GENRE: Report

Rapid urbanisation in many Indian cities highlights a widespread challenge — inadequate quality of life in public spaces, regardless of location or economic status. This is a common scenario experienced by most Indian cities today, irrespective of their geographical location, level of development and state of economic stability. The quality of life in the public realm is extremely poor. Reimagining city landscapes/commons Launched in 2021, The Urban Revamp Design Challenge aims to identify distinctive public spaces for redevelopment, fostering imaginative futures centred around inclusiveness, climate sustainability and community engagement. The Challenge facilitates collaboration among urban planners, designers, architects, local communities,…

The highest ever budget for the richest civic body in the country, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), was presented on 2nd February by the Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. This was his fourth time presenting the budget and the second time presenting it in lieu of an elected body. The BMC is slated to spend Rs 59,954.75 crore for the city of Mumbai. The focus of the budget is the completion of massive infrastructure projects such as the Mumbai Coastal Road project and the Goregaon Mulund Link Road. The Municipal Commissioner has drawn particular attention to the focus of the…

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently released the results of the 2023 Swachh Survekshan, a cleanliness survey conducted as part of the Swachh Bharat (Urban) campaign that covers 446 cities. The evaluation parameters covered the cleanliness levels of residential and commercial areas as well as public spaces, water bodies, parks, schools and waste management arrangements. Indore and Surat shared the first rank while Navi Mumbai bagged third place. As for our State, the survey results are rather tepid – no city in Tamil Nadu made it to the top 100 clean cities list. Trichy was named the…

In 2019, a new underground drainage pipe (UGD) was installed to clear an earlier blocked sewer that erupted, leaked, and contaminated the land. The culprit – output from the unplanned growth of commercial kitchens in 5th block, Koramangala, which have been pumping these effluents into the UGD. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) moved the UGD from the carriage way to the side of the road, where all the utilities were planned, as part of the whitetopping procedure. They found that the discharge from the line that was attached to a restaurant was entirely filled with oil when…

According to the recently released 2023 Bengaluru Crime Data, there is a significant gap between reported and detected crimes in the city.  In 2023, 12,627 cases of total crimes were reported, of which only 3,603 crimes were detected. This shows a gap of 71.48% between reported and detected cases. From 2022 to 2023, there seems to have been a 36% rise in crimes across the city, driven by various motives. However, sudden and grave provocation topped the list for motives. “We can never definitely say that crime has increased or decreased, because crime is always there, only the trend in…

The infamous Outer Ring Road (ORR)-Sarjapura Road traffic chaos is something every Bengalurean knows of. Some of us living in the neighbourhood live through this every day. All thanks to the poor quality of both the road network and public transport services. Neither planners nor politicians have paid enough attention to this area to make it livable! Sarjapura Road is an integral connection to the IT corridor of south-east Bengaluru. Given that the Outer Ring Road (ORR) is almost fully developed, with a focus on tech parks, new residential projects are happening on or around Sarjapura Road, especially the sub-arterial…

When Cyclone Michaung-induced floods hit the resettlement colonies of Perumbakkam, the houses on the ground floor were quickly inundated. On a priority basis, persons with disabilities were allocated houses on the ground floor. However, with the floods, their vulnerability pushed them further to the fringes. They were forced to climb stairs seeking refuge in other people's homes that already had leaky roofs and damp walls. This was not the first time people in resettlement colonies in Perumbakkam or Semmencherry were facing floods. Almost every year, November and December are months of struggle for the families, who are evicted and resettled…

Mumbai Marathon: Increased participation, tragic deaths Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024 saw a record participation of a total of 59, 515 participants, who ran in seven different categories. Held on January 21st , the prestigious Mumbai event, witnessed senior citizens, students and activists apart from athletes, running for various civic issues and fundamental rights. Hayle Lemin from Ethiopia defended the title while clocking a timing of two hours and seven minutes. Other winners in elite men's category and elite women's category were from Ethiopia as well. However, in a tragic turn of events, two participants died during the course of the…

Bandra, Mumbai’s most sought-after suburb, has attracted both Indians and foreigners alike for its historic forts and seaside walks, blend of cultures and food, and its celebrity appeal. Yet the charm of the so-called “Queen of Suburbs” is being threatened by the frenzied pace and volume of construction and infrastructure projects going on simultaneously.  As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) approves luxury high-rises and initiates yearly infrastructure projects, residents of the locality have voiced a concern that these projects are more superficial than substantive.  Once-peaceful streets have been reduced to one-ways or blocked by one project after another, sometimes overnight.…

The perception that HSR Layout is as an upmarket neighbourhood has led to public transport infrastructure being ignored in the area. The common notion is that its residents prefer to drive rather than use buses. The reality, however, is quite different. There is a large number of deprived communities who live in areas around HSR layout, such as Mangammanapalya, Parangipalya, Bommanahalli etc. These communities rely heavily on public transport, which ply on busy roads such as Hosur Road, Outer Ring Road (ORR) and Sarjapur Road. The people here work long hours for a pittance, and commute long distances everyday. Unfortunately,…