Monsoon Mayhem: Why are Smaller Cities Falling Ill?

Monsoon Mayhem: Why are Smaller Cities Falling Ill?

After months of unending rain, before the seasons change to cool winters, there is often a season of rampant vector borne diseases. While malaria was common, some of these diseases such as Dengue and Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) are new entries to the geographies of smaller cities. Monsoon has led to severe disease outbreaks in several Indian states, with Kerala and Bihar among the worst hit. Assam is facing a dual-layered challenge of flooding and a rise in JEV cases.

Read More

That time of the year again: Are Himalayan towns better prepared?

That time of the year again: Are Himalayan towns better prepared?

As we prepare to release this report, India’s Himalayan region faces heavy rainfall & high alert, creating widespread panic among citizens. These geologically fragile areas frequently experience extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and cloudbursts, triggering landslides, flash floods, & land subsidence.

But why are these hazards increasing? How equipped are these communities to tackle disasters? Can traditional knowledge & technology boost their resilience? Are government risk reduction efforts yielding results?

Read More

Has your phone been buzzing lately with NDMA’s warning messages too?

Has your phone been buzzing lately with NDMA’s warning messages too?

Uttarakhand has only one town planner against the requirement of twenty six. Such a lack of trained professionals makes hill towns prone to disasters adding to fragile geography, haphazard construction and increased tourism. Despite SC’s mandate for Master Plans and carrying capacity studies, these towns still lack them. It was only after NGT’s order, that Shimla banned construction in core green areas and restricted building heights in non-core and sinking zones.

Read More

Does your city need a 10 minute delivery?

Does your city need a 10 minute delivery?

Though most of the urban population may now know about Blinkit and Instamart, does your city have them? Or a local version of the same? Or it doesn’t need it-yet? BlinkIt’s footprint is in 23 cities, but their 90% Gross Order Value comes from top 8 cities! Its CEO recently said that the focus of their expansion is in these 8 cities. Instamart and Zepto are operating in 26 and 10 cities respectively.

Read More

Come one, Come all: Weekly Haats Versus Urban Civic Challenges

Come one, Come all: Weekly Haats Versus Urban Civic Challenges

 In India, Haats are essentially open-air markets that originally emerged as rural retail hyper-markets, which have also transcended into urban spaces by facilitating trade among villages, cities and towns. These periodic markets occur weekly or fortnightly, and have historically played an important role in the transformation and growth of smaller towns. For instance, West Bengal’s Rampurhat has immensely developed from a small haat-based town into a large municipality. 

Read More

That's my spot: Finding a space in the era of co-working culture

That's my spot: Finding a space in the era of co-working culture

Tier-2 cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Coimbatore are witnessing a surge in demand for these flexible workspaces. Many factors are leading to increased demand for co-working spaces beyond the metros making their way to smaller cities. In contrast to the rising cost of living and rental charges in Tier-1 cities, the affordable rental charges, improved connectivity, and digital infrastructure  have enabled entrepreneurs to establish their enterprises in smaller cities.

Read More

The emerging Kota Factories: Is your city becoming a Coaching Hub?

The emerging Kota Factories: Is your city becoming a Coaching Hub?

There is a rise of coaching culture not only in metropolitan cities but also in smaller cities and towns that cater to rural youth. For example, Ranchi had only 200 coaching centres in 2012. But in just a span of six years, this number shot up 10,000 according to the Jharkhand Coaching Association. Cities like Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Patna, and Madurai have witnessed a rise in coaching institutes.

Read More

End of an Era: The Decline & Survival of Single-Screen Cinemas in India

End of an Era: The Decline & Survival of Single-Screen Cinemas in India

Did you know that fewer than 6,000 single-screen theatres remain today, and of those, only about 1,000 are still operating as theatres? For a nation where theatres have been the primary source of mass entertainment for decades, these numbers signify the end of an era. In the post-independence period of the 1960s-80s in India, coinciding with the peak careers of stars such as Amitabh Bachchan and Sridevi, watching movies was far from a passive experience.

Read More

Hotter Than Ever: How are Small Cities dealing with Rising Temperatures?

Hotter Than Ever: How are Small Cities dealing with Rising Temperatures?

This month on the 23rd, Rajasthan’s Barmer witnessed the highest temperature in the country with 48°C. Other smaller cities in the state with high temperatures include Phalodi (47.8°), Churu (47.4°), and Jaisalmer (47.2°). Elsewhere in India, intense heat shot up to 47.7° in Sirsa, 46.6° in Bhatinda, 46.1° in Kandla, 45° in Ratlam and Jhansi, along with 44.8° in Akola. It is evident just by skimming through the latest news articles how more and more smaller cities in India are grappling with rising temperatures and heatwaves.

Read More

Empowering India's Startup Ecosystem: The Rise of Tier II and III Cities and the Impact of Shark Tank India

Empowering India's Startup Ecosystem: The Rise of Tier II and III Cities and the Impact of Shark Tank India

Currently, Tier-II and Tier-III cities account for about 50 percent of the over 115,000 startups registered under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as of December 2023. As per the Economic Survey 2022-23, these DPIIT registered startups have created over 9 lakh direct job opportunities since 2017, with a notable 64% increase in 2022 over the average number of new jobs created in the last three years.

