Civic

Only the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) even mentioned this in its 10-point poll promise list. The menace posed by stray animals — cattle, dogs and monkeys — in Delhi. None of the other contestants to the Delhi Municipal polls had thought this was a serious enough problem to make it a campaign point. While Congress ignored the issue, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a single line in its 12-point manifesto: “We are committed to provide better parking facilities and solving the problem of stray animals”. While other issues such as clearing of landfills, sanitation, street vendors etc. were stressed…

One of the recurring themes in the life of a journalist is looking at a story done by another publication and kicking yourself for not having thought of the idea yourself. So, to sign off for the year, I’d like to highlight the stories that our reporters did on Chennai in 2022 that I hope made someone else think, “I wish I’d written that!” These stories also happen to be the ones that illustrate what we do best - platforming voices drowned out by the daily discourse, unpacking urban policy and highlighting actions that bring about collective change. Life in the…

Mumbai is the financial capital of India, a city of dreams with an underworld beneath its dark belly, and Bollywood that glitters over it. It’s a congested, over-crowded city that feeds everyone who comes with hope and hard work… so on and on… Mumbai and neighbouring Thane is all this and more. Beyond what is obvious, the city is also its millions of common people that work tirelessly to make a living and keep the city moving. Citizen Matters focuses on those people and issues that matter to them, to make every city a little bit better. For most of…

It was a year of in-depth articles that not only informed readers with detailed reportage and explainers, but also offered solutions to issues of concern to citizens. For example the Bengaluru floods of 2022, arguably one of the worst the city has experienced. While a series of articles explained the various causes of the floods, there were also articles that sought to explore solutions. Based on reader's concerns, Citizen Matters also conducted an event, 'Flood-proofing homes and neighbourhoods', a first-of-its-kind citizen clinic format. In this format, a panel of experts offered insights on how homes and neighbourhoods can be protected…

Towards the beginning of the year, I looked at the public bike-sharing systems in Mumbai through the electric Yulu bike. A cross between a scooter and a moped, it wasn't long since it had been introduced in Bandra West as a transport option for delivery workers of Swiggy, Zomato, Dunzo, etc.  Because I don’t live in Bandra, I was witnessing the development in flashes. On one visit to the area I caught the blue bike as a blur hurtling past Carter road, on the next, I saw multiple around Hill Road. The bikes had certainly caught on in the area. Thinking of…

While covering stories, reporters come across situations that stay with them for a long time. Like, what did a place look like? How were the people in the story dressed that day? For anyone, these are inconsequential, mundane and everyday things. But these details can speak volumes about systems, governments, and people. Late August this year, I came across a man named Deepak Khilare who had come from Nanded to avail treatment at Mumbai's King Edward Memorial Hospital. A month earlier, he had suffered trauma to his spine, as a result of which has was in a wheelchair. Deepak was…

As of December 2022, I complete five months at Citizen Matters. During this time, I have written articles across the verticals of civic, society, infrastructure, environment, and economy. I have profiled how community-based learning can accelerate the education of children from lower rungs of the socio-economic strata, if recently established Namma Clinics can bridge the last-mile gap in healthcare, and elaborated on what the government does with traffic fines that are collected. There were three stories, however, which received overwhelming responses from readers. Brookefield settlement floods One of my most challenging stories was when in my first month, I came across…

River restoration work by GCC underway Work on the restoration of the Adyar and Cooum rivers is ongoing, with the planting of saplings along the banks, erection of barricades and levelling work taking place across various locations. The work is being carried out by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). As part of the project, a walkway has also been constructed from the MRTS bridge to the Thiru Vi Ka bridge. The cost of the walkway is Rs 5.4 crores. The planting of 60,000 saplings is also being carried out. The saplings include Neem, Ashoka and Banyan trees. Encroachments are also…

COVID-19 spending in Mumbai immune to any probes All spending done by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the COVID-19 pandemic is immune to any audits and probes, the municipal commissioner Iqbal S Chahal has said. Such a loophole is possible because the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, and Disaster Management Act, 2005 were in force, shielding any decisions and expenditures made in this period in Mumbai from everyone but the Supreme Court. This news comes after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had asked the Comptroller Audit General (CAG) to look into the BMC's projects worth Rs 12,000 crore between November 28,…

Caution over COVID-19 The City Police Commissioner, C H Pratap Reddy, issued a set of guidelines and strict vigilance measures to take precautions during the festive month. Wearing masks is mandatory in indoor and closed places, such as pubs, bars, restaurants, malls, offices, buses and trains. Schools are making masks and sanitisers mandatory, instructing children to maintain social distancing and not share food, among other things. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has mandated COVID-appropriate behaviour, including face masks, due to TAC (Technical Advisory Committee) recommendations. The Health Minister, Dr K Sudhakar, has urged people to take precautionary booster doses,…