• Name: Gopal Chinayya Shetty
  • Constituency: Mumbai North

Member of Parliament, Gopal Chinayya Shetty, 69 has been representing the area that falls under Mumbai North constituency in various capacities. First, he worked as a local corporator for three terms since 1992 and later, went on to become Mumbai’s deputy mayor. After that he rose to the state assembly from the Maharashtra legislative assembly from 2004 to 2014. 

Since then, Shetty has been representing the Mumbai North constituency for two Parliamentary terms. In 2014, Shetty defeated Congress’ Sanjay Nirupam by polling in 70.1% of the voteshare by getting 6,64,004 votes as against Nirupam, who got 217,422 votes (23% of the voteshare). Subsequently, in 2019, Shetty secured 706,678 votes, bagging 71.4 % of the voteshare against Congress’ Urmila Matondar, who got only 24% of the voteshare by getting 2,41,431 votes. 

About 60% of the 16,47,350 electorate had turned up to vote in the 2019 elections, compared to 53% in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.  

The constituency, which has a strong base of the Gujarati community, is known to be a stronghold for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with Ram Naik representing the constituency from 1989 to 1999. Subsequent to his defeat twice, first at the hands of Govinda in 2004 and thereafter by Sanjay Nirupam in 2009, Naik moved out of electoral politics. Gopal Shetty recaptured this BJP stronghold in 2014, riding on the Narendra Modi wave. 

Mumbai North is a 100% urban constituency with a population of 23,52,550 including 3.72% of Scheduled castes and 1% of Scheduled tribes.  

Gopal Shetty: Personal Information 

NameGopal Chinayya Shetty
Age69
Political PartyBJP
Educational QualificationUnder Matric, Our Lady of Remedy School, Kandivli (W)
ProfessionLabour job for machinery part repairing and plastic items
Enrolled as Voter in152 Borivali (Maharashtra) constituency, at Serial no 374 in Part no 277, Mumbai North Constituency
EmailHelpdeskgopalshetty@gmail.com, gc.shetti@sansad.nic.in
Contact Number9869011267, 022-28011892 / 28089567
AddressShetty House, Lokmanya Tilak Nagar, Poisar Gymkhana Marg, Kandivli (W), Mumbai.

Online presence:

Criminal cases against Gopal Shetty

Gopal Shetty has nine cases registered against him that are in process at various courts. The oldest case against him is of 1998 of rioting in unlawful assembly and obstructing government servants from carrying out their duties.

Charges have been framed against him in two cases, including a defamation case filed against him in 2014 under sections 501 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and another under section 125 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 (RPA) for promoting enmity or enmity between citizens of different classes,religion, race, caste etc during elections. A few cases pertain to disobedience of public orders, unlawful assembly, obstructing public servants from discharging his public duty 

He continues to have a 2012 case against him for damaging public property. Proceedings have been stopped against him in five cases under section 258 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 where magistrates have power to stop proceedings without judgements and such release shall have the effect discharge.


Read more: As monsoon intensifies, fear grips citizens living on the banks of Poisar river


Assets and liabilities


Details
Holdings in 2004Holdings in 2009Holdings in 2014Holdings in 2019Increase in % from 2014-19
Movable assetsRs 4.87 lakhRs 29.52 lakhRs 3.44 crRs 5.94 cr72.67%
Immovable assetsRs 7 lakhRs 2.34 crRs 6.11 crRs 9.81 cr60.55%
Total Assets (Movable + Immovable)Rs 11.87 lakhRs 2.63 crRs 9.56 crRs 15.75 cr63.91%
LiabilitiesRs 2.11 cr
Source: MyNetaInfo

Positions held

In 17th Lok Sabha (2019 – 2024)

  • Standing Committee Membership – Finance (2014-2025)
  • Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Railways
  • Member – House Committee 
  • Member -Rules Committee

In 16th Lok Sabha (2014 – 2019)

  • Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Textiles
  • Member – Public Accounts Committee
  • Member of joint committee on the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provision (Amendment ) Bill, 2016
  • Member – Joint committee on the Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017
  • Member -Joint committee on Bill to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955
  • Member -Joint committee on Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2015

Source: https://sansad.in/ls/members

Performance in Parliament  

MPAttendanceNo of debates participatedNo of questions askedPrivate Member’s Bill
Gopal Chinayya Shetty96%11429819
National average79%46.72101.5
State (MAH) average74%57.63862.9

Shetty is known to be a stickler for discipline and has 96% attendance in Parliament. He also received the Sansad Ratna award for the year 2023 for his cumulative performance in Parliament like raising questions, introducing private member bills, participating in debates and attendance.  

He has participated in 114 debates in Parliament on issues such as the need to augment healthcare facilities during the Covid-19 pandemic and to set up a mechanism to prevent private hospitals from exorbitantly charging patients.

He has raised 297 questions in Parliament in his present term as against raising 465 questions in his earlier term. These include demanding a ban on foreign apps, demanding slum free Mumbai, seeking online permissions for buildings, seeking measures by government to ensure farmers do not destroy agricultural produce and demanding guidelines for hawkers and roadside vendors.

Her has also demanded setting of time limit for disposing cases against women and children and raised the issues of how market-linking price for petroleum fuels was impacting Indian consumers. He also sought external funds for Mumbai roads on the lines of its investments in the Metro transportation system.

