GENRE: Voices

In an earlier article on electric autos, we had explored how electric rickshaws could serve as a panacea both for the growing air pollution in Bengaluru, as well as the last mile connectivity issues that plague commuters in the city. We had even outlined the policy that exists with regard to introduction of such vehicles. But the transition from paper to practical use has its own challenges. Continuing that focus, we sat down for a chat with Omkareshwari, Joint Director, E-Governance and Environment, Department of Transport to discuss more about the official policy and get an idea of when e-autos…

After having completed the first phase of the Telangana Land Records Updation Programme, targeted at improving documentation of rural land records, the state government will be initiating the next phase focused on covering urban land records. While the first phase has been hailed as a success, there have been some glaring omissions from the scope of the overall exercise. Thus, it would be a good idea to look into some of these deficiencies before initiating the next phase of updates, looking at urban land records. In November 2017, the Chief Minister of Telangana made a lengthy statement in the state…

Post monsoon, the Dengue dread is back in our cities, with over 650 cases reported in the national capital alone. In 2017, data from the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) and National Health Profile 2018 indicated the maximum number of deaths in a decade and a 300% hike in the number of cases. Will there be a fall in the graph this year? There are mixed reports so far, with some evidence of control in a few cities, but a sharp spike in others. The reason for the continuing incidence is simple: poor urban management and lack of cleanliness. But what causes dengue and…

Our home in T Nagar was built in 1950. The cost of the land was Rs 1600 and the building cost about Rs 50,000. But the story of the home goes back much further. In 1910, when my grandfather was about 10 years old, his father died, leaving behind an asthmatic wife, two young daughters and him. And a debt of Rs 500, that was a crushing liability for a poor family in those days. There was a real risk of their home being taken over. At some point in these difficult times, he even contemplated ending his life in…

Forests become an easy scapegoat for urban infrastructure development. Recently, the National Highways Authority of India blamed meteorological events for triggering landslides in Himachal Pradesh, but such events are not the only cause of environmental degradation. With the reckless cutting of 23, 785 trees to four-lane the Shimla-Kalka highway and excessive cutting of thousands of other trees to facilitate several hydroelectric projects, it is evident that excessive human activity in Himachal Pradesh is leading to degradation and deprivation of forest quality, which, ironically, would only impede the development that the state is hoping for. The recent water woes in Shimla…

Mani C (name changed), a 16-year-old resident of Ambal Nagar, Chennai is irregular to school, but he regularly visits the TASMAC outlet on Jawaharlal Nehru Road as soon as the shutters are raised at 12 noon. His peers and acquaintances have dropped out of school, having taken to the liquor bottle even earlier. If his mother berates him for choosing the wrong path, he says, “I am just doing what Appa (father) does.” The mother runs out of words to convince him. Mani started revolting when he was 14. It was yet another day when his father had beaten him…

When they are not paid trolls or a potential accused themselves, I pity the men earnestly and innocently asking after every #MeToo reveal, “But where is the proof?” and “What happened to innocent until proven guilty?” They are struggling to understand what is happening. And in some cases, being too arrogant about it. What is happening is a revolution. And revolution, by definition, doesn’t respect existing norms — social, moral or legal. It redefines norms. You can’t comprehend the new norms by using the old vocabulary. Another thing about revolutions is that they are messy. Don’t let neat paragraphs about all the…

This has been on my mind for quite some time now, as it has been on the lips of so many friends and relatives with whom I shared my plans for this Durga Puja. "You are not going to be in Kolkata for Durga Puja? You are going to Bangalore of all places? But why?" For me personally, the question has not been "why" so much, as "why am I not feeling worse about leaving Kolkata during that one time of the year when I always found the city to be magical?" For the 13 odd years that I was…

50 people have tested positive for Zika virus in Rajasthan's Jaipur following which the Prime Minister's Office sought a detailed report from the Union Health Ministry. This has led to other states stepping up surveillance. Zika doesn't kill people, yet everyone is scared of it. To understand why, we need to delve deep into the subject. So what is Zika fever virus? Why is it important? This is a virus that causes fever and other symptoms among people, and also causes paralysis and neuro-related illnesses in extreme cases. A fact sheet compiled by the World Health Organisation says that Zika…

Shifting from the slick, tree-lined Vasanthnagar to the mud and gravel of HRBR in East Bengaluru did it. Building a dream house in a nightmare colony with no roads or facilities dealt quite a shock to D.S. Rajshekhar ten years ago. It was then that he felt that unless he stepped forward and joined like-minded citizens to show some fighting spirit, he would continue to live in a perpetually 'under-construction' colony. His Residents' Welfare Association referred him to Citizens' Action Forum (CAF), which was a simple association of rather indignant residents. It was an idea that was seeded in 2007. It had…