Land Use - Question of Cities

‘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…

‘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…

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…

The final straw: The plan that endangers Mumbai’s
National Park

The draft zonal master plan for the eco-sensitive zone of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park seeks not to protect the forest but to open parts of it for construction. In doing so, the plan ignores the web of life between…

A farce, a road map legitimising environmental destruction

It took the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation nine long years to prepare and release the draft zonal master plan for the eco-sensitive zone of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, thanks largely to sustained pressure and court battles by activists. Glaring omissions…

Walking the faultlines of a forest in the city

Amidst the chaos and cacophony of urban life in Mumbai and Thane, the lush green and quiet paths of the outer areas of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park offer a refuge and bring people close to nature. As the Brihanmumbai…

Fault lines beneath the Himalayan green: Caste, codes, disappearing wisdom

In Shimla, Kullu, Joshimath, disaster is less a surprise than the consequence of “development.” An estimated one lakh hectares of farmland in Uttarakhand have slipped from villagers to land speculation and construction in 20 years. Patchwork code enforcement, caste inequity,…

When high-rises occupy Mumbai’s salt pans, where will the water go?

Often forgotten as a crucial part of the city’s estuary formation, Mumbai’s salt pan lands are under threat. Nearly 256 acres were sanctioned earlier this year to house people displaced by the Dharavi Redevelopment Project. Although notified as wetlands, the…

Jaipur must urgently save Dol ka Badh forest – and itself

Dol ka Badh, a crucial green space and buffer zone in the Pink City, which sees high temperatures, is under threat. With the land earmarked for infrastructure and commercial projects worth Rs 3,700-crore, including the PM Unity Mall, a fintech…

Kashmir’s rivers run dry: How mining threatens farmers
and ecosystems

Mining has stripped Kashmir’s riverbeds, eroding groundwater recharge, drying springs, shrinking trout habitats, and endangering the fragile Himalayan ecosystems. As extraction from rivers and streams continues unchecked, springs have dried and entire communities are losing dependable water. Sand and mineral…