MPLADS spending

DateFunds releasedTotal expenditureTotal works recommendedTotal works completed
2022-23Rs 2.5 crRs 1.85 cr229
2021-22Rs 2 crRs 1.84 cr148
2020-21Rs 2 crNA00
2019-20Rs 2.5 crRs 4.6 cr10261
Total (2014-2022) Rs 22.50 crRs 23.69 cr430 247
Source: https://mplads.gov.in
At a cleanliness campaign at SGNP. He addressed the volunteers and promoted the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Pic: Twitter (X)

Most of his funds have been utilised towards improving facilities in the slums like construction of toilets, drainage lines, gutters, water tanks, tiled pathways in slums, construction of roads and building facilities like community halls. He managed to utilise 87.69% of his funds, and had only Rs 1.4  crore unspent. 

Sectors in which MPLAD works recommendedNumber of works recommended% of funds sought
Health2348.94 %
Infrastructure & allied2246.81%
Education24.26%

Gopal Shetty in the news

Gopal Shetty was more in the news for making controversial statements like stating that Christians didn’t participate in the freedom struggle or that it had become fashionable for state governments to outcompete each other in offering compensation to farmers.

He had moved a private member’s bill demanding mandatory rendition of Jai Shri Ram after taking their oath in Parliament. In his constituency, he has also been accused of  constructing commercial private gymkhana on public ground in the guise of beautification. 

People speak

“Rejuvenation efforts for rivers, such as clean up, are on but are quite slow. Concretisation of river beds and basins is killing the river, practically making them drains, says Avinash Thawani, a Borivali resident and part of Mumbai March.

He regrets that critical links of important roads continue to be missing on the ground despite them being in the Development Plans (DP). This leads to bottlenecks, congestion and longer routes to ply leading to wastage of fuel.

Harish Pandey, secretary of the New Link Road Residents Forum states that Gopal Shetty has failed to act against the vast number of slums mushrooming on wetlands, mangroves and forests. Pandey accuses the elected representatives of ignoring the encroachments and development on green spaces. 

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Just as the ebb and flow of the Pulicat Lake sustains the fishing community residing in the surrounding villages, the destiny of the people employed in different traditional livelihoods here is intertwined with the fate of the water body.

The people in the 250 villages depend on the rich lagoon ecosystem of the lake, which supports a web of different professions connected to fishing in one way or another. Apart from fisherfolk, who go into the sea to catch fish, there are people who unearth earthworms to sell as baits for fish to the fishers and women who make and sell dried fish.

A salty trade on Pulicat shores

fish chennai
Fish being dried on the shores of the lake, in the process of making karuvaadu. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

A small group of around 15-20 local women are involved in the making of dried fish (karuvaadu) for both human consumption and for use as an ingredient in the feed for poultry on the shores of the Pulicat Lake. 

Meena, a 45-year-old resident, who has degrees in chemistry, economics and library science, narrates how the construction of a police station and the fisheries department building on land that has traditionally been used to dry fish for ages, has affected her.

“We get verbally harassed by the police from the station, about the stench emanating from the karuvaadu, almost every other day. We were here much before these buildings came up. But now, the officials want us to vacate this place,” she says.


Read more: Fisherfolk lament as environmental threats push Pulicat Lake to the brink of decline


fish chennai
Meena, a local karuvaadu maker, stands on the land that she uses to dry her fish. In the backdrop, is the police station that was constructed eight years ago; on the right lies Meena’s storage of processed karuvaadu, covered with tarpaulin sheets. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

“They have no regard for the twenty-odd families that are involved in this ancestral business, which fetches us around Rs 15,000 a month. All the toiling in the scorching sun and saline water causes skin allergies from time to time,” Meena adds.

A mud clam catcher, showing her hands, wrinkled from exposure to water for over six hours every day. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

When asked if they would recommend their next generation to draw sustenance from the lake, most of the locals answered in the negative.

Doss, a 68-year old ex-fisher says,”I never wanted my children to continue in this profession and did my best to educate them. One of my sons works in IT and leads a self-sufficient life, while my other son, who is a fisher, is struggling to make ends meet.”

The village has three schools, of which only one has classes till the twelfth grade. The nearest college is in Ponneri, a town twenty kilometres away.

“With low literacy rates, many youngsters have started migrating to neighbouring towns and cities, in search of contract work. There is no future in living off the lake,” he adds.


Read more: Oil spill in Ennore brings fishing to a standstill


As an alternate profession, some fisherfolk have started taking tourists and bird watchers around the lake, making about Rs. 1,5002,000 for three to four hours. Some of them have started bird watching themselves and learning species names to cater to the tourists. 

Need government assistance

fishing chennai
Shops buying damaged nets from fishers at Rs 55 per kilogram, are common. The nets are sold to industries for recycling. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

The fisheries department has been providing diesel at subsidised rates of Rs 80/litre to registered fishermen who own a motor boat. “Apart from that, and the money (Rs 6,000) we get during the fishing ban months (two months a year), we don’t get any other assistance from the government,” says Bose, a fisher from Kolatthumedu.

Around 150-200 boats were damaged by Cyclone Michaung. “Officials from the department did an assessment of the damage around December 7, 2023. But, we are yet to receive compensation from the government,” Bose adds.

Neither were they given any proof of the assessment carried out by the officials. Most of the affected fisherfolk, unable to go fishing, are still surviving on aid from various NGOs a few kilos of rice, wheat, flour and oil. 

An official from the fisheries department on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the department has not yet received grants from the government for the same.

On the deteriorating health of Pulicat lake, the official says that the construction of the new training walls, approved by the Tamil Nadu Wildlife Board in November 2023, will help in keeping the bar mouths open, thus preventing the immediate problem of sedimentation.

Conservationists like Yuvan Aves, concerned about Pulicat, argue that the solution does not lie in  addressing side effects like sedimentation of the bar mouth alone. “There is a need for a deeper understanding of the factors at play in this human-nature interlinked ecosystem,” he says.

