Parisar

Parisar supports this move by Pune Municipal Corporation.

“Open wood burning causes significant pollution, which adversely impacts citizens’ health. Once people are aware of the eco-friendly cremation facilities, they will be able to use them more easily.”
- Sharmila Deo, Senior Program Associate, Parisar

The Pune Municipal Corporation has launched a drive to promote free electric and gas cremation across 21 centres to reduce pollution and deforestation. Despite availability, most citizens prefer traditional methods at Vaikunth Smashanbhumi, increasing pollution. The initiative, under NCAP and LiFE, aims to raise awareness through QR codes and hospital outreach, offering a cleaner, faster, and cost-free alternative.

Public transport is used by lakhs every day, but how often do we look at how buses actually run, or the condition of the stops we wait at?

Parisar is looking for field to support bus stop audits and basic bus performance surveys across as part of the 'Pune’s WBC (Walk, Bus, Cycle) Count: Mobility Scorecard of the City' project.

If you’re interested in cities, mobility, and understanding how things