Urban Environment

Ever wondered what happens at public consultations for major government projects across Chennai? “Usually at these hearings, they want to show that they have taken the consent from a wide array of people; from well-off residents to a few fishermen. But when we are given a chance to speak, it is only in terms of ‘yes or no'," says Velayudam, a fisherman who had attended a public consultation on the construction of stormwater drains in East Coast Road. Velayudam wanted to speak about how such a project negatively affects the lives of fishing communities living in Sholinganallur. He was of…

The usual suspects blamed for plastic pollution are littering, slums and a dysfunctional garbage collection system. But contrary to popular belief, even when waste makes it to landfills, it's not all that secure. Pollution from landfills accounts for 45% of the plastic - a whopping 4.1 million metric tonnes in 2015 - lost in the environment.  Mumbai's landfills are terrible offenders. A recent study, titled 'Risk of plastics losses to the environment from Indian landfills', and published in the Elsevier Journal Resources, Conservation and Recycling assessed the risk of plastic pollution posed by landfills in 496 urban Indian cities.  Mumbai topped the charts.…

All of Chennai is in different stages of 'dug-up' due to stormwater drain (SWD) work across the city. Residents have faced various inconveniences over the course of the work such as traffic jams, blocked roads, limited access to entryways and safety hazards. Despite this, there has been widespread cooperation for the work, as most residents recognise the importance of completion of the work to prevent flooding. But the alarming pace of tree felling in K K Nagar to make way for it has made residents concerned. Unwitting victims of SWD work A consequence of the work happening across the city…

The monsoon in Mumbai is nearing its end, and it's time to take stock of the season. The rainfall received in the city has just about crossed the expected average, at 101.45% in Colaba, and 106.26% in Santacruz.  The seasonal rainfall received by the city - between June and September - was 2,093.8 mm in Colaba and 2,658.3 mm in Santacruz. The seasonal average normal of Mumbai is 2,317 mm. But the rain did not stop there; October witnessed more rainfall in 24 hours than the 89 mm expected of it in the whole month. Till October 16th, the rain recorded in Colaba increased to…

"We used to get 1000-2000 kilograms of prawns and other fish in a day around 15 years ago. Now, we are able to catch only 150-200 kilograms of fish per day," says Raj Kamal, the coordinator of Save Pulicat Movement, an effort to protect the Pulicat wetlands, one of the oldest wetlands in Chennai. "When our wetlands were clean, we used to make even Rs. 50,000 a month. Now it is just a paltry sum. We are forced to pay this price because industries and other agents pollute our waters." Wetlands in Chennai provide more than just a living to…

Just in time for India’s 75th Independence day, on August 13th, eleven wetlands were added to the list of Ramsar sites. This latest addition was a move loaded with symbolism, taking the number of wetlands of international importance in the country to 75. One among them is Thane creek, which shares shores with Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane. It is the 3rd Ramsar site in the state.  To conserve the rich and biodiverse ecosystems, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands brings together member countries — which India entered in 1982 — for wise use of their wetlands. The Ramsar tag is…

River Cauvery is the lifeline of Bengaluru’s economy. But before Cauvery, it was the Arkavathi. Polluted and now running almost dry for around half a century, Arkavathi is biologically dead. It stands as living proof of what is to come for Cauvery. A victim of urban-industrial society, Arkavathi today is a shadowy semblance of a former glorious river. It is a ghost river. This is the story of how the Thippagondanahalli Dam and Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, also known as Chamaraja Sagara, on the Arkavathi river rose to prominence as Bengaluru’s drinking water source and 80 years later, became defunct because of…

"Would this natural cleaner be as effective as the synthetic ones?" This is a question that dominates the minds of those who consider bio enzyme solutions for cleaning for the first time. The doubt, however, does not last long. More and more Chennaiites have begun cleaning with bio enzyme cleaners, which are organic solutions made from fruits and vegetables, and can be used to clean surfaces and wash clothes and dishes and also for personal use. "We have stopped using synthetic chemical solutions to clean now", says Kalpana Manivannan, an urban farmer who swears by natural cleaners for all household…

If you have friends and family in other parts of India, you may hear them say, “It is too hot and humid there. I do not want to come to Chennai.” Well, Chennai's heat and humidity may not tempt tourists, but it is certainly attractive enough for tuberculosis (TB) bacteria to thrive.  With climate change staring the city in its face, the risks Chennai runs are not just environmental but have far-reaching implications on health. Could climate change also lead to an explosion of TB cases in the city? How can we protect ourselves from such possibilities? When does TB…

On 30th August, a resident of Rainbow Drive, a layout on Sarjapur Road, passed away as he could not get to a hospital in time. His community had been flooded and its residents marooned for hours during which even tractors could not reach them. On 5th September after the heavy overnight rains of up to 90 mm, residents of this area and the larger Sarjapur Road-Outer Ring Road area continue to suffer, with large sections of even main roads inundated. Rainbow Drive is one of the parts of the city that has had far too many trysts with flooding. Even…