Despite the efforts of conservationists, activists, locals and the government, the future of these fishing communities and their livelihoods, remains largely at stake. 

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As per a recent report, it was estimated that in 2021-22, only 3% of the population of India pays up to 10 lakh in taxes, alluding that the rest are dependent on this. This begs the following questions:

  • Are you employed?
  • Do you have a regular source of income?
  • Do you pay income tax?
  • Do you purchase provisions, clothing, household goods, eyewear, footwear, fashion accessories, vehicles, furniture, or services such as haircuts, or pay rent and EMIs?

If you do any of the above, do you notice the GST charges on your purchases, along with other taxes like tolls, fuel cess, duties, and excise?

How much is a person’s actual contribution towards tax?

Consider a typical family of four. From tea leaves and coffee powder, toothpaste and brush, shaving blade, shampoo, hair oil, detergents, cleaning liquids, branded grains and atta, pulses, towels, bedsheets, mattresses, domestic LPG, edible oil, spices, butter, ghee, mobile phones, computers, printers, furniture, cars and bikes, fridge, TV, air conditioner, every purchase incurs GST ranging 5% to 28%. Even lifesaving drugs incur a 5% GST along with health insurance premium at a whopping 18%! Your electricity bills have a 9% fuel surcharge added in.

Taxation structure

I have performed actual calculations based on the average consumption and expenditure of a typical family, applying a weighted average, depending on the amount spent on each item. Hence, I can safely take 18% as the average tax paid on each and every payment that one makes in a month.

Many people have done an exercise after reading the report and confirmed that almost 65% to 67% of the money that they earn is taken away by the Government in various tax, cess, duties etc.

In India, citizens contribute taxes under various categories. These include:

  • Income Tax (IT): Paid by all salaried employees
  • Goods and Services Tax (GST): Paid on goods and services consumed
  • Non-GST expenses: Items notified under Schedule III of the CGST Act

One of the high non-GST expenses at home, after school and college fee and healthcare expenses, include the petrol and diesel used in your vehicles.

If you own a vehicle, this is what you pay:

  • In Karnataka, the base price for petrol is Rs 57.07 per litre, with an additional 0.20 paise added as freight charges, making the dealer’s cost to the oil company. The state imposes a uniform statewide tax of 25.9%, amounting to Rs 21.17.
  • Furthermore, excise duty and road cess charged by the Union government add up to Rs 19.90 per litre.
  • Additionally, the commission paid to petrol pump dealers is Rs 3.84 per litre.
  • Therefore, when purchasing petrol at the cost of Rs 101.94 per litre in Bengaluru, the taxes and duties component amount to Rs 44.67.

If a family uses around 50 litres of petrol in a month, in addition to the GST paid for other purchases, they additionally pay Rs 2,233 every month for vehicle fuel alone.

Then, of course, there is the property tax that you pay every year. Stamp duty charges on important transactions; service charges on all your loans are taxed at 18%. (BBMP has proposed a shift from Zone based calculation to guidance value, which is likely to increase property tax by 50%).


Read more: Editorial: Inflation statistics don’t lie, they are merely economical with the truth


Additionally, individuals also pay a health and education cess at 4% on their income tax. Apart from this, there is the GST compensation cess, national calamity contingent duty on tobacco and tobacco products, building and other construction welfare cess, road and infrastructure cess, cess on crude oil, cess on exports, etc. that goes to the Centre, and not shared with the states. These taxes are levied on the tax liability, including surcharges.

Tax breakups - GOI gets lions share, whilst municipal government gets least
Tax break-up, whilst GOI gets the lions share of taxes, municipal government gets the least. Graphic courtesy: Srinivas Alavilli

Read more: Bengaluru, here is where all the taxes you pay end up


The hidden tax

  • Travel: When individuals use expressways or highways, they pay toll tax. For economy class air tickets, one has to pay 5% GST. For business class and international travel, it is 12%. When travelling by train, the GST on first class and AC compartments is 5%. When one takes a ride on Ola or Uber in India, GST is charged at 5%.
  • Property: Rents on building properties for commercial purposes is 18%.
  • Convenience: For services availed from food delivery platforms, such as Swiggy and Zomato, 5% GST is charged.
  • Essentials: The cost of medicines includes an additional 18% on top of GST.

If I share the duty collected on alcohol and tobacco can depress the user to terrible levels. Let me skip that.

The 3 percent(ers) tax!

Income tax: depending on your income slab, the income tax varies.

  • Up to Rs 3,00,000 – NIL
  • Rs 300,000 to Rs 6,00,000 – 5% on income which exceeds Rs 3,00,000
  • Rs 6,00,000 to Rs 900,000 – Rs 15,000 + 10% on income more than
  • Rs 6,00,000/ Rs 9,00,000 to Rs 12,00,000 – Rs 45,000 + 15% on income more than Rs 9,00,000
  • Rs 12,00,000 to Rs 15,00,000 – Rs 90,000 + 20% on income more than Rs 12,00,000
  • Above Rs 15,00,000 – Rs 150,000 + 30% on income more than Rs 15,00,000]

If you are a businessperson, it is quite possible to allocate most of your personal expenditures as company expenses and offset all the GST amounts paid against your own liabilities. Depending on how crooked their chartered accountant is, the business will ensure that the accounting books are written in a manner that minimises the amount of income tax owed.

Does not include EMI, interest and other payouts. Table: Siva Kumar

But then, if you are a salaried middle-class family, sorry my friend, bad luck. You have to pay all taxes with absolutely zero provision to pass it on anywhere else. Every single rupee that you pay as tax, cess, duty, surcharge, etc. goes to the government. Cheer up, you are very precious to the government.

