GENRE: Voices

As Mumbai votes to elect its city corporators on January 15, many citizens’ groups and civil society organisations have voiced their demands for better civic infrastructure. They have also highlighted the frustrations of daily problems faced by residents due to the absence of a municipal council. Last weekend, over 50 people from across Mumbai gathered with one shared purpose: to reimagine what a truly inclusive, responsive city could look like. Mumbaikars aged 18 to 60 deliberated on what was urgently needed for their city — better infrastructure, improved accessibility and good governance. The event, called the WISE Voting Weekend, was…

Across megacities, workers in gated communities are subjected to checks at entry and exit points. Often excessive and intrusive, these include bag searches, confiscation of items without a gate pass, and, in some cases, pat-downs of workers — practices justified as deterrents against theft. During an anonymous survey, we spoke to 20–30 residents and domestic workers across Bengaluru, and a few communities in Chennai and Mumbai. Respondents across these cities reported “visual cues” of suspicious behaviour that corresponded with these searches. While respondents in the surveys reported no pat-downs in their communities, some employers and domestic workers informally flagged pat-downs…

செங்கல்பட்டு மாவட்டம், திருப்போரூர் மற்றும் திருக்கழுக்குன்றம் வட்டங்களுக்குட்பட்ட வருவாய் கிராமங்களில், இயற்கையாக அமைந்துள்ள கழுவேலி, உப்பங்கழி நீர்நிலையில், புதிய குடிநீர் நீர்த்தேக்கம் அமைக்க CRZ அனுமதி வழங்கியுள்ளது மாநில கடற்கரை ஒழுங்குமுறை மண்டல ஆணையம். இத்திட்டத்தின் முதல் கட்டத்தில் நெம்மேலி, கிருஷ்ணகாரனை, தண்டலம், பட்டிபுலம், திருப்போரூர், மாமல்லபுரம், சலுவான்குப்பம், பையனூர் ஆகிய வருவாய் கிராமங்களுக்குட்பட்ட 4375 ஏக்கர் பரப்பளவில் வருவாய்த்துறை, நீர்வளத்துறைக்குச் சொந்தமான இடங்களில் நீர்த்தேக்கம் அமைக்கத் திட்டமிடப்பட்டுள்ளது. 1.655TMC கொள்ளளவு கொண்ட இந்நீர்த்தேக்கம் மேற்கூறிய கிராமங்களைச் சேர்ந்த 50 ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட மக்களின் குடிநீர்த் தேவையைப் பூர்த்தி செய்யும் எனவும் அருகாமை கிராமங்களின் வெள்ள பாதிப்பைக் குறைக்கும் எனவும் அரசுத் தரப்பில் கூறப்படுகிறது. Map showing components of the Kovalam reservoir. Pic courtesy: Tamil Nadu Water Resources Department. இத்திட்டத்திற்கான விண்ணப்பத்தை 17.11.2025 அன்று  தொழில் நுட்ப  வல்லுநர் குழு பரிசீலித்தது. 20.11.2025 அன்று  மாநில கடற்கரை  மண்டல ஆணையம் விண்ணப்பத்தைை பரிசீலித்து CRZ அனுமதிக்கு பரிந்துரைக்கிறது.…

Chandivali is a rapidly developing, upscale residential and commercial suburb in Andheri East, with both business hubs and green spaces such as the Powai Lake. It is close to the neighbourhoods of Powai, Saki Naka and Vikhroli. Many long-pending civic issues in the locality need the attention of the municipal authorities, and the residents of Chandivali have been demanding infrastructure development in the area. As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election approaches, we reiterate our demand for better roads and improved civic facilities. Since founding the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) in 2017, we have consistently raised and reported numerous…

For over two decades, residents along Chennai's Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) have been fed a steady diet of promises about piped water supply. From desalination plants to reservoirs, successive governments have announced grand projects that would finally quench the IT corridor's thirst. Yet, as of January 2026, OMR residents are still struggling with inadequate piped water and are forced to rely on expensive private tankers or depleted groundwater that grows more brackish each year. The original promise It began with hope. In July 2004, the then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, announced central government support for a desalination plant near Chennai.…

The Cantonment Railway Colony was declared Bengaluru’s second Biodiversity Heritage Site in September 2025—a rare victory for citizens who had protested against large-scale tree felling for a proposed commercial development. Over 15,000 citizens stood tall against the tree felling, and following months of protests, the government declared the site a Biodiversity Heritage Site. However, just three months later, on December 6, the state government withdrew the notification. The reversal has once again put nearly 370 heritage trees in the colony at risk. A threat for citizen participation The colony houses around 370 mature and heritage trees belonging to around 50…

If Mumbaikars can gather for festivals, political rallies and celebrations, can they not rally for the right to breathe? That question and a sense of growing frustration and urgency were what led to the formation of the Human Chain for Clean Air — a citizen-driven movement demanding urgent government intervention. For weeks, the AQI in Mumbai has crossed hazardous levels, affecting children, senior citizens and working professionals alike. Each of us has been noticing that people around us are constantly coughing, children are falling sick frequently, and senior citizens are struggling to walk without breathlessness. I realised that instead of…

Walk through any city, and you'll encounter Nature-based solutions (NbS) everywhere: urban parks providing respite from hot streets, wetlands filtering stormwater, and trees along busy roads reducing air pollution, among others. This green infrastructure, however, is often viewed through a narrow lens—as mere providers of shade, picturesque spaces, or recreational spots.  This limited perspective has harmful consequences. When development pressures mount or budgets tighten, these natural assets become expendable and are often removed without proper analysis of their multidimensional benefits. This is where quantifying the benefits of NbS becomes essential. By measuring and monetising the value these solutions provide, we…

For someone living in the suburbs along Sarjapur Road, the promise of “public transport and walkable Bengaluru” still feels like a distant dream. I was once a regular commuter on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation's (BMTC) 500EB (Electronics City–KR Puram) route for nearly six months. But by 2024, I had given up — worn out by unreliable service and unsafe pedestrian crossings, especially at Doddanekundi (Bagmane Constellation). I switched to driving, like most others in my neighbourhood. On November 7th, 2025, I decided to give public transport another chance. The morning trial I started around 8.30 am, optimistic about using the…

With air pollution levels hovering between the 'poor' and 'severe' categories, Delhi has been gasping for breath. The air quality has continued to deteriorate, with the capital recording an AQI of 372 on December 2nd, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. So, is the winter mist coupled with the vehicular pollution only to blame? The reality is more complex than that. Dust from construction activity and malba or construction and demolition (C&D) waste contribute significantly to air pollution in Delhi. Moreover, managing this waste is a huge challenge for the city's civic administration, and the majority of C&D waste…