With the rise in transport infrastructure projects, in the name of nation-building, the informal economies continue to bear the brunt of ‘public purpose’ projects.
“Internal displacement is the great tragedy of our time. The internally displaced people are among the most vulnerable of the human family” – Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General
For decades, India has been experiencing immense pressure on its transport infrastructure to meet the growing demand of its population. The aggressive approach to transport infrastructure development coupled with a lack of sustainable urbanisation policies has resulted in issues such as congestion pollution, overcrowding and accidents while also excluding accessibility for the economically weaker sections, women and disabled people. One of the major consequences of the rather disorderly and haphazard construction of such transport infrastructures, and which is the subject of discussion here, is the displacement of communities, particularly of the informal economies.
The flight and plight of Gender and Mobility in Urban India
Why are footpaths, a mandatory infrastructure, designed as an afterthought to vehicles and commercial establishments? Photo by The Hindu
The intersection of gender and movement in urban India reveals a complex and often overlooked aspect of city life, shaping experiences and opportunities for individuals across the spectrum. Transportation forms the backbone of daily life, enabling access to work, education, healthcare and social activities. However, the reality is that transportation systems often fail to address the diverse needs of women, men, and gender minorities equally. In this exploration of gender and movement in Urban India, we delve into the significance of transportation as not just a means of getting from point A to point B, but as a reflection of societal norms and a crucial factor in ensuring the freedom of movement and well being of all individuals.
A commentary on the approach to designing/building mobility infrastructure in urban India with a focus on the neglected spaces below the flyovers.
The solution to traffic congestion woes — Flyovers! Photo: Suyashi Paliwal
In Indian cities, flyovers define ‘modernity’. Over the past four decades, our cities have evolved to revolve around automobiles with their prime focus on how to cater to the demands of vehicular movement and decrease congestion on roads. Planning and development agencies have fetishised the construction of flyovers for years — in reality however, they are only a temporary respite from traffic woes. Constructed at great speed, flyovers are still looked at as engineering projects, rather than holistic urban interventions that effectively alter not just the movement of vehicles, but the urban fabric permanently. The ‘negative’ space created underneath these structures is something that is seldom thought about or at best put an afterthought to.
Mobility in urban India can be defined as the capability to move from one location to another influenced by the push ( i.e. outflux of people) and the pull ( i.e. influx of people) factor. The need for a better livelihood and an elevated socio-economic environment often supervises these factors of pull whereas the scarcity of basic domestic services and employment viability provide the push for the city’s inhabitants. The public transportation system often serves as the performative nerve connecting people from their houses to the areas of employment in the city and also formulates a kinetic perception of its morphology.
Sanjiv Shah is a film editor, producer, and filmmaker engaged largely with documentaries dealing with social issues, and exploring forms of film. As a part of the exhibition The State of Housing (2018) in Mumbai, he directed a video looking at the housing crisis in India over the last 70 years.
Arjun Gourisaria
Arjun is a producer, director, editor and instructor. He has won many awards including two National Awards for Editing – for the documentaries ‘Gulabi Gang’ (2014) and ‘Shut Up Sona’ (2020). His maiden co-directorial feature, ‘Sthaniya Sambaad’ (2011) won the Best Film Award at the New York Indian Film Festival.
Pankaj Rishi Kumar
After graduating from FTII Pune, India, in 1992, with a specialisation in Film Editing, Pankaj was assistant editor on Sekhar Kapur’s ‘Bandit Queen’. He made his first film ‘Kumar Talkies’ in 1998. Pankaj has become a one-man crew- producing, directing, shooting and editing his own films under the banner of Kumar Talkies. His films have been screened at film festivals all over the world. Pankaj also curates and teaches.
Bina Paul
Bina works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She has over fifty editing credits. Bina won her first National Film Award for Revathi’s ‘Mitr, My Friend’, which had an all-woman crew. She has been the artistic director of the International Film Festival of Kerala and in 2017 she was appointed as one of the heads of “Women Collective in Cinema”.
Sourav Sarangi
Sourav Sarangi is an award-winning film maker from India. He put down his geologist’s hammer to pick up a camera and tell stories. Stories that entertained and informed us, stories that transformed our views. His journey began from Kanthi, a small town in South Bengal, to become a fellow of the Film Independent, LA, in collaboration with The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. National and international film festivals in Berlin, Sydney, Dubai, Locarno, Nyon, Yamagata, Guangzhou, Moscow, Goa, Thessaloniki, Busan, Toronto and many more have premiered and awarded his films. Broadcasters and academic institutions found him a large global audience. “I don’t follow stories, they live in me,” says Sourav.
Rajula Shah
Rajula completed her diploma in Film Direction from FTII, Pune. She holds a masters degree in English Literature. She has been producing/ directing short films since 2000; has worked extensively in film and video, exploring the boundaries of fiction/ non-fiction, photography, video essay, & New Media Practice.