Do this exercise at home

For the next three months, retain every single invoice for the goods and services that you consume. Total up the taxes, surcharges, cess, excise and customs duty, etc. that you pay, add the proportion of income tax and cess/surcharges for the three months in consideration, add the taxes and cess on fuel, restaurant, pubs, in everything that you pay.

Item CategoryInv No. & DateInvoice AmountCGST AmountSGST AmountSurchargesExcise DutyCess
TOTAL
PercentageInvAmtAs a %age of InvAmtAs a %age of InvAmtAs a %age of InvAmtAs a %age of InvAmtAs a %age of InvAmt

Now, calculate the percentage amount that you shelve out to the government out of your total income in the same period. You might surprise yourself with the results.

Do the same exercise in the same period every year. That will give you a good idea of how price rises, or inflation, are impacting you. And if your income has not correspondingly increased during the year, then you will know how much poorer you have become at the end of the year.

Having done that, take a look into the government programmes, projects and expenditure. It is your money that they are using. Also, the money saved in your banks is often used to provide loans to industries and the business community, in accordance with government policies. The fate of the money invested in equity, bonds, mutual funds, too, depends on the government’s economic and fiscal policies.

The value of the rupee is also influenced by the balance of exports and imports. India’s trade relationships with other countries play a significant role in this regard. Furthermore, domestic policies affecting the income growth of individuals in the lower economic strata can impact government revenue growth and the reduction of subsidies.

[This article was first published in The Wire and has been republished with permission, with some edits. The original article can be read here]

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As the evening sun creates an orange hue over the shimmering waters of Pulicat Lake, the fishermen get ready to launch their wooden kattumarams (catamarans) for the boat race. The participants, sitting in the middle of their boats and rowing furiously, plunge ahead amidst the cheering of villagers, who have dropped by to witness the event.

At least for a day, the fishing community and others, whose livelihoods depend on the marine ecosystem of the lake and sea, forget their troubles and have a good time. The boat race is a sort of affirmation by the village community around the lake to preserve it from environmental degradation.

As large-scale industrialisation and the construction of ports in nearby Ennore seem to have caused an imbalance in the lake’s ecosystem, the most visible impact is the drastic fall in water levels. This has affected marine life, and thus the livelihoods of the fisherfolk.

In Part 1 of a two-part series, we examine the depleting waters of Pulicat Lake and the fishing community that the water body sustains.

The catamaran race, held last month, is organised by AARDE, an NGO working to conserve wetlands, on Pulicat Day every year to coincide with Ramsar’s World Wetlands Day.  

Xavier Benedict, founder trustee of AARDE says, “The race is a way of drawing attention to the dying livelihoods of fishermen and the disappearing tradition of using catamarans to catch the once famous Pulicat mud crabs.”   


Read more: Calm after the storm in Chennai: What Cyclone Michaung left behind


A shrinking lake

Pulicat, the second largest brackish water lagoon in India is about 50 km from Chennai (in Thiruvallur district) and sustains residents living in 25 fishing villages around it. The wetland not only hosts many migratory birds during the winter months but, also attracts the Northeast monsoon rain clouds.

“The industrial activity caused silt to accumulate in the bar mouth of the estuary, resulting in a decrease in water level and also less flow/exchange of water between the sea and lake. This is a direct hit to the health of the benthic zone (the ecological area at the lowest level of a water body), which is important for the nourishment and growth of marine life. This causes dwindling harvests, directly affecting the income and livelihoods of the fishers,” says Yuvan Aves, naturalist and founder-trustee of Palluyir Trust for Nature Education and Research.

All this, coupled with the impending Adani port project, is pushing the Pulicat-Ennore ecosystem to the brink of further damage. 

Disparity in the boats 

pulicat2
Villagers from Jamilabad and Kolatthumedu, participate in the catamaran race, as part of the Pulicat day celebrations organised by AARDE. Jamilabad participants race with traditional wooden catamarans, while residents of Kolatthumedu use fibre catamarans. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

Kolatthumedu, a village with 250 families, does not have even one fisherman who owns a motorboat. Most of them have fibre catamarans, at best. Even worse, the fishermen of neighbouring Jamilabad, still use catamarans made of wooden logs.

Bose, a representative of the Kolatthumedu village council says, “Earlier there was good marine abundance close to the shores and catamarans were enough to catch good harvests. With all the issues over the years affecting the ecosystem, the fish population has receded inwards into the sea.”

This has necessitated the use of diesel-run motorboats that can travel much longer distances, making it impossible for mechanical catamaran users to make any money from fishing close to the shores. “Only these two to three villages are using these catamarans,” he adds.    


Read more: Oil spill in Ennore brings fishing to a standstill


Meanwhile, with consistently decreasing harvests, even fishermen using motor boats only earn between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 a day, of which Rs 800 is spent on diesel.

“Some days when there’s no catch, we return empty-handed, with no returns for the money spent on diesel,” says Jeyapaul, a 57-year-old fisherman, who has been in the profession for 30 years and is currently fishing with a motorboat.  

Threat to livelihoods

pulicat3
Fishermen Jeyapaul and Mahesh discuss going to Ennore to buy parts for the repairs. They usually manage small repairs by themselves and call boat mechanics for bigger issues. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

The fishing community has been grappling with a multitude of challenges, apart from the threat to their livelihood, and these include malfunctioning boats that get stuck in the water, medical emergencies and rough seas that kill almost 100 fishermen every year.

pulicat5
Mahesh says that the nets provided by the Fisheries department were of low quality. Stones, floaters, ropes and the net itself together costs around Rs 70,000 for 60 kg of fishing net. Any wear and tear requires constant mending that eats away their earnings. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

“The government gave us walkie-talkies with built-in GPS five years ago and also installed a receiving antenna tower,” says Mahesh, a young fisherman, pointing to the tower next to the fish market complex.

