Civic | Citizen Matters

A citizen’s call to fellow Indians on Independence Day eve

August 13, 2017 Naresh Sadasivan

There are problems galore plaguing our cities, towns and villages but they can be solved by collective action of a responsible citizenry, if only every one commits just three hours a week, says Naresh Sadasivan.

Who will pay for the development of our cities?

August 8, 2017 Prachee Mishra

From AMRUT to Swachh Bharat to Smart Cities, the wide range of schemes in place reflect the government’s thrust on urban development. But how will these schemes be financed? Here’s a primer on the options available and some recent policies meant to help cities improve their finances.

A guide to filing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)

August 2, 2017 Akshatha M

For aware and socially conscious citizens, who wish to right the wrongs they see around them everyday through legal intervention, the PIL is an important tool. Here’s a quick FAQ to help them along the way.

How Mysuru got a new mantra: Save Kukkurahalli Lake

July 31, 2017 Navya R

These Mysureans have convinced the government as well as the public on how Kukkurahalli Lake can be restored without destroying its natural ecosystem, by giving more importance to biodiversity than theme parks and boating.

Swachh rankings: Why Alappuzha with its award winning system is in the bottom 100

June 20, 2017 Navya P K

The Alappuzha model of waste management was presented as a zero-waste model at the Paris Climate Conference in 2015. Yet the city stands at a dismal rank of 380 in the recent clean city rankings. Navya P K finds out why.

Why India’s clean city rankings need a serious rethink!

June 16, 2017 Navya P K

The top ranked cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2017 undertaken by the MoUD do not segregate, process or dispose of their waste scientifically. In the first part of an in-depth study, Navya P K finds that the survey criteria are in conflict with the government’s own SWM policy!

In Pune, citizens take on responsibility for mitigating water crisis

June 7, 2017 Aarti Kelkar Khambete

At a time when the city is struggling in the face of unplanned growth, Pune citizens come together to save water resources and set examples for sustainable use of water.

What Delhi’s new civic bodies could do to clean the air

April 24, 2017 Yashaswini Mittal

As the national capital elects a new municipality, here’s a look at what the city government could do to tackle its air pollution problem.

Where are the ‘smart city’ planners?

March 14, 2017 Anirban Choudhury

Smart cities need a vision. But perhaps more importantly, they need people who are able to draft that and take it to fruition.

Bengaluru looks underground in attempt to avoid water Doomsday

February 25, 2017 Patralekha Chatterjee, Citiscope

Innovative Participatory Aquifer Mapping project seeks to educate residents about precious groundwater and also involve them in sharing information about borewells in their communities.

If this is who we are, Swachh Bharat can only be a dream!

February 22, 2017 Sudha Narasimhachar

A journey to the heart of India and back leaves the writer distraught over the lack of civic awareness among educated, urban citizens and the implications for our much vaunted Clean India Mission.

Can Bengaluru teach other cities to say ‘no’ to bad planning?

November 2, 2016 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

The recent large-scale protests against a proposed steel flyover in Bengaluru has been in the news nationally. Could this large scale mobilisation of people in the cause of sustainable urban mobility be a trend-setter?

From Chennai to Pune, citizens wage lonely battles to save wetlands

August 29, 2016 Navya P K

As urban wetlands increasingly fall prey to vested interests, citizen activists organise themselves to save the environment, often ‘despite’ the government rather than because of it.