GENRE: Report

Monitoring groundwater level is like keeping a tab on your income and expenses—if you are spending more, it is a warning sign. You can cut down spending or find ways to earn more. Similarly, a city must decide whether to reduce extraction in certain areas or improve recharge methods, such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, or preserving open spaces. So, does Bengaluru have enough groundwater monitoring systems? While a WELL Labs report estimates the city's groundwater consumption as 1,392 million litres a day (MLD), BWSSB’s groundwater outlook report states that the extraction is only 800 MLD. This suggests a significant…

Mumbai is a city of contrasts — while it thrives as India’s financial capital, it also struggles with environmental challenges and urban governance issues. A growing section of its population is also grappling with mental health issues caused by urban stress. The beginning of Project Mumbai Project Mumbai was started in 2018, as a citizen-driven, not-for-profit initiative dedicated to making Mumbai a better place to live, work, and play. With a firm belief in collective responsibility, we operate on a unique Public-Private-People model, ensuring that citizens, corporations, and local authorities work together to create meaningful change. What started as a…

Every summer, Bengaluru grapples with its recurring water crisis, despite increased allocation of Cauvery water by the Supreme Court. The city currently has access to 24 thousand million cubic feet (TMC) of Cauvery water, but even with this supply, the Chief Minister admitted last summer that Bengaluru still faces a shortage of 500 million litres per day (MLD).   So, will Bengaluru reach water sufficiency this year? Or will the struggles of 2024 — when some areas of the city faced acute water shortage — be repeated? Speaking to Citizen Matters, Ram Prasath Manohar, Chairman, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage…

Gharapuri Island in the Mumbai Harbour, colloquially known as Elephanta Island and home to the UNESCO-listed Elephanta Caves, is more than just a historical treasure. Every year, thousands of tourists visit its rock-cut temples, admiring the intricate carvings and the island’s natural beauty. But with tourism comes an often-overlooked problem — waste management. Plastic wrappers, discarded bottles, and a poorly managed waste disposal system have long marred this culturally significant heritage site while threatening its ecological balance. For years, Elephanta Island has struggled with waste management issues, worsened by its remote location and heavy tourist influx. With no proper disposal…

“It is something you will remember throughout your life,” says Archana Patney about the experience of making friends while riding the bus to school. She opted for the school bus for her older child, but not for her younger one. She is among the many parents in Mumbai who have to make this important decision come June every year. The Maharashtra Transport Department is set to introduce new regulations for school buses in the upcoming academic year, with a committee led by retired transport officer Jitendra Patil tasked with drafting these measures. This decision follows a series of crimes against…

As summer starts kicking in, the strong likelihood of a critical water shortage in Bengaluru is again making headlines. A recent report by BWSSB and Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) reported 80 wards that will face severe water crisis and scarcity this summer and recommended switching to Cauvery connections, as groundwater is depleting at a faster rate.  With back-to-back government orders on groundwater extraction and restrictions on water usage, the administration is scrambling to manage the crisis. Citizens, too, are acutely aware of the looming scarcity — many have already begun cutting down usage, and seeking alternative sources to brace…

“Air pollution is never recorded as a direct cause of death. It’s always a contributing factor,” says Dr Aparna Birajdar, a consultant pulmonologist in Pune. She adds that it is difficult to get data on the impact of air pollution in India because doctors are overworked and have little time to research, while most lung infections are multi-factorial. This is why air pollution and its health consequences are rarely addressed with the urgency they demand.  Moreover, studies of air pollution's effects largely focus on adults, with data on children scarce. In 2019, air pollution caused about 6.7 million deaths globally,…

“My child’s commute to school is a half-hour ride, but it takes an hour for her to reach home everyday. The commute itself makes her so tired and the dust is so high during the after-school hour that her cough almost always worsens when she comes back home,” says Tanu, worried mother of a second-grade child in Bengaluru. Tanu is just one parent among the vast numbers across our cities, as air pollution puts their children's health and well-being at grave risk. In 2021, 15% of all global deaths in children under five were linked to air pollution. As per…

On August 1, 2024, the Sion overbridge was closed for a two-year reconstruction project, disrupting traffic and daily commutes. The plan is to rebuild the century-old bridge — originally constructed across the railway tracks in 1912 — through a collaboration between the Central Railway and the BMC. However, to the dismay of citizens, the bridge has yet to be demolished. What are the reasons for this delay? Inconvenience to commuters The bridge connecting Sion East to Sion West serves as a vital link between Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Marg, Dharavi, the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), and the Eastern Express Highway.…

Bengaluru’s air quality has been seriously worsening post COVID. The annual levels of PM10 saw a decline between 2018 and 2021, but has been slowly increasing since then. Government authorities say that the air quality in Bengaluru is better compared to other cities. But while the PM2.5 levels may conform to the national standards, according to a Greenpeace report it is still four to nine times higher than WHO standards. There is thus a huge need for improvement. The city, however, has used very little of the clean air funds received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Also non-utilisation…