“Initially they were useful to communicate with other fishermen and the station on the shore.  But the devices stopped working within a year. Once people had to spend money for repairs all the time, they stopped using them. Good quality walkie-talkies will solve a lot of security issues for us,” adds Mahesh.

Facing a bleak future

pulicat4
Mullaikodi’s stall at the local fish market boasts almost 20 kinds of sea products. “There are literally hundreds of types, changing in abundance throughout the year,” she says. But, there has been a drastic decrease in both the variety as well as sizes of fish over the last 10–15 years. Pic: Sivasubramanyan M V

“The market, ideally designed for the local people to buy fish from the fisherfolk, and sell it to consumers, has been taken over by the more powerful exporting companies, that are ready to pay higher rates for the fish,” says Mullai Kodi, a 42-year-old local seller in the government-run fish market. She makes around Rs 1,000 on the days she manages to get a place in the market, which is around ten days a month.

Mullaikodi hopes the government would expand the market building so that more locals can do their business independently of big companies, thereby improving the livelihoods of other such single-income women like herself. 

Many like Mullaikodi, who depend on the marine ecosystem in more ways than one, are looking at an uncertain future. On February 1, 2024, Tamil Nadu became the state with the highest number of Ramsar sites, which puts the focus on the protection of wetlands like Pulicat and the people living around it. 

Also read:

Even as our cities grapple with diverse challenges and issues, there is always hope as long as there is an active citizenry willing to engage, act and push for positive change. In the 15th year of Citizen Matters and the 10th year of Oorvani Foundation, we are excited to host a convening of such people committed to making better cities. The India Civic Summit 2024 in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 23rd will bring together citizens and community volunteers, who are dedicated to solving civic, environmental and urban challenges in their respective cities.

There will be inspiring stories. There will be networking. And attendees can hear from changemakers on their initiatives and what makes them tick. How do they navigate local dynamics or address interlinked issues? What strategies help shift goalposts towards systemic solutions? What brings transformation and how do active citizen groups sustain themselves through the arduous journey without burning out?

The day-long event is designed to foster discussions, facilitate sharing of experiences and explore innovative and impactful civic solutions that are making our cities more sustainable and liveable.

Event details

  • Venue: Institution of Agricultural Technologists (IAT), Queens Road, Bengaluru
  • Date: March 23rd, Saturday
  • Time: 10 am to 4 pm
  • Register here
  • For more details: http://oorvani.org/civic-summit

The sessions include:

  • Stories of change: Talks by civic changemakers about their initiatives
  • The secret sauce of civic change: Discussions on how diverse initiatives have helped in the journey towards sustainable and liveable cities, identifying best practices and solutions
  • Learning sessions on effective engagement, youth involvement and climate future of cities
  • Recognition of impactful civic initiatives

So, if you are passionate about your city and want to know how citizens like you are making a difference in theirs, do come join us for this exciting and enriching line-up.

India Civic Summit poster
India Civic Summit poster

Also read:

New names for eight suburban railway stations

The state government has given its in-principle go ahead for the renaming of eight suburban railway stations in Mumbai. Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale said that after the decision is ratified by the state cabinet, the proposal will be sent to the Union government.

Curry Road station will be called Lalbaug, Sandhurst Road will be renamed Dongri,  Marine Lines as Mumbadevi, Charni Road will be called Girgaon, Cotton Green station is set to be renamed Kalachowki, Dockyard is to be called Mazgaon, King’s Circle as Tirthankar Parswanath, and Mumbai Central as Nana Jagannath Shankarsheth.

Source: The Indian Express

Coastal Road open to public

On 11th March, a part of the Mumbai Coastal Road Project (MCRP), officially called the Dharmveer Swarajya Rakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road was inaugurated by the Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

The entire stretch extends to 10.58 km from Marine Drive to Bandra-Worli Sea Link (BWSL). Currently, a 9.5 km stretch has been opened for use. The entire stretch is expected to become operational by May 2024.

Vehicles can enter the coastal road at three points: Bindu Madhav Thackeray Junction, Rajani Patel Junction (Lotus Junction), and Amarsons Garden. The exit points are at Amarsons Garden and Marine Drive. Vehicles will be allowed to ply on the Coastal Road between 8.00 am am to 5.00 pm from Monday to Friday according to an announcement made by the Mumbai traffic Police on X. It will be shut for maintenance on the weekends.

Source: The Indian Express, Hindustan Times


Read more: As coastal road project advances, fishers worry about boats and livelihoods


Water levels dip in lakes that supply to Mumbai

As summer starts to scorch in the city, worries about reduced water stock and possible water cuts are back. The water levels in the seven lakes that supply to Mumbai have dipped to 37.9 %, lowest in three years. This year, onset of monsoon is predicted on June 25, which is a good three months away.

Vihar Lake in the northern suburbs of the city meets a part of the water requirement of thriving South Mumbai. Pic: Elroy Serrao/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

“While the lake levels Wednesday dropped to 37.9 per cent, last year on the same day, the water stock stood at nearly 44 per cent of the total capacity of the lakes. In 2022, meanwhile, the water touched 46.5 per cent, during the same period,” reported The Indian Express.

However, P Velarasu, additional commissioner, assured that water cuts will not be imposed as they have already received permissions to allocate additional supplies of potable water for the city.