Mobility is the capability to move from one location to another influenced by the push (i.e., outflux of people) and the pull (i.e., influx of people) factor. This movement is governed by three key interrelated choices that citizens make, namely, housing, transport and livelihoods.
Past editions of Nagari have looked at the themes of housing adequacy and livelihoods in urban India. Keeping transport as the central performative nerve in an urban environment, this year’s Nagari bioscope aims to create an anthology documenting the elements governing mobility and its dynamics in shaping Indian cities.
Mobility in Urban India
Click on the image above to learn more about the Final FilmsClick on the image above to know about the winning entriesClick on the image above to view the Nagari 2024 Award Ceremony proceedingsClick on the image above to learn more about the shortlisted entriesClick on the image above to view the full brief
An overview on this year’s Nagari theme — this blog discusses how urban mobility in India is shaped by socio-economic factors and the crucial role of public transportation in connecting people to jobs.
This photoblog is a commentary on the approach to designing/building mobility infrastructure in urban India with a focus on the neglected spaces below the flyovers.
This blog talks about displacement of informal economies as a result of transport infrastructure projects in the urban areas of India and the lack of sustainable urban development policies.
Martha Chen is a Lecturer in Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and Senior Advisor of the global network Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing. An experienced development practitioner and scholar, her area of specialisation is the working poor in the informal economy.
Dr. Chen received a PhD in South Asia Regional Studies from the University of Pennsylvania; and was awarded a Padma Shri by the Government of India.
Roy Wadia is a Regional Communications Chief at WHO/Europe. His key area of work is Public Health and Development Communications and Advocacy.
Avijit Mukul Kishore is a cinematographer and filmmaker based in Mumbai. Kishore studied history at Delhi University (1987-92) and worked as a broadcaster on state television Doordarshan (1987-91) and All India Radio (1990-92). He studied cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune (1995) and works primarily in documentary films and interdisciplinary moving-image practices. His films as director include An Election Diary, Nostalgia for the Future, Squeeze Lime in Your Eye, Vertical City, Certified Universal and Snapshots from a Family Album. He is also involved in cinema pedagogy as a lecturer and curates film programmes for prominent national cultural institutions. He is one of the 4 mentors for the Nagari short film competition 2023.
Nondita Correa Mehrotra is an architect working in India and the United States. Correa Mehrotra is principal of RMA Architects, which has offices in Mumbai and Boston. She is also Director of the Charles Correa Foundation, based in Panaji, India, and had worked for over two decades with Charles Correa from 1990 to when he closed his office in 2012.
“हसरतें बसरत” (Hasratein Basrat) stands out for its cinematic creativity, skillfully delving into the complexities of urban commons. Its thought-provoking storytelling navigates seamlessly through issues of waste, politics, and social equity, intertwining them with mythic threads of history. The film sheds light on the past’s significance in shaping the future, particularly evident in the rise and fall of the mound in Jajmau, Kanpur – the leather city of India.
With powerful characters and a satirical touch, the film immerses the audience in the lives of tannery workers living beside the infamous mound and the harsh realities they have to face. The film’s cinematic language, both lyrical and appealing, elevates its narrative, creating a compelling exploration of the past and the present.
Film by Oshee Johri & Nipun Prabhakar Mentored by Rajula Shah
Jury Citation:
“कार्य प्रगति पर है” (A Work in Progress) adeptly confronts a significant issue plaguing our country – construction waste, a formidable obstacle to our development. Its approach is subtle, never overtly forceful, delicately unfolding the narrative against the backdrop of Bhopal, where the city itself becomes a character in this compelling story. A striking irony unfolds as houses are dismantled only to give rise to new ones.
The film’s cyclical nature highlights the resilience of often-overlooked women builders reclaiming urban waste. While urging immediate action, the film instils hope through the endeavours of these citizens, transforming adversity into opportunity. The portrayal of people navigating a challenging situation and creating something meaningful resonates powerfully, ensuring that both the film and its theme have a lasting impact on the viewers.
Film by Ayush Ray & Ritam Sarkar Mentored by Bina Paul
Jury Citation:
“Junk-e” shines a spotlight on individuals actively engaged in attending to the looming crisis of electronic waste management and its segregation in Marghat, Kolkata. Through a nuanced portrayal, the film artfully navigates the urban landscape, employing interviews and storytelling.
Junk-e’s ability to engage with its subject matter in a subtle yet impactful manner distinguishes it, making it a noteworthy exploration of the intersection between the city, electronic waste and the people engaged in its management. Through the exploration of e-waste management as a means of livelihood, the film successfully gives a voice to these individuals engaging with it daily, beautifully portraying their interactions.
