URBAN | Citizen Matters, Mumbai

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?

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.

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?

As Mumbai gets ready to bid adieu to Bappa, the sea braces for more pollution

September 10, 2019 Jahanvi J

An estimated 1.63 lakh idols were bought by households this year, and over 19,000 idols for the public pandals. Most of these are made of thermocol and Plaster-of-Paris (POP), and will be immersed in the sea, along the popular beaches. Why is Mumbai unable to move from POP to clay idols?

Can Mumbai metro or monorail save the day as monsoon submerges the suburban lines?

September 8, 2019 Jahanvi J

Thousands of crores have been spent on these two public transport projects, but as rains throw usual life out of gear, can they really provide effective alternatives or support to the Mumbai locals, the lifeline for commuters in the city?

Why the Bombay High Court had to don Mumbai tree panel’s hat

September 4, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Mumbai’s Tree Authority had for long led a quiet existence, issuing permissions without fuss to cut trees to make way for the city’s rapid urbanization. People are now looking up to the courts as a last resort to save the green cover of the city.

Why Mumbaikars are getting angrier about tree felling

July 16, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Around 500 people from different walks gathered at a public hearing on July 8th to raise their voices against the proposed felling of 2702 trees in Mumbai’s Aarey Colony. This is just the most recent example of growing citizen engagement and efforts to save the green cover of the city.

Smoggy, but unfazed: Mumbai needs to take air pollution more seriously than it does

June 5, 2019 Apekshita Varshney

For many Mumbaikars, ‘air pollution’ is a Delhi or at most a North Indian problem. Yet, Mumbai air itself says otherwise on many a day. But are city authorities really aware and equipped to take the steps they need to?

People in this Mumbai slum barely make it to 40; here’s why

April 24, 2019 Apekshita Varshney

For decades, waste has been Mumbai’s teeming, unsolvable problem. Slums around the city’s dumping ground are now Asia’s largest, exposing ragpickers and the general population to serious health risks. All plans and commitments to waste management, meanwhile, appear figurative.

In the news for heavy rains every year, why is Mumbai still water-deficient?

April 6, 2019 Hepzi Anthony

Mumbai currently sources 3.8 billion litres of water per day from seven dams built over lakes in neighbouring districts. It is also familiar with seasonal water cuts. But why does a city with abundant monsoons and flooding every year have such unstable water supply?

Mumbai monsoons: Are citizens passing up a chance to solve the flooding issue?

July 25, 2018 Revathi Siva Kumar

Heard of Advanced Locality Management (ALM) in Mumbai? It is a programme under which citizens of a locality can get involved and work with the municipality to ensure resolution of civic issues. Can ALMs not work towards solving the city’s annual monsoon misery, one locality at a time?

MNS protest against Mumbai potholes is a bigger attack against pedestrians!

July 23, 2018 Vidyadhar Date

To protest potholes, axe-wielding men of the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) dig up a well-laid footpath. Government authorities evict vendors from station premises and allow car parking in the space. Who cares for the pedestrian in Mumbai?

Life without plastic: Mumbaikars prepare to show the way

June 25, 2018 Arathi Manay Yajaman

The Maharashtra plastic and thermocol ban kicks in today. What is banned? What can happen if you violate the ban? And most importantly, what are your alternatives? A look at how the average Mumbaikar is preparing for life without plastic.