Pollution - Question of Cities

‘Rivers have emotions, like human beings. Their waters rise’

As the plan to develop the Mula-Mutha riverfront in Pune gathers momentum, many residents and environmental activists believe it’s a death knell for the river. Architect Sarang Yadwadkar, among those in the forefront resisting the project, thinks that Pune may…

International tourist hotspots, hit by protests, seek to reduce footfalls

Overtourism in some of the world's most popular destinations such as Barcelona, Mallorca, Venice, and Bali has led to a series of protests this month and local administrations were pushed to impose restrictions. Hordes of tourists have brought profits to…

Climate language: How to bridge the gap with local, people-centric communication

The languages, forms and methods used to communicate climate change often fail to connect policy and official reports with people’s lived experiences. Climate communication excludes the very people it affects the most. For it to make a difference, it must…

Learning climate change language from lived experiences

As the English-dominated climate discourse becomes more technical, thinkers and activists are responding with strategies to make it people-oriented. A lot of knowledge and understanding can be gleaned from people on the ground, they say. Well-known planner and researcher Dr.…

People show the media what words and languages to use

The local impacts, descriptions, and knowledge of climate change rarely make it to the national or global climate discussions. Question of Cities talks to multi-lingual journalists to understand how to decode it all. Doing away with technical words and understanding…

‘Cutting trees has become as routine as buying stamps at post office’

Call them tree warriors or green crusaders. They are fighting the tough battle in cities across India – Dehradun, Delhi, Bengaluru – to preserve and protect trees both for their intrinsic value and to combat the effects of climate change.…

Eco-friendly festivals are still a dream

Most festivals have a long way to go to become genuinely sustainable even as greenwashing -- claiming false or exaggerated environmental benefits -- takes hold. Knee-jerk reactions such as banning or restricting firecrackers only days before Diwali hardly help. Purposeful…

‘Waste pickers are treated like step-children but the formal sector can’t work without them’

Most of Bengaluru’s waste used to be dumped in the villages nearby and waste pickers invisibilised despite their critical role. Hasiru Dala has been working to organise them, get government identity cards for them, and make them stakeholders in the…

Sorry, but flyovers will never ease Guwahati’s traffic woes

The scourge of metropolitan cities – congested roads, rising motorised vehicles, growth in private transport – is now in Assam’s largest city too. Guwahati with its growing population and intricate network of smaller lanes connecting to major arterial roads, poses…

The way ahead for Delhi’s transport: Green mobility, women’s safety

The modern-day Delhi has not been known for an efficient, safe and reliable public transport system though nearly half of its commuter population uses it, with the metro registering nearly 3.2 million and the bus network 2.5 million commuters a…