Local Business

On one hand, strict High Court guidelines prohibit new registration of houseboats in Dal and Nigeen lakes in Srinagar. On the other, there are just three master craftsmen left, who can build these boats, the older ones among which are in decrepit state.

In March 2018, Maharashtra imposed a blanket ban on the use of plastic in the state, particularly in Mumbai. Almost two years later, the city still finds itself grappling with plastic waste, largely due to patchy implementation by BMC and inadequate attention to processing of discarded plastic.

Chandigarh ranks first among Union Territories and third among the states in the CCS Progress Report on Implementing the Street Vendors Act 2014. Here’s what it has done to regularise street vending in the city, and what that means for the city corporation.

During its heyday, Bhiwandi, in Thane district, had the highest cluster of powerlooms in the country, and was a huge employment hub with workers hailing from different states. Today this once-thriving business is facing extinction. What does Bhiwandi tell us about small scale industry in the country today?

Countless manufacturing units in the once-thriving textile sector lie idle today, and 80% of the two lakh people directly and indirectly employed by the industry have returned home. The Kashmir clampdown may not be the only reason, but is making matters worse for sure.

There was a time when Jalandhar contributed to almost 80 per cent of the sports goods manufactured in India. Thanks to slow modernisation, stiff Chinese competition and most recently, the GST, its leadership position is challenged not just globally, but even within the country.

An estimated 1.63 lakh idols were bought by households this year, and over 19,000 idols for the public pandals. Most of these are made of thermocol and Plaster-of-Paris (POP), and will be immersed in the sea, along the popular beaches. Why is Mumbai unable to move from POP to clay idols?

Over a hundred shops belonging to small traders and even some homes have been demolished in Aligarh with little prior warning and no compensation, as smart city protocols were initiated in the ciity with zero or minimal planning.

Andhra Pradesh voted to elect their MLAs and MPs on April 11th; meanwhile, residents of Chittoor city have put together a comprehensive manifesto that speaks about the welfare schemes they would expect their chosen leaders to implement.

India is set to have 5000 waste to energy plants in the next five years that will convert agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into usable biogas. But are the conditions conducive and will it solve the waste crisis in our cities?

Several studies on pollution in the Dal Lake have pointed to the impact of the waste discharged by houseboats operating on the lake; yet rehabilitation or realignment of these may not be the only solution for saving the lake.

It really isn’t just about coffee anymore. A distinctive café revolution has taken place across cities, with several run by, or employing, people who would otherwise find it difficult to find a space in mainstream society — from those with special needs to the HIV positive to acid attack survivors.