GENRE: In Focus

In recent months, bulldozers have become symbolic of what German Sociologist Weber describes as the state having the monopoly over legitimate use of force. Whether to punish law breakers by demolishing their homes or to evict people from what are termed illegal encroachments and unauthorised slums in cities, the state is using bulldozers more often than it ever has in the past. While some bulldozing drives in states like UP and MP happened after communal tension in some areas, bulldozing is also being used in the name of urban renewal. For instance, in Ahmedabad, three slum sites in the city…

“People are guarded around us, they keep a distance. They say the men from our area are drug dealers, they do ganja, and they drink and murder people in their stupor. Even very many autos do not come into our neighbourhood. Media reports have spoken of us, as killers and drug addicts”, said Velankanni, a resident of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar in Pulianthope. Long-standing stigma around Pulianthope has marked residents as innate criminals, worsened this neglect, and created a narrative that these are 'undeserving and dangerous' citizens of the city.  Reputation that hurts residents Pulianthope has developed a reputation for…

Critically acclaimed movie Jai Bhim highlighted in great detail the plight of socially and economically disadvantaged communities as they navigate a complex legal system. Chandru, a lawyer working pro bono, steps up to aid the central character Sengeni. What happens to many such individuals in real life? How can those who do not have the means get adequate representation and access to justice in Chennai? Every individual has the constitutional right to get help from the government-sanctioned Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority or the District Legal Services Authority. "Free legal aid is not a charity by the government. It…

This is the second and final part in the series on the history of building regulations in Mumbai. This part continues where the first left off, at the turn of the twentieth century amidst the administration's efforts at slum clearance. The Development Plan Preoccupation with affordable rents and slum clearance remained the mainstay of urban planning and governance in the 20th century. At the same time, efforts to address issues such as access to open spaces, amenities and concerns of over-crowding, traffic on roads were formalised and debated upon. The very first Development Plan was introduced in 1964 and sanctioned…

"India tops the world in terms of the number of people killed and ranks number 3 as per number of persons injured in road accidents”, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari recently admitted in Parliament. This despite the passing of a comprehensive Road Transport and Safety Bill in 2014, to reduce road accidents. Karnataka’s record on road safety reflects this grim reality. Annually, approximately 11,000 people die and over 50,000 sustain injuries from road accidents in the state. One way to be aware of issues of impropriety and poor performance in local government bodies and departments is…

"A city designed with the principles of Universal Design will ensure that all users, including people with disabilities, the elderly, children, and women, can move about the city seamlessly, at any given time, without any dependence on anyone else," said Santhosh Loganaathan, a Chennai-based urban planner with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). If Chennai implements Universal Design perfectly, no resident will feel any inhibition while accessing urban spaces, said Santhosh. For instance, a visually impaired person and a sighted person must have the same confidence while navigating the city. "Currently, only some groups of people can participate…

In April 2022, several images of dead fish floating in the Banganga tank, located in Mumbai’s Malabar hill area, circulated on news sites and social media platforms. Clean up efforts were initiated after locals observed the dead fish in the tank and informed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The contractor appointed for the clean-up claimed that four trucks of fish were removed from the site. Officials speculated that the loss of oxygen was the likely cause of the mass fish deaths. This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred. Mass fish death in the Banganga tank has been labelled…

The public transport system in the city has seen a slew of developments in the past year ranging from the commencement of works for Phase 2 of the Chennai Metro project to free travel for women passengers in the ordinary buses of MTC. With the Metro’s presence in the city now close to a decade, how has the system integrated with the public transport landscape in the city? What are the issues that prevent more riders from taking to the Chennai Metro and is that likely to change with Phase 2? Is the bus system, which ferries more people, being…

Chennai’s recent history is marked by a string of disastrous weather events, particularly floods. The city’s water woes are not new, but the erratic nature and increased frequency of floods and droughts have raised questions regarding its in a climatically unstable world and what resilience might look like in the future. A large number of initiatives under ‘Climate Adaptation’ and ‘Urban Resilience’ have been mooted, and designed by bureaucrats, technical experts and consultants. These responses range from watershed management to urban development schemes to ecological restoration of waterbodies. But the story of top-down climate adaptation measures has less to do…

At the beginning of this year, the freshly minted electric Yulu bikes were taking their baby steps in Bandra West. The Bangalore-based company had just started branching out of its base in Mumbai, the commercial Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) district, hoping to become the vehicle of choice for app-based delivery workers. “Because of COVID-19, home delivery has become so common. There suddenly is an explosion of people saying ‘Why should I go out if I can order in with a few clicks on my phone?’,” Hemant Gupta, co-founder and COO of Yulu/the company had told us, explaining the pivot from last-mile connectivity to…