Ecology - Question of Cities

Saving the Aravallis with songs, poems and art

People, including professional artists, have been using every medium at their disposal to draw attention to the Aravallis. While locals across Rajasthan and Haryana have taken to songs, poems, and art works to protect their beloved hills, activists in Delhi,…

Beyond the Aravallis, other hill ranges in gradual destruction

The Vindyas, the Satpuras, the Himalayan range, the Western and the Eastern Ghats play an important role in protecting us from heat and dust. Their rich ecosystems support human health and provide food security. As the voices to save and…

Following the arc from the Aravallis to Delhi’s air

The need of the hour is to recognise Delhi’s rising air pollution from an integrated ecological perspective. Indeed, various anti-pollution measures of the past years must continue – and be implemented more seriously – but the acute crisis demands more.…

They fight so that the Aravallis can stand tall

Sheer passion, deep commitment to their land, and raw anger at the daylight robbery of the hills they have called home forever have driven scores of people to gather in small and large numbers across the Aravalli hills and range…

Influencing change in cities through urban design interventions

Design holds incredible power to influence change in cities, address climate crises, break the prevailing order of exclusion, and renew nature-people relationship. In the re-envisioning of our cities, urban design must dismantle many walls in which it now exists, including…

How ecologically-sound is Kolkata’s New Town?

Designated a Platinum Rated Green City in 2020, New Town chalked out sustainable measures within the constraints of an already planned city and has attempted to implement them. To that extent, it could be a template for urban developments across…

‘I have a negative sense of the judiciary; conflicting orders are passed’

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…

Bengaluru lakes: A trickle of renewal, a long way ahead

The restoration of lakes is at a crucial juncture. 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…

How people power reclaimed the Vishwamitri for Vadodara

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. Their collective engagement and dogged sense of purpose made all…

‘The greatest threat to wetlands is, ironically,
government agencies’

In a landmark order in December 2024,[1] 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…