old trees in the city, with the instance of the felling of a centuries-old baobab tree on Greams Road being a prime example.  In order to prevent a repeat of such loss…

The city of Mumbai is currently at the peak of the monsoon season that significantly impacts the lives of its residents. While these rains are vital for replenishing water sources and sustaining agriculture, they also pose several challenges for the city's infrastructure and residents. Water logging, traffic jams, health risks and infrastructure problems, the list is endless. These problems resurface year after year. We at Citizen Matters Mumbai, believe that the citizens best know the problems they encounter in their vicinity. Hence they are able to offer the most practical and workable solutions to these problems. We have always had…

Throughout history, rivers have played a significant role in the development of human civilisation, not just as a source of water but also as centres of economic activity. But in these days of rapid urbanisation, rivers are recognised as part of the urban landscape, with urban local bodies looking to reap economic value through them. But what often gets ignored in the process is that more often than not, such rivers are already connected to the surrounding communities, who have traditional practices around them. Thus, they possess a certain heritage value in terms of historical structures and intangible cultural heritage. …

For a community to whom open spaces are a luxury, encroachment of our open spaces comes as a big pinch. In the past few months, we have seen two of our vital open spaces getting 'kidnapped'. This has affected our access to these spaces - a public library and a ground. So, on 18th May 2023, we, the residents of Govandi gathered in front of a library at the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Udyan to protest against the encroachment on the open spaces. Govandi is part of the M-East ward, which is one of the poorest and has the lowest Human…

“If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.” This saying by urbanist Fred Kent holds true for Bengaluru in general, and Gandhi Bazaar in particular. Reminiscing the bygone days As Bengaluru grew into a burgeoning metropolis, due to unbridled urbanisation, it became congested. Haphazard, illegal construction and influx of migrants led to neighbourhood walkability being significantly reduced. This was seen in Gandhi Bazaar, one of the oldest parts of the city. Residents in and around Basavanagudi/Gandhi Bazaar area used to walk to the…

Chandivali is an upscale residential locality in Andheri East. It is isolated and connectivity to public transport is limited. The nearest railway station on the western, Andheri station, and on the central line, Ghatkopar station, are 6 km and 4 km away respectively. This makes the citizens of the area heavily dependent on roads for commuting. Unfortunately, the roads in Chandivali are one of the worst in the city. The DP road-9, Powai is an important road that connects the Chandivali Farm Road with the Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. The road is riddled with numerous potholes making it dangerous for commuters,…

Bengaluru City Traffic Police, as reported by the media, has initiated steps to book those guilty of three major offences -- driving or riding against the flow of traffic, riding on the footpath, and wrongful parking under Section 283 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Although the news reports did not elicit much reaction from an apathetic public, the change in policy has the potential to harm citizens by inflicting devastating consequences for relatively minor infractions. What is Section 283? Section 283 deals with “doing any act, or by omitting to take order with any property in his possession or…

It's a term Bangaloreans have become quite familiar with in the past one year—white topping. I have seen this work happening in certain areas and the disruption it causes to citizens living and working along that stretch of road. But last week, white topping arrived at my doorstep and since then my wife and I have virtually been under lockdown. The roads in front of my house have been closed to traffic. Which means I cannot take my car out. The cement surface laid is so high that getting onto it is difficult without some stepping stone. We always have…

Citizens and lake enthusiasts have reported more incidents of fishkill this year than in 2022. There have been reports of 11 fishkill within six months of 2023. While 16 fishkill incidents were published in the media from January to December in 2022, a whopping 11 incidents were reported on July 7th. This has led to concerns over the quality of water of Bengaluru's lakes. Fishkill in Bengaluru gets reported due to the efforts of aware citizens, who bring up the issue on social media. Many citizens also take it up with the concerned officers of BBMP's Lake Department. Sl. No. DateLake108-02-2023Kothanur…

Tamil Nadu generates a whopping Rs 44,000 crores in revenue from the Government owned TASMAC liquor stores every year. It is truly unfortunate that these shops have turned into a key source of revenue for the state as their adverse effect on the populace is not quantifiable. Making the entire situation even more unpalatable is the location of such shops across the state. Residential neighbourhoods which were once peaceful have seen great disruptions due to the presence of TASMAC shops.  One such area is in Perambur where three TASMAC shops operated within 100 mts, making the lives of residents increasingly…