EVENTS

35% of India’s population lives in big and small cities, and this number is expected to nearly double by the year 2050. These urban environments are increasingly characterised by high population density, ubiquitous and overwhelming concrete construction, inadequate water, sanitation and waste infrastructure, a general lack of green spaces and the commons as well as vanishing biodiversity.  Our existing patterns of urbanisation are also directly releasing greenhouse gases (GHG) into our environment; India’s construction sector alone contributes approximately 25% to our GHG emissions, according to the UNFCCC biennial report on India (2021).  Plus urban areas have been identified as high-risk…

“The future of our country depends on the leaders and the government,” said Krishna Pande, a student of KC college. The youth of our country play an important role in shaping how our society will live to function in the future, and so, inviting their opinions on urban policies and civic governance is key.  The current state of affairs in Mumbai highlights the need for participatory governance. Often, decisions on matters of key importance - whether environment or infrastructure - are taken without due consultation from citizens who are inevitably impacted by them. Like the introduction of Advanced Locality Managements…

Rivers, the lifeline of our economy, are drying up and/or becoming too polluted. Drought and floods are becoming frequent and more intense. Addressing these challenges involves making sound data-driven and evidence based decisions in the context of the river basin. In a mature democracy, data and evidence should be in the public domain, so citizens, including policy makers, can form informed opinions and take informed actions. Once, it was the Arkavathi river that sustained Bengaluru. Running dry and polluted for almost half a century now, Arkavathi river is today biologically dead, a ghost river. It stands as living proof of…

With the recently concluded elections, Chennai has  local body representatives for the first time in six years. While much has changed in the past few years, avenues for engagement of Chennaiites with the local government has remained limited. Could this scenario change with the election of the ward councillors? How can residents be involved in local governance and demand accountability from their local representatives? Citizen Matters hosted a webinar with a diverse panel on the ways in which Chennaiites can track the work of their ward councillors and the avenues available for their participation. The panel comprised M Radhakrishnan of…

With the swearing-in of the councillors, Chennai has an elected local body for the first time since 2016. The councillors who have taken office are a mix of experienced old-timers and those who have been elected for the first time. Half of the council is represented by women.  While these are promising developments, Chennaiites must be able to engage with their elected representatives and officials from the civic body to ensure effective administration. The push for ward committees and area sabhas is one way there can be an element of participatory planning in local governance.  Read more: Chennai in 2022:…

On March 21st, Citizen Matters hosted a tweet chat to discuss the recently launched Mumbai Climate Plan (MCAP) with Lubaina Rangawala, Tanmay Takle and Saurabh Punamiya. After its inception in 2021, the MCAP was opened up to suggestions and criticisms from citizens, environmental experts and other stakeholders. This creates an opportunity for the city to work with the government towards an effective climate policy, as we stand at a critical juncture in Mumbai’s climate history. The tweet chat addressed points from the Plan to understand whether the Mumbai government is truly prepared for the climate crisis, and where the city…

When we think of groundwater in Bengaluru, we usually think of borewells. However, a webinar jointly organised by Biome Environmental Trust, BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) and Citizen Matters showcased many examples of Bengalureans continuing to use open wells for their daily needs. "Historically, Bengaluru has been dependent on open wells for domestic water," said Avinash Krishnamurthy of Biome. "So it's important that we reconnect with open wells, and rebuild our relationship with shallow aquifers that feed open wells." One way to do this is by building recharge wells into which rainwater falling on rooftops and other open…

A few not at all fun snippets from the discussion. “99% of the earth’s resources are consumed by 1% of the world’s population, with the remaining 1% resources being fought over by 99% of the population”.Bengaluru's urban cover increased 350% over a 25-year period between 1992-2017, whereas its green areas shrunk from 17% to less than 6%’.The WHO recommends at least 9 square metres of green space per capita, in Bengaluru, it is only 2 two square metres per capita. Citizen Matters and Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy, in collaboration with the Bangalore International Centre (BIC), held a panel discussion…

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election is an election of members who govern Greater Mumbai. The BMC is Asia's largest municipal corporation and elections for its members are scheduled to be held in April 2022. The current tenure of the sitting corporators came to an end in February 2022, and on March 8th, current municipal commissioner Iqbal Chahal was appointed as administrator of the city, in the backdrop of delayed civic polls. A study conducted by the non-profit organisation Praja has revealed that 90% of Mumbai’s corporators have performed poorly based on criteria set by the organisation, with only two corporators scoring “A”. The…

Bengaluru, a rapidly expanding landlocked city without proximity to major water sources such as rivers, is largely dependent on its groundwater resources. And with summer fast approaching, the city’s water needs will only increase even as its availability declines. Bengaluru is blessed with rains throughout the year, which makes it ideal for rainwater harvesting. Even though Bengaluru is listed as the second-highest in rainwater harvesting in Indian cities, is it enough? According to a World Bank Group report, over the last 50 years, the total number of borewells in the country has grown from one million to 20 million, making…