Civic

Banganga is known as the mini Banaras of Mumbai. It is a popular tourist attraction, with hundreds of tourists visiting the Walkeshwar temple every day.  It is located at Malabar Hill, one of the posh areas in Mumbai, known for its charm and beauty. However, a stark contrast to everything around Banganga, is the condition of the informal settlements, especially the sanitation facilities. Most of the community toilets are not usable. They are either locked or are not well maintained. Kalimata Nagar and Sagar Nagar in Banganga are the closest to the sea front. The two toilets constructed for women…

சென்னை முகப்பேர் மேற்கு பகுதியில் 200 அடி பைபாஸ் (NHAI) சாலையின் பணிகள் இருபுறமும் சர்வீஸ் சாலை அமைக்கப்பட்டு இருபுறத்திலும் ஒருபகுதி கால்வாய் அமைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்தது. சர்வீஸ் சாலையின் இருபுறமும் மழைநீர் கால்வாய் 1 ×4 அடி அகலம், 8 அடி ஆழத்தில் அமைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. சர்வீஸ் சாலையின் இருபுறமும் தார்சாலை இரண்டு தடவைக்கு மேல் போடப்பட்ட காரணத்தினால் கால்வாயும் - தார் சாலையும் ஒரே சம அளவில் நிறைய பகுதியில் இருந்தது. அப்பகுதியில் வேலைநிமித்தமாக தினம் சென்று வரும் அப்பகுதியில் கால்வாயில் நாய், ஆடு, மாடுகள் விழுந்த வண்ணம் வாரத்திற்க்கு இரண்டு தடவைக்கு மேல், அவர்களை காப்பாற்றும் பொருட்ட வண்ணம் (நடந்து செல்லும் மக்கள் துணையுடன் செய்து இருந்தேன். மழைபெய்யும் காலங்களில் இரவு நேர பணிக்கு சென்று வருபவர்கள் சரியான ஒளி விளக்கு இன்மை காரணத்தினாலும், மழைநீர் சமஅளவில் உள்ளதாலும் பலர் விழுந்து இயற்கை எய்தினார்கள். Read more: How citizen…

Few days ago, a reel on Instagram made it to several groups of citizens involved in civic action. It was about residents of Chimbai lamenting the condition of the beach, where they grew up. They reminisced about how Chimbai beach looked like a ‘beach’ and it was used by the people as a playground. The residents said they used to play on the beach when they were young but now their children play on the road, which is unsafe. They all spoke about how Chimbai has lost its beauty over the years. Several women spoke about the absolute lack of cleanliness…

Fast-filling lakes make BMC rethink water-cut plan After heavy rains in lake catchment areas, the BMC will revise its decision on the implementation of water cuts in the first week of July. On Tuesday the local body had announced a ten percent water cut that would have taken place from July 1. Since then the lake levels have shown improvement and heavy rain is expected in the next three days.  Monsoon arrived late and the water levels in the five lakes of Thane and Nashik had dropped but heavy rains have compensated. As per the status of 24 hours till…

New sponge parks commissioned in Chennai In order to mitigate flooding during the upcoming northeast monsoon, a number of sponge parks will be created in Chennai. A total of 57 new sponge parks have been proposed, with 42 to be commissioned and completed before the onset of the monsoon this year. Of this, 21 parks are set to come up in North Chennai. A total of Rs 6.76 crore has been allotted for the project. Sponge parks are known to mitigate flooding during heavy rains, designed to store and collect water in a centralised structure for water harvesting.  The water…

Steps to streamline projects Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda met World Bank representatives to discuss funds for a plan to end flooding in the city. The scheme is being worked out by the State Disaster Management Department, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to redevelop stormwater drains, expand the capacity of lakes, increase underground sewage network and treatment plants. Meanwhile, poor budget allocations and lack of a water tariff revision for almost a decade have put many BWSSB projects on hold. The body is dependent on loans for its projects. Even the Cauvery…

Residents of Chennai face myriad issues on a daily basis right from bad roads, poor quality of water, power cuts, safety and connectivity. Fixing these issues requires a concerted effort on the part of residents, officials and elected representatives.  Residents have found ways to escalate problems in their vicinity and the larger city through collectives such as civic engagement groups, residents’ welfare associations and civil society organisations. A civic engagement roundtable organised by Citizen Matters brought together members of these groups who have been actively working for the betterment of the city. The discussion centred on understanding the key challenges…

From Meetha River to a polluted nullah, Mithi River's identity changed a long time ago. A tourist or a newcomer in the city may not even recognise the river due to the waste and sewage deposited over decades. Now, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a new project - rejuvenation of the Mithi River, by way of filtration of 80 lakh litres of water. What is the new project all about?  Under the 'Mithi River Development and Pollution Control Project', the 'Mithi River Water Quality Improvement' initiative has started since January 2023. As part of that, a sewerage treatment…

Reduction in road accident deaths in Chennai Data released by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) shows a reduction in the number of deaths caused by road accidents in Chennai in the first half of this year. The number of deaths has reduced by 19.7% compared to the figures from 2021 and 10% compared to the figures from 2022. Until June 20 this year, there have been 216 deaths in 214 accidents on the roads of Chennai. Efforts taken by the GCTP to reduce fatalities include a crackdown on drunken driving, wrong-side driving and compliance with traffic rules, including wearing…

BMC to change location of public toilet from Marine Drive after residents protest The residents' demand to change the location of the public toilet, which was planned at Marine Drive was accepted by the BMC. Residents claimed the earlier location could destroy the aesthetics of Marine Drive. They suggested an alternative spot near Rajni Patel Marg but it is yet to be confirmed by the civic body. Ashok Gupta from Marine Drive Citizen’s Association (MDCA) was quoted as saying, “While the toilet was being built until Tuesday, the DMC and Harshita Narvekar assured us on Wednesday that the toilet would…