Civic

In September 2021, volunteers at Muse Foundation, a Mumbai-based youth organisation that works to build awareness around manual scavenging among other pressing social issues, received a response to an RTI query they filed with the Sewerage Department of Thane Municipal Corporation. The RTI had sought information on the ‘provisional list of manual scavengers published’ and a ‘list of self-declared manual scavengers and information on their rehabilitation.’ TMC claimed that the questions are ‘Not Applicable’. Additionally, responding to a request for the list of manual scavengers submitted to the District Level Survey Committee, they replied, ‘’The Thane Municipal Corporation’s Sewerage Department…

India will resume international flights from December The Civil Aviation Ministry in a statement on November 26th announced that, after consultation with the Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs and Health and Family Welfare, scheduled commercial international passenger services will resume from December 15th. Scheduled international flights were suspended since March 23rd last year when the pandemic began. However, special international passenger flights have operated since July 2020, under air bubble arrangements formed with about 28 countries. The Health Ministry had at one time put countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New…

Concrete walls around drains to fight floods Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai approved a proposal by the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) to build concrete retaining walls around 88.5 km of stormwater drains (SWD) in the city. The project, costing Rs 962 crore, or as much as Rs 10.86 crore per km, is expected to free 58 low-lying areas from flood vulnerability. However, ecologists countered that concretisation would lead to fast surface runoff and also hinder the percolation of water into the ground, leading to flooding. The need of the hour is a more integrated and holistic approach to water management, they…

Revenue sharing under consideration for bus terminals The Chennai Metropolitan Development authority is looking into the feasibility of a revenue-sharing model for Kilambakkam, Kuthambakkam and Madhavaram bus terminals. It is also exploring how best to use the Koyambedu bus terminal and the omni bus terminal when the south and west bound buses start operations out of Kilambakkam. Tenders have been issued as the planning body is looking for a concessionaire to operate and maintain the three bus terminals. The bidder can earn revenue through various means such as parking charges, rent from shops and dorms and through advertisements.  A similar…

Mumbai schools to reopen from December 1st The State government announced on November 25th that physical classes will resume for students from class 1 to 12, effective from December 1st. “After discussing with the CM, cabinet and paediatric task force, the state cabinet has decided to reopen schools from classes 1-4 in rural areas and classes 1-7 in urban areas from December 1. We are committed to the safe resumption of schools,” Maharashtra education minister Varsha Gaikwad told ANI. Reactions from parents ranged from relief to hesitancy. “We also need to mentally prepare younger children to go to school and…

The recent spell of rains in Chennai saw large-scale inundation across the city. Visuals of residents wading in knee-deep water dominated the news. Many residents saw water enter their homes and found their belongings destroyed. Anguish and anger poured out on social media posts of those who went through this harrowing experience. And all along came questions about the city's many stormwater drains and why they failed to serve the purpose. Are the questions being asked of the stormwater drain project in the city legitimate? Could design flaws in the stormwater drains be a contributing factor to wide-spread water stagnation? What…

Civic or community engagement is a continuous process, which requires relentless efforts. Members from Community Welfare Brigade W70Z6 and Perambur Neighborhood Development Forum have been actively engaging with the local administration and enforcement agencies on issues of public interest. While we have managed to address several issues, others are yet to be resolved. For example, what would a workable, efficient traffic plan for Perambur High Road entail? Community issues are complex and it’s important to make the problem-solving process inclusive so that decision-makers have a better understanding of their community’s needs and aspirations before setting a course of action. A traffic…

In September 2021, a mother-daughter duo was killed due to a fire that broke out in an apartment near Bannerghatta Road. After the incident, whether in the media or discussions with friends and colleagues, there was a sudden interest and surge of questions on who can be held accountable for fire accidents in high-rise buildings. Just last week, another fire in an apartment near Electronic City brought the issue into focus again. Often, people conclude that fire accidents occur due to the negligence of builders. The builders might either construct buildings in violation of the sanctioned plan or resort to…

Controversial farm laws repealed after a year of protests On the morning of November 19th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation and announced that all three farm laws that the Centre had introduced a year ago will be now be repealed in view of the stiff opposition of farmers. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act had sparked the largest protest in India's history. The protest, led by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) at Delhi's border,…

Half of Chennai without stormwater drains; sewer lines helped clear floodwater In the aftermath of the recent spell of rains that inundated the city, questions are being asked of the stormwater drain network that should have prevented water-logging. Data shows that more than half the city still doesn’t have a robust, well-connected network of drains, causing flooding during monsoons. The city has 2058 km of drains, which is less than 50% of the area that should be covered to prevent water-logging. In the absence of stormwater drains, data from the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has revealed…