GENRE: Explainers

Imagine you’re out on a morning walk, phone in hand, when you spot a butterfly you’ve never seen before. You snap a photo, log it into a citizen science app, and voila! You’ve just contributed to crucial biodiversity monitoring. This isn’t just a hobby; it’s part of a global movement where ordinary people collect, record, and sometimes analyse data about plants, animals, and ecosystems. Citizen science stretches the reach of ecological research. Every observation adds to unique longitudinal datasets that reveal phenology — periodic events in the life cycle of a species — along with species distribution shifts and population…

​Two decades ago, Gandhi Nagar in south Chennai was a shaded green canopy, recalls Meera Ravikumar, a resident. “Now, in the name of development, many incidents of tree felling have occurred in the past 15 years on avenues and across private properties. In highly populated and polluted urban areas, green lung spaces are important,” says the member of Swacch Gandhi Nagar, a citizens group.   Since 2000, India has lost 2.33 million hectares of tree cover, according to the 2024 Global Forest Watch. Tamil Nadu has fared better than most states — its forest cover has remained “largely stable” since…

Stormwater drains are not just “invisible infrastructure.” They are the frontline of Bengaluru’s water security. When they fail, lakes die, groundwater gets poisoned, and neighbourhoods flood. Understanding this system is the first step toward reclaiming it, because without citizen awareness, the crisis remains hidden beneath our feet. In an earlier article, we explored how stormwater drains are the frontline of Bengaluru’s water security. Part 2 of the series shows how citizens can take action themselves by learning the typology of drains and conducting audits using simple tools. Accountability gaps in Bengaluru’s stormwater worksOver the years, Bengaluru’s SWD network has been…

Every summer, Bengaluru’s water crisis makes headlines; tanker prices soar, lakes dry up, and citizens protest encroachments, fish kills, and sewage inflows. While lakes and tanks often dominate the conversation, there’s another hidden system that quietly shapes the city’s water story: stormwater drains (SWDs). These drains are more than just channels; they are the veins of a valley city. Bengaluru sits on a central ridgeline that naturally divides its water flow into two directions: Eastward: draining into the Dakshina Pinakini (Ponnaiyar) River. Westward: draining into the Cauvery Basin via the Vrishabhavathi River. Ironically, what citizens often see as footpaths or…

After nearly four years of delay, Mumbai is finally set to hold its municipal elections on January 15. The last elected council completed its term in 2022, and in the absence of fresh polls, the city’s civic body was placed under an administrator for the first time in forty years. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), established in 1888, is the governing authority responsible for delivering essential civic services — from water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management to public health, infrastructure, roads, and education. With a staggering budget of ₹74,427 crore for 2025–26, it is the wealthiest municipal body in…

In Varthur, east Bengaluru, residents watch in dismay as leachate from garbage trucks seeps into the Varthur Lake. “We need a local composting or bio-methanisation plant right here in the ward,” insists Jagdish Reddy, a resident. He points out that irregular waste collection and burning of leaf litter are not just polluting water bodies but also affecting air quality. Across the city, the problems are varied, but the frustration is the same. In HSR Layout’s 5th sector, open drains reek, and roads flood with the slightest rain, says Jyothi G Prabhu. Meanwhile, Gunjur resident Chetan Gopal points out that the…

The Cooum River, once a sacred river that shaped the history of Madras, has now become a sad sign of urban degradation. For the millions of residents in Chennai, it has transformed into a malodorous, polluted, and stagnant channel, burdened with solid waste accumulation and extensive encroachments along its banks. During a recent datajam organised by Oorvani Foundation and OpenCity, we used Geographical Information System (GIS) datasets and population analytics to investigate the underlying causes contributing to this crisis. The results show that rapid urbanisation, inadequate provision of essential civic infrastructure, and the absence of coherent policy frameworks, along with…

“I am not fully convinced that my child's and my personal data will be securely digitised under the APAAR ID initiative. I withheld some information, yet I’m anxious about my child’s safety and how this might affect her future education,” says Chaitra N, parent of a class 3 student in Bengaluru. Many parents share Chaitra's growing unease about providing personal data for APAAR ID generation. Tanuja R, mother of two undergraduate students, also had her reservations. “We place our trust in educational institutions to safeguard our children and their records, which ultimately shape their academic futures. That’s why, despite my hesitation,…

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and three other states are scheduled for 2026. Close on the heels of the Bihar elections, where the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the ECI has now announced that all poll-bound states and union territories will undergo a similar revision exercise. Form distribution has already begun in the Chennai district, and according to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), as of now, more than 40% residents have been covered in this exercise.  This makes it essential for every eligible voter in Tamil Nadu to verify their inclusion in the…

When a 30-year-old man from Karnataka felt overwhelmed by suicidal thoughts and a deep sense of hopelessness, he reached out to a government-run tele-counselling helpline. On the other end of the line was a trained counsellor from Tele MANAS, India’s national tele-mental health programme. The counsellor listened patiently, offered emotional support, and guided him to a nearby mental health hospital under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) for further care. In another case, a 17-year-old student, anxious about his upcoming exams, called the same helpline. He received practical advice, study tips, and daily motivation. Two years later, he called back…