GENRE: Features

In December 2015, a few of us, office colleagues, got together and formed Naam Virumbum Thamizhagam (The Tamilagam we want) with the intent to engage in action that would eventually lead to the improvement of our respective neighbourhoods. 15-members strong today, our primary mission is to take the lead as citizens in bringing about a positive change in governance, by engaging in socio-political dialogue and activities. For any organization seeking to bring about an improvement in governance and social change, it is very important to know and resolve the local problems that citizens face, before taking any big steps. Our…

Climatic and non-climatic factors intersect and create an entire tribe of marginalized and vulnerable people. Incidentally they form a large proportion of the informal economy of Bengaluru and other cities. This photo essay looks at the living and working conditions of one of the most marginalized groups in Bengaluru namely the waste pickers. The focus is on those who live in undeclared, blue tent, temporary squatter settlements. Our field research revealed that most of the inhabitants in these settlements are migrants from West Bengal, a distinct region in the East of India. For the residents of the informal settlements that…

Children frolic in a garbage truck parked alongside the Munnekolala slum. Pic: Shamala KS Bengaluru is a city bursting at its seams, and the consequences of rapid and untrammelled urbanisation are especially evident near its ephemeral boundaries. Tall condominiums under construction dot the landscape of areas along the eastern peripheries of the city, interspersed with patches of coconut groves that have somehow deferred their inevitable demise. These peri-urban areas which have mushroomed over the last decade, thanks to the city's burgeoning IT sector, are also characterised by a deficiency of public amenities or municipal services; mounds of untreated solid waste…

When was the last time that you took your children to a public park, where they found other children to play with and a chance to engage in fun activities and learning experiences? When was it that your neighbourhood park was filled with the babble of children and their collective excitement and energy as they took part in events targeted at them in particular? As India urbanises, the open spaces in cities shrink, the people get busier and increasingly caught up in their frenetic lifestyles and the few parks that do exist become dull spaces, used occasionally by the early…

After walking up the stairs to Lahe Lahe, a place for performing arts and theatre at Indira Nagar, you are greeted by a spacious area full of lovely colours and a miniature garden. The atmosphere is casual and yet enthusiastic, with people all around engaged in conversation, or savouring at the delicious food stalls. Several slightly nervous but determined performers await their turn. An ordinary concert, one would think. Far from that. This is the result of a new concept called Jazba, which combines the need for a platform for young performers with raising awareness and to raise funds for…

It was August 2016. I chanced upon a Conservancy worker in Rail Nagar near Koyambedu segregating the 'waste' that was dumped into a plastic packet and suddenly found something like human excreta on her bare hands. I was shocked and asked how she got that. She said she had been asked by officers above her to separate the wet waste (mainly kitchen waste) and dry waste and put them into separate bins. I asked her whether the people who dump all their waste in one plastic bag would not segregate the different types of waste themselves if asked to, and…

What would a city dweller do if they saw a snake inside their house in the city? Chances are they would reach for a stick or a weapon to kill it. If you ever find yourself in that position, DON’T kill the snake.. It is a protected creature under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and killing or handling a snake is a punishable offence. If a nosy neighbor decided to take a picture of you with the snake, you are in double trouble! Chennai has its own share of human-snake encounters. In areas like Navalur on Old Mahabalipuram Road, Uthandi…

Garbage it seems has become an unavoidable part of our lives. However, we can reduce the amount we generate. A few months ago, 11 of us, all part of the Grandma & Grandpa's International Early Learning Center's Leadership Development Series, were discussing cleanliness of cities and their waste problems, and decided to go on a walk around our neighbourhood to understand how clean it actually is. While walking we came across piles of garbage on the streets everywhere and overflowing from the bins! We were overwhelmed to see so much waste and this caused a switch to flick in all of us.…

If you are in Delhi now, the ink on your fingers is probably fresh still. In about a day from the time you read this, the much awaited results of the elections to the three municipal corporations in the national capital will be known. It has been an intense, high-decibel and often bitter campaign but once the reins have finally been assumed by the newly elected members of the municipal bodies, can Delhiites hope to breathe easy? Not just metaphorically, but literally too? In the years to come, Delhi’s deteriorating air could have disastrous consequences for its population. According to Greenpeace India,…

I first met Faiza Aijaaz a month back. Her school in Hyderabad was one of the seven Minority Welfare Schools where our organisation was all set to start working. Faiza was one of the smallest girls in Grade 7, a class of girls aged between 11 and 13. Shy and reserved at first, Faiza turned out to be bright as a button. As a part of vetting the students and the school, our team was to have a short interaction with the girls. During this session – an activity that placed the spotlight on the various physical, emotional and societal…