Film by Kabir Naik & Kuhu Saha Mentored by Avijit Mukul Kishore
People from diverse backgrounds share a common connection with their city’s creek, collectively narrating its story. “अवनति (Avnati)” unveils the tragic decline of the St. Inez Creek in Panaji, Goa. Enriched by a compelling Konkani soundtrack, the film captures emotional ties between the city and the creek, exposing its degradation due to sedimentation, pollution, and neglect.The film also inspires hope through restoration initiatives, urging collective responsibility.
Sanjiv Shah is a film editor, producer, and filmmaker engaged largely with documentaries dealing with social issues, and exploring forms of film. As a part of the exhibition The State of Housing (2018) in Mumbai, he directed a video looking at the housing crisis in India over the last 70 years.
Bina Paul
Bina Paul works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She has over fifty editing credits and has directed four documentaries. Her first editing work was in 1985 on Aravindan’s documentary The Seer Who Walks Alone and her first feature film work was on Abraham’s Amma Ariyan in 1986. Paul won her first National Film Award for Revathi’s Mitr, My Friend, which had an all-woman crew.
Avijit Mukul Kishore
Avijit Mukul Kishore is a filmmaker and cinematographer, working in documentary and interdisciplinary moving image practices. He’s involved in cinema pedagogy as a lecturer and curates film programmes for prominent national cultural institutions.
Rajula Shah
Rajula is a Poet, Filmmaker & Visual Artist. Her practice emerges through close collaboration with people, their histories & environments exploring boundaries of fiction/non-fiction through New Media. Developing new strategies for the study & practice of Cinema in changing contexts is a concern with her.
Arjun Gourisaria
Arjun is a producer, director, editor and instructor. He has won many awards including two National Awards for Editing – for the documentaries ‘Gulabi Gang’ (2014) and ‘Shut Up Sona’ (2020). His maiden co-directorial feature, ‘Sthaniya Sambaad’ (2011) won the Best Film Award at the New York Indian Film Festival.
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In the city of Guwahati, a visual artist embarks on a unique journey, weaving together the discarded remnants of electronic waste with various inspirations from the city. The film captures the artist’s unconventional muse as he scours the urban landscape for discarded gadgets and electronics along with his experiences with different groups of people. As the artist navigates the bustling streets of Guwahati, the film explores the symbiotic relationship between urbanity, waste, and artistic innovation, offering a poignant reflection on the potential for beauty in the overlooked and the forgotten.
हसरतें बसरत (HASRATEIN BASRAT)
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In the city of Kanpur lies a suburb named Jajmau that lends fame to the city with its leather industry. Wrapped in the smell of a mixture of hazardous chemicals like chromium and arsenic- we find an ancient mound that has witnessed the wheels of time affect Jajmau in all its glory and downfall. There seems to be an ancient structure (some call it a fort) buried inside this huge mound in Jajmau. However, the history of the mound seems to be lost. But a folk-tale is borne by the people of Jajmau as this surreality of a fort buried inside a mound becomes part of their everyday life. With the constant threat of demolition haunting their everyday life, the qaramat of the famed local saint Hazrat Maqdoom Shah Ala offers solace in the face of adversity.
अवनति (AVNATI)
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People from diverse backgrounds share a common connection with their city’s creek, collectively narrating its story. “अवनति (Avnati),” unfolds the tragic decline of the St. Inez Creek in Panaji, Goa. With a compelling Konkani soundtrack, the film delves into the emotional ties binding the city and the creek. Through interviews and compelling visuals, it exposes the degradation caused by sedimentation, pollution, and neglect. Despite the creek facing formidable challenges, the film instils hope by showcasing the positive changes achievable through restoration initiatives. The film concludes with a powerful call to action, emphasizing the on the role of collective responsibility in preserving the environment and nurturing a brighter future for St. Inez Creek and beyond. Various individuals, each representing a unique background, contribute to this collective narrative, weaving a tapestry that vividly portrays the intricate relationship between the community and their cherished waterway.
FISH AND THE FRIEND
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In the humble place of Pamohi located in the city of Guwahati, Nisha – a spirited nine-year-old girl from a marginal background finds solace in caring for her beloved pet fish. She attends a unique school where plastic is accepted as fees and students are taught vocational skills, gardening, and the importance of recycling. However, a looming threat overshadows their efforts – a massive dumping ground that has grown into a mountain of plastic, just beyond their school. Desperate for a companion for her fish, Nisha discovers a narrow stream filled with hope on her route to school, but her joy is short-lived. The stream becomes a suffocating trap, engulfed in plastic waste, causing her newfound friend to vanish. Crushed by this loss, Nisha confides in Niha, who rallies their friends to form a determined team on a mission to find the fish and restore hope to their lives.
JUNK-E
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This film is an observational exploration of the crisis of electronic waste, more commonly known as e-waste, in Magrahat, located 45 kms south of Kolkata. This region has unfortunately become a growing hub for toxic waste generated from discarded electrical and electronic materials.
