PRESS RELEASE

Maharashtra is at a critical juncture in its urban development. As cities expand and populations grow more diverse, the state's transportation infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Rising pollution, worsening congestion, and increasing social inequities have escalated from issues of inefficiency to a full-blown crisis. As the 2024 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections approach, these mobility challenges require urgent action. Also Read: Local and ethical candidates only, Govandi citizens tell political parties ahead of elections To address this, Parisar, Waatavaran, and Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC), with support from the Sustainable Mobility Network (SMN), have co-drafted the Maharashtra Urban Mobility Charter…

As the Northeast monsoon intensifies in Tamil Nadu, the fishing community in Ennore has asked the State government to clear blockages and encroachments along the Kosasthalaiyar River and Ennore backwaters. In an open letter addressed to K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran, Minister for Revenue, District Revenue Establishment, Deputy Collectors for Disaster Management and P Amudha, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department, the fishers point out that these blockages are affecting the health of the Ennore wetlands and could cause flooding in Chennai, if not cleared. While the services of the fishers and fishing boats are called upon every monsoon for flood rescue,…

Civil society organisations and concerned citizens have united to protest the construction of a new airport in Parandur, in the outskirts of Chennai. The Rs 30,000-crore project is slated to come up in more than 5,000 acres of land, according to the State government. A majority of this land is agricultural and also includes many waterbodies. According to civic and environmental activists, if the construction of the greenfield airport in Parandur goes ahead as per plan, it will have significant ecological and social repercussions — loss of natural habitats, potential flooding and a loss of livelihood for communities dependent on…

A collective of 34 civil society organisations and more than 200 individuals from Tamil Nadu and across the country have written to the Thiruvallur District Collector, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change and Forests, Chief Wildlife Warden, and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Cell to protect the Pulicat Bird Sanctuary for ecological and social reasons and settle the rights of people without reducing the sanctuary's boundary. The voluntary groups have urged the government to initiate the settlement of claims of local communities residing in the 13 revenue villages within the Pulicat Birds Sanctuary boundary limits. Excerpts from the letter:…

Cities in India are set to host half of the population by 2030, driving the country's ‘growth’ and ‘development’. Urbanisation is now being seen as a key focus area of public policy and ‘solution’ to ‘development needs’ of our country. However, this rapid urbanisation has brought numerous challenges, particularly for the urban poor, working class, and informal workers who struggle to access housing, livelihoods, and basic rights like water, healthcare, and education. Despite contributing significantly to cities, their rights have often been ignored and violated until now. Over the past year, community groups, workers’ collectives, and people's movements with decades-long…

The country is going to the polls in one of the most keenly watched elections of all time, and a collective of 70 environment and civil society organisations have appealed to voters to assess the threat to the environment and ecology when they cast their votes in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Here is what the organisations have said in a joint statement: As Indians prepare to vote in the Lok Sabha elections this year, it is very important to think of the future of our democracy, especially the youth and their right to clean air and water security in…

In its recently released Manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, the IndianNational Congress has promised to bring some much needed reforms in the Indian Parliament. It has promised to ensure that both Houses of Parliament will be in session for 100 days in a year; the opposition parties will be empowered to set agenda for one day in a week and presiding officers (Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairperson of Rajya Sabha) will not be part of any political party to ensure their impartial functioning. The Manifesto released by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) also acknowledges thatParliament…

Rapid urbanisation in many Indian cities highlights a widespread challenge — inadequate quality of life in public spaces, regardless of location or economic status. This is a common scenario experienced by most Indian cities today, irrespective of their geographical location, level of development and state of economic stability. The quality of life in the public realm is extremely poor. Reimagining city landscapes/commons Launched in 2021, The Urban Revamp Design Challenge aims to identify distinctive public spaces for redevelopment, fostering imaginative futures centred around inclusiveness, climate sustainability and community engagement. The Challenge facilitates collaboration among urban planners, designers, architects, local communities,…

In envisioning the 'Good City of Chennai,' North Chennai, including Manali and Ennore, were turned into industrial sacrifice zones. Successive governments have ignored the complaints and protests of local residents against industrial pollution and degradation of the Ennore wetlands. After the 2015 floods spotlighted the critical role of wetlands in mitigating floods, the Government of Tamil Nadu announced a project for 'Eco-restoration of Ennore Creek.' However, the project — with its weak ambition and limited scope — was opposed by Ennore fishers, who decided to produce their own 'People's Plan' for the restoration of their region. In 2019, the fishing…

Mumbaikars may have briefly felt better as pollution levels dipped with the unseasonal showers last week. But it may not last long and that persistent cold and cough might just return as temperatures fluctuate and pollution levels rise again.  Mumbai, the most densely-populated city, and in the throes of infrastructure projects and other construction, has had worrying pollution levels in the past few months. Data now shows that Mumbai has recorded a 38% increase in the PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels over the past five years. The data was analysed by Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences, and presented…