NAGAR

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NAGAR is a citizen initiative in Mumbai that has been advocating better governance policies and practices since 2000, often with telling effect.

NAGAR is a not for profit organization established in 2000, born out of the passion of several ordinary citizens with a goal to improve life in the city of Mumbai. It works in the areas of preservation of public open spaces, solid waste management, improvement in air quality, preservation of beaches, mangroves, heritage places, efficient road space management and water conservation. Better policin

g is an area of work that has been added to this list recently. Its creed has been strong and consistent advocacy with Government and its agencies for better implementation of existing laws, suggesting changes in policies for better governance in civic related issues and working towards urban renewal. It has a vast citizen base spread over the city and networks with other civic NGOs on specific issues.

29/07/2025

New BMC Bye-laws 2025
Waste. Cleanliness. Accountability.

The Draft Solid Waste & Cleanliness Bye-laws 2025
Whether you’re a resident, business, or institution, these rules apply to you.
Stay aware. Speak up. Do your part.

14/07/2025

SWM Policy at the Central and the State Level

Targeting the sustainable waste management hierarchy l, the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 was a supersession of the MSW Rules, 2000. This rule extends beyond the municipality to urban agglomerations, census towns etc.

SWM Rules, 2016 is now followed at the state level and in the next post we will see how it shapes the new BMC SWM Bye-laws.

Sources: Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, Environmental Status Report 2023-24 (ESR), Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), Presentation on Policy on Waste Management by MoEFCC, and Abstract of Solid Waste Management in the State of Maharashtra 2018 by MPCB.

Photo Credits: Bloomberg

08/07/2025

Mumbai and Solid Waste Management

Mumbai generates over 9500 MT of solid waste every single day but only 2/3rd is collected by BMC. Much of it ends up in overflowing landfills like Deonar and Kanjur - choking the city's air, water and land. This isn't just a waste problem, it is a climate and health crisis.

Stay tuned for more information on current guidelines and policies for Solid Waste Management.

Sources: Environmental Status Report 2023-24 (ESR), Mumbai Climate Action Plan (MCAP), RDDP, Solid Waste Management Rules 2016

Photo Credits: Bloomberg

03/07/2025

In the judgment of writ petition 1152 of 2002, the Bombay High Court issued 17 directions to protect Mumbai’s reserved public open spaces, which have been compromised by how slum rehabilitation schemes are being implemented.

The Court’s directives assign clear action points with timelines to MCGM, SRA, and the State Government, aiming to ensure transparency, prevent further encroachments, and align housing with environmental justice.

24/06/2025

Beyond the Verdict: 17 Directions to Protect Public Open Spaces

While the Bombay High Court declined to strike down Regulation 17(3)(D)(2) of the DCPR 2034, it acknowledged the critical public concerns raised by NAGAR’s 23-year-long legal battle to safeguard Mumbai’s public open spaces.

The Court invoked Article 226 to issue 17 directions protecting public open spaces, environmental rights, and ensuring accountability in Slum Rehabilitation Schemes.

This is not a defeat, it’s a step forward - one that holds the State accountable for how Mumbai’s open spaces are planned, protected, and shared.

04/04/2025

Street Vending: Understanding the Basics

For the next few posts, we’ll be discussing issues concerning street vending in Mumbai.

To begin with, this post shares key terms defined in the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 — which extends to all of India, except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Act recognizes street vending as a legitimate livelihood, aiming to protect vendors’ rights while regulating their use of public space.

Text source: Street Vendors Act, 2014
Images: Free Vector images (VectorStock, FreePik)

11/11/2024

This timeline traces NAGAR's (formerly CitiSpace) ongoing efforts to address the impact of Slum Rehabilitation Scheme (SRS) developments on plots reserved as Public Open Spaces. Driven by concerns over the diminishing availability of open spaces in Mumbai, NAGAR initiated a Writ Petition in 2002 to advocate for the preservation of these essential public resources. The case is currently ongoing in the High Court.

28/10/2024

From 1967 to 2002, various acts, guidelines, and schemes were introduced by statutory bodies to tackle the challenges posed by growing informal settlements and urban development in Mumbai.

The timeline traces the key legislative and policy measures that shaped the city's landscape and highlights NAGAR’s active involvement in addressing the issues associated with Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes and their impact on public open spaces.

Stay tuned for our upcoming posts, where we’ll dive deeper into the details.

27/08/2024

Suo Moto Proceedings at Bombay High Court to conduct performance audit of the Maharashtra Slum Rehabilitation Act.

Continuing the series on the topic of slum’s rehabilitation, this post provides a gist on Bombay Hight Courts recent involvement in Maharashtra State’s Slum Redevelopment laws.

Text source:
News Article ‘Bombay High Court Calls for a Slum Free Mumbai’ by the Hindu
Vision for a slum-free city: HC seeks replies on law

Image source mentioned on each photo

25/08/2024

Issues of slums and public open spaces in Mumbai

Continuing the series on challenges of slum rehabilitation in Mumbai, in this post we provide a gist of how issues of slum rehabilitation intersect with public open spaces.

22/08/2024

The Story of Mumbai’s Slums

With the High Court actively addressing critical slum redevelopment issues, NAGAR will release a series of posts that offer a comprehensive look at Mumbai’s slums. These posts will include an overview of their historical development, current status, and the various challenges these informal settlements encounter today.

Stay tuned to know more……

20/08/2024

NAGAR invites applications for the full-time position of Research Assistant

Requirements and Qualifications, we seek:

Graduation and/or post-graduation in Architecture, Urban Design, Urban Planning, Public Policy and Governance or any other related discipline.

Knowledge of Adobe Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator), and Microsoft Office is mandatory.

Strong motivation for carrying out research, conducting site visits to collect primary data, and preparing graphics for presentations, reports and other project documents.

Proficiency in English is mandatory and proficiency in Marathi and Hindi is an advantage.

Academic/professional experience in research writing is desirable.

We prefer candidates based in Mumbai

Those interested fill in the application form by clicking the link in bio or by scanning the QR code before August 31 2024.

Address

Cecil Court, 3rd Floor, Mahakavi Bhushan Marg, Colaba
Mumbai
400001

Telephone

+912222021621

Website

http://www.nagar.org.in/

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