Amid the challenges and complexities, Magrahat stands as a poignant reminder of the intricate relationship between technology, society, and the environment, where e-waste is both a livelihood and a looming crisis. It encapsulates the paradox of progress and waste, while also showcasing the potential for grassroots initiatives to address this pressing global issue. Reflecting the broader global conversation about the environmental impact of consumer electronics, the film raises an important question about the life cycle of technology, from its creation to its eventual disposal, and the responsibility that both manufacturers and consumers bear in ensuring a more sustainable future.
गौरैया (SPARROW)
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“Gauraiya” is a poignant documentary that exposes the challenges faced by residents living near the Ghazipur dumpyard. The film highlights the contaminated water sources, poor waste management, and high levels of air pollution in the area, leading to health hazards and diseases. Through the story of a family with a child suffering from health complications, the film showcases the impact of these environmental factors on their lives. It serves as a call for action for improved waste management and sustainable development, urging viewers to consider the interconnectedness of environmental and social issues.
कार्य प्रगति पर है (A WORK IN PROGRESS)
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This film, set in the heart of India, Bhopal, traces the waste that flows from demolition sites in a fast-growing city. The Construction and Demolition waste is a major environmental hazard. The recycling plants installed by the government are only able to address 1% of the total waste generated in the country. Through this film, we get acquainted with the everyday practices of people residing in an informal settlement in the city, called Mandwa. We see how they beautifully reuse the C&D waste to build their homes, one brick and a few tiles at a time.
SAMAYADA HARIVU (FLOW OF TIME)
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“Samayada Harivu (Flow of Time)” delves into thelived experiences of Noor Mary and Prasad, inhabitants residing on opposite sides of the historic Begur Lake. The documentary observes the complexities surrounding the concept of reclamation and its relevance today. For Noor Mary, the lake is a way to practice sustainable agriculture, whereas for Prasad it is a means of recreation and a chance to stay connected with nature. The contrast between the two distinct voices and the communities they represent emerges.
The film paints a picture of the historical significance of the lake, emphasizing thedaily interactions that defined lives then. However, shifting water and land usage patterns resulted in a diminished connection with the lake over time. As the documentary unfolds, it sheds light on recent community-driven efforts to reclaim the Begur Lake.
Through the voices of Noor Mary and Prasad, the film prompts viewers to reflect on the very essence of reclamation- raising essential questions about its true nature and the beneficiaries of such endeavors. The Begur Lake once meant a way of sustainable livelihood. Today it is a testament to an act of restoration.
RAAT KI JAGMAG
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The film looks at Manek Chowk, an urban space in the old city of Ahmedabad. Manek Chowk is known for its display of a vibrant food culture, which begins after sunset and transitions from the night’s darkness into the early morning hours. It captures the dynamic quality of the area that changes from a parking lot in the day time to a food market at night. The make-shift food vendors settle down every evening organically in the available space, reclaiming it. The film showcases the everyday negotiations made in this space through physical bodies and objects within it. Capturing the narratives of various users of the chowk, it showcases the multiple ‘obstructions’ that become a part of its everyday life. Amidst the ephemeral romanticism lies the question of whose space and how it becomes irrelevant individually.
Sanjiv Shah is a film editor, producer, and filmmaker engaged largely with documentaries dealing with social issues, and exploring forms of film. As a part of the exhibition The State of Housing (2018) in Mumbai, he directed a video looking at the housing crisis in India over the last 70 years.
Bina Paul
Bina Paul works mainly in Malayalam-language films. She has over fifty editing credits and has directed four documentaries. Her first editing work was in 1985 on Aravindan’s documentary The Seer Who Walks Alone and her first feature film work was on Abraham’s Amma Ariyan in 1986. Paul won her first National Film Award for Revathi’s Mitr, My Friend, which had an all-woman crew.
Avijit Mukul Kishore
Avijit Mukul Kishore is a filmmaker and cinematographer, working in documentary and interdisciplinary moving image practices. He’s involved in cinema pedagogy as a lecturer and curates film programmes for prominent national cultural institutions.
Rajula Shah
Rajula is a Poet, Filmmaker & Visual Artist. Her practice emerges through close collaboration with people, their histories & environments exploring boundaries of fiction/non-fiction through New Media. Developing new strategies for the study & practice of Cinema in changing contexts is a concern with her.
Deepa Dhanraj
Deepa’s documentaries and writing that span a period of forty years, engage with questions related to women’s status, political participation and resistance. Her films have been screened and awarded at national and international film festivals, and she has also served on the Jury at National and International film festivals.
India’s rapid expansion has created, and been supported by, a complex series of infrastructural systems. The country’s burgeoning population, record of urbanisation and changing consumption patterns have created growing amounts of waste that demand our attention. There is a need to understand the complex processes involved in the waste we generate and how it has now infringed on the urban commons.
