EDITORS' PICK

A recent news report talked about the custodian of an apartment complex in Kundalahalli making a “one month rent free’ offer” to attract prospective tenants. In a city where home-owners demand deposits at least three times higher than in other Metros, the Kundalahalli offer -- even if sceptics see it as a marketing gimmick -- is a big climb-down for house owners. The advertisement is, in fact, reflective of Bengaluru's current market slump in home rentals. Realtors and home owners are unable to find tenants, owing to a reverse migration of the working population to their home towns, cities and…

In the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2015 and the drought that hit Chennai, the focus on conservation of water bodies has been amplified. The many lakes of Chennai that have suffered years of neglect have begun to get a fresh lease of life with restoration efforts taking place across the city. The Environmentalist Foundation of India is an NGO that has been playing an active role in the restoration of lakes along with other non-profits and civic agencies including the Greater Chennai Corproation and Chennai Smart Cities Limited. While lake restorations of this scale are multi-year, ongoing activities,…

[In Part 1 of this series, we saw that around 5000 trees are proposed to be axed for the 'Bangalore Surrounding Roads Project' but certain discrepancies hint that the actual number could be higher. In this part, we look at the project's impacts and why citizens are worried.] "I was in Hesaraghatta the other day and an electrician asked me why I wasn't protesting tree felling on the Nelamangala-Doddaballapura road, just a little distance away from there. He asked me, don't the ministers and bureaucrats need air and water too?" says Mahesh Bhat, photographer and faculty at the Srishti Institute…

Since the start of this year, there's been much discussion about the ‘Bangalore Surrounding Roads Project’, for which thousands of trees around the city would be axed. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) had proposed this road-widening project to decongest the city's peripheral roads, and to better link different parts of Bengaluru Urban and Rural to the Kempegowda International Airport. Six roads, spanning a total length of nearly 155 km, are to be widened for the project. Though these roads are mostly outside BBMP limits, the tree loss would have severe, long-lasting impacts for the city. But there's been…

For the first time, the demand for cycles in Ahmedabad has overtaken supply. One of the happy fallouts from the civil mess that COVID-19 has caused. Ahmedabad is now reporting over 100% hike in average sales, with most new models being pre-booked. “All kinds of bikes from pleasure to professional, including mountain, hybrid and kids bikes have seen a huge spike in demand,” said Aditya Sharma, an administrator with the Decathlon Cycling community. “For the first time, people have to wait for the model or colour of the bike they want.”  “We are out of stock of many models,” added…

Chennai has made global news over the past few years for its woes with water. First, it was the destructive floods of 2015 that saw most of the city under water for days, as a result of excessive rains and poor reservoir management. Then came the drought of 2019, where major parts of the city went without drinking water for weeks as deficit rainfall the previous year played havoc on water availability. Water has become a major talking point when it comes to discussing Chennai's livability. For a city with a storied history, could it be that the past offers…

For the first time in history, the Madras Week celebrations have moved online this year, under threat of the pandemic. When we look back at the history of Chennai, or erstwhile Madras, it is not just historical landmarks and heritage sites that stand out, but also its journey of evolution, and the various things people identify the city with. Healthcare, for example, in which the city has always played a pioneering role, so that it's come to be recognised as a Mecca of healthcare today. A very interesting story in this regard is that of the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology…

Swati Patil can’t stop crying. It has been ten days since she lost her mother due to unavailability of a hospital bed. “If only we had got a bed for dialysis, she would still be alive today,” she said, holding her mother’s photo close to her heart. “There was nothing wrong with her,” says Swati. “She was coughing the other day and the family doctor mentioned that we go for a COVID-19 test. All of us tested negative except my mother. It took us four days to find a bed in the municipal-run Kasturba Hospital in Somwar Peth, which has…

Battling the COVID crisis in Pune, on paper, is an impressive team of high level city officials. Their war room is the Pune Smart City Command and Control centre set up by the Pune Smart City Development Corporation Ltd (PSCDL). Recent visits to the city by NCP President Sharad Pawar, his nephew, deputy chief minister and Guardian Minister of Pune, Ajit Pawar and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray have only drawn into sharp focus the city’s struggle to contain the virus and the grim reality of many patients being turned away because of non-availability of hospital beds.  Pune’s high level COVID…

Even the remover of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha, has not been able to come to the aid of the makers of his idols this year. As Ganesh Chaturthi approaches, traditional Ganesha idol makers like Sanket Kumbhar, Dheeresh Naik, Haresh Mhatre, can only hope that the Lord will make the coming weeks less harsh. Looks unlikely though, especially as the government has restricted all public gatherings and festivities that the city’s various Ganesh mandals, their main customers, would normally organise. The numbers tell the story. “In the years gone by, all my family members would come together and make about 3,000-3500…