Civic

Across the globe, numerous cities have reaped the benefits of citizen-led urban planning proposals. Such initiatives consider the needs and aspirations of citizens, ensuring the effective use of open spaces and resources. For instance, in 2013, the Metropolitan Government of Seoul designed an urban regeneration policy focused on improving public, open spaces within the city through active citizen engagement, collaboration, and participation. Today, it is the 3rd best city in Asia. In a similar effort to revitalise the Nepean Sea Road in Mumbai, the Nepean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum has put forth a proposal to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to redesign a 2.7-km…

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It is difficult to imagine a couple of constantly-overflowing garbage bins standing near a transformer being a part of so much history. But the ones you see at the tri-junction in Thiruvanmiyus where Malaviya Avenue Third Street bifurcates into the left and right of Sivakamipuram First Street in Thiruvanmiyur dominate the conversation in these parts.  For nearly a decade, efforts have been made by tenacious residents to transform the area by moving street furniture and getting the necessary infrastructure in place to prevent flooding. During this time, there have been recurring issues with waste management in the streets. If only…

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Translated by Sandhya Raju தமிழ்நாடு மின் உற்பத்தி மற்றும் மின் பகிர்மான கழகம் (TANGEDCO) செப்டம்பர் 10-ம் தேதி மின் கட்டண உயர்வை அறிவித்தது. இதனால் மின் கட்டணம் 50% அதிகமாகலாம் என கூறப்பட்டது. எந்த அளவு மின் கட்டணம் உயரும் என்ற கவலையில் மக்கள் உள்ள்னர்.  இதனை சமாளிக்க என்ன நடவடிக்களை நாம் மேற்கொள்ளலாம் என குறிப்புகளை உங்களுக்காக இங்கே பகிர்கிறோம். முதல் 100 யூனிட் இலவசம் என்றாலும், 400 யூனிட் வரை ஒவ்வொரு 100 யூனிட்டிற்கும் அடிப்படை கட்டணம் ₹2.50-லிருந்து ₹4.50 ஆக உயர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. 400 யூனிட் முதல் 500 யூனிட் வரை, ₹6 ஆகவும், 1000 யூனிட் வரை ஒவ்வொரு 100 யூனிட்டிற்கும் ₹1 முதல் ₹2 வரை உயர்த்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.  சென்னையில் வீட்டு உபயோகத்திற்கான புது கட்டணம். தகவல்: TANGEDCO Read more: Did your July electricity bill shock you? Here is…

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Bengaluru's traffic police have tried their hardest to curtail the city's infamous traffic brawls and instances like speeding, drinking rashly, drunk driving or while on the phone by levying heavy traffic fines on the violators. Bengaluru has always ranked higher in the state for having the most number of traffic violations, which have translated to increased penalties. There were also reports of a single traffic cop collecting as much as Rs 2 lakh in two hours from traffic violators. How much amount has the government collected and what does it propose to do with all the fines they have raked…

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Desilting of Pallikaranai marshland invites backlash in Chennai Water Resources Department (WRD) is desilting a drain in the Pallikaranai marshland to prevent flooding in areas like Perumbakkam and Semmenchery, near Chennai. However, environmental experts believe that this move can backfire and cause more flooding in the surrounding areas because the marshland will get to a lower level than its current elevation. The latter is lower than that of the sea level. The Madras High Court has also restrained the authorities from desilting the marshland, point out activists from Chennai. But, the authorities plan to complete the dredging within a week,…

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Gokhale bridge to be re-opened in Sept 2023 Despite all the delays and the danger it poses to the trains passing by below, there has been no headway as to who - the BMC or railways - will demolish the Gokhale bridge in Andheri, Mumbai. The Gokhale bridge was partially closed in 2018 and completely shut down this past week after structural audits revealed that the bridge was corroded and degraded. As the BMC claims to have no experience in demolishing bridges above railway tracks, it is banking on the Railways doing so in the next month. Tenders can then…

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Almost 3 lakh deletions in draft electoral rolls The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) has published the draft electoral rolls, but with almost three lakh deletions from last year’s list. On January 1 2022, the city had a voter population of 94,92,539, but that got reduced to 91,15,805 on November 9th. The public can put up suggestions for objections, additions and modifications to the electoral draft rolls by December 9th. As Assembly elections are due next year, the rolls assume significance, said Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath. He said that they have deleted almost six lakh entries as they were…

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The Greater Chennai Corporation has been working on stormwater drain (SWD) desilting and restoration work, along with the creation of new drains across the city, over the past six months. Building a stormwater drain network to cover the entire city can be a challenging task. The experience over the past months has established that regardless of the talent and knowledge of professionals involved in creating stormwater and flood management facilities, it is prudent to seek public input during the planning, design, maintenance and operation phases. With their knowledge of local practices and preferences, the public can bring to light issues…

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L Kumar, a resident of Vadapalani, was on his way to T Nagar on his bike. It was one of those rare days when the weather in Chennai was pleasant and the road was free of traffic. All was well until Kumar encountered a herd of stray cattle which barged into the middle of the road abruptly. In an attempt to avoid colliding with the herd, he hit the brakes hard. He slipped from his bike and hit the ground. The accident left Kumar with a dislocated shoulder, a fractured elbow and injuries to both his legs. The bike was…

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In its annual report titled ‘State of Policing and Law and Order in Mumbai, 2022’, PRAJA Foundation revealed that 98% of the total cases in Class II serious offences, including murder, crimes against women and cases under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are pending for trial. In cases where the trials were completed, 86% ended in an acquittal or discharge. The data was based on findings from applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and data published by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Read more: Is Mumbai really safe for its women? Data suggests otherwise…

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