As the film competition continues to expand its exploration into the daily lives in urban India, Nagari 2023 will focus on Reclaiming the Urban Commons through the lens of waste management – its generation, management, disposal, treatment and the individual stories of people that are affected by it. The Nagari films aim to explore strategies and solutions to the various issues that are linked to the theme.
Reclaiming the Urban Commons
Click on the image above to learn more about the Final FilmsClick on the image above to know about the winning entriesClick on the image above to view the Nagari 2023 Award Ceremony proceedingsClick on the image above to learn more about the shortlisted entriesClick on the image above to view the full brief
Mumbai: Two short films from Mumbai won a Nagari 2022 short film competition organised by the Charles Correa foundation (CCF). The Nagari short film competition is an annual competition designed to guide and develop films that focus on urban issues specific to Indian cities.
The Charles Correa Foundation, which organised the competition, is an initiative of internationally renowned architect and urban planner Charles Correa. After receiving an initial plan, film-makers whose ideas are shortlisted are allotted a mentor to guide them through the whole documentary process.
The two films from Mumbai that won awards are ‘Pipe Dream’ and ‘The Chaviwallahs of Mumbai’. The first won a Special Jury Award and the second a Jury Commendation award. Both films focus on the struggles around getting a water connection in a city like Mumbai.
Film by Priya Naresh. Palak Patel & Aniket Kolarkar Mentor Sanjiv Shah
Jury Citation:
“अख्खा दिन, अख्खी रात (All Day and all of the Night) is extraordinary in its representation of the monstrous injustice of rehousing people next to a toxic landfill. There has been a masterful use of film as a medium to slip in subtle juxtapositions of politics, of relocated marginalised communities and gender inequality against the backdrop of a growing mountain of garbage. The hopeful, self-told story of the young protagonist is rendered all the more poignant because of the state of injustice that she matter-of-factly accepts.
The film is deeply moving with its evocative visuals of the growing dump of waste while life continues to exist on its edge, reinforcing the gravity of the problem while pulling the viewer in. The film captures compelling scenes of a community’s struggle for procuring clean drinking water as rainwater, running through the landfill, drowns their low-lying houses. The music score is well-woven with the raw imagery to reveal a quietly searing yet poetic cinematic language.”
Film by Maharshi Kashyap, Susmita Talukdar, Zeba Zoariah Ahsan, Biswajit Das, Dhruba Hazarika & Koushik Tamilmaran Mentor: Sanjiv Shah
Jury Citation:
“শিলসাঁকোৰ উদং বুকু (Remember Silsako) is a commendable tale of the Silsaku Beel, a wetland in Guwahati, threatened by the growing needs of the city. The disturbing decline in the state of the wetland, its impact on the communities dependent on it and the attitudes of urban dwellers in its vicinity comes together through striking visuals and beautifully paired soundtrack.
Driven by a fictional narrative, the film shows the various stakeholders that are intertwined with the wetland, from the flora and fauna, illegal residents along its edges, the Government and the people who seek to exploit it. Through its ironic narrative style, the film depicts the contradictions and complexities of the relationship between ecologies and the development of new settlements as the city expands.”
Film by Suraj Katra, Jai Mati, Prachi Adesara & Sitaram Shelar Mentor: Avijit Mukul Kishore
Jury Citation:
“Pipe Dream is commended for its compelling story of the impossible task of obtaining a legal water connection in the settlement of Siddharth Nagar in Mumbai. It presents an ‘other’ Mumbai, and the communities that get pushed to the precarious margins of the city by municipal authority, apathy and sheer neglect.
Jai Mati’s role as a community mobilizer with immense patience helps narrate the journey of bureaucratic delays and the reams of documents required to get access to water in this urban settlement. Following Jai Mati through the day, we see him collecting paperwork to be submitted, following up with government officials and then setting up inspection meetings with the officials and the people of Siddharth Nagar. The film reaches a hopeful conclusion, when we learn that Siddharth Nagar will finally be given a legal water connection after 30 years. Pipe Dream is a story of hope and patience, tied together with powerful imagery and a compelling protagonist.”
Film by Akanksha Gupta & Gopal MS Mentor: Avijit Mukul Kishore
Jury Citation:
“The Chaviwallahs of Mumbai is acknowledged for presenting the disparity in water distribution in a city. The Chaviwallah is used as a metaphor for the various factors that decide whether an individual or community will be given or denied their right to a water connection. Steering through topics like distress migration and political pressures determining access to water connections, the film uses a striking theme to address injustice, showing the disparities in access to water that the city perpetuates through its structures of governance and water management.”
