Team QoC

‘Rivers are not meant to die because of our mistakes’

The Musi could have been the defining characteristic of Hyderabad, the cyber city, as it was in history when it filled over 3,000 lakes, had 22 flood diversion channels, 14 public parks, and places of learning and social life along…

The Musi – then and now

Cover photo: Musi River at Hyderabad/ Wikimedia Commons

‘The Yamuna is a living and breathing thing. We are systematically killing it’

Although India’s vision of a river was historically been influenced by the British, urban plans in contemporary India too do not have an ecological perspective, say Dr Reema Bhatia and Meeta Kumar in this interview. Their research paper ‘Urbanising a…

The relentless fighters who cycle, campaign and rally to save Yamuna

Pankaj Kumar quit his job to work 24x7 for a clean Yamuna. Vikrant Tongad decided he would not be a silent spectator to the pollution in the river. Manu Bhatnagar chalked out a water policy with nature-based solutions. Nishant Pawar…

Bengaluru: A step forward or two steps backslide in urban governance?

Amid opposition, Bengaluru’s municipal corporation was split into five, ostensibly to improve service delivery and expedite development. However, significant city-making powers – planning, executing development projects, controlling finance – lie with their command centre, the Greater Bengaluru Authority, ruled by…

‘Without money, municipal bodies cannot fulfil their role or deliver the mandate given to them’

The elections to 29 municipal corporations and other urban local bodies in Maharashtra as well as discussions about elections in Bengaluru, Delhi and other cities focus on ‘development’ and skirt around the issue of municipal finance. Delivery of electoral promises…

QoC salutes Dr Madhav Gadgil

Among the strongest advocates for the conservation of the Western Ghats, Dr Madhav Gadgil, who passed away on January 7, left behind a huge ecological legacy. A celebrated scientist, ecologist, and scholar, Dr Gadgil embodied the idea and belief that…

‘Rivers are not meant to die because of our mistakes’

The Musi – then and now

‘The Yamuna is a living and breathing thing. We are systematically killing it’

The relentless fighters who cycle, campaign and rally to save Yamuna

Bengaluru: A step forward or two steps backslide in urban governance?

‘Without money, municipal bodies cannot fulfil their role or deliver the mandate given to them’

QoC salutes Dr Madhav Gadgil

The Aravallis at the crossroads: Facts, fallout, and the fight

Beyond the Aravallis, other hill ranges in gradual destruction

Imaginations, protests and politics for better cities in 2026