Infrastructure | Citizen Matters

Why Pune Metro promises need to be taken with a pinch of salt

March 6, 2020 Amla Pisharody

The first line of the Pune Metro may finally be ready for launch in 2020. But while it promises to be the country’s ‘greenest’ metro, with end to end connectivity and assured rehabilitation for those displaced, there are still many concerns.

Bhopal’s ‘Intelligent Traffic Management System’ shows few signs of intelligence

March 4, 2020 Shuriah Niazi

The traffic management system, launched under the Bhopal Smart City Mission, is meant to regulate traffic, bring violators to book and address infrastructural and design lapses. Unfortunately, none of these are being done efficiently enough.

Scant hope for ‘housing for all’ within Mumbai city

February 27, 2020 Hepzi Anthony

Lack of public housing for low and middle income families has left them with few options in the city. They are forced to move to the peripheries, which lack physical and social infrastructure. Meanwhile, of 193 affordable housing projects listed, only four, including three slum redevelopment projects, are planned for Mumbai city itself.

Dehra’s Rs 295-crore nerve centre to integrate and coordinate civic service delivery: Smart city chief

January 24, 2020 Rishabh Shrivastava

Smart roads, smart parking, green markets, water ATMs and the most celebrated Doon Integrated Control & Command Centre (DICCC) — hear about the various smart city projects underway in Dehradun from the CEO of the city’s smart city mission.

Kolkata plans its first biomining project at Mollar Bheri landfill on eastern wetland

January 21, 2020 Mou Chakraborty

The Rs 21-crore project will be implemented in 55 acres of land near Mollar Bheri, a shallow fishery located in the East Kolkata Wetlands, that has seen a 12-feet-high mountain of waste build up over the years.

Mumbai’s housing conundrum: Unsold houses, sky-high prices

January 11, 2020 Hepzi Anthony

6.48 lakh houses remained unsold across India’s top seven cities in 2019, and Mumbai alone accounted for nearly a third of these. Yet scarcity of affordable housing pushes people further and further away from the city. What could explain this?

18000 crore rupees, nearly 5 lakh jobs lost as Kashmir reels under internet suspension

January 3, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

Those are just the figures since August 5th, as quoted in a report from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Underlying these figures is the angst of thousands who did not get their salaries, students who struggled to prepare for crucial exams and many more.

Smart city Dharamshala aspires to be more than a picturesque spiritual retreat

January 2, 2020 Ashwani Sharma

For decades, Dharamshala’s only claim to fame was as the home of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. A recent spurt of growth and the tag of ‘smart city’ has seen the town aiming to emerge as one of the best business and tourist destinations in India. Can it succeed?

Heavy hearts, angry questions as Mumbai prepares to phase out double-decker buses

December 26, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Running the iconic and popular double decker buses is economically unviable, says BEST. Activists, however, question the transport utility’s myopic approach and the wisdom of phasing out a service that holds such a special place in the hearts of Mumbaikars.

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?

Gurgaon Rapid Metro: A public project for private gain

December 3, 2019 Sri Krishna

Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka’s scathing letter to the state government called attention to the irregularities in the Gurugram Rapid Metro project and how a select few real estate companies have profited from it. A look at the details

Rs 15 crore spent on potholes over two years, yet Mumbai roads continue to be death traps

November 27, 2019 Jahanvi J

An RTI filed by a social activist shows that the civic body spent over Rs 15 crore to fill 8,879 potholes on Mumbai roads in the last two years; yet, accidents due to bad roads are on the rise, with three fatalities in October alone. Is citizen action the only solution?

Commuter lives at risk as rains leave Bhopal roads riddled with potholes

November 22, 2019 Shuriah Niazi

Heavy rains have affected nearly 300 km of roads in the city. Innumerable potholes dot most roads which have become death traps for commuters, especially two-wheeler users. However, it is anybody’s guess when restoration work will begin in most of these areas.

Blocked roads, waterlogging, power cuts: Kashmiri cities caught in unseasonal snow fury

November 20, 2019 Abid Bashir Wani

It’s only the second time in a decade that Kashmir has seen such heavy snowfall in November, and it has made lives more difficult for citizens, already facing the effects of a three-month lockdown. Here’s how the administration and people are coping with the vagaries of an early winter.

Will Mangaluru’s ‘Selfie with Pothole’ campaign yield results as new local council takes office?

November 19, 2019 Harsha Raj Gatty

The campaign was launched ahead of the recently conducted local body elections in the hope that citizens would remember the state of road infrastructure when they cast their votes; it is now to be seen whether elected council members will take note and act on it.

Regularisation of Delhi colonies: While AAP, BJP fight for honours, residents keep fingers crossed

November 18, 2019 Santosh Joy

The Union Cabinet recently approved the state government’s proposal to give ownership rights to those living in 1,797 unauthorised colonies in the Delhi-NCT area. While usual political rhetoric by parties continues, what really lies ahead?

Garbage to gold: Shillong women’s group shows the way

November 15, 2019 Linda Chhakchhuak

Ambitious, big-money plans remain on paper, but a women’s self help group comprised of waste pickers-turned-recyclers could help the hill station solve its ugly waste crisis.

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.

Waste woes in Paradise: Srinagar’s struggle to clear garbage from streets during lockdown

November 7, 2019 Abid Bashir Wani

In the days following abrogation of Article 370, Srinagar became a stinking mess, as municipal staff were unable to report to work and mounds of garbage accumulated on streets. While proactive officers and safai karamcharis have managed to tide over the crisis in the face of odds, waste management in the city needs serious fixes for the long term.

How Ahmedabad is greening its concrete landscape

November 5, 2019 Binita Parikh

From Miyawaki forests on the Sabarmati riverfront and various other spots, to floating gardens on the river itself, Ahmedabad is making serious attempts to build on its green cover while keeping pace with rapid urbanisation.