Film by Niki Nirvikalpa, Sugantha Priscilla & Prasanth Kumar K Mentor: Bina Paul
Jury Citation:
“The Many Journeys of Water is acknowledged for amplifying the voices of women entrepreneurs involved in the sanitation and water treatment industry in Trichy. The film presents itself as a reportage into the lives of two desludging operators and how they negotiate navigate their roles in the city, negotiating social, political and economic relations of power.”
Film by Priyadharshan Anand, Nagendran Arumugam, Arunmani Vasu, Dishon C Prince Mentor: Arjun Gourisaria
The film explores the tale of the Kosasthalai river –narrated by Kumaresan, a native fisherman, voicing for the land, the people, its flora and fauna. Kosasthalaiyar is Chennai’s largest river, sprawling over 7000 acres. The intervention of Government & private industrial ambitions on its ecological corridor has created an environmental crime scene depleting the existing natural fabric. Adani’s proposed port expansion will completely be destroying the remains of every river based and coastal ecosystem that’s left.
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Located on the southern bank of the Ganga, Patna, the capital of Bihar, is emerging as a ‘smart’ city with a massive influx of modern infrastructure. Close to the city are the riverine islands of Ganga, known as the Diaras, which contrary to the city, struggle to access the basic infrastructure to meet their everyday essential needs. The film focuses on the Diaras and their unique relationship with the Ganga and highlights the contrast between life at two opposing ends of the same river— Diaras and Patna. It shows how the development of permanent concrete structures on the river edge directly threatens floods in low-lying areas like the Diaras. Hence, the film questions the infrastructure-heavy development that most cities are witnessing, their disastrous impacts on the fragile natural environment and how Diaras can pave the way for a more ecological and harmonious form of development.
अख्खा दिन, अख्खी रात – All day and all of the night
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The film is about the relationship that a 13 yr old girl shares with water while living next to Ahmedabad’s largest landfill. This poorly planned area has contaminated borewell water and a poor water distribution network. We explore the struggles of procuring clean drinking water, especially during the monsoons when the rainwater running through the landfill drowns their low-lying houses.
नावाडी (Boat rider)
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This film is a story of a “Navadi ” named Sadashiv Ambi, who is a boat rider and rescues people trapped in floods in Kolhapur and Sangli of Maharashtra. Along with Ambi navidi’s individual story, the film talks about how unplanned urban areas are making cities flood prone. Every year water reaches the interior of the city, damaging the already crumbling infrastructure of the city. The once prosperous princely state built on the vision of Shahu Maharaj, is now on the edge of extinction because of man made disaster coupled with climate change.
दगड आणि पाणी – Rock and water
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Dagad ani Paani aims to address the real and metaphorical invisibility of groundwater – one of the first difficulties in understanding and managing the biggest resource of freshwater available to us. We imagined the film to emerge from an enabling process that reduces the distance between art/research & its social relevance/applications. After discussions with Rajula Shah – our mentor – we conducted workshops on groundwater with children from two different contexts of caste (and class).
With children we shared current research work being conducted on groundwater and children asked us questions that really gave a direction to our reflections and the filming process. Through observations, drawings and questions children reflected on social disparities and conflicts that they encountered.
Dr. Himanshu Kulkarni, a leading scientist, generously adds to what one of the children says about illegal pumping of groundwater. We stayed with troubling questions that children pose, the questions point to the anxieties that they are growing up with.
The Many Journeys of Water
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The journey of water doesn’t end at the toilet when you flush it. The journey of ‘wastewater’ or sewage, as it is now known, begins here. This is a story about the wastewater of a town in Tamil Nadu, which, perhaps, is the story of wastewater across many Indian towns, and the lessons we can, perhaps, learn.
66% of Tamil Nadu relies on septic tanks to store their wastewater, which needs emptying, or desludging periodically. This is done mostly by private entrepreneurs, known as desludging operators. We follow two women, Parameshwari and Aravalli, who are desludging entrepreneurs in Tiruchirapalli.
These subterranean, out-of-sight aspects of water are mostly outside the consciousness of society, but are essential for the smooth running of our cities and towns. Thanks to this invisibilization, conversations about sanitation are not mainstreamed. The film is an attempt to make visible these hidden stories.
Pipe Dream
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Pipe Dream is a film about Jai Mati, a resident of an informal settlement in Mumbai, and his work navigating the complex process of applying for a water connection with the city authority. Home to nearly 1000 people, Siddharth Nagar does not have access to the city’s official water. Residents buy water from shops, transport containers from employers’ houses, and hire private water tankers to fulfil their water needs.
Owing to the overwhelming and intimidating nature of the process, many residents have accepted this reality and hold no hope for a legal water connection which in many ways is tied to ideas of citizenship, belonging, and legality. Since 2015, Jai Mati has painstakingly collected documentation, met with authorities, dealt with internal politics, educated himself and other residents on the constitutional remedies and dedicated himself to the goal of obtaining legal water.
