CITIZEN JOURNALISM

At Bengaluru’s first Dry Waste Collection Centre (DWCC) in Domlur, heaps of waste in segregated piles dominate the landscape. Drivers of collection vehicles and waste pickers work through the piles, segregating waste in challenging conditions. These centres were established to promote decentralised waste management and improve the livelihood of waste workers. Yet, a decade later, waste pickers continue to struggle without formal employment status, volatile resale prices for recyclable waste, a shortage of quality waste and fragile job security. Workers at the Domlur DWCC come from various backgrounds. For some, waste picking is a generational occupation — A Krishna, the…

The Shakti Yojane has recently crossed 500 crore tickets in the two years since it was launched by the Karnataka government in June 2023. The scheme offers free rides to women (including transwomen) in ordinary public buses, as long as they have a valid ID. Despite the milestone, the Shakti scheme has been at the forefront of political debate in the state. Opposition parties have labelled it a ‘scam’ that “betrays the people.”  A common argument is that male passengers are disproportionately burdened by Shakti, as they have to pay for tickets while women’s travel is fully subsidised.  This criticism…

"Visually impaired individuals playing cricket?" It’s a thought that often surprises people, reflecting a common misconception of what persons with visual impairment can truly achieve. Even within the blind community, the idea of confidently stepping onto a cricket pitch seemed like a distant dream. But in Bengaluru, that dream became a reality, thanks to the determination and hard work of a few passionate individuals. Making the impossible possible I had long envisioned a world where blind cricket thrived, but doubt crept in — could such an event be pulled off, and would anyone attend it? My apprehensions disappeared when I shared…

Mumbai's P/North Ward is a climate paradox. On a map, it looks green, boasting significant cover from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park to the east and vital mangroves to the west. Yet, the reality on the ground for its nearly one million residents is one of scorching heat. The surfaces people walk and live on have heated dramatically, with land surface temperatures soaring by over 5°C in much of this ward between 2015 and 2024. The reason is a familiar story of urban expansion: rapid, unplanned growth has replaced cooling ecosystems with a dense fabric of concrete, tin, and asphalt,…

The Public Distribution System (PDS) in India is one of the world's largest food security initiatives, covering approximately 800 million people. It provides free or subsidised food grains to over 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population. Yet, Rajendra Nagar, one of Bengaluru’s largest informal clusters with over 15,000 families living across a two-square-kilometre area, offers a stark example of how gaps in the Public Distribution System (PDS) leave thousands vulnerable. As many as 44% of households surveyed in this slum between September and November 2024 reported not receiving rations, despite being eligible. Households in the…

Walking into the Madras Literary Society (MLS) is like stepping into another era. The towering, multi-storey bookshelves hold more than 80,000 volumes, some of which are rare and priceless. Among the library’s many treasures is the 296-year-old edition of Isaac Newton’s Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The architecture of the building, with its double-layered windows, high ceilings with exposed rafters, and lime-plastered walls, offers more than mere aesthetic appeal. These features ensure natural ventilation, retain acoustics unique to the space, and keep the library cool even in Chennai’s scorching summers. Antique furniture adds an extra flourish to the space. The library thrives…

Mumbai's M/East Ward, a sprawling peripheral area including Mankhurd, Govandi, Deonar, Trombay and Chembur, embodies a tale of two cities. It is a vital economic engine, home to major industrial facilities such as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Tata Power, RCF and HPCL. At the same time, it lies on the city's fringe where its unseen have been pushed over decades, from the mountains of waste at the Deonar landfill to the marginalised communities resettled in its cramped colonies. Our study on the impact of rising urban temperatures reveals just how this deep-seated inequality is baked into the very…

In the western suburbs of Mumbai, the Mount Mary and Kane Road areas in Bandra comprise a diverse neighbourhood of 38 high-rise apartments, bungalows, four religious institutions, a school, an orphanage, a hospice, and a women’s hostel. Since 1998, this locality has been actively served by ALM 33 — an Advanced Locality Management unit recognised by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for its proactive resident group, working to improve the quality of life in the area. For years, the BMC did not have a consistent waste management programme in ALM 33. This led to sanitation issues, including overflowing bins, clogged…

Democracy is more than just the right to vote or stand for office; it’s about empowering citizens to influence the policies and decisions that shape their daily lives. For a government to be truly responsive, citizen engagement must be at the core of the law-making process. In this system, policies should be crafted not only for the people but with the people, reflecting their concerns and aspirations. Public consultations are vital in strengthening democracy by ensuring policies reflect the needs of those they impact. In February 2021, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) incorporated feedback from Mumbaikars during the city's annual…

Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, is known for its pleasant climate. Often, when much of the country struggles with heat, rain brings relief to this city. Last year, Bengaluru received 933.8 mm of rain over the year (IMD data). But rain, while welcome, also unravels a host of problems: flooded roads, traffic chokes, and an often futile scramble for autorickshaws on ride-hailing apps like Uber, Ola and Rapido. Despite their algorithmic promises, these platforms collapse during peak demand, making transport scarce and expensive. A commuter from Indiranagar shares his experience with us: “I needed an auto for just 1.5 km from…