Environment

Extensive coverage of urban environmental issues and the climate crisis as experienced in our cities through a combination of reports, analyses, interviews and commentaries. Focus areas include waste management, air and water pollution, protection of open spaces and water bodies, and the overall impact of climate change on urban communities. The articles explore solutions from a policy as well as citizen engagement angle.

As dawn breaks, there is a steady stream of customers at Muhammed's tea shop in Chennai. As they arrive, he serves them tea in glass tumblers. However, one customer insists on a paper cup for hygiene reasons, despite Muhammed explaining that the glass tumblers are washed and sterilised with hot water. Glass tumblers cost around Rs 20 each and can be reused hundreds of times until they break. In contrast, paper cups cost Rs 100 for 50 cups (Rs 2 per cup) and are neither reusable nor environment-friendly. “Though plastic-coated paper cups are banned, we can’t avoid using them when…

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Bengaluru has numerous parks and lakes, where we all love to walk and run. However, the city lacks proper walking, cycling, and running infrastructure. Daily walking for errands is nearly impossible due to broken sidewalks, exposed wires, and construction debris everywhere. Attempting to use a bicycle or run on the roads puts one at risk from heavy vehicles, cars, and other traffic.  Sheela Sahi, a commuter, on her way to work on her cycle. Pic: Sheela Sahi Climate change and oft-repeated solutions While the weather has traditionally been good, in recent years, due to climate change, it has been worsening.…

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Amidst the chaos and controversy that has rocked the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, six bills were passed without any discussion. One such Bill was the Government Parks (Preservation) Amendment Bill, 2024, passed to “ease” the implementation of the ropeway project at Nandi Hills.  What the Bill mentions Amendment of section 5: In the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975 (Karnataka Act 23 of 1975) in section 5, after clause (f), the following shall be inserted namely:-  "(g) two acres of land in survey no.3 at Nandi Hills for the purpose of Upper Terminal Point (UTP) under Nandi Hills Ropeway Project on…

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It’s not easy to imagine a lush green forest amidst the dense concrete settlements of Gautam Buddha Nagar in Noida, But Uday Upvan in the urban village of Sorkha in Noida is just that. A green lung space for citizens struggling to breathe in the chronically polluted national capital region. Created by Swami Prem Parivartan, also known as Peepal Baba, this sprawling urban forest boasts over 70,000 trees of diverse species. Its serene beauty lures people to organise picnics here on holidays, or just cherish quiet moments amidst nature. Swami Prem Parivartan, the 57-year-old founder of the Give Me Trees…

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அனல்மின் நிலையங்களின் சாம்பல் கழிவுகள், ஆற்றில் வெளியிடப்படும் சூடான நீர், எண்ணெய் நிறுவனங்களின் கழிவுகள் ஆகியவற்றால் பாதிப்படைந்துள்ள எண்ணூர் முதல் பழவேற்காடு வரையிலான மீனவ மக்களின் வாழ்வாதரத்தை மேலும் மோசமாக்கியுள்ளது ஒரு புதிய பிரச்சனை. செய்தி சேகரிப்பதற்காக 7 ஆண்டுகளுக்கும் மேலாக நான் கொசஸ்தலை ஆறு, முகத்துவாரம், பக்கிங்காம் பகுதிகளுக்குச் சென்று வந்துள்ளேன். அங்குள்ள மீனவர்களுக்கு முக்கியமான பிரச்சனையே அனல்மின் நிலையங்கள் மற்றும் தொழிற்சாலைகளின் கழிவுகளால் நீர்நிலைகள் பாதிக்கப்படுவதுதான். ஆனால், இந்த முறை முற்றிலும் வேறுபட்ட ஒரு பிரச்சனைக்காக அங்கு சென்றிருந்தேன். Read more: Oil spill in Chennai’s Manali area can cause irreparable damage to Ennore Creek wetland நாங்கள் படகில் சென்று கொண்டிருக்கையில் கொசஸ்தலை ஆற்றின் பெரும்பாலான பகுதிகளில் கட்டிடக் கழிவுகளை கொட்டி வைத்ததுபோல மேடு மேடாகத் தெரிந்தது என்னை ஆச்சர்யத்துக்கும் அதிர்ச்சிக்கும் ஆளாக்கியது. அப்போது என் படகிலிருந்த மீனவர் ஒருவர் அந்த மேட்டில்…

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The only sense that I could make of the oppressive heat in Mumbai this year, was that maybe the Earth was running a fever. What would you do if someone in your family had a fever? But of course, heatwaves are not the same, they’re in fact, much worse. Science based evidence foresees many more extreme weather events (EWE) like heatwaves. EWEs are triggered by climate change which has been brought on by anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, overconsumption and pollution.  The heatwave that scorched through different parts of India this year was recorded as having some of the worst…

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Part 1 in this two-part series explored what inspired me to start gardening on my rooftop and my journey from being a consumer to becoming an avid terrace gardener. It also covered the basics for getting started with gardening. In Part 2, I will outline a detailed guide about Square Foot Gardening. The method Square Foot Gardening is a method where you divide your growing space into blocks of 1 square feet  Divide your space: In square foot gardening, you divide your growing space into 1-square-foot blocks. Each block is dedicated to a specific crop Plant density: Depending on the…

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(This article is part 1 of a two part series) I was in Rajasthan when I first started gardening. It was with Shankar Singh—co-founder of the rights- based organisation Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS)—that I started my gardening journey. It was in October 2019, before the onset of winter, that we decided we needed a kitchen garden and what better thing to grow than green peas. We set out to dig the soil to a foot and a half, remove the stones and sieve it, mix in some vermicompost and hybrid seeds that we got from the nearest seed retailer.…

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Anita Devi lives in Nand Nagri, a densely populated area in north east Delhi, conspicuous by its narrow lanes, lack of open spaces and congested atmosphere. About 20 odd kilometres further north stands the huge Bhalswa landfill, where Shaira Bano earns her living as a waste picker, the ‘koode ka pahad’ (mountain of trash) looming large and leaving an imprint on her daily life, as on the lives of so many other women. Anita and Shaira — two women, separated by the distinct urban landscapes they inhabit and the circumstances of their lives, but nevertheless united by one thing: bearing…

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On July 8th, rains lashed Mumbai, disrupting regular life and causing waterlogging and floods in low-lying areas and on important routes. Central Railway officials mention that almost 900 train services were cancelled leaving several commuters stranded, while many BEST buses were diverted. Since then several incidents of heavy rains and flooding have been reported in the city. Commuters, civic activists and residents have questioned the claims made by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) about being prepared for the monsoons.  “The half-constructed, newly-built DP road number 9 in Chandivali was waterlogged, which caused inconvenience to commuters,” said Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder…

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