CITIZEN JOURNALISM

In a few of the English movies I have seen, I recall seeing London Black Cabs, in which a firm partition isolates the driver from the passengers, with a small window for communication. Even in the days of Sherlock Holmes and horse-drawn Hansom Cabs, we see that the passengers are separated from the driver - some sort of social distancing. So, the idea of social distancing in small public transport vehicles is not really new. A Hansom Cab with driver on the sets of a Sherlock Holmes film (Photo: By Andrew Dunn - English Wikipedia) In June, when the city…

Due to rapid urbanisation and unplanned development, Bengaluru’s groundwater is getting increasingly contaminated. This issue requires urgent attention as approximately 40% of the city's population depend on groundwater (borewells, open wells and tankers) for their daily water needs such as drinking, cooking and bathing.  Contaminated groundwater could lead to health issues if it is directly consumed. If used for agricultural purposes, it could even enter the food chain.  Residents across the city have reported that borewells discharge coloured or smelly water. This indicates percolation of sewage and chemicals into the water table. Discolouration, cloudiness and bad odour are some of…

Last week, the new SARS-CoV-2 variant was revealed to be the reason behind the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases in South and East England. It is being referred to as VUI (Variant Under Investigation) 202012/01, or the B.1.1.7 lineage. 1108 cases of this strain have been identified so far. While this new variant spreads more rapidly than other strains, there is no evidence yet that this variant causes severe disease or mortality. Given this all travel from and into the UK has been halted as a precautionary measure in our country. For the first time in the last few weeks…

Ambattur sees a flurry of activity in its neighbourhoods every day, as the suburb is still expanding. It was one of the zones to be brought under the Chennai Corporation as recently as in 2011. As part of the development of the suburb, several roads and streets are widened in the area from time to time.  If there is one major pain point despite all the efforts to ensure civic amenities, it is the location of electricity poles, distribution pillars and transformers across Ambattur. The placement of these utilities routinely defy a lot of rules and cause much inconvenience.  Electric…

Many of us may have heard this short story about a little boy on the beach. Once upon a time there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. Early one morning, he saw a small boy on the sea-shore.  A big storm the previous night had littered the vast beach with thousands of starfish. The little boy bent down every so often to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. “May I ask what is it that you are doing” he asked the boy.“Throwing starfish into the ocean” the…

A few days before Christmas, we set up our tree, complete with ornaments and star, and decorated our house as we have done in the past. With the characteristic smells of Christmas season food, the festival was definitely in the air, but it was different. But, this Christmas was unlike any I remember in my life of 19 years. The Christmas tree at the Fernandes home in Mumbai. Pic: Krystel Fernandes Leading up to Christmas, there used to be days of partying, which continued until the new year. Church gatherings, group carol singing, guests in and out of our home…

Once Diwali is over, is it 'Lights out!' for the lamps that gleefully decorate our homes and outdoors during the festival? "Certainly not!" All it takes is a little bit of effort to kindle another flame of life into these lamps. Possibly, a small change in mindset too. Diyas in the process of belng lit in an apartment lobby in Mumbai (Photo: Amy) Diwali, or Deepavali (row of lights), is synchronous with lights. It is one of the few festivals celebrated around Amavasya (new moon), when we don't have the light of the moon at night. This is possibly the…

I love the smell of the morning air and the quiet that allows the chirping of the birds to filter through. A morning walk is the best way to start the day "they" say. Exercising in the morning is good for the body's metabolism, makes you feel happy and energised, and ensures that you've got the exercise you need before you get busy with your daily chores. However, over the last few years, I return home after my morning walk, very disturbed by some of the sights around the neighbourhood. Statues and pictures of Gods and Goddesses, lie abandoned under…

There is enough tragedy in the human lives lost due to accidents in India's roads. But there’s little guilt, and no penalties, when it comes to the many animals that suffer a similar fate. We believe that as non-humans, this is their fate, or that they deserve less. But whatever the individual attitude, it's necessary that human societies at large acknowledge such suffering endured by animals as important. So let's talk about how we can make this happen. Chutki. This beloved Cubbon Park puppy was killed in a hit-and-run at 4 pm on December 1. Not even 10 months old,…

A short trip to a small island off Tarkarli in Sindhudurg District along coastal Maharashtra a few years ago introduced me to the sport of Kayaking. This first experience led me to explore how I could continue with the sport in Mumbai itself. The Walduni canal, not far from my home in Ulhasnagar would have been very convenient, but it is too polluted to be safe for kayaking. So my eyes were set on the Ulhas river, further down. A fisherman at work on the Ulhas river (Photo: Deepak Malani) (Photo: Deepak Malani) Two years ago I got an inflatable…