The Bhavi Project
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The ‘Bhavi project’ documents the changing narrative of open wells as physical systems of water storage and their association with communities. The film is developed on a fundamental premise, ‘What is the future of cities without open wells?’ and the same is enquired through the lens of Vaddar community. It builds an enquiry towards sustenance of open wells and its impact on the well digging profession.
The narrative is envisioned as-
Wisdom and history: Establishing the well digging community, their association with wells and communities in the pasts
Soil and sweat: The process of understanding the complex ground water system and its construction in public and private spaces.
The slow death: The ground water system is under continuous pressure and exploitation in terms of contamination, increase in borewells and excessive pumping.
Making the invisible, visible: Water in open wells is visible and hence is looked after. The film is a lens through the lens of these traditional systems in today’s ever changing context. How do we safeguard the ground water systems and its people?
This can contribute to restoring the ground water levels and also support the well digging profession.
শিলসাঁকোৰ উদং বুকু – Remember Silsako
Click the poster to watch the film or follow the link here.
Silsako is a wetland on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam that has been dwindling in size because of haphazard development activities over the past few decades. The wetland in picture has been providing various sources of livelihoods for the people and many of them are still dependent on this resource.
With eviction drives that displace people and their homes, it also displaces hopes and aspirations. Climate change and mindless human activities surrounding the beel has reduced the life of this wetland.
It has once again ignited the debate, whether development should take precedence over ecology and environment. Silsako evokes a poignant memory and this film is an attempt to revisit a space that will determine the future of the city.
Olam
Click the poster to watch the film or follow the link here.
Kosasthalaiyar is Chennai’s largest river running through the northern corridor of the Metropolitan City, sprawling over 7000 acres. People living along the river stretch share a strong bond with water and the ecosystems sustained by it. Ennore – Pulicat wetlands, The Ennore Creek and the Kosasthalaiyar River are natural shock absorbers that mitigate flooding during rains or tidal surges, check salinity. They are key problem solvers to Chennai’s water management and flood control.
The intervention of Government & private industrial ambitions on the ecological corridor of Ennore has created an environmental crime scene depleting the existing natural fabric. Adani’s proposed port expansion will further cripple the region, completely destroying the remains of every river based and coastal ecosystem that’s leftover. The film explores the tale of the Kosasthalai river –narrated by Kumaresan, a native fisherman, voicing for the land, the people, its flora and fauna.
The Chaviwallahs of Mumbai
Click the poster to watch the film or follow the link here.
The film attempts to construct a hydraulic portrait of Mumbai, a city steeped in a dense network of piped politics. The film looks at the water distribution system in Mumbai and the various people or factors that determine where the water flows in the city and who receives it. Prodding at a cardinal question who are the gatekeepers in an otherwise centralised water distribution system in Mumbai.
Moving Mountains centres around issues of dependency, recharge and social-ecological realities shaped by groundwater. It will also dwell on the consequences of coupling land rights with water rights. It aims to explore what this does to disparity in distribution as well as recharge.
Antarjala
Antarjala is about Bengaluru’s changing relationship with water has been a story of urban growth, and also one of intimate change in a community’s relationship with water. The proposal aims to dive into understanding ‘scarcity’ as more than just a natural phenomenon, but also a socially mediated political process.
Navadi
Navadi is the story of a boat rider who rescues hundreds of people trapped in the flood every year in Kolhapur. The proposal explores the evident reasons of flood as unplanned urbanization and lack of disaster management response.
पानी का खेल (Waiting)
पानी का खेल (Waiting) seeks to represent water access issues in Mumbai as more than just that. It depicts the all-consuming process of obtaining an official water connection as a resident of an informal settlement, and through that, raises questions of legitimacy, right, and belonging.
फासले (So far, So close)
फासले (So far, So close) charts instances of disparities in distribution attempting to make palpable, its far reaching consequences. It also aims to unravel the contradiction of distances associated with the ‘urban organism’ – which demands being fed with people & resources from far & wide.
डूबती ईंटे (Sinking Bricks)
डूबती ईंटे (Sinking Bricks) looks at a family living in a small brick house, surrounded with water on all sides during the rains. This water contains wastewater and industrial waste from the colonies, garbage and rain water which all gets stagnant here. The proposal is about the daily struggle of this family and the many people living here.
நீ ரின்றி அமையாது (Nothing without Water)
நீ ரின்றி அமையாது (Nothing without Water) looks at how water is the most essential component that sustains human life. But we’ve come a long way from thriving around a river’s existence to disrespecting its presence and contributions. This proposal narrates the story of exploitation of Ennore’s rich Creek and Kosasthalaiyar river due to excess encroachments and discharges by government and private industrial ambitions.