Source: The Indian Express

In a first, BMC opens hostel for working women

The BMC opened a hostel for working women in Goregaon on the occasion of International Women’s Day. There are plans to open five more such hostels. The hostel has 16 storeys and will be able to accommodate 180 women. In addition to a canteen, there are facilities to cook at the hostel as well as recreational facilities.

The BMC, according to its Development Plan 2034, aims to increase the participation of women in the economic development of Mumbai. The opening of the hostel facilities is in keeping with this objective.

Source: The Times of India

Workers die after scaffolding collapse

Three workers died in an accident at a construction site in Borivali. One is critically injured and admitted in the ICU at Shatabdi Hospital.

There were five workers on the scaffolding of the 16th floor, when it collapsed. One of them escaped unhurt. The deceased were identified as Shankar Baidya, Piyush Haldar, Manranjan Samaddar. All three of them were migrant workers from West Bengal. The fourth worker, Sushil Gupta, is in a critical condition.

Work has been stopped at the construction site after the accident and a case has been registered against the foreman, the site engineer, and the contractor by the Borivali police.

Source: Hindustan Times, The Indian Express

(Compiled by Shruti Gokarn.)

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Food Safety Department collects food samples in Chennai

To curb the use of food colouring agents that have harmful chemicals in them, the Food Safety Department in Chennai has been conducting inspections in various food stalls and eateries around the city. In the last two days, the department has taken samples of food that may contain non-permitted food colour, from 200 eateries and sent them for analysis.

Almost a month ago, the sale of cotton candy in the city was banned after food safety officials found the presence of Rhodamine-B, an industrial-grade dye in the candies. According to officials, their teams are randomly collecting samples for testing, as many outlets sell food items that have food colours that are harmful for human consumption. Some of the foods that contain artificial colours include gobi manchurian, grilled chicken, rose milk and so on.

Source: The Hindu


Read more: Explainer: Dos and don’ts about food adulteration


No MRTS service between Beach and Chintadripet for another four months

Southern Railway officials have informed that the MRTS service between Beach and Chintadripet stations in Chennai, which was supposed to be resumed this month, will remain shut for four more months. The service on this route was suspended in August last year after construction work on a 4-kilometre-long fourth line between Chennai Beach and Egmore stations commenced. Even though the work is supposed to be completed by June, Railways officials have not indicated the services will resume after four months.

Source: DT Next

Chennai Airport gets special police patrol services

To ensure the safety of passengers departing and arriving at the Chennai Airport, the Chennai Police launched the ‘Airport Police Patrol Scheme’ on Thursday. This initiative aims to guide passengers outside the terminals and safeguard their belongings. Assistance will also be given to senior citizens and passengers from outside the country. As part of this scheme, police personnel in two patrol vehicles and one battery-operated vehicle will patrol the premises outside the airport.

Source: The New Indian Express


Read more: A delayed bridge and many missed trains: This part of Chennai needs immediate traffic solutions


Elephant Gate bridge partially opened to public

elephant gate chennai
Two-way traffic will be allowed on one side of the newly-opened Elephant Gate bridge. Pic courtesy: GCC

The Elephant Gate bridge, which connects North Chennai to other parts of the city was partially opened for public use on Friday. Two-way traffic is allowed till the other side is ready. Only two-wheelers and light motor vehicles can go on the bridge. It’s been almost five years since the old bridge was demolished and reconstruction was taken up.

The bridge was inaugurated by Member of Parliament from Chennai Central constituency, Dayanidhi Maran and Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, P K Sekar Babu. The bridge, located in Ward 57 in Royapuram zone of Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The GCC (Rs.30.48 crore) and the Southern Railways (Rs.40.48 crore) are jointly constructing the bridge at a cost of Rs. 71.26 crore.

Source: DT Next

Learner’s licence application at e-Sevai centres

Most people in the city, who are learning to ride a bike or drive a car employ the services of motor driving schools or touts to get a learner’s licence (LLR), by paying a lot of money. The State government wants to discourage this practice and remove the role of middlemen. It has announced that people can now apply for LLR directly at any e-Sevai centre in the State by paying Rs.60. This facility will be available in all 55,000 centres across Tamil Nadu, according to a press release.

Source: The Hindu

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Ways to manage water

To tackle the water crisis , the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has banned using potable water to clean vehicles, gardening, construction, fountains, swimming pools and entertainment other than drinking water in cinema halls and malls. It imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 for violators.

It is now mandatory to take prior approval ahead of drilling borewells in the city’s limits, as over 3,000 borewells have dried up. The transport department has been asked to impound private water tankers.

The water shortage has hit citizens in various ways. Many reverse osmosis (RO) drinking water plants that were constructed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) are inoperative, while private RO drinking water plants are closed. Many plants draw water from borewells, which are now dry or with reduced water levels. The BBMP had set up more than 600 water plants for subsidised drinking water to the public, where residents can buy 20 litres for just Rs. 5.

On March 12th, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) launched four new apps — Jalasnehi, Jalamitra, Jalasamrakshaka and Antharjala. Through ‘Jalasnehi’, consumers can request treated water from the BWSSB. ‘Antharjala’ eases the process of applying to drill borewells. The other two apps were launched to invite support from citizens and help them to raise complaints.  

The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) is confident that the issue may not stall the hosting of the Indian Premier League matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. It is meeting the demand for ground maintenance through the sewage treatment plant (STP) and will not require groundwater.

Source: Deccan Herald, Indian Express


Read more: How water meters saved time and money for this Bengaluru apartment


Yes to Phase 3 of Metro works

The Karnataka Cabinet, on March 13th, cleared Phase 3 of Metro works along the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch in Bengaluru. The project is estimated to cost Rs. 15,100 crore.

