Civic | Citizen Matters, Mumbai

COVID-19 Relief: how to reach the marginalised among the marginalised

August 21, 2020 Doel Jaikishen and Dr. Sheeva Dubey

Communities such as Hijras or sex workers have unique needs which are often not met. COVID-19 relief efforts need to be tailored to meet their needs.

COVID-19 Relief: Youth empowerment vital to usher change

August 19, 2020 Vindhya Jyoti

Youth groups show how they can function as changemakers in their community, building self-sufficiency, furthering participation, leadership and accountability

COVID-19 Relief: Access to food remains a struggle for Mumbai’s poor

August 17, 2020 Doel Jaikishen and Vindhya Jyoti

With their livelihoods and income compromised, people’s food insecurity will only magnify.

Time to involve Corporators in Mumbai’s fight against COVID-19

August 4, 2020 Apekshita Varshney

In a tussle between the Corporators and senior BMC bureaucrats, COVID-19 relief work in Mumbai is taking a hit.

The story of Dharavi’s elusive redevelopment

July 22, 2020 Aarohi Damle and Marina Joseph

Dharavi gives us a wake up call that social distancing is physically impossible on 250-odd hectares of land with a population of approximately 8,50,000 residents and where 10 or more people often stay in housing units measuring 250 sq. ft.

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?

Are Mumbaikars prepared for the environmental impact of new coastal projects?

May 15, 2019 Apekshita Varshney

Government and policy makers assume solving Mumbai’s congestion and traffic problems solves everything else. But half a dozen new projects could have far reaching impact on the environment and people’s livelihoods.

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?