The Indian Metropolis Growth Model

Growth, Indian metropolis style. Cartoon for The Hindu.

Silver Pomfret the State Fish of Maharashtra

My home state Maharashtra has a new official state fish, everyone's favourite Silver Pomfret! But the 'pom still frets', as the high demand for the fish has led the mechanized fishing industry to ravage its populations, coupled with sea pollution. Marine conservationists suggest that diversifying consumption along with better implementation of periodic fishing bans and research will help save the pomfret. 

Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine.

Class and Floods

Floods in Indian cities are quite a marvel. They expose the cracks not only in our urban planning, but also between class and caste hierarchies within our societies.

Spot the Masquerade on Mumbai's Shores

Masquerade on Mumbai's shores, featuring the marine life of Mumbai, and the death of the marine life of Mumbai: the Coastal Road! Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Biodiversity Map of Mumbai

The first images that one's mind conjures upon hearing the name Mumbai, are either a city full of skyscrapers and slums, or the promenades along Marine Lines and Bandra. But Mumbai is also replete with a unique blend of biodiversity. From a forest ruled by leopards in the heart of the city to beaches full of bizarre shore wildlife, from wetlands dotted pink with flamingos to mangroves splashing red with fiddler crabs, Mumbai has them all! Here is an illustration done for Purpose's campaign 'Mumbai's Ministry of Magic', with the motive to empower Mumbai's youth with a visual resource of the city's biodiversity, and a reminder to the government of the natural heritage we must conserve and coexist with. The map also pays tribute to the Warli and Koli communities, and the very spirit of Mumbai.

My thanks to Ms. Suma Balaram, Ms. Arpita Bhagat and their team for commissioning this once-in-a-lifetime project! My gratitude to friends at Marine Life of Mumbai, Ms. Madhushri Mudke and my brother Rohit Chakravarty for their inputs. A hat tip to the maverick herpetologists Zeeshan Mirza and Rajesh Sanap for discovering the invertebrates and reptiles from Aarey Colony that feature in the map. Click on the images to view details from the map:

 

Maharashtra's State Mangrove Tree

Last week, the CM of Maharashtra made a historic announcement: the declaration of the mangrove Sonneratia alba, or White Chippi, as the state mangrove tree, making Maharashtra the first state in India to have a state mangrove symbol. Mangrove conservation however, continues to suffer from ill-conceived linear development not just in Maharashtra but all other states they are found in. In Mumbai itself, the Coastal Road and the expansion of the Mumbai Metro are taking a toll on the city's existing mangrove cover.

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. 

Fishing Industry and Covid Lockdown

Among the worst victims of the abrupt lockdown to curb the spread of COVID in India has been the fishing industry. Numerous boats out at sea for days were taken completely unawares by the lockdown, and with all transport or storage facilities abruptly shut, are having to dump their catch right back into the sea. This isn't just a waste of sea food, but a major blow to both the livelihoods of coastal communities and India's coastal economy. The crisis calls for immediate intervention by authorities to ensure that no more of the catch goes waste, and better policy on the insurance of finances for fishermen in the long run.

Six Simple Solutions for Tackling Mumbai Floods

Six simple solutions to tackle the Mumbai floods from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. The great news is that Mumbai is already implementing all of these except maybe investing in scuba gear.

The Kingfisher and the Bullet Train

Bullet trains: inspired by the kingfisher but turned against it. 19 hectares of mangrove forest are set to be cleared to make way for Mumbai's bullet train. From my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

The Marine Life of Mumbai Protests against Coastal Reclamation

Citizens' protests against coastal reclamation in Mumbai are falling on deaf ears, and construction carries on uninterrupted despite several civic bodies challenging the reclamation in court. So, the marine life of Mumbai has decided to step in!

Comic from my column with The Hindu. Please remember to run a check on your favoured political party/candidate's environmental track record before you cast your vote this election. 

Mumbai Coastal Road

Presenting Mumbai's coastal road, yet another environmental disaster in the making. Other than marine life, artisanal fishing communities such as the Kolis are the project's worst victims.

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-day.

Flamingos and the Mumbai Bullet Train

Today's edition of Sunday Mid-Day speaks about some environmental 'accomplishments' of India's ruling government. Here's my comic on Mumbai's upcoming bullet train from the paper.

Flamingos of Sewri

(Not so) Magnetic Maharashtra. From my column with The Hindu BL-ink today.

The Mangrove Janta Party

As World Environment Day approaches (5th June), Mumbai is all set to lose vast stretches of mangrove forests to the upcoming metro. Despite being the lifeline of Mumbai's coasts, mangroves have always either been ignored, flattened for 'development' or used as dumpyards. Mumbai, you owe your existence to mangroves more that any political party! Can you let this happen?

From my column with Sunday Mid-Day today.

Karvi flowers bloom in Mumbai

Hey Mumbaikars, do you know that as we speak, a rare flower endemic to the Western Ghats called 'Karvi' (Storbilanthes callosus) is in full bloom in your very city after 8 years? The karvi blooms only once every 8 years and turns the city's famous Sanjay Gandhi National Park into a carpet of lavender. The bloom lasts just for a few weeks, so make sure you drop everything and go witness it right now!

The comic appears in my column with Mid-Day today.