000-tobecategorised

In India, the rise of an apartheid state  https://scroll.in/article/1080379/in-india-the-rise-of-an-apartheid-state  India’s festivals now squarely reflect the ever-deepening radicalisation of the majority, the protection and empowerment of Hindutva goons trying to terrorise Muslims and other minorities and separate Hindu and Muslim, and the abandonment of the rule of law... he pressure on the police from down below and up high, from the masses and the people they elect, to follow a bullying, majoritarian agenda that effectively discards the requirements of the law and the Constitution and intends to cleave Hindu from Muslim.

t was unclear why the mob was allowed near the mosque. Perhaps I said that wrong: most Hindu festival processions these days, whether to celebrate Lord Ram’s birthday or Dushera, are somehow allowed to march past mosques, often stopping before them to play pounding music, hurl abuses, throw crackers or colours and generally offer provocation.

 The line blurs between police and vigilante   https://scroll.in/article/1080132/the-line-between-police-and-vigilante-blurs  “Gai hamari mata hai, police hamari baap hai,” the two frightened men shout, wincing in pain in the viral video. The cow is our mother, police is our father. They stumble, fall and limp along as officers flog the two Muslims and parade them through the streets of Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on March 3. the police had no authority to parade and flog them. As it happened, Hindu vigilantes in Ujjain merely found them to be driving a pick-up truck with a cow – and that in new India, especially if you are Muslim, is justification for random violence.

Implementing the Street Vendors Act  https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-problems-with-the-street-vendors-act/article68124512.ece  May 01, 2024
Celebrated as a progressive legislation, the Act now faces numerous challenges in its implementation  Street vendors, estimated to constitute 2.5% of any city’s population, play multifaceted roles in city life. Local vegetable sellers and food vendors are essential providers of daily services. Vending offers many migrants and the urban poor a source of modest yet consistent income. The vendors also make city life affordable for others by providing vital links in the food, nutrition, and goods distribution chain at reasonable prices.

https://ccs.in/progress-report-2020-implementing-street-vendors-act  Download the report https://ccs.in/sites/default/files/2022-08/progress-report-2020-implementing-the-street-vendors-act.pdf

 https://www.civilsocietyonline.com/column/living-rivers/drowning-in-sin/  The Ganga is not just a river but considered mother to millions of Hindus, deeply embedded in both faith and daily life. Beyond religious beliefs, it serves as a vital lifeline for a large part of India’s population. The tradition of taking a holy dip during the Mahakumbh is rooted in the belief that, during specific planetary alignments, the waters of the Ganga transform into ‘Amrit’ — the nectar of immortality.

Given the river’s travel time, water released from Narora Barrage takes approximately 10 days to reach the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, while water from Tehri Dam takes around 22 days. Therefore, these releases are carefully timed in advance of the key bathing days to maintain sufficient water levels.

Flow is a master variable in river ecosystems — when a river’s natural flow improves, it tends to cleanse itself through dilution and sediment transport. However, the greatest challenge remains on-site sewage treatment. 

In an affidavit submitted to the NGT in December 2024, the Uttar Pradesh government reported that out of the 471.92 MLD of total sewage, 293 MLD is discharged into 81 drains flowing into the Ganga and Yamuna, and 178.31 MLD enters the sewage network, which is linked to 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of 390 MLD.

Of the 81 drains carrying sewage into the Ganga, 37 have been connected to STPs, treating approximately 216 MLD of wastewater. However, the remaining 44 drains, which carry 77.42 MLD of sewage, remain untapped and untreated. 

To manage the massive influx of pilgrims, approximately 1,45,000 toilets and urinals were installed. However, many became unusable due to a lack of timely cleaning and maintenance. With over 10,000 sanitation workers operating in shifts, the sheer scale of the gathering made waste management a monumental challenge. Even with 120 tippers and 40 compactor trucks, the solid waste generated during the special bathing days overwhelmed the available infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for more efficient waste management strategies in future events.