Lost in reclamation

A STATE government study has blamed unscientific and haphazard land reclamation for ecological damage and perennial floods in Mumbai. The city has a 300-year history of land reclamations—prior to independence, over 35 sq km of land was reclaimed by the colonial administration to link the erstwhile seven islands of Worli, Parel, Mahim, Mazagaon, Bombay, Little Colaba and Colaba.

Why excreta matters

Water is life and sewage tells its life story. This is the subject of the Citizens’ Seventh Report on the State of India’s Environment, Excreta Matters: How urban India is soaking up water, polluting rivers and drowning in its own excreta. It has a seemingly simple plot: it only asks where Indian cities get their water from and where does their waste go. But this is not just a question or answer about water, pollution and waste. It is about the way Indian cities (and perhaps other parts of the world that are similarly placed) will develop. It is about the paradigm of growth that’s sustainable and affordable.

A river hard done by

The film begins with images of a gushing stream, birds chirping and a typical audio overlay of the santoor that captures any pristine environment.

Our little understood urban dystopia

OUR understanding of Indian cities— their history, geography, sociology, politics— is seriously limited. At the time of its Independence, India was primarily a rural country. The government invested heavily in understanding rural India.

Mithi is a river, not real estate

What led you to file the public interest litigation (pil)? On July 26, 2005, there was a deluge in Mumbai. It caught the administration unawares; all utility services broke down. I was one of those stranded, who spent the night under a flyover. Interviewee:  Jagdish Gandhi

Lessons in dealing with floods

The Comptroller and Auditor General's (cag's) audit report for Maharashtra tabled on April 18, 2007 scrutinised the post-flood disaster relief expenditure in the year 2005 and 2006. It indicated that preparedness for floods was inadequate, relief assistance was extended without proper identification of affected persons, financial management was deficient, and monitoring of relief and rehabilitation activities was unsatisfactory. This audit also went a step beyond just reporting the financial irregularities.

Mumbai suburbs gets a landfill site for hazardous waste

Experts fear eco-hazard if the practice of dumping untreated waste continues.