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Time of India
28-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
New Urban Coalition Targets Heatwaves, Climate Resilience in Delhi
The Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) and Praja Foundation have jointly launched the Alliance for City Transformation (ACT) — a multi-sectoral coalition dedicated to enabling citizen-led, accountable, and future-ready urban governance in Delhi. Heatwaves Top the Agenda ACT's first priority is addressing heatwaves, an increasingly urgent issue as parts of Delhi recorded temperatures as high as 49°C last year. This April, the Safdarjung weather station — Delhi's base observatory — recorded three heatwave days, although none were recorded in May due to frequent rainfall. In contrast, Delhi saw six heatwave days in May 2024, with maximum temperatures exceeding 45°C. A Call for Collective Action Aparajita Bharti, Co-founder of YLAC, emphasized the need for collaborative solutions in the face of growing climate challenges. "There is an urgent need to improve the quality of life for all citizens, especially given climate change, pollution, and extreme weather events. We hope ACT becomes a platform where policymakers, businesses, philanthropists, and citizen groups work together to respond to local challenges. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Build The Thrill Event - Until 31 May Legoland Book Now Undo Such collective action has transformed cities globally," she said. Milind Mhaske, CEO of Praja Foundation, echoed the urgency: "As climate change intensifies and Delhi faces rising heatwaves and environmental threats, strengthening urban governance has never been more important. We need resilient, transparent, and participatory systems to respond effectively." Voices from the Ground At the launch event, Shakira Ben, a participant, shared the harsh realities faced by daily-wage labourers: "We work in extreme heat without access to cold drinking water or proper shade. Dispensaries offering heat-related treatment are often far from work sites. We need proper cooling measures from the government to protect us." What's Next for ACT? ACT aims to roll out: A public series of panels and dialogues on pressing urban issues. Joint representations and policy recommendations to government bodies. Multi-stakeholder partnerships to pilot innovative local solutions. By fostering collaboration across sectors, ACT seeks to build a more resilient and inclusive urban future for Delhi.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
No right to pee: How community toilets are failing Mumbai's women
The queues snaking out of the community toilets in Ambojwadi, Malvani, are the dividing line between the haves and have-nots of this slum in Malad West. They mark out those who have or don't have access to an increasingly sought-after amenity—a house latrine. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lata Ugade, a homemaker, is one of the haves. She installed a toilet at home some years ago after she found her then teenage daughter, Pooja, had taken to reducing food and water intake to avoid using the dirty and often dysfunctional community toilet. "She grew thin and weak and had frequent mouth ulcers, stomach aches, and headaches," recalls her mother. "But all that changed when we installed a toilet." Last week, a report by Praja Foundation highlighted the shortage of public and community toilets in Mumbai. In 2023, it found, a single community toilet seat served 81 men and 83 women—more than twice and thrice the norm, respectively, recommended by Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines. As importantly, the loos were often difficult to use: 69% of the city's 6,800 community toilet blocks lacked a water connection, Praja's report found, while 60% had no electricity. In Ambojwadi, Indu Anil Magar says she leaves the door open for fear of the dark—only the corridor is lit. Women are especially affected by the lack of toilets, and at every stage of life, says Marina Joseph, associate director at YUVA, a nonprofit that helps marginalised communities. "Young girls face safety concerns if they have to defecate in the open, [while] unclean toilets have various health implications including UTIs," she notes. "Lack of a waste disposal system is challenging during menstruation. Older women and those with physical disabilities [have] to navigate toilets that are not suited to their needs. