EVENTS

In its annual report titled ‘State of Policing and Law and Order in Mumbai, 2022’, PRAJA Foundation revealed that 98% of the total cases in Class II serious offences, including murder, crimes against women and cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are pending for trial. In cases where the trials were completed, 86% ended in an acquittal or discharge. The data was based on findings from applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Read more: Is Mumbai really safe for its women? Data suggests otherwise…

Citizen Matters has published in-depth articles and analyses on understanding the multiple causes of Bengaluru's flooding this year. So it was only pertinent to engage with citizens to understand the issues they faced in their homes and apartment complexes during the floods, and give them a platform to raise their queries. Challenges of rain-related problems, such as seepage, weakening foundations, damp basements, soil damage, not to mention potholed roads and footpaths, will predictably become more frequent as rainfall intensifies due to climate change. The first edition of Bengaluru Citizen Clinic, a format in which experts address specific questions from citizens…

Flooded buildings and inundated neighbourhoods have become more commonplace in the last few years. In addition, residents have to deal with seepage, weakening foundations, damp basements and soil damage, not to mention potholed roads and footpaths.  With climate change, rainfall is only going to get more intense. How do we fix rain-related problems and prevent further issues in our homes, apartment complexes and layouts? What issues are you facing? What do you need to know to get the problem solved? Citizen Matters, Bengaluru will host a panel of experts to address your questions and doubts on November 4th (Friday), 6…

The festival season is almost synonymous with the sale season. It's an excuse to splurge, buy and gift. Advertisements and discounts attract us to many such offers and our shopping carts, virtual and otherwise overflow with binge buys. But this rampant consumerism in festivals is incredibly damaging to our environment, increasing the burden on our resources, and adding to the mounting levels of waste and pollution. With Diwali around the corner, Citizen Matters was joined by two enthusiastic and spirited environmentalists for a panel discussion held on Instagram live, titled 'Conscious consumers: Celebrating in a sustainable and responsible way' on October…

Be it golu dolls in Mylapore, tasty street food in Sowcarpet or knick knacks in Pondy Bazaar, whatever your need, the street vendors of Chennai have got you covered. However, the relationship between the city, its residents and street vendors has not always been harmonious. On one hand, street vendors are wary of evictions and unhappy with the little protection they have in the eyes of the law. Read more: Chennai Corporation plans polls for street vendor committees, but how fair will they be? On the other, we have residents of various localities across the city who have over the…

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Reports are a compilation of financial audits, compliance audits, and performance audits of the central government and state governments. The Indian Audit & Accounts (IA& AD), headed by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, audits almost all branches of Government at every level. The reports offer insights on the nuanced workings of governance. Citizen Matters series on Understanding Public Project Audits, curated by experts from the CAG, tells us how these reports can be leveraged by citizens to hold their local governments accountable. For instance, when the office of Accountant General (Audit II) conducted…

Chennai has seen the most number of road accidents in 2021. 5034 road accidents occurred in the city, as per the NCRB’s 2021 report, which was 9.1% of the total number of road accidents in 53 metropolitan cities.  Moreover, Chennai stands second in road accident fatalities, with 998 deaths, among the metro cities, following Delhi.  What else does the NCRB data say? Major reasons for road accident deaths include overspeeding and careless driving/overtaking. More men between the age of 30 and 45 have died in accidents in Chennai, compared to women and trans people. Drivers of two-wheelers suffered more road accidents,…

Mumbai's urban population is estimated at 12 million as per the available data. As the city continues to expand, more buildings crop up, and migration continues to increase. Increasing migration for better work opportunities has caused a spurt in commercial establishments. The city is connected by an extensive rail transportation system, with trains carrying 2.6 times more passengers than their capacity. Deaths and accidents are a daily occurrence in crowded trains as people have no option but to hang on the footboard of the train to reach their workplace. Traffic in Mumbai is unmanageable. Roads, including highways, freeways, smaller lanes…

Last year India witnessed the highest number of deaths by suicide — 1.64 lakh. And, these are only the reported deaths!  The stigma that is associated with suicide makes it even worse. As a result, large number of incidents remain unreported in our country. It may not be an exaggeration to say that the figure above presents an incomplete picture. As per the latest NCRB report, daily wage labourers continue to be the most vulnerable population to suicide. Suicide rates among housewives and students are also on the rise. The COVID pandemic has further aggravated the situation for people across…

Stepping into the 76th year of Independence, India now has 75 wetlands that have got the coveted Ramsar site tag. After a gap of 20 years, Tamil Nadu has got the Ramsar tag for 13 wetlands across the State in 2022. This makes Tamil Nadu the State with the highest number of Ramsar sites in India.  Pallikaranai marshland in Chennai has become the first wetland in the city to get the Ramsar tag. What is a Ramsar site? A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, also known as "The Convention…