Under Namma Metro, 44.65 kms of the new line will be added by 2028. It is expected to link Hebbal with JP Nagar via Goruguntepalya, Magadi Road, Mysuru Road and Kanakapura Road along the Outer Ring Road for 32.15 kms. Another line connecting Hosahalli and Kadabugere via Magadi Road for 12.5 kms has also been approved.

The eastern part of the ORR metro line, through Silk Board and K R Puram to Hebbal, is under construction and will be completed in two years.

Around 80-85% of the project cost will be funded by the state government, while the remaining amount is expected from the Centre. A feasibility study was carried out and the Centre has cleared the project.

Source: Indian Express, The Hindu


Read more: ORR-Sarjapura gridlock: Govt, IT sector, commuters must collaborate for solutions


Drive to prevent blindness

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao launched a comprehensive Eye Care Programme with innovative, health technology. It will be in line with the Vision Care Programme called Asha Kirana, under the National Health Mission’s National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment (NPCBVI).

The programme seeks to deploy ophthalmic devices for digital solutions and cloud-based technology to eliminate preventable blindness from five years to over 70 years.

Representative image. Pic: Wikipdia/Kamil Sitov

The programme will take on challenges through technological solutions, such as a handheld auto refractometer with wavefront aberrometer-based technology to screen refractive errors and an AI-based Fundus camera that will capture retina images without pupil dilation, targeting adult population with retinopathies, glaucoma, and macular edema. 

The programme will be included in 24/7 PHCs, CHCs, taluk hospitals and bus depots for transport personnel screening.

Source: The New Indian Express

Kannada signage rules mostly enforced

On March 11th, the deadline for adhering to the 60:40 language ratio on signboards ended. Hence, the BBMP is getting ready for enforcement. On March 12th, about 1,116 establishments could not meet the requirement of 60% of space on signboards containing Kannada text. Still, the BBMP is confident that it would be able to meet the rule in a fortnight.

About 49,732 of the 50,357 establishments violating the rule in December 2023 complied. That leaves 625 to conform.

Portraits of late Shankar Nag and Puneeth Rajkumar
Artwork at an auto stand in North Bengaluru showing late Kannada actors Shankar Nag and Puneeth Rajkumar along with a Karnataka map. Pic: Bhanu S

BBMP officials have sealed many establishments after revoking their trade licenses. 

Source: Indian Express, Deccan Herald


Read more: Stronger state support needed for ‘Kannada Gottilla’ to ‘Baruthe’ journey


Deadline for rebate on property tax extended

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) extended the last date to avail the 5% rebate on payment of property taxes till July 31st. BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that residents could receive the rebate if they paid the property taxes for the fiscal 2024-25 by April 30th. It is now extended by three more months.

He explained that as the Revenue Department officials and staff are involved in poll-related work, it will be difficult to process the payments at the time.

Due to several public holidays in April, tax payers would not be able to pay them at select bank branches. Hence, the rebate period for tax payers has been extended from May 1st to July 31st.

Source: Indian Express

[Compiled by Revathi Siva Kumar]

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The traffic congestion at Outer Ring Road (ORR)-Sarjapura Road has been a long-standing issue. To address this, Citizen Matters held a panel discussion, ‘Solving Sarjapura-ORR Gridlock’ on February 26th. Moderated by Meera K, co-founder of Citizen Matters, the panel included G T Prabhakar Reddy, Chief Traffic Manager, BMTC; Vivekanand Kotikalapudi, Urban Mobility Advisor; Mukund Kumar, Managing Trustee, Iblur Environs Trust; and Srinivas Alavilli, Fellow- Integrated Transport and Road Safety, WRI India. 

Sarjapura Road is an integral connection to the IT corridor of south-east Bengaluru. ORR is completely developed with a focus on tech parks. There is currently a surge in residential projects on or around Sarjapura road.

CM event poster on Sarjapura-ORR gridlock
ORR-Sarjapura route continues to remain every Bengaluru resident’s nightmare. Pic: CM Event Poster

Key findings and highlighted issues

  • About 7 lakh people commute to work from different parts of the city to the IT corridor of ORR-Bellandur. About 75,000 to 1 lakh commuters live in or around Sarjapura Road, around half of them use their personal vehicles to commute, according to surveys by the Save Our Sarjapura coalition
  • Many of these areas are old village roads, which are narrow and potholed. Many residential apartments have come up here. The access to these neighbourhoods is not easy.
  • There are more than 15,000 passenger car units per hour during peak time at Iblur junction
  • The lack of decent footpaths at Iblur junction puts pedestrians’ lives at risk

Infrastructure development need of the hour 

Well-planned infrastructure will help in easing traffic in this route. But the metro station for Sarjapura will come up near the Iblur bus stop and not near the Sarjapura side, which would make reaching the metro station a challenge. A foot over bridge has been proposed by BMRCL, which is quite a long walk, but unavoidable. However, despite the challenges, the fact that Sarjapura will be getting a metro line is in itself a silver lining. 