Read More

International Museum Day: Evolving Landscape of Museums in Smaller Cities & Towns

International Museum Day: Evolving Landscape of Museums in Smaller Cities & Towns

For International Museum Day 2024, the ICOM has invited people to “Rethink education and imagine a future where knowledge sharing transcends barriers, where innovation unites with tradition.” Through family history archives, thematic exhibitions, and technological innovation, museums in smaller cities and towns of India have begun to play a vital role in creating spaces of social change and cultural enrichment.

Read More

Navigating India's Mental Health Terrain: From Large Metros to Smaller Towns

Navigating India's Mental Health Terrain: From Large Metros to Smaller Towns

The WHO recommends having 3 psychiatrists and 1.5 psychologists for every 1 lakh people. However, in India, there is less than 1 psychiatrist for every 1 lakh people. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India currently has 898 psychologists, which falls short of the required 20,250.

Read More

An Ageing Society: Initiatives Addressing Greying Population in Smaller Cities

An Ageing Society:  Initiatives Addressing Greying Population in Smaller Cities

With a fertility rate under 2.0 and life expectancy reaching above 70+ years, India is witnessing an exponential growth in the number and proportion of elderly people. A study by Kumar et al. (2024) revealed that advanced health facilities were more concentrated in metropolitan cities, while smaller cities lacked good health facilities which were not easily accessible. NIMHANS has collaborated with HelpAge India to train 10,000 workers and volunteers to provide geriatric mental health care through ‘Sarthak’, a community-based initiative. Likewise, Ivory Health - an age-tech startup is focusing on addressing cognitive decline among the elderly through cutting-edge technology and personalised interventions.

Read More

Navigating through the Evolving Landscape of Libraries in India

Navigating through  the Evolving Landscape of Libraries in India

There’s an increasing trend of individuals establishing mini-libraries and fostering a culture of reading in smaller towns and rural areas. Sathyanarayan Mundayoor from Kerala, also known as Uncle Moosa, has been instrumental in promoting education in Arunachal Pradesh. He has organised book exhibitions and set up 13 Bamboosa Library libraries as part of the Lohit Youth Library Movement in a town called Tezu.

Read More

Elections 2024: Enhancing Democratic Participation in Smaller Cities

Elections 2024: Enhancing Democratic Participation in Smaller Cities

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has identified 266 Parliamentary Constituencies with historically low participation rates. 51 of these constituencies are urban, with cities like Kanpur, Allahabad, Secunderabad, Patna, Kalyan, & Nagpur on the list. Through the Systematic Voter Education & Electoral Participation (SVEEP) programme, the ECI is promoting voter awareness through multi-intervention programmes & fostering community engagement in the electoral process.

Read More

From Small Towns to Big Leagues: The IPL's Expanding Reach & Rising Stars

From Small Towns to Big Leagues: The IPL's Expanding Reach & Rising Stars

As the brand value of the Indian Premier League grows, it's becoming more popular in smaller towns and cities. More people in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities are watching IPL matches, and more budding cricketers are coming from these regions. Realising the role of small cities, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) initiated the establishment of fan parks in 15 cities across India, with a particular focus on smaller towns, starting in 2015.

Read More

Emerging Health Landscape in the Small Indian Cities

Emerging Health Landscape  in the Small Indian Cities

The healthcare landscape of India is undergoing a significant shift, with larger hospital chains redirecting their focus to small cities due to rising real estate costs and limited urban space. Furthermore, small cities are also witnessing a surge in demand for medicines post-pandemic due to increased health awareness, emerging pharma companies & government health schemes.

Read More

Parvatmala Pariyojana: Reconfiguring Urban Mobility through Ropeways

Parvatmala Pariyojana: Reconfiguring Urban Mobility through Ropeways

At a collective cost of ₹1.25 lakh crore, 200 such projects have been identified under the National Ropeways Development Programme. With nearly 30 projects underway, the Union government aims to enhance connectivity in difficult terrains, reduce commute time, & decongest urban areas that lack conventional mass transit systems.

Read More

World Water Day 2024: Water Challenges Beyond the Metropolitan

World Water Day 2024:  Water Challenges  Beyond the Metropolitan

Population growth, rapid urbanization, inadequate infrastructure, & overreliance on groundwater has exacerbated water scarcity. Smaller cities lack robust water supply systems & struggle with institutional inadequacies, along with the absence of centralized sewage systems.

Read More

Innovative Communities: Rethinking India’s Urban Informal Settlements

Innovative Communities: Rethinking India’s  Urban Informal Settlements

Rapid industrialization in Rourkela & Angul has drawn migrant workers, leading to informal settlements around industrial zones. Despite efforts by the Odisha government’s Jaga Mission to improve slums, a study found that 84 slums in Bhubaneswar lacked access to safe drinking water.

Read More