EDITORS' PICK

As Chennai attempts to decentralise its waste management system and looks to reduce the quantum of waste that is landfilled, facilities that handle wet and dry waste play a key role in the process. Any lapse in the functioning of the Micro Composting Centres (MCC) in handling wet waste and the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) in processing dry waste would defeat the purpose of decentralisation. "After we collect the segregated waste, we deposit the dry waste in the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) or Resource Recovery Centres (RRC). Plastic, paper, thermocol, clothes, old mattresses and pillows and even coconut shells are…

Bengaluru has attracted people from all walks of life. In addition to long term inhabitants, it is a city for students, factory workers, small vendors, and sees a lot of migrant population. The Bangalore Urban district mostly comprises the Bangalore metropolitan area. In 2011, this district was 90% urban, and it may be assumed to be almost entirely urban in nature.  Understanding the healthcare needs of migrant workers Migration is a complex process with far reaching effects on individuals, societies, and health systems. The urban migrant population often experiences significant barriers to accessing health services, including limited availability of services,…

Like many suburban areas of Chennai, Chitlapakkam has seen tremendous growth but the civic amenities and services have failed to keep up with the needs of the people. Residents of the area have banded together to fight for their rights and ensure that they are able to enjoy a better quality of life.  It is because of the spirit of the residents that the connectivity in the area has improved in recent times. Our campaign has brought back the S3 minibus to Chitlapakkam, along with the introduction of another minibus, the S100.  Buoyed by this success, residents have begun to…

In the past few years, the proposed Metro-3 car shed and subsequent tree felling in the Aarey forest has made headlines and people's fight to save the remaining trees continues even now. Historically, as Mumbai’s concrete jungle around the forested area exploded along with rising pollution levels, Aarey emerged as the city’s oasis for biodiversity and its ‘last green lungs’. It is a popular destination for cyclists, joggers, bird watchers, nature enthusiasts, and picnickers looking for a few hours of nature's company. According to environmentalist Stalin D, in the earlier days, the concept of institutions was not a concrete jungle.…

Do you remember the last time you took a closer look at your neighbourhood? During the last weekend of April, I strolled through my neighbourhood in Mumbai, my eyes attuned to the subtlest motions of nature - a butterfly fluttering in the distance, and birds and bats foraging on love apples in a roadside tree. A sea of golden-yellow copper pod blooms filled some roads while others, seemingly bare, had fig trees sprouting through concrete walls. I particularly made it a point to visit parts of Mumbai’s coastline, each of which was bustling with intertidal activity. As I peered eagerly…

In the first of this two-part series, we discussed the quality of the building plans sanction dataset on the BBMP website. The data is potentially crucial in informing, visualising and guiding the built-form in the city. Thus, the imperative to streamline and quality-check the data collation exercise cannot be over emphasised. In the second part, we illustrate the insights from this data. The publicly available data was used to understand the direction and typology of built growth expansion across time at the city, zonal and ward scale. These insights, we argue, are critical inputs for planning and managing the city.…

The Rajasthan Right to Health Care Act (the RRTH Act) passed by the legislative assembly of the state of Rajasthan on March 21st this year, draws our attention to the quintessential issue of patients’ rights in healthcare. In the doctor-centric health care system in India, patient rights seldom feature in public debate, are rarely considered integral to realising our citizenship, and are not legally defined. Yet, patient rights form a very significant component of  citizens’ fundamental right to health care.  The Right to Health Care Act is framed with the objective of ensuring health for all, and also conversely, that…

"The wait for an MTC bus on hot days is pushing me to use autos," says M Priyanka. "I take the 12G bus to go to my office in Mylapore from KK Nagar. There is no bus shelter in Munusamy Salai in KK Nagar from where I board the bus. The trees around the stop, which provided some respite, were chopped and not replanted. The wait for buses is also unpredictable. So now I use autos."  Priyanka used to pay nothing to travel on the MTC bus, thanks to bus transport being made free for women by the state government.…

Bas saaru and massoppu. These curries made of mixed greens are staples in homes of Bengaluru residents. But these greens are not always bought in the market. They are also gathered from sidewalks, little strips of soil beside the road, from drains, and around lakes. The act of gathering such edible plant species, from private or public spaces in the city, is called urban foraging, and it is a common practice across the globe. Honagonne soppu (Alternanthera sessilis) foraged from lake beds in Bengaluru. Pic: Seema Mundoli Experts on local wild plants In Bengaluru, it is mainly middle-aged or older…

Chennai has seen rapid expansion in recent decades. But essentials such as water supply and sewage connections have failed to materialise in many parts of the city despite demand from residents. This has forced residents to find alternatives such as procuring water from tankers and setting up their own Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs). Many apartments on the outskirts of Chennai, mainly on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), have set up STPs to treat the sewage generated in the apartment complex. Since the building rules mandate sewage treatment plants at multi-storeyed apartments, the builders will usually set up an STP and…