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now " While men can use public toilets, facilities in their workplace, or even the roadside, women at home have fewer options, says Nasreen Khan, a beautician from Kurla East. Women who work as street vendors or domestic help also struggle—only 1 in 4 public toilets are allocated for women. That means community toilets are women's best available option, and even this facility is spurned by those who can afford it. Are Individual toilets a solution? Mumbai's community toilets are built by BMC or MHADA, with toilet seats assigned in equal numbers to men and women. Under the Slum Sanitation Programme, built toilet blocks are to be handed over to a community-based organisation (CBO) to operate and maintain. "But, in some cases, community members can't be bothered with forming a CBO. The toilet block is then managed by an individual, often with political clout," says a nonprofit worker with an M-East Ward sanitation plan. User fees are then at risk of being misappropriated. But even legitimate CBOs struggle to maintain toilets. Mankhurd's Agarwadi women-run community toilet is used by over 300 people daily and earns 10,000 a month—a sum that just about manages to cover electricity and water bills. Few CBOs have money to fix stolen taps, broken doors, and damaged lights. So is the individual toilet the solution to Mumbai's sanitation problem? The thinktank Observer Research Foundation thinks so. Its white paper on the issue says authorities must incentivise individual toilets in slums as the only "sustainable and fool-proof remedy". In Ambojwadi, which has a population of less than 60,000, individual toilets are certainly gaining ground, says Shahenshah Ansari, a resident and YUVA community organiser. And no wonder: Eight of the 23 community toilet blocks are non-functional. In one block, nine of the 20 stalls assigned to women have been roped off because they are unusable. Stalls that are functioning are filthy. The CBO running the toilet block has not been audited in a decade; with neither rod nor reward to compel maintenance, they've let the place slide. Yet, not everyone can afford to build a latrine or has room for it. Some community toilets work Some non-profits are finding ways to improve community toilets, including by focusing on behaviour change. Many slum residents are migrants with little sense of ownership of neighbourhood amenities, notes Yasmin Mulla, a director at Apnalaya. "How do you cultivate in them a sense of responsibility for this common good?" Apnalaya did this by forming 'Toilet User Groups' in Shivaji Nagar, M-East Ward, of 140-150 residents who are trained to help the community take ownership of toilet blocks. Training includes lessons on health risks, on how to use BMC helplines and follow up on complaints. The local CBO now has monthly meetings to audit expenses and review gaps in maintenance. "Earlier the toilet was cleaned only once a day; it's now cleaned three times," says Sakshi Sadanand Jadhav, who worked on the project. In Ambojwadi, YUVA has campaigned for better timings and free entry for children. But their chief demand is for a sewerage system—BMC refuses because the slum is not notified, says Ansari. Yet, there have been small wins. At one toilet, the kaccha overflow line – which is often broken, causing sewage to leak into streets and homes – was replaced with iron pipes, says Ansari. "It took one year of leaning on the BMC, but we got the job done. " (With inputs from Sharmila Ganesan)
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Lake stock at nearly 16%, no water cuts amid +ve forecast
Mumbai: The total water stock in the seven lakes supplying to Mumbai was 2.27 lakh million litres on Sunday, amounting to 15.75% of the required water quantum. Last year on the same date the water stock was 1.4 lakh million litres, or 9.69% of the annual requirement. The civic body this year hasn't imposed a water cut for the city yet and said it is still monitoring the situation especially in wake of a positive monsoon outlook for the next few days. Last year, a 10% water cut was imposed on Mumbaikars from June 5 onwards due to insufficient water stock in the seven lakes. The cut was withdrawn on July 29, 2024 when water stock reached a satisfactory level. The Maharashtra government approved the release of additional water for Mumbai from the contingency reserves of the Bhatsa and Upper Vaitarna dams a few months ago. Mumbai draws its daily water from seven lakes -- Tansa, Bhatsa, Modak Sagar, Tulsi, Vihar, Upper Vaitarna, and Middle Vaitarna. During the monsoon, the catchment areas of these lakes get filled and their overall stock is equated to the actual water stock of Mumbai. The lakes are located on the outskirts of Mumbai and in districts like Thane and Nashik. Only two of the smallest lakes, Tulsi and Vihar, are located within the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in the city, and provide 1-2% of Mumbai's needs. The maximum amount, or over 50% of the city's daily water requirement, comes from Bhatsa. According to data sourced from RTI and the Mumbai Environmental Status Report which was released last week by the NGO Praja Foundation, Mumbai faced a 15% shortfall in meeting its water demand in 2024, with a supply of 3,975 MLD against the required 4,664 MLD. —Richa Pinto
