Civic

Street vending represents a unique form of business in which the vendor's day begins and ends on the street. Vendors typically toil from dawn until late at night, often for 12 to 14 hours a day, yet many continue to remain economically vulnerable. Poor economic conditions prevailing between 1980 and 2010 forced a large number of individuals to drop out of school, compelling them to take up street vending of various goods as a means of survival. Today, India is home to nearly 10 million street vendors, accounting for about 15 per cent of urban informal employment. Recognising their contribution…

As Mumbai votes to elect its city corporators on January 15, many citizens’ groups and civil society organisations have voiced their demands for better civic infrastructure. They have also highlighted the frustrations of daily problems faced by residents due to the absence of a municipal council. Last weekend, over 50 people from across Mumbai gathered with one shared purpose: to reimagine what a truly inclusive, responsive city could look like. Mumbaikars aged 18 to 60 deliberated on what was urgently needed for their city — better infrastructure, improved accessibility and good governance. The event, called the WISE Voting Weekend, was…

Chandivali is a rapidly developing, upscale residential and commercial suburb in Andheri East, with both business hubs and green spaces such as the Powai Lake. It is close to the neighbourhoods of Powai, Saki Naka and Vikhroli. Many long-pending civic issues in the locality need the attention of the municipal authorities, and the residents of Chandivali have been demanding infrastructure development in the area. As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election approaches, we reiterate our demand for better roads and improved civic facilities. Since founding the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association (CCWA) in 2017, we have consistently raised and reported numerous…

The KEB Junction on 27th Main Road in HSR Layout highlights a typical urban planning failure. The junction prioritises vehicle movement over pedestrians. Resident Sachin Pandith, along with the HSR Community Task Force, has been working to address these issues and make the area safer. According to Sachin, residents have been engaging with officials and filing complaints for more than five years, yet nothing has changed. Encroached footpaths, unclear signage, and unsafe pedestrian crossings have created a hostile environment for walkers. In addition, the poorly located bus stop leaves little space for buses to halt, often turning the stretch into…

The much-awaited elections to the richest civic body, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), are expected to take place soon. Mumbai has not had elected representatives for over three years. The term of the previous corporators ended in March 2022.  As Mumbaikars ready themselves to cast their votes, Praja Foundation, an organisation working to hold governments accountable, has brought out a 'Citizens' Manifesto' for Maharashtra. The manifesto calls for improvement in core urban services, open and free access to municipal data, protection of the urban environment, and better citizen participation and accountability. The manifesto calls for urgent reforms and gives a practical roadmap…

The constant looking over one's shoulder, being followed on the street, inappropriate touch and harassment on public transportation — every woman is familiar with this narrative. It was these issues that were highlighted when groups of young women in Mumbai were asked to create tableaux, depicting their everyday experiences, during a  recent theatre workshop. While the workshop facilitators did not set a specific theme, something striking happened. Group after group independently chose to portray the same issues: street harassment, eve teasing, gender discrimination and domestic violence. These were no longer just abstract concerns but pressing realities shaping how young women…

With a surge in dog bite incidents across Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has intensified measures to ensure responsible pet ownership. The civic body has set November 23 as the deadline for all dog owners to get a pet licence, failing which, they will face a fine of ₹5,000 starting November 24. Though mandatory pet licensing began in 2023, very few complied. Now, GCC is enforcing it more strictly, with penalties, to ensure public safety and improve the management of community and domestic dogs. “We have survey data on pet dogs in Chennai from previous years, but no way…

The constant tug of war between legally registered property owners and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), now the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), over stormwater drain (SWD) and lake encroachment clearance is not new to Bengaluru. The city remembers one of the most prominent instances of this face-off that surfaced in August 2016, when the BBMP demolished 10 structures in Shubh Enclave Layout on Haralur Road. City authorities claimed that the layout had encroached on a secondary drain connecting Kasavanahalli and Kaikondarahalli lakes.  In November 2024, BBMP, now restructured as GBA, declared that they had cleared up all SWD encroachments, despite…

For the residents of Tansi Nagar in Velachery, Chennai, the arrival of the rains signals not relief, but a looming threat of flooding that damages their homes, property, and hard-earned possessions. These families are forced to vacate their houses, needing boats, tractors, and other makeshift transport to relocate. This grim reality affects more than 10,000 families living in the Velachery area, including neighbourhoods such as Annai Indira Nagar, Anna Nagar, Balamurugan Nagar, Venus Colony, Sarathi Nagar, Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, VGP Selva Nagar, Seshathripuram, EB Colony, and Balakrishnan Nagar.  Rainwater from this entire locality drains through the canal adjoining the Perungudi Railway…

The neighbourhood of JP Nagar 7th phase in the southern part of Bengaluru is home to three lakes — Sarakki, Puttenahalli, and Chunchaghatta, alongside a sprawl of well-planned high-rise apartments, upscale restaurants, reputed schools, and proximity to the city’s cultural hub. It’s everything a modern urban citizen could ask for. In reality, it’s an area teetering on the edge, willing to ruin itself in a bid to cash in on its opportunity. Convenience at a cost A map showing the RBI Layout Main Road and the surrounding localities. Pic courtesy: Google Maps. Before taking a peek into the area, let’s…