Environment | Citizen Matters

Vizag gas leak caused by a lax state that never acted against errant industries

May 26, 2020 Manish Kumar

There are several laws on paper to ensure compliance with safety standards, but an apathetic state has rarely cracked down on violators. The result: rampant industrial mishaps.

“COVID lockdown shows air quality can improve in a matter of weeks”

April 13, 2020 Siddhant Kalra

Over 90 Indian cities showed minimal air pollution since they were locked down, with many recording their best AQI in months. A briefing paper that examines the impact of COVID lockdown on background pollution across cities and industrial clusters concludes that informed measures and stricter rules can enable cities to achieve their clean air goals.

Women lead the movement to make Ahmedabad slums climate resilient

March 20, 2020 Kartik Chandramouli/Mongabay

Mahila Housing Trust, an Ahmedabad-based NGO, has helped houses to bring down their indoor temperatures by switching to cooling roofs and reduce energy bills by installing energy-efficient devices.

When will Bhopal enjoy a walk in the park again?

February 18, 2020 Shuriah Niazi

Bhopal has over 100 public parks, but most are in sad shape — used as protest venues or dumping sites, or merely languishing in decrepit condition. The state and municipality have now promised to revamp three of these, with funds released under the Amrut scheme.

Despite statewide ban, Mumbai still has miles to go before it can be plastic-free

February 11, 2020 Jahanvi J

In March 2018, Maharashtra imposed a blanket ban on the use of plastic in the state, particularly in Mumbai. Almost two years later, the city still finds itself grappling with plastic waste, largely due to patchy implementation by BMC and inadequate attention to processing of discarded plastic.

Pollution in Delhi: What the people need and what parties have promised

February 5, 2020 Atul Goyal

United Residents Joint Action (URJA), an apex body of 2500 residential welfare associations in the capital, has released ‘People’s Green Manifesto 2020’, which presents 10 key demands of Delhiites to manage air, water and solid waste pollution. But are the contesting parties even in sync?

Why fishermen in suburban Mumbai find their catch shrinking steadily

December 19, 2019 Subuhi Jiwani/PARI

Many in Versova Koliwada have a story to tell of dwindling fish – the reasons range from local-level pollution to global-scale warming. Both have combined to bring the impact of climate change to the city’s shores.

Bulk of Dehradun’s e-waste ends up with unauthorised recyclers; here’s why

December 13, 2019 Rishabh Shrivastava

A majority of citizens and traders dealing in electronic items have never heard of e-waste management rules or extended producer responsibility. Where does the city’s large quantum of electronic waste go then?

Shimla city administration on alert even as tourists count days to snowfall

December 9, 2019 Ashwani Sharma

Shimla is one of those destinations that hold an irresistible appeal for tourists who wish to savour the charm of snowfall in India. Yet, every year, snow brings with it its own share of problems for the city and its people. Here’s how they are gearing up for it this winter.

Farmers most vulnerable to climate change, doctors the least: Guwahati study

December 4, 2019 Sahana Ghosh

A livelihood vulnerability study conducted in Guwahati, Assam, finds that farmers are the most sensitive to climate change, followed by drivers and street food sellers in the urban setting.

Despite CM Uddhav Thackeray’s support, fight to save Aarey far from over

December 2, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Shortly after taking charge, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray announced a stay on the metro car shed project in the forest land, but that is just one of the many projects planned. Some of these are even known to have enjoyed Shiv Sena support in the past. What, then, could be the future of Aarey?

How social media is strengthening the youth climate movement in India

November 28, 2019 Rishika Pardikar

While policy makers and adult activists are busy figuring out the logistics of the imminent COP25 in Madrid, student strikers in India are busy organising mass movements across their cities. And Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are proving to be their chief allies in this.

50000 workers face serious health risks in illegal e-waste processing units in Delhi

November 11, 2019 Amita Bhaduri

A study identified 15 e-waste processing hotspots in Delhi, housing 5000 units that operate without any safeguards for its employees, who are exposed to chemical or metallic dusts, vapour and acidic effluents.

Why Mumbai is not excited about the proposed transplantation of 5000 trees

November 10, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Mumbai faces transplantation of about 5000 trees to compensate for the loss of tree cover due to various Metro projects across the city. Yet, environmentalists have little hope as 56% of the trees transplanted in the city since 2017 have failed to survive the relocation.

What is making rainwater in Guwahati toxic?

November 6, 2019 Sahana Ghosh

A study suggests that a cocktail of natural and man-made pollutants wafting in the air is tinkering with the rainwater quality in Guwahati.