BMTC’s services

  • There are three underutilised depots adjacent to Sarjapura. Two depots are at Kodathi and Sadaramangala, where BMTC can add around 50-100 schedules in each depot. One more depot is in Chikkanagamangala
  • Sarjapura will soon see 120 schedules as promised by BMTC
  • BMTC has also recently started 500 HS buses and have released four AC buses
  • AC buses on the Sarjapura-Hebbal route was launched a few days ago

Read more: Missing last mile connectivity: Sarjapura Road residents want better bus routes


Encouraging public transport

  • Incentivise employees who opt for public transport, and see if at least half the population to switch to public transport
  • Frequency of buses has increased and AC buses have been added. The key is to break the 15-minute barrier. If people see the buses, they will board
  • Create viable footpaths for ease of walking to bus stops. Walkability audits have to be done. Spotting bus stops is not enough, pedestrians should be able to easily reach them

Watch the full discussion:

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“I have been living in this shelter for almost three months since it was set up. It has helped me survive the bitter cold; otherwise, I might have died on the streets,” says Raj. Raj has been residing in a temporary shelter in the vicinity of Daryaganj that the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) had set up as a response to the extreme cold experienced by Delhi’s homeless population.

This last winter, DUSIB had established 190 shelters accommodating approximately 8000 people across the city. These tent shelters are part of DUSIB’s winter action plan to address Delhi’s extreme winters.

However, while these were constructed by DUSIB to help the poor and homeless survive the cold, they are now set to be dismantled with the onset of warmer weather. According to DUSIB, these shelters will be dismantled by March 15th. This has left many in the lurch.

Ramachandra, residing in another temporary shelter at AIIMS with his wife, says, “We’ve been here for four days. My wife is undergoing treatment at AIIMS for her tumour. We’ll have to come back here again in three months. When it’s cold, we get a tent, but when it gets warm and the tent is removed, we sleep near Metro gate no. 2.”

Neha, another resident of a temporary shelter around INA, also says, ‘Where can we go? We’ll have to go back to the streets.’

Summer vulnerability in the capital

Delhi finds itself equally vulnerable to both the biting cold of winter as well as intense and long heat waves during summer. Residents of the city are scorched by the blistering heat, characterised by soaring temperatures, especially between April and July. 

March 2022 went down in history as India’s hottest month on record according to the IMD*, while Delhi braved its second-warmest April in a span of 72 years. In April 2022, the capital endured a heat wave where temperatures soared above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for seven consecutive days.


Read more: Dire warnings: More deadly heat waves, more often, which could cause more deaths


According to D S Pai, director at the Kottayam-based Institute for Climate Change Studies, increasing concretisation, deforestation and changes in land use are causing extreme departures from normal maximum temperatures across India. Delhi is no exception.

With new or worsened heat patterns, temporary shelters for the homeless in summer are as crucial as in winter. Naturally, a call for their extension rings loud and clear. As Neha says, “These shelters should not only be extended but also equipped with facilities like fans and coolers for summers. Otherwise, what purpose do they serve?”

The inequity of climate impact

A recent study on homelessness and climate change in Delhi revealed that the impacts of extreme heat on homeless people are even more profound due to their extended marginality and limited ability to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Boy drinking water from tap
Access to water is also a critical issue for those living on the streets during summer. Representational image. Pic: Gopal MS, Mumbai Paused

According to the study, 88% of interviewed homeless individuals reported the lack of access to drinking water along footpaths, roads or shelters even during extreme heat. They confront a myriad of health challenges including dehydration, respiratory difficulties, fever, coughing, diarrhoea, and even cholera due to the scorching temperatures. 

“During the summer, it’s very difficult. We sleep here and there,” says Ramachandra’s ailing wife Meena, “The heat radiates from the ground all day long, making it difficult to even lie down on the streets.”

The severity of the situation is underscored by the tragic loss of numerous lives attributed to extreme heat. According to a study released by the IMD and quoted in this report, heatwaves claimed the lives of 30 individuals in 2022, marking it as the fifth warmest year on record since 1901.

And it is not just the heat. In June 2023, the Centre for Science and Environment in Delhi issued a warning about the rising ground-level ozone pollution and multi-pollutant crisis that the city faces during summers. Air quality is often construed to be a winter issue, but the CSE release underlined that summer air in the region is also a toxic cocktail of gases and multiple particulate forms – particulate, ozone, nitrogen oxides and even high CO pollution.

As shelters are dismantled, and the poor turned out on to the streets, their exposure to the toxic air through the day and night become inevitable, creating disastrous health consequences.


Read more: Wounds of heat – Chennai’s climate catastrophe and caste


Inadequate adaptation plans: Too few shelters

While the extension of temporary shelters could provide a temporary solution, Rakesh Kumar, the caretaker of a shelter near AIIMS, highlighted, “It would be better if DUSIB constructed permanent shelters. If there was a permanent shelter near AIIMS, this problem would be solved.”

Beds and people inside the shelter near AIIMS Metro station
Delhi currently has a total of 195 shelters, that can accommodate 16,675 beds, approximately 92% below the estimated population of homeless individuals in the city. This is inside one of the shelters. Pic: Anuj Behal

The shortfall of shelters is not limited to areas around AIIMS; rather, Delhi faces a significant shortage of homeless shelters overall. Currently, there are a total of 195 shelters in the city, including 82 permanent structures (RCC buildings) in existing government buildings, 103 porta cabins made from tin sheets, and 10 shelters constructed under a ‘special drive’. 

Despite these efforts, the total capacity of these 195 shelters is only around 16,675 beds, which is approximately 92% below the estimated population of homeless individuals in the city. Independent experts and estimates suggest that in Delhi, at least 200,000–250,000 individuals live in homelessness, highlighting the urgent need for further action to address this issue.

What is stark is the fact that  Delhi’s Heat Action Plan released in 2023 leaves a chilling void: it completely overlooks the critical needs of the city’s most vulnerable: the homeless.

Note: The author is one of six selected Fellows for the Citizen Matters – Urban Environmental Reporting Fellowship 2023 focusing on the Delhi-NCR region. This short piece was produced as part of his work under the Fellowship.

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