EDITORS' PICK

No matter how tall its skyscrapers or pungent the sea's odour surrounding it, Mumbai, or any city, can be narrowly viewed as just an island that operates on its stomach. It has many mouths to feed and produces very little of it. It serves as a destination, port, and junction for things that pass through to other places with mouths to feed. The city is of the stomach, by the stomach, for the stomach. Everything we do, we do it for food. Here is a window into a few prayers, search, fuel and labour that goes into the food the…

Historically, Mumbai developed, progressed and got urbanised from the southern to the northern regions. This evolution encompassed the establishment of essential institutions such as schools, hospitals, government offices, and soon. However, as the cost of living in the southern parts or SOBO (south Bombay) escalated over the years, population settled in northern suburbs, commuting to work in the south. While this demographic shift might signify growth, it also highlights a challenge: the disparity between basic infrastructure availability and the overall well-being of citizens residing in these areas. As the urban population expanded northward, the existing amenities such as hospitals, did…

In its earlier avatar, Mumbai was known as ‘Heptanesia’, denoting a collective of seven islands, as named by Ptolemy in 150 AD. With the city being transformed from a cluster of islands into a unified mass in early 18th century, its enduring connection to the coastline beholds captivating marine biodiversity that lies right at our doorstep.  There exists a facet of Mumbai that remains shadowed within the towering buildings and lost between the burgeoning crowds. Often hailed as a ‘city that never sleeps’, it also holds a hidden truth: its shores too remain in a perpetual state of wakefulness.  The…

Black, foul-smelling, stagnant water - this is what one will find when they go in search of the Mambalam Canal which was once one of the significant freshwater canals in the city.  In its heydays, the canal used to carry surplus water from two major tanks - the Nungambakkam tank and the Mambalam tank - that existed some four decades ago. Due to urbanisation, the entire watershed area of these tanks now has residential and commercial establishments in it.  The path followed by the original canal starts near Valluvar Kottam and passes through T Nagar and CIT Nagar before draining…

As a young person growing up in Delhi, access to urban green spaces has been a rare treat. However, one place that holds immense sentimental value for me, as for countless other Delhiites, is the city’s much-loved Deer Park in the Hauz Khas area. The Delhi Deer Park is not just a recreational spot, but a sanctuary of peace in the heart of the bustling city. But now, much to our dismay and disappointment, this mini zoo is set to close, as the Central Zoo Authority has cancelled its recognition. Nearly 600 deer living in the park shall now be…

In June of 2021, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin introduced ‘Singara Chennai 2.0,’ an ode to past projects not finished under Singara Chennai 1.0. These initiatives have been centred around giving various parts of the city a facelift. As part of these efforts, beach beautification has been one of the areas of focus. Under Singara Chennai 2.0, the plan to revamp the city’s beaches has been dubbed ‘Project Blue.’  Agencies such as the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have since begun chalking out plans for the city’s various beaches. But these ideas come with some concerns for…

"My mother was a freedom fighter and so were her mother and her mother's mother." I read this quote by Aja Monet one day, and it made me wonder, "Do women ever achieve full freedom”? I came to Mumbai from my home in Raipur, Chattisgarh, after COVID to do a course in Media at a women’s college. It was strange for me that not many people even knew about the existence of Raipur. During my early days in Mumbai I had to explain to people that Raipur is the capital of Chhattisgarh and it is not in Jharkhand. A shift…

Nearly 30 km away from Keezhadi, an archaeological excavation site in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, is a village called Alangulam. This was where my father was born and grew up for the most part of his life. This is the place I am supposed to call my 'native' home, though I have hardly ever visited the village. However, the patriarchal culture and customs of the place were very much part of our home, no matter where that was. The place that was once ruled by Rani Velu Nachiyar, the first queen to fight for freedom against the British…

Rahul Ramugade, a 33-year-old Mumbaikar, who is paralysed waist down, is a National Para Swimmer. He has been raising the issue of mobility for the differently-abled people. Rahul can recount countless instances of exclusion and rejection from various public places and institutions as they were simply not accessible for the wheelchair-bound people. Rahul's dedication and passion for his sport are unwavering. Yet, many swimming pools across the city remain off-limits to him. The absence of ramps and other facilities required for the differently-abled swimmers, deprives him of the opportunity to train well. This is just one of the many challenges…

Vasudevan S had been living in the tenements of the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) located in Meenabal Sivaraj Nagar since 1977 before having to move out in 2021 for its reconstruction. "In the three decades after we moved in, these houses had turned 'unlivable'," he says. The broken staircases, dysfunctional lights, caved ceilings and leaky pipes are how he describes the building. Perhaps, the description fits most of the TNUHDB tenements in Chennai. Lack of maintenance of the buildings is said to be a significant reason for these buildings to be in a dilapidated condition. The TNUHDB…