EDITORS' PICK

A survey conducted in 2021 by Project Mumbai, a non-governmental organisation, and Ministry of Mumbai’s Magic collective in conjunction with MCGM found that there is only 1.24 sqm of open space per person in Mumbai. But, the draft Development Plan 2034, which aims to shape the growth of Mumbai over 20 years, earmarks 2 sqm per person. Public space is a precious resource in the urban realm. According to research conducted by UN-Habitat, well-managed cities have 50% of their area allotted for open spaces — a pipe dream for Mumbai. An environment that fosters recreation, rest and community bonding is hardly…

In early January, Dahisar resident Pankati noticed garbage being thrown behind one of the electric junction boxes in Kandarpada, her neighbourhood. It had accumulated over a few weeks. This was not a garbage collection point and it used to be clean before. She decided to raise a civic complaint on that garbage issue using the ‘MyBMC Assist’ WhatsApp Chatbot, which is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Pankati, a volunteer with the Blue Ribbon Movement, found garbage being dumped behind an electric junction box in Khandarpada. Pic: Aniruddha Gaonkar After waiting for over a month, the garbage was still…

Halfway through our interview, vegetable vendor Rekha asked me point blank, “Isse kya hoga,” and at that moment, I could not think of an answer. She was right and had every reason to be hopeless. Much has been written about air pollution and much energy has been spent on expert committees and political debates and yet nothing has changed.  “Hum toh garib log hai, hum kisko jakar bole, hamari sunvai nahin hoti” (We are poor people, to whom do we go, nobody listens to us),” says Rekha Devi, who sells vegetables in the Keshopur Mandi. Keshopur is a large retail…

Mumbai North Central (Parliamentary Constituency number 29) is a Lok Sabha constituency in the state of Maharashtra. It consists of six Vidhan Sabha segments: 167-Vile Parle, 168-Chandivali, 174-Kurla, 175-Kalina, 176-Bandra (east), 177- Bandra (west). Mumbai North Central constituency was formed before 1952. These six Vidhan Sabha constituencies came under Mumbai North Central after the delimitation of 2008. The first MP to be elected from Mumbai North Central after the delimitation was Priya Dutt of the Indian National Congress in 2009.  Poonam Mahajan of the Bharatiya Janata Party has been the MP for this constituency, winning two consecutive terms in 2014…

Varsha Gaikwad, a four-time MLA from the Dharavi assembly constituency, is entering national-level electoral politics as she contests the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from the Mumbai North Central constituency. She belongs to the Indian National Congress (INC) and has been given a ticket for this constituency from the INDIA bloc alliance. She belongs to an Ambedkarite Buddhist family. She says that her background in teaching has prepared her to address large audiences with ease. Her father Eknath Gaikwad was also a politician from the INC and was a two-time MP, once from the Mumbai North Central constituency and the second time…

With the Lok Sabha elections just around the corner, citizen groups of Mumbai North East Parliamentary constituency in Govandi have been organising awareness camps for voters. These efforts are for those in the area, who feel disconnected from voting, or feel that they do not know enough. They have been organised by groups, which have established themselves in the area through years of social service related activities, including Govandi Citizens Welfare Forum, Govandi New Sangam Welfare Society, Al-Khidmat vyapari Associations and many more. By conducting election awareness programs and voting camps, these organisations aim to increase voter turnout, empower citizens…

In December 2021, the Tamil Nadu government introduced the Nam Kudiyiruppu Nam Poruppu scheme for residents living in low-income, government housing and resettlement sites managed by the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB). In this scheme, residents form associations to oversee the maintenance of these sites, with the intention of transferring ownership of their living spaces back to them. This move is significant, especially for the resettlement sites, considering the minimal consultation and abrupt evictions relocated families have faced during the process. What the scheme entails The scheme also aims to improve the quality of living in these sites.…

If you have travelled on the new Airport Road to or from Bengaluru, you would see the quarried hill in Bettahalasur, a village near the outskirts of the city that looms large on the westward horizon. Abutting this quarry is the old village of Hunasamaranahalli, now part of Bengaluru’s peri-urban area. In a narrow lane in Hunasamaranahalli, there is an open well. This is its story. At a time of an acute water crisis, this story holds many lessons for us in Bengaluru. From quarry to community: The story of an open well A couple of years ago, Hunsmaranahalli and…

Every year, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) collects property tax during the months of April and May, and a 5% rebate is accorded to encourage timely tax payments. This year, however, BBMP has extended the 5% rebate period for property tax payments till July 31, 2024. One of the key differences in the SAS Property Tax Payment is the addition of a field for capturing latitude-longitude. According to the BBMP website, the benefits of latitude-longitude seeding are: Your property gets BHU-Aadhaar ID  BBMP will not allow anyone else to create Property Khata on the same spot Your property rights are…

As Bengaluru struggles with an ongoing water crisis, it reports a shortage of about 500 million litres of water every day. The significant water problem in the city is frequently blamed on insufficient rainfall, unregulated groundwater exploitation, and environmental negligence. However, it is essential to investigate water contamination, notably from sewage and industrial effluents, as a major cause of the water crisis. The focus then moves to Shivpura Lake in the Peenya Industrial Area.  Although a key industrial area, Peenya is neglected, as evidenced by its poor infrastructure and pollution issues. Shivpura Lake, in particular, is contaminated by the surrounding…