Dear readers,

In Belem, Brazil, where the annual climate summit COP30 is underway, hundreds of indigenous people barged in holding placards, one of which said: “Our forests are not for sale”. Indeed, no part of natural wealth is. People across India’s cities, with little at their command, are battling to save what they can, protect their forests, hills, seafronts, rivers, lakes and wetlands under attack from ‘development’. This edition of Question of Cities captures some vignettes of these myriad battles, from Delhi to Vadodara and Bengaluru, from the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court to people’s movements.

The edition opens with an interview of Gayatri Singh, Senior Counsel in the Bombay High Court and co-founder of the Human Rights Law Network. An important path to protect ecology and seek environmental justice has been through the courts where, in numerous cases, citizens and lawyers have turned crusaders for nature. The Supreme Court noted last April that the right to a healthy environment was a fundamental human right. Yet, ecology is under threat from government policies and executive actions everywhere. As the development juggernaut presses ahead and millions face the adverse impact of climate-related extreme events, the role of the judiciary becomes critical. “The judiciary does need to be sensitised, educated, because the government is doing all sorts of things,” says Singh, drawing upon the cases she has fought. The illustrations by QoC’s Nikeita Saraf capture the importance of nature. Read it here.

The ground report by QoC’s multimedia journalist Ankita Dhar Karmakar covers seven biodiversity parks in Delhi, offering a glimpse into how urban ecological renewal can take shape, and why it is critical in the time of rapid urbanisation and intense climate change. Spread over nearly 3,000 acres, these parks, thoughtfully and scientifically made over once barren lands, now host thriving wetlands, host native forests and hundreds of species, cool down neighbourhoods, and clean the air in one of India’s most polluted cities. Delhi’s re-greening itself has lessons for other cities. Read it here.

Multimedia journalist and researcher Jashvitha Dhagey goes beyond the story of the restoration of lakes in Bengaluru. As the authorities announce plans to rejuvenate more of the nearly 300 lakes in the city, the experience of volunteer groups, individuals who have done the work so far, and the traditional knowledge of local communities will be important. Most critical in this, as Bengaluru expands, is for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike to stock-take its approvals for construction that threaten lakes and get its act together on the sewerage disposal system – without these, restoration will remain micro and isolated efforts. Read it here.

From building a coalition against the Vishwamitri Riverfront Development Project to getting it scrapped – a rare success – people’s movements have interwoven passionate activism with law, science, and data, writes Darshan Desai, veteran journalist and currently Professor-of-Practice, Journalism & Mass Communication, at Navrachana University in Vadodara. Their collective engagement and dogged sense of purpose made all the difference. Activists and experts were appointed by the Gujarat State Human Rights Commission this year to a committee overseeing the Rs 1,200-crore flood mitigation project; besides, people do on-ground monitoring, record official work, track plans and progress, and document irregularities. Read it here.

In a landmark order in December 2024, the Supreme Court directed every state to appoint its Wetland Authority, complete ground truthing, and notify wetlands to protect 2.3 lakh wetlands across India from landfilling and construction. In the absence of being notified, wetlands continue being lost. In Navi Mumbai, with nearly 934 acres of wetlands as compiled by activists, the excitement of the order gave way to rigorous follow-up. Despite this, none have been notified due to official lethargy, says environmentalist and director of NatConnect Foundation B N Kumar in an interview to Question of Cities highlighting the importance for on-ground action even after encouraging judgments. Read it here.

In our regular section, News Digest, read about COP30 developments so far, Delhi records the worst air pollution level, and what Zohran Mamdani’s win means for New York.

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Thank you,
Smruti
November 14, 2025