Save India's urban ecosystems: Citizens need to chip in

While local administrations have a big role in doing what's needed, people must step up to the plate too

- LEENA SRIVASTAVA

Come March and India's urban residents develop a feverish feeling arising from the anticipated onslaught of summer heat. As monsoon rains near, that feeling transitions to a sense of foreboding over the risk of flooded roads, stranded cars and man-eating manholes. The annual post-monsoon festive season also brings with it a choke-hold associated with deadly air pollution—at levels so high that it makes our air-quality metrics worthless. December and January complete the cycle as we prepare for a new year, with its year-round challenges of solid-waste pollution and traffic congestion. All of these translate into huge economic and well-being losses, even if we lack the data and analysis to estimate these.