The Print
21-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
Only 1 of Mumbai's 24 wards gets round-the-clock water supply—Praja Foundation report
This was made known in non-profit Praja Foundation's 'Report on the Status of Civic Issues in Mumbai' unveiled at its annual meeting Tuesday at Mumbai Press Club. The meeting focused on water, sewerage, solid waste management, toilets and air quality in the city. While non-slum areas received 135 litres per capita per day (lpcd) of water, slum areas received only 45 lpcd through metered connections. Further, most slum populations rely on water tankers and other sources for water instead of metered water. This cost them more than Rs 700 per month compared to Rs 25 per month for non-slum households in 2024. Mumbai: Only one of 24 wards in Mumbai receives round-the-clock water supply, while average supply is just 5.37 hours per day despite a project launched in 2014 for uninterrupted water supply. Mumbai faced a 15 percent water shortage in 2024—the supply was 3,975 MLD, as against the total demand of 4,664 MLD. 'Mumbai's water supply struggles with significant disparities between the available water resources and how they are distributed throughout the city. Despite the guidelines prescribed by the ministry of housing and urban affairs of 135 lpcd of water, slum households depend on additional water sources for 90 lpcd,' Milind Mhaske, CEO of Praja Foundation, said. The report highlighted that water supply in Mumbai stands at 3,975 MLD, compared to its demand of 4,664 MLD, resulting in supply shortage of 689 MLD. The Praja Foundation report also underlined a spike in pollution levels in Mumbai's Mithi river. Biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels in the river stood at 210 mg/l in 2023, compared to 80 mg/l in 2022. BOD is a measure that states levels of water pollution. The higher the BOD level, more the pollution in the water. Between 2020 and 2024, complaints linked to waterborne diseases in the city rose by 52 percent. The report further found that the city's more affluent wards generated the highest per capita waste in 2024 compared to suburban wards. According to a response received under Right to Information (RTI) by Praja Foundation, waste collected from all wards stood at 24,37,420 metric tonnes last year. Speaking at the event, Shreyas Chorgi, Manager, Research and Analysis, Praja Foundation, said waste management complaints in the city have surged by 380 percent since 2015, while Mhaske pointed out that the Bombay High Court had directed civic officials to look for a dumping ground other than Kanjurmarg, where most of the waste is dumped. The report noted that the Mumbai civic body can save Rs 1,485 crore annually with a decentralised solid waste management system, focusing on localising waste processing through community-based waste management facilities. Such a system handles segregation, composting, and recycling of waste at the source. Mhaske also said data from the Environment Status Report (ESR) released annually by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation was at odds with the civic data they had got via RTI. 'ESR is an important tool that needs to be used for the betterment of civic issues in the city, and in the absence of elected representatives, administrators need to be more vigilant about these concerns,' he said. Also Read: Rs 17,000 cr revamp for Mumbai's British-era BDD chawls: Residents hopeful, planners have doubts Status of public toilets The status of public toilets in the city also painted a dire picture. For every four public toilet seats in 2024, only one was for women, according to RTI data accessed by Praja. Of the 6,800 public toilets in the Mumbai Metropolitan Area, only 2,973 are functional, while 3,827 lack electricity and water. As many as 69 percent of community toilet blocks lack water connections, and 60 percent lack electricity connections. In 2023, against the Swachh Bharat Mission norm of one community toilet seat for every 35 male users and 25 female users, one seat was available for 86 men and one for 81 women. According to Chorgi, 1.15 lakh complaints were received on Mumbai's Centralised Complaint Registration System (CCRS) last year relating to water, waste, sewage, pollution and toilets. This was an increase of 70 percent from 2015. The CCRS helps in tracking and complaint resolution by the BMC. 'To strengthen service delivery, BMC must improve CCRS by ensuring timely complaint redressal, and introduce a citizen feedback system for greater accountability for democratic empowerment as per the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act,' Mhaske said. Pooja Bhatia is an intern with ThePrint. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: Mumbai homes are making a giant mess. Over 2,000 buildings being torn down, built back up
