GENRE: Voices

Plans are afoot to establish a solar-powered ropeway along the Marina Beach. The proposed project will stretch from Anna Square to the Lighthouse, with stations at Anna Square, Kannagi Statue, Vivekananda House and the Lighthouse. With the number of weekend visitors to the beach reportedly touching one lakh, the project is expected to help manage crowds and also boost foreign tourism as the ropeway will offer passengers ‘panoramic views of the coastline.’ There are hopes too that it will emerge as a convenient mode of transport for commuters as the stretch will encompass an area dotted with public offices and…

On a particularly hot October morning this year, I stood on our terrace and marvelled at the IAF flying machines dazzling the skies at the Aero Show over Chennai’s Marina Beach. However, later that evening, news broke of spectators struggling in the oppressive weather, leading to five heat-related deaths and over a hundred hospitalisations. It wasn't just the heat. The roads were choked and traffic came to a standstill. Public transport proved grossly inadequate for people travelling to and from the venue. I felt a mix of relief and guilt — relief that I had skipped the event and guilt…

In the year of most elections all over the world and some stunning results in various parts of the world, I too was preoccupied with elections in Mumbai - General, State assembly (and BMC, which are yet to happen). The year started with a carry forward of winter pollution and in no time temperatures soared where we were left dealing with extreme urban heat amidst election frenzy in the country. As we covered various issues ranging from pedestrian rights, water scarcity, student stress, climate change and voter awareness, I realise more than ever that most of the problems we grapple…

It feels like 2024 passed in the blink of an eye. It seems just a week ago that we were dealing with massive floods, gas leaks, and oil spills in Chennai. Yet, here we are, a year later, battling heatwaves, and unpredictable rains, and petitioning the government to avoid bringing another Thermal Power Plant, Waste-to-Energy Plant, or Eco-park into the city. This year, discussions around climate change have been more prevalent than ever before. Yet, the marginalised, who contribute the least to climate change and are ironically, the most affected, remain largely absent from mainstream conversation. After nearly three years…

I have to start with a confession — all my life I have never segregated my garbage. I had convinced myself that I was doing my bit for the environment by carrying a cloth tote bag, that ubiquitous flagbearer of environment conservation, that all-encompassing solution to multiple environmental problems. So, imagine my shock when I realised that carrying a tote bag everywhere — from the market to a meeting to a concert — wasn’t enough! I was hit by this revelation when I was assigned a story by my editor — an explainer on 'What happens to the garbage we…

In the larger narrative on climate change and urbanisation, the plight of India’s small and mid-sized cities has mostly slipped through the cracks. Not that the global and national media is oblivious to the stellar rankings, which highlight that 15 of top 20 most polluted cities are in India. However, the specific contexts in which this toxic air has been brewing are not well looked into and understood. While the metropolises hog the spotlight, these smaller cities housing millions are silently choking under a haze of neglect.  Our recent report “Declining Air Quality in Small and Mid-sized Cities” highlights the…

Three days before I began writing this article, a bench of Bombay High Court judges criticised the BMC for its inaction in clearing hawkers from railway station areas across Mumbai while addressing a petition. Sadly, this isn't the first time the court has heard such a petition. A simple Google News search for "Bombay High Court hawkers" over the past 20 years brings up over 14,000 results, showing how often this issue has been raised. Recently, BEST also came under fire for removing buses from routes affected by hawker encroachments in Borivali. Clearly, the unregulated presence of hawkers is widely…

Global carbon dioxide emissions continue to soar despite climate agreements like Kyoto and Paris. Should this be the path we tread? Since the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, annual carbon dioxide emissions have surged by an average of 1.7%. This is in stark contrast to the 0.9% increase seen in the seven years prior (1990-1997) to the signing of the Kyoto Protocol. The exclusion of the world's biggest polluters — United States, China and India — is the primary cause of the failure of the Kyoto Agreement. Vehicular emissions contribute significantly to air pollution in Bengaluru. Pic: Jyothi Gupta…

In recent years, air quality in Mumbai has significantly declined, raising serious health and environmental concerns. Reports indicate a 305% rise in air-pollution-related complaints over the last five years, with studies suggesting a 30% increase in pollution. Key factors contributing to this deterioration include complex weather conditions, such as La Nina, which slows down the wind movement and traps pollutants, along with emissions from local sources and pollutants from neighbouring areas. Over the years, managing air quality within a city’s boundaries has been proven to have limited impact only. Scientific evidence shows that pollution from one area can travel to…

For years, we have lived in the shadow of the Kodungaiyur dump yard in Chennai, and it has been challenging. The news of a Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant being planned in the area has added to our concerns. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has already issued a tender for the plant, and the bidding process is underway. In response, many civil society organisations in Chennai have collectively written a letter to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), to protest the construction of the plant.   In the letter, we demanded: Scrapping of the WTE incineration projects in the Kodungaiyur area…