GENRE: Solutions

As per Census 2011, one out of every six city dwellers — that is, 17.4% of the total urban population in India — lives in slums. While union and different state governments have made several efforts to address the challenges of housing and to improve the dismal living conditions in slums, a unique model has emerged in Odisha in recent years. The Odisha model has not only been successful in addressing the challenges that are integral to slum upgradation, but it also shows the way to collaborative problem solving in our cities, which are faced with systemic challenges that are…

“A democracy masterclass is brewing in North Chennai, where children are showing the way for the 200 ward councillors of the Greater Chennai Corporation,” says Charu Govindan, Founder and Convener at Voice of People. For around six years, her collective has advocated for Area Sabhas, which many councillors conveniently skip to avoid meeting the residents.  But Bala Sabhas, led by child councillors in North Chennai for over a year, are pushing for real change. They have prompted the installation of new street lights and barbed wire fencing at a local GCC school in Tondiarpet, for example.  What is a Bala…

Oval Maidan in Mumbai is at once several things for Mumbai and Mumbaikars. It is an important ground for cricket and has been declared a Grade 1 Heritage Maidan by the government. Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai', it serves as a much-needed green lung and open space in the city. However, not many people know that the Oval Maidan is also home to a successful rainwater harvesting system. Although not visible above ground, this system has been quietly and consistently replenishing the water table and providing water for the upkeep…

On September 22nd, the playground on the Raosaheb Patwardhan Park resembled a happy space where people gathered to enjoy and chat, children played football, a few played badminton or even hula hoops. A group jived over Zumba dance moves, while others danced to the live percussion music. The crowd had gathered to celebrate the playground being saved from the clutches of cemented development. A cake was cut to celebrate the occasion. Elected representatives from all the major political parties, Varsha Gaikwad, Mumbai head of the Congress, Priyanka Chaturvedi from the Shiv Sena and even Ashish Shelar, the local Bharatiya Janata…

Much of the waste we produce need not go straight to the landfill. With proper management, plastic crisp packets are recycled and repurposed, while banana peels and eggshells become soil. Hygiene waste items, such as used menstrual products, however, are destined for the dump or incinerator. This represents a significant environmental challenge. That's where concerted community efforts can make a big difference. A group in Kannamangala transformed their waste management practices through the support of Stone Soup, an organisation based in Bengaluru. Founded by Malini Parmar, Stone Soup is dedicated to sustainable waste management and menstrual hygiene initiatives, and it…

Bengaluru has numerous parks and lakes, where we all love to walk and run. However, the city lacks proper walking, cycling, and running infrastructure. Daily walking for errands is nearly impossible due to broken sidewalks, exposed wires, and construction debris everywhere. Attempting to use a bicycle or run on the roads puts one at risk from heavy vehicles, cars, and other traffic.  Sheela Sahi, a commuter, on her way to work on her cycle. Pic: Sheela Sahi Climate change and oft-repeated solutions While the weather has traditionally been good, in recent years, due to climate change, it has been worsening.…

Armed with their mobile phones, notebooks and pens, a group of enthusiastic women walk along the lanes of a housing board colony early in the morning. They go door-to-door asking residents pertinent questions about safety, quality of basic amenities and housing infrastructure among other things. While they are generally received warmly, they occasionally encounter hostility, particularly from men. These women, who are community workers, conduct safety audits facilitated by the Information and Resource Centre for Deprived and Urban Communities (IRCDUC), a voluntary organisation focussed on housing for the poor. As residents of the resettlement site where the audit is taking…

Few things are more active than a WhatsApp group used by suburban residents in Chennai to lodge complaints. The group serves as a platform for residents to voice their problems, leading to debates and polls. Loud calls for action often rally the entire online community to react with a series of ‘thumbs-up’ emojis. However, it is rare for these proposed solutions to extend beyond the online realm, and even rarer for residents to take tangible steps towards implementing them. But, here is a group that went beyond registering complaints and solved a long-term traffic issue with collective activism, in Kumarasamy…

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) implemented the Solid Waste Management Rules in 2016. The following year, it passed directions for bulk waste generators (including apartment complexes and gated communities) in Chennai to process their waste inside their premises. "Seven years down the line, very few bulk waste generators in Chennai are following the norms," points out P Natarajan, Founder of Namma Ooru Foundation in our earlier article. KGEYES Homes in Chennai's Besant Nagar is a 25-year-old residential complex with 36 dwelling units. Similar to many other apartment complexes in the neighbourhood, residents here did not adhere to the waste management…

Source segregation of waste was a relatively new phenomenon in Chennai six years ago. Today, awareness and support of the process have only grown, but not without tireless citizen-led efforts. The Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association (ROKA) started its waste segregation programme in 2019, and improved their system, taking lessons from a neighbourhood initiative in Bengaluru. Now, other neighbourhoods in Chennai seek advice from ROKA on how to set up their own waste segregation systems. ROKA launched the ‘We Segregate’ programme in October 2023. The goal is to provide the systems and technology necessary to segregate waste in Kasturba Nagar…