শিলসাঁকোৰ উদং বুকু (Remember Xilxaku)
শিলসাঁকোৰ উদং বুকু (Remember Xilxaku) is about the ecosystem of Xilxaku Beel, an important wetland in Guwahati is being destroyed to make an artificial concrete eco-park. I met the fairy of the Beel, Jol Kuwori, who was crying helplessly beside her destroyed home.
The Chaviwallahs of Mumbai
The Chaviwallahs of Mumbai looks to explore the idea of what makes water move in this city. Who has access to it and who doesn’t. While the keymen control the flow of water by opening and closing of valves, who are the real chaviwallah’s that influence the flow of water in this city.
Bombay Hotel
Bombay Hotel explores the relationship that children of the Bombay Hotel area in Ahmedabad share with water and its accessibility while living next to the city’s largest garbage site.
The Bhavi Project
The Bhavi Project documents open wells as traditional water systems and their changing needs, through the lens of Vaddars, the traditional well-digger community in Bengaluru city. Through engrained stories, the film builds an inquiry towards the sustenance of these open wells and their adaptation to cater to increasing water needs and changing lifestyles.
Aragol
Aragol looks at the life of the migrant artisanal coracle fishing community whose economies and livelihood solely depend on the Cochin estuary. It will illustrate the paradoxical relationship the community has with the city and its water body.
Bypassing Diaras
Bypassing Diaras attempts to document the unique relationship between the residents of Diara and the river Ganga in Patna. Diaras are riverine islands formed between the natural levees of the river as a result of silt deposition. In recent years, there has been a massive push toward infrastructure building, particularly projects concerned with urban mobility. But Diaras continue to face mobility challenges due to annual flooding and exclusionary planning.
The Many Journeys of Water
The Many Journeys of Water is an exploration of the many journeys of water—from fresh to black and grey waters—and the journey of a few women who are intrinsically linked to this journey of water.
Mridula Ramesh is the author of the critically acclaimed The Climate Solution and the newly released, Watershed, and the founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, which focuses on waste and water solutions. She is an active cleantech angel investor, with a portfolio of over twenty start-ups. A graduate with distinction from Cornell University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Mridula worked at McKinsey in Silicon Valley and is the executive director of Sundaram Textiles. She is part of the board of trustees of World Wildlife Fund, India, and chairperson of the board of governors at National Institute of Technology, Andhra Pradesh. She lives and experiments in Madurai in a (nearly) net-zero-waste home with her husband and two children.
Addressing various factors associated with Water and Urbanism
Vishwanath S
S. Vishwanath is a Civil Engineer and an Urban Planner. He has 34 years of experience in the water, waste-water and sanitation sector helping design rainwater harvesting, aquifer recharge, wastewater recycling and ecosan systems. He is an Adjunct Professor and teaches a course on the theme – “Water” at the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India. He is a Trustee with the Biome Environmental Trust and a Director at Biome Environmental Solutions, an Ecological Architecture practicing firm. He is a member of the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance a global alliance of people and groups working towards sustainable sanitation. He is a member of the International Water Association. He wrote a weekly column called Waterwise for 12 years for The Hindu. He has been a member of various expert committee which helped formulate the Rainwater harvesting policy and law for Bengaluru, the Waste-water policy for Karnataka and the Water Policy for Karnataka, drafted by the Karnataka Knowledge Commission. He was the Secretary General of the International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association for 4 years. He was the Advisor at Arghyam and for the India Water Portal for 10 years
Hussain Indorewala
Hussain Indorewala is a teacher and urban researcher. He teaches planning theory, housing and humanities at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture (KRVIA) in Mumbai. His research work has focused on urban history, infrastructure planning, politics of land and housing, and sustainable transport. He writes frequently in the popular press on urban development, planning and policy. He is the founder partner of the Collective for Spatial Alternatives (CSA), an action research and community planning collective.
Sarita Fernandes
Sarita Fernandes is a coastal, small-island state and maritime policy scholar, with her work and specialisation on land-use changes of coastal zones, conservation of olive ridley sea turtles and coastal disaster management. She also works on ocean governance and marine resource management of maritime zones and stakeholder climate equity into domestic and intergovernmental policies. She studies spatial distribution of different ocean sectors on coastal commons, policy, community-conservation and case-studies of conflict within ocean economic sectors using the same zones.
She has completed her Masters in Public Policy from St. Xavier’s College (Mumbai) and her Post-Graduate Diploma in International Relations and Foreign Policy from the Pherozshah Mehta Bhavan-Department of Civics and Pol. Science in the University of Bombay. Her Masters thesis in public policy included a policy-analysis of the impact of coastal policy (CRZ notifications) on Mumbai’s coastline and her second thesis involved a stakeholder feasibility framework of UNCLOS (United Nations Convention of The Law Of The Sea). Sarita is based out of Goa and New Delhi and is the founder and managing trustee of the Goa Sea Turtle Trust and the Ocean, Coastal and Ecological Alliance Network (O.C.E.A.N).
