INTERVIEWS

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…

Once a fiery trade unionist and now a seasoned people's representative, Chennai's Ward 4 Councillor R Jayaraman has been involved in electoral politics for over 35 years. Hailing from the village of Veeranapuram in Thiruvallur district, his journey advocating for people's rights began early. At just 16, he led a protest demanding higher wages for the farmers in his village. This led to a lifetime of grassroots activism and public service. He previously served two terms as the Councillor of Ward 46. In the most recent local body elections, he secured victory as the Councillor of Ward 4 in the…

Beyond Bengaluru's municipal boundaries lies a troubling pattern of neglect. Many lakes that are under the control of gram panchayats are slowly being lost to unchecked encroachments and poorly executed rejuvenation efforts. In a recent series, we discussed their deterioration and mismanagement, a trend experts point out, is widespread among lakes outside Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits. In this interview, environmental activist and Friends of Lakes member Nagesh Aras dives into the root causes of this mismanagement. He highlights the urgent need for governance reforms and scientific guidelines to restore these lakes. Governance and mismanagement Why do lakes under…

As the sun blazed across India's hottest regions, people faced an unprecedented heat risk this year. While Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and many other states reported hundreds of heatstroke cases and heat-related illnesses, experts have warned that the actual toll of the heat wave impact may be underreported in India. Summer may be officially over, and the monsoon has brought respite, but the impact of heat on all aspects of life remains a real and present danger. Heat-related deaths can occur even when there are no heat wave warnings, and factors like humidity, wind speed, pre-existing medical conditions,…

Migrant workers and their families, street vendors, gig workers, domestic help and many more—where do these people figure in city heat mitigation measures? India's heat action plans (HAPs) are falling short where it matters most. About 95% lack vulnerability assessments, leaving communities ill-prepared for rising temperatures, reveals a Centre for Policy Research study. Most plans fail to account for local contexts, oversimplify the hazards, and overlook the most at-risk populations. Bengaluru does not even have a heat action plan. In 2024, architect and climate researcher Ujjvala Krishna, along with other experts from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and…

Chennai recorded the highest temperature of 42.7 degrees Celsius on May 17 last year, marking the hottest day of summer so far. According to a study by Heat Watch, titled Struck by Heat: A News Analysis of Heat Stroke Deaths in India in 2024, 733 deaths due to heatstroke were reported across 17 states in India between March and June. This year, the sweltering conditions have returned early. The India Meteorological Department has issued a forecast and heatwave warning, stating that maximum temperatures will likely remain above normal by 1 to 3 degrees Celsius across many parts of coastal Tamil…

There seems to be a perpetual water shortage in Mumbai, requiring the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to continually seek new water sources. To fulfil Mumbai’s ever-growing demand for water, a new dam is in the pipeline. The State Wildlife Board has given their approval for the construction of the Gargai dam over 845 hectares of land in Palghar. The dam will provide 440 million litres of water per day (MLD). Environmentalists have expressed concern over the effects of this dam. This will lead to the displacement of 619 families. Moreover, 2.1 lakh trees will be cut to make way for the…

Concerns about the quality of housing and basic amenities in Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board (TNUHDB) tenements have reached a tipping point. Resettled families, relocated due to natural disasters, continue to face persistent issues such as frequent flooding, dilapidated infrastructure, and a lack of essential services. Residents are grappling with the daily challenges of damp walls, crumbling ceilings, non-functional lifts, and poorly lit streets, making them feel fearful and uncertain. The tragic death of a 60-year-old man in an elevator shaft at the KP Park tenement is a stark reminder of the existing safety hazards. Meanwhile, the government continues…

What started as a cool activity in the 1970s—a group of college students going on night walks to protect freshly laid turtle eggs—has, half a century later, evolved into a crucial conservation movement. The Students' Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) now plays a key role in the conservation of the Olive Ridley turtles along the Chennai coast. Their awareness efforts have been so impactful that these night walks are flooded with people of all ages, particularly children and young adults. From collecting freshly laid eggs and relocating them to hatcheries to releasing hatchlings back into the sea after 45 days, SSTCN volunteers…

Once known for its pleasant climate, Bengaluru now faces a climate crisis. Rapid urbanisation, vehicular emissions, and construction dust have led to hazardous air pollution, with PM2.5 and PM10 levels endangering health. Rising temperatures, water scarcity, vanishing green cover, and rampant concretisation have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Erratic rainfall and groundwater depletion further threaten a water emergency, affecting households across the city. The Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) was introduced in November 2023 to build adaptation and resilience against climate change, but implementation gaps persist. The absence of a dedicated climate budget, lack of transparency…