Hindustan Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
9% of city's water supply is lost, one toilet seat per 1,820 women: Report
MUMBAI: The city experienced a 15% shortfall in its water supply in 2024, due in part to a 9% loss of water while being transported from the catchment areas. The shortfall in supply hit slum communities most. These and other details of faltering civic services provided by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country's wealthiest civic body, emerged in Praja Foundation's 'The Status of Civic Issues in Mumbai' report, its annual report on civic amenities, released on Tuesday. Here's a summary of the report: Water Supply Mumbai's shortfall in water supply amounts to 15%. While it receives 4,370 MLD (million liters a day), 395 MLD is lost due to evaporation and leaks. These losses, called non-revenue water (NRW), constitute a colossal 9% of the water routed towards the city from the catchment areas. In terms of shortfall, the 689-MLD deficit is borne largely by the city's slum population. Non-slum homes typically receive 135 lpcd (litres per capita daily) as per central guidelines, while slum homes get 45 lpcd. This adds to the slums' expenditure on water – if they supplement the entire deficit with tankers – to ₹736 per month, compared to the usual ₹25 per month. Also, only 8% of Mumbai's population receives 24/7 water supply. Despite the grim statistics, there is a silver lining – Mumbai scores in water quality, with only 0.33% of water samples unfit for drinking. Sewerage Mumbai's new sewerage treatment plants (STP) are in various stages of construction, leaving current sewerage treatment levels well below acceptable standards. The situation in 2024 was especially alarming. The additional two STPs, at Bandra and Worli, failed to adequately treat sewage according to pollution norms set by the centre and state, in contrast with their track records in previous years due to ongoing upgrades. They mirrored the dismal records of wastewater treatment at STPs in Versova, Bhandup, Malad and Ghatkopar. The only exceptions were the STPs at Colaba and Charkop, treating Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) adequately. Unsurprisingly, this led to highly polluted water bodies. The Mithi River was worst hit, with a maximum level of fecal coliform of 540,000 MNP per 100ml in 2023, against an acceptable limit of 2,500MPN/100ml. Solid Waste Management Mumbai continues to generate increasing amounts of solid waste. RTI data reveals that it generated 6,656 MTD (million tonnes per day) in 2024, a 1% increase from 2023, and 4% from 2022. Most of this garbage – 4,832 MTD – is food waste, followed by construction and demolition waste. Civic wards which generated the most trash were Ward A (Churchgate, Colaba), Ward C (Kalbadevi), and Ward H/West (Bandra and Khar West). Conversely, Wards R/South (Kandivali), R/North (Dahisar) and D (Grant Road, Malabar Hills) generated the least garbage. Despite rules mandating that wet waste be treated on site, 64% of bulk waste generators (BWG) in 2024 failed to do so. With a largely centralised model of waste-processing in place – most of the city's waste is dumped at Kanjurmarg and Deonar – much is spent on the transportation, from home to refuse transfer station (RTS), to dump. In 2024, Praja estimated this added up to around ₹883 crore per year. To operate the waste processing site at Kanjurmarg, the BMC spends another ₹602 crore per year. The closed landfill at Mulund is undergoing biomining – 62% of the legacy waste has been disposed of from October 2019 to December 2024, but with a deadline of June 2025, the target is very likely to be breached. Public Toilets The number of public and community toilet seats remained inadequate in 2024, doubly so for women. One in four public toilet seats in 2024 were for women, making one seat available per 1,820 women. On contrast, one seat was shared between 752 men. With regard to community toilets shared by slum settlements in 2023, one toilet seat was shared between 202 men and one between 164 women, far higher than the prescribed norm to have one community toilet for 35 men and 25 women. However, 60% of them lacked electricity and 69% water connections. Air Quality In 2024, the average air quality index (AQI) in Mumbai was better than in previous years. Only four months – January, February, November and December – had overall AQI in the moderate category, as opposed to six in 2023. Complaints Citizens' complaints poured in from all corners in 2024, reaching 115,396. This was a decrease from the previous year's 120,296. Issues concerning solid waste, air pollution, toilets and water supply saw the greatest increase in complaints. Vacancies The civic body has a 41% vacancy in sanctioned posts: Departments of education (59%) storm water drains (57%), Roads & Traffic (54%) and solid waste management (17%).
