Environment | Citizen Matters

In photos: Life along Pune’s Mutha riverbank in the time of COVID-19

August 5, 2020 Abhay Kanvinde and Parineeta Dandekar

These astounding captures by photographer Abhay Kanvinde during the lockdown urges us to reconsider the need for clean urban rivers and open riverfronts.

What lies behind the deepening water crisis in Himalayan towns?

July 29, 2020 Krity Shrestha, Sreoshi Singh and Anjal Prakash

A study conducted in the Himalayan towns of Singtam, Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Devprayag and Mussoorie exposes the effect of haphazard urbanisation, poor water management and climate change on water resources.

Clean air plans ready for 102 cities, but no budget

July 24, 2020 Dr. Sarath Guttikunda, Tanushree Ganguly and Kurinji Selvaraj

90% of the cities that have made plans under the National Clean Air Programme have no budgetary support. None, except Delhi, have a legal mandate to implement those either.

State-of-the-art early warning system to save more lives in Shimla, Kullu, Manali during extreme climate events

July 23, 2020 Ashwani Sharma

Extreme weather events triggered by climate change pose huge risk to life in Himachal Pradesh. To mitigate these risks, the state is now all set to install a first-of-its-kind automatic ‘Early Warning System’ in Kullu district.

Dozens of studies, hundreds of crores, but Buddha Nullah pollution still threatens Ludhiana

July 22, 2020 Raj Machhan

Once a clear water stream and the centre of Ludhiana’s social life, the Buddha Nullah’s pollution has affected the groundwater table, contaminated drinking water sources and more.

Pune: Destroying a hill to build a road of dubious necessity

July 20, 2020 Ambika Shaligram

Citizen groups have strongly opposed the proposed 2.1 km Bal Bharati-Paud Phata link road through Vetal Tekadi and the slopes of Law College Tekadi, home to rare flora and fauna species.

Where can Bhubaneswar’s rainwater go?

July 16, 2020 Lalit Pattajoshi

Because of erratic rainfall due to climate change, Bhubaneswar sees frequent spells of unexpected heavy rainfall. With natural drainage channels illegally encroached, this poses a big problem.

Smart city Bhubaneswar yet to get proper wastewater treatment infrastructure

July 16, 2020 Lalit Pattajoshi

The first of a two-part story on how river pollution and lack of a proper sewerage and drainage system is affecting Bhubaneswar

Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata attain 95% of clean air targets during lockdown

July 3, 2020 News Desk

The lockdown period helped researchers understand the effects of human-generated emissions; this could tell policy-makers how they may achieve what the NCAP has targetted in the coming four years.

Locked down? Here’s how to grow your own food and become self-reliant

July 2, 2020 Himanshu Arteev

Imagine edible gardens on all rooftops in cities, apartments with community gardens, parks turned to edible food forests. That would be resilience, and you could build it too.

Amend EIA Notification 2020, ‘an embarrassment to country internationally’: Students write to Environment Minister

June 27, 2020 News Desk

In an initiative spearheaded by an environmental group of Ashoka University, these youth have requested that the regulatory notification be deferred and rewritten as per recommendations by experts.

Why Kolkata’s post-cyclone reforestation spree has failed to cheer environmentalists

June 26, 2020 Gurvinder Singh

Several thousands of trees were uprooted as Cyclone Amphan battered Kolkata. Since then tree plantation drives have been rampant. What are tree experts saying about these?

Despite hundreds of crores spent on desilting, why Mumbai could still see flooding this monsoon

June 24, 2020 Hepzi Anthony

A BMC press note assures citizens of corrective action taken in 169 flood-prone spots and ongoing work at 43 spots, but what Mumbai really needs is sustained, hydrology-based water bodies management.

World Environment Day thoughts: Can our cities adopt and uphold a new normal?

June 5, 2020 Swati Singh Sambyal

We need to sit back, go to the blackboard and chalk out plans which are circular, sustainable, effective and inclusive.

What’s that drone over Thane doing during the lockdown? It’s saving forests

June 4, 2020 Hepzi Anthony

In Maharashtra’s urban forests, such as Yeoor forest in Thane district, drones are helping forest patrol teams detect and crack down on encroachment attempts.