Civic

Air quality deteriorates in Indian cities For the fifth consecutive day on December 20th, Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) remained severe at 429. However, this was an improvement from the ‘severe plus’ AQI of 451 on December 19th, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). It had been 445 the previous day. The AQI crossed this level on November 19th, reaching 460, as reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The IMD states that the severe AQI situation is primarily due to meteorological conditions, such as extremely calm winds that trap particulate matter and prevent pollutants from dispersing. On…

Three days before I began writing this article, a bench of Bombay High Court judges criticised the BMC for its inaction in clearing hawkers from railway station areas across Mumbai while addressing a petition. Sadly, this isn't the first time the court has heard such a petition. A simple Google News search for "Bombay High Court hawkers" over the past 20 years brings up over 14,000 results, showing how often this issue has been raised. Recently, BEST also came under fire for removing buses from routes affected by hawker encroachments in Borivali. Clearly, the unregulated presence of hawkers is widely…

An IT professional turned ward councillor, Niranjana Jagadeesan says, "Improving facilities for education in Ward 51 in Chennai is my priority as I firmly believe that only education can give confidence to individuals, especially girls." Her journey into politics is akin to many first-time women councillors of Chennai. Niranjana's husband is active in politics. "I used to work in an IT company. Since Ward 51 was reserved for women candidates, my husband asked if I would contest the polls. I was managing a team in the IT company, and here I will be managing a ward. At the end of…

More rains expected in Chennai The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the formation of a new low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, bringing heavy rain to Tamil Nadu from December 9th to 12th. Just over a week ago, Cyclone Fengal ravaged Puducherry, northern Tamil Nadu, parts of Karnataka and Kerala causing extensive damage. The Centre has promised ₹944.80 crore relief as two instalments from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), for the people affected by Cyclone Fengal in Tamil Nadu, against the state's plea for ₹2,000 crore. The state government has announced ₹2,000 for every family affected in…

Delhi's AQI still 'very poor' After a brief period of relief, air pollution in Delhi surged again on November 22, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The capital recorded the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) in the country at 393, placing it in the 'very poor' category. Hajipur in Bihar followed closely with an AQI of 389. By the evening of the same day, Delhi's AQI deteriorated further to 'severe', reaching 401. The Decision Support System (DSS) of IITM Pune said that vehicle emissions are responsible for 15.16% of the pollution in Delhi, even as smoke from industrial…

Like many first-time councillors in Chennai, Ward 174 Councillor M Rathika entered grassroots politics because of the reservation for women in urban local body elections. Ward 174 was one of the wards reserved for women (general) in the 2022 local body polls. Coming from a family with a political background, she had been working on the ground with her brother for years. When the elections were announced, she was given a seat to contest and won by around 5,000 votes. Ward 174 Name of Councillor: M Rathika Party: DMK Age: 44 Educational Qualification: Undergraduate Contact: 9445467174 / 9566165526 Ward 174…

Delhi air 'severe plus'; North India reels under air pollution Delhi's air quality has been going from bad to worse since Diwali, and the air quality index plummeted to hit 'severe plus' category, at 457 on the evening of November 17th. At 8 am on Monday, November 18th, data from the Central Pollution Control Board pointed to a daily average AQI of 484. After days of hovering at severe levels (AQI of 400-450) it crossed the threshold, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management to invoke implementation of Stage 4 of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, across the National…

Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, is home to a number of technology parks. Amongst the largest is Brookfield Ecoworld, located in Bellandur where employees from across the city work. Adarsh Palm Retreat (APR), meanwhile, is a fancy apartment and villa complex located adjacent to this tech park’s entrance. APR and Ecoworld are typical examples of the nexus that developed between office/commercial complexes and upscale housing for white collar workers during the Information Technology (IT) revolution in the city. It addressed a definite need among select sections of the population, but a closer look reveals the clear divide and inequities…

Mumbai is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and faces many challenges - from shrinking open spaces, rising pollution to serious climate change impact as a coastal city. We, at NAGAR, (NGO Alliance For Governance Advocacy Renewal), have been advocating and championing the cause of open spaces in Mumbai to ensure a better quality of life for all citizens for over two decades.  As assembly elections approach us, we would like to draw the attention of voters and candidates towards some of the pressing issues that need to be addressed urgently.  We hope that when the…

In recent monsoons, as heavy rains battered Chennai, causing floods and damage, many residents grew frustrated with the government's emergency call centres. Calls often went unanswered or were handled by outsourced agents unfamiliar with local issues. As the president of the United Federation of Residents in Tambaram, I felt it was essential to address the growing concerns about emergency support during the rainy season. Anticipating a heavy downpour on October 17th and 18th this year, we launched our community helpline — just days before the rains started. The helpline, reachable at 044-35901040, is manned by a dedicated team of around…