GENRE: Voices

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…

Bellandur Lake, Bengaluru’s largest water body, has been at the heart of an ambitious rejuvenation project since 2020. However, persistent delays, severe funding shortages, and inadequate planning have left citizens increasingly frustrated. Time is slipping away, and without immediate government intervention, this critical environmental project risks failing. A recent meeting with government bodies shed light on the project’s stagnation and the urgent steps required to salvage it. Progress so far Desilting Work: Of the estimated 32.33 lakh cubic meters of silt, 22.69 lakh cubic meters (70%) have been removed, leaving 30% unfinished Early monsoons and slushy conditions have delayed progress…

An IT professional turned ward councillor, Niranjana Jagadeesan says, "Improving facilities for education in Ward 51 in Chennai is my priority as I firmly believe that only education can give confidence to individuals, especially girls." Her journey into politics is akin to many first-time women councillors of Chennai. Niranjana's husband is active in politics. "I used to work in an IT company. Since Ward 51 was reserved for women candidates, my husband asked if I would contest the polls. I was managing a team in the IT company, and here I will be managing a ward. At the end of…

The Karnataka Cabinet has cleared two big-ticket projects: Tunnel Road and Sky-Deck. The BBMP’s DPR for the Bengaluru Tunnel Road is for a six-lane, 18-kilometre underground tunnel that will connect Hebbal in the north to the Central Silk Board junction in the south. The project is estimated to cost around Rs 16,500 crore. The proposed 250-metre-high sky deck, supposed to become the tallest tower in South Asia, is estimated to cost Rs 500 crore. The tunnel roads may be extended, there may be other expressways, flyovers, double-decker roads, etc., in the pipeline. All these projects taken together are expected to…

Imagine a scenario where Chennai's residents can access real-time air quality data of their surroundings to decide whether to step out, stay home, or avoid certain routes. This level of air pollution monitoring could well be a reality soon. Currently, Chennai relies on two main systems of air quality monitoring — manual monitoring stations and Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS). While these are crucial, theoy come with high operational costs; around Rs 3 lakh for manual stations and several crores for CAAQMS setups. The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) has developed a mobile air pollution monitoring sensor…

Crowded buses, with passengers jostling for space, are common on Chennai's roads. The city has many public transport users, including college students and people commuting daily for work. Share autos play a crucial role in providing last-mile connectivity, helping passengers travel from bus stops and MRTS stations to their final destinations. These share autos fill the gap by making multiple stops between bus stations, schools, colleges, and other key locations. However, the share auto system has its shortcomings, the most notable being that it is unreliable. Share auto drivers often decide daily whether to stop at a specific location. If…