GENRE: Voices

In September 2025, the Karnataka government issued a notification modifying the buffer zones around Bengaluru’s stormwater drains and lakes. The new guidelines prescribe just 15 metres for primary drains, 10 metres for secondary, and only 5 metres for tertiary drains—much lower than the earlier mandates of 30/15/10 metres. The notification follows the proposal to amend the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) Act, reducing buffer zones around lakes. Lake buffers, which were at 30 metres, have been proposed to be reduced to a range between 0 and 30 metres, based on the lake's size. This move has been criticised…

A collective of various voluntary groups, civil society organisations, activists, educators and students has demanded urgent state-led action to uphold the right to shelter and dignity for persons living on the streets in Tamil Nadu. This campaign has been initiated by the Information and Resource Centre of the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) and other NGOs in Chennai and across the State, to support homeless people, whose lives are jeopardised by the absence of a dedicated state programme. Here are the recommendations put forward as part of the campaign: State-wide recommendations Tamil Nadu must urgently evolve a state-specific scheme for persons…

In the western suburbs of Mumbai, the Mount Mary and Kane Road areas in Bandra comprise a diverse neighbourhood of 38 high-rise apartments, bungalows, four religious institutions, a school, an orphanage, a hospice, and a women’s hostel. Since 1998, this locality has been actively served by ALM 33 — an Advanced Locality Management unit recognised by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for its proactive resident group, working to improve the quality of life in the area. For years, the BMC did not have a consistent waste management programme in ALM 33. This led to sanitation issues, including overflowing bins, clogged…

On August 11 2025, the Supreme Court of India directed all authorities in the National Capital Territory — extending to Delhi, Noida, Gurugram and Ghaziabad — to immediately relocate all stray dogs from all localities in the region. The apex court ordered all street dogs to be shifted to dog shelters, from where they must not be released under any circumstances. Any individual or organisation found to obstruct the work of authorities capturing and moving the dogs shall face legal consequences. The order came from a bench comprising Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, hearing a suo moto case…

Democracy is more than just the right to vote or stand for office; it’s about empowering citizens to influence the policies and decisions that shape their daily lives. For a government to be truly responsive, citizen engagement must be at the core of the law-making process. In this system, policies should be crafted not only for the people but with the people, reflecting their concerns and aspirations. Public consultations are vital in strengthening democracy by ensuring policies reflect the needs of those they impact. In February 2021, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) incorporated feedback from Mumbaikars during the city's annual…

The recent warnings from BBMP to citizen-led lake groups against raising public funds for lake maintenance have raised several important questions. The Palike has also sent a notice to one of the groups, the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), to stop maintenance works around the lake. In response, PNLIT, incidentally the first citizen group in Bengaluru to formally maintain a lake, announced their withdrawal from all maintenance activities at Puttenahalli lake in JP Nagar.  In the absence of BBMP support, lake groups had anyway been struggling to continue their work over the past five years. Now, as these groups…

Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, is known for its pleasant climate. Often, when much of the country struggles with heat, rain brings relief to this city. Last year, Bengaluru received 933.8 mm of rain over the year (IMD data). But rain, while welcome, also unravels a host of problems: flooded roads, traffic chokes, and an often futile scramble for autorickshaws on ride-hailing apps like Uber, Ola and Rapido. Despite their algorithmic promises, these platforms collapse during peak demand, making transport scarce and expensive. A commuter from Indiranagar shares his experience with us: “I needed an auto for just 1.5 km from…

Bengaluru’s first-ever Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) was launched on November 27th, 2023. The main objectives of BCAP are to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from the city and to build adaptation and resilience against climate change hazards collaboratively, leading to inclusive outcomes for Bengaluru’s citizens. To achieve these objectives, BCAP has formulated short-, medium- and long-term strategies and actions in seven key sectors in consultation with all relevant stakeholder agencies.  Here is a critical look at the progress of BCAP since its inception.   Undoubtedly, BCAP is a very well-conceived, comprehensive and ambitious initiative. It sets clear goals, targets, and…

Cities evolve with their demographics. The industrial revolution, which led to the initial spurt in urbanisation, forced cities to improve their facilities—waste management, water supply, and most notably housing—so that the rising population could be supported. More recently, the focus on climate change has forced cities around the world to reckon with problems like air pollution, the urban heat island effect, and extreme weather events like floods. One of the most pressing demographic shifts of the 21st century that cities must take into account as they grow, is the rise in the proportion of the aged and ageing in total…

On June 28th, Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), the first citizens' collective in Bengaluru to formally maintain a lake, celebrated its 15th anniversary. Puttenahalli lake, also called Puttakere because of its relatively small size, was waste-ridden and nearly dry in the 2000s. In 2008, Usha Rajagopalan, writer and resident of an apartment near the lake, launched a campaign to revive it. Other interested residents in the area soon joined in, and they formally registered themselves as PNLIT. Their first major success came in 2010 when BBMP started reviving the lake in response to their campaign. The next year, PNLIT…