GENRE: In Focus

“In this humid weather, the ride is really comfortable,” said Harivardan Thakkar, a regular commuter on Ahmedabad’s new Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS), about the new electric buses introduced into the system from August 29. “Let us see how many such buses and new routes get operational as promised.” Commuters like Thakkar are understandably cautious with their reactions as a number of promises given when the BRTS was launched in 2009 are yet to be fulfilled. BRTS was introduced with the promise of being a substitute for private vehicles and ensuring last mile connectivity for passengers. Last mile connectivity is…

The intentions were noble, but as usual got derailed by poor implementation. Bhopal’s smart bicycle service, first introduced two years back, is a typical example. The main reasons for the lukewarm public response to it were the initial high rental cost, inadequate number of cycles available and poor choice of location of the cycle rental stations. The government addressed the first issue recently by cutting the one-time registration fee for renting a bike. To encourage students, women and elderly people to rent a bicycle, the earlier one-size-fits-all fee of Rs 500 was cut to Rs 50 for college students and…

Translated by Sandhya Raju தமிழ்நாடு போக்குவரத்து கழகத்தின் தகவலின்படி சென்னையில் மட்டும் நாற்பது லட்சம் இரு சக்கர வாகனங்களும், எண்பத்தி எட்டு லட்ச கார்களும் உள்ளன. கடந்த பத்து ஆண்டுகளில் மட்டும் வாகனங்களின் எண்ணிக்கை பல மடங்கு உயர்ந்துள்ளது. இந்த எண்ணிக்கை உயர்வால் காற்று மாசு, நெருக்கடி மற்றும் சாலை விபத்துகள் அதிகரித்து உள்ளதை மறுக்க முடியாது. அதிகரித்து வரும் இந்த வாகன எண்ணிக்கை, தனியார் வாகன வசதியை உபயோகிக்கும் நிலையில் இல்லாதவர்கள் ஆகியவற்றை கருத்தில் கொண்டு  பொது போக்குவரத்து பயன்பாட்டை மேம்படுத்தவும், புது வகையான போக்குவரத்து முறைகளை அறிமுகப்படுத்தும் முயற்சிகளும் தொடர்ந்து நடைபெற்றே வருகின்றன. நடை பாதை பாதசாரிகள் மற்றும் மிதிவண்டி ஓட்டுபவர்களை கருத்தில் கொண்டு மோட்டரில்லா வாகனத்திற்கான போக்குவரத்து கொள்கையை சென்னை மாநகராட்சி தயாரித்துள்ளது. சென்னையில் பைக் பகிர்வு  கடந்த ஐந்து ஆண்டுகளில் நாட்டின் பல நகரங்களில் மிதிவண்டி பகிர்வு என்ற முயற்சி பரவலாகி வருகிறது. ஓலாவின்…

A penalty of Rs 47,500 imposed on an auto driver in Bhubaneswar; another in Gurgaon fined Rs 32,500, both on multiple counts of violation; a whopping 2 lakh in fines to be shared by the driver and owner of a truck in Delhi for overloading and other violations, and the vehicles involved in these cases impounded till the penalised can pay the amounts... Over the past two weeks, since the amended Motor Vehicles Act came into effect on September 1, these and similar headlines have dominated news space. Stories of unheard-of penalty amounts have been reported and shared on social…

Every time MS Dhoni hammers the ball out of the boundary with his helicopter shot, workers at a medium-sized sports manufacturing unit in Jalandhar have an extra reason to cheer. For theirs are the hands that crafted the bat Dhoni has been using over the years.  "Our bats are also being used by Chris Gayle, Michael Clarke, deVilliers among others. Sachin Tendulkar too used our bats," says Jyoti Sharma, owner of Spartan Sports, with a hint of pride. “Dhoni's bat is made of English Cleft, a special type of willow wood imported from England. It has a more pronounced curve…

The Karnataka state women's team is battling it out in the ongoing National Women's Football Championship in Arunachal Pradesh. For the talented team and their captain Tanvie Hans, it's a constant struggle for opportunities, yet they give the game their best. In the concluding part of this series on women's football, we look at the professional women players. It’s Wednesday, which means that Brishti Bagchi, 25, only has three practices today. In less than two weeks, she will be on a plane headed to Madrid to play professional football, a dream she has had since she was a little girl.…

The timber mafia in Jharkhand. Rampant mining in Jharkhand and Goa. Overdependence on borewells and low groundwater recharge in Andhra Pradesh -- Deforestation, unsustainable land use practices and the slow but steady expansion of urbanised, industrial areas have led to nearly 30 per cent of India’s total land area undergoing degradation. Thus concern over desertification, which is expected to affect 900 million people in 100 countries (mostly in the global south) and which threatens almost 41 per cent of the total land area on the Earth, is a real concern for every citizen in this country. The 14th Conference of…

It’s still dark out, the roads are as quiet as you’ll ever hear them in Bengaluru. The relative peace and quiet here is disturbed only by an energetic herd of 10 young girls. Monisha Mercelline leads this pack of girls - some barefoot, others in flip flops - to a dirt field by Sri Chamundeshari Park in Koramangala 8th Block. Monisha is a programme coordinator at the non-profit Maarga which works with children from slums. She had woken up around 4 am to round up the girls aged between 12 and 18, visiting each of their residences. “Initially, we used…

Pune’s No 1 ranking in the Ease of Living index contrasts sharply with ground realities, especially when one considers the most basic requirement of all, water. Despite recording one of its heaviest rainfalls this season (561.8 mm, according to Dr Anupam Kashyapi, Head, Weather & Air Pollution Monitoring Unit, India Meteorological Department), and the district’s four dams -- Khadakwasla, Panshet, Varasgaon, and Temghar -- being nearly full, the city is facing a shortage of water and inequitable supply. “In our area, we have seen flooding in some societies while we queue up for drinking water”, said a distraught Arvind Vichare…

Over 100 girls descended upon Bangalore Football Stadium on a July evening for their chance to make the Karnataka state women's team. Twenty two of them took the field in a scrimmage, in hopes of impressing the scouts and earning a spot on the roster. Others sat in the stands, taking off shin guards and cleats, sweat dripping from having just played. Some others wait down by the field for their turn. A few huddle in small groups, laughing and taking pictures, while others sit alone, stoically watching the game. All of them there for one reason - their love…