CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Translated by Sandhya Raju வரதா புயல் ஏற்படுத்திய சேதத்தில், சென்னையில் பசுமை போர்வை பெரும் பாதிப்படைந்தது. புயல் சேதத்தை கடந்து நின்ற மரங்களும், போதிய பராமரிப்பு இல்லாததால் அச்சுறுத்தலில் உள்ளது. சுற்றுச்சூழல் பாதிப்பு மட்டுமில்லாமல், பொது மக்களுக்கும் ஆபத்தாக இது மாறியுள்ளது. மரம் நடுதலை ஊக்குவிக்கும் அதே நேரத்தில், இருக்கும் மரங்களை பாதுகாப்பதிலும் அக்கறை கொள்ள வேண்டும். சென்னை மரங்களை பாதுகாத்தல் குடியிருப்பு பகுதிகளில் உள்ள சாலையோர மரங்களின் தாழ்வான கிளைகள் செப்பனிடப்படுவதை சென்னை மாநகராட்சி கண்காணிக்க வேண்டும். பல வருடங்களாக சென்னையின் பல பகுதிகளில் இந்த பணி மேற்கொள்ளப்படவில்லை. இதனால், இந்த மரங்கள் மழைக் காலத்தின் போது முறிந்து விழுகிறது. பருவ மழை காலம் தொடங்கும் முன் மழை நீர் வடிகால் சுத்தம் செய்யப்படுவது போல் தாழ்வான மரக்கிளைகளும் வெட்டி பராமரிக்கப்பட வேண்டும். என் குடியிருப்பு பகுதியில் உள்ள நிலை இதன் முக்கியத்துவத்தை உணர்த்துவதாக உள்ளது. பட்டேல் சாலை,…

I knew of the Baobab tree as a massive tree somewhere in Africa, but little did I know that for most of my life in Bombay, I had been living among these gentle giants. Both the colleges that I studied in had a Baobab tree within 300 meters, but I never noticed them.  "If a Baobab spoke, man wouldn't understand!" This phrase displays the profound nature of the trees and their existence that has surpassed centuries.Pic: Zico Fernandes Originally from Madagascar, Africa, the Baobab trees are defined by their swollen base - with a girth upto 36 ft - and height…

On 27th August 2021, Minister for Environment and Tourism (Govt of Maharashtra), Aditya Thackeray, launched the first-ever climate action plan in Mumbai. Titled Mumbai’s Climate Action Plan (MCAP) it has been drafted by the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) with technical support from WRI India, involved as a knowledge partner. “Mumbai is one of the high-risk cities to the worst impacts of climate change. There is a need to re-think the ways development is carried out in the current climate change scenario. Coordinated efforts for data monitoring and management, will help us make quick and informed decisions, ensuring the…

With construction of the Outer Ring Road (ORR) Metro line starting recently, there has been much discussion about traffic congestion on this stretch. BMRCL has clearly made this line a priority, and has signalled to the companies along ORR to continue encouraging work-from-home. We are also seeing an increase in traffic post-lockdown, as workplaces and institutions open up. Now is a good time to reflect on the overall plan for Iblur Junction, a major choke point along ORR. lblur junction is the intersection of two arterial roads - ORR and Sarjapur Road. An additional road, Iblur main road, forks out…

It is not every day that the citizens of Gurgaon leave work on a Tuesday morning to congregate at the approximately 45 m-high Bandhwari landfill, shared by Gurgaon and Faridabad, where over 2000 tons of mixed waste is dumped every day. On the morning of August 31st, however, rain could not deter close to 200 residents of villages from Mangar, Bandhwari, Gwal Pahari and the city of Gurgaon, who gathered there to attend a public hearing called by the Haryana Pollution Control Board (HSPCB). The hearing sought citizen’s thoughts on the proposed expansion of the Waste to Energy Plant (WtE)…

The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) proposed the Inner Ring Metro (IRM), a fully underground 34-km-long metro line to be completed by 2031, as phase 3 in the Comprehensive Mobility Plan of 2019. IRM would comprise 23 new metro stations and six interchanges, considering the completion of all other phases of the metro project. This line was suggested as it connects all major commercial and educational hubs, which might help reduce traffic congestion at the city level. Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Transportation Research Lab evaluated this Metro line proposal in February 2020. In a report, they concluded that the…

This June, newspapers carried reports of an apartment resident in Mangaluru throwing newborn kittens out of her flat. Similarly, cat-adoption sites frequently report cases of kittens found in plastic bags in garbage heaps. Earlier, a common, but merciless, approach was to either ignore kittens or drop them in a faraway location. These incidents show people are largely unaware of how to handle stray cats and their litter. Success stories of win-win scenarios for both cats and humans are very rare. I was very impressed by an article in Citizen Matters last year, by Sumana Paul and Kalpita Mane, on how…

Chennai's tree cover has taken a hit especially since cyclone Vardah hit the city. The trees that survived continue to face existential threats in the form of weather events, felling and  improper maintenance. Not only is this a cause for concern in terms of the environmental impact on the city but also a threat to the safety of citizens. While the planting of new trees is a welcome initiative, the existing mature trees across the city must also be cared for better.  Caring for Chennai's trees Pruning of low lying branches of Chennai's avenue trees in residential neighbourhoods has to…

Saili and Mayank [names changed] live in a Mumbai slum, with their parents in a meagre dwelling, hardly 10ft x 10ft, divided into a bedroom and kitchen. They study in class 3 and class 7 respectively, in nearby schools. Scratch that. They are enrolled in schools would be more accurate, as any meaningful study or education has come to a stand-still since the school closure which began in March 2020.  Their parents manage to earn about Rs 30,000 a month for the family, and luckily do not have the burden of school fee expenses, as they have been enrolled under…

An apartment complex conjures an image of rows of buildings, with amenities like swimming pool, play areas, manicured lawns and alien trees. These complexes are considered 'concrete jungles' and are not really known for their biodiversity. But the residents of SJR Redwoods Apartments have broken this myth - they have converted their premises into a food forest. This apartment complex off Sarjapura Road has 152 flats, and is situated on a five-acre property of which two acres is common land. How we created a zero-waste food forest Our garden used to generate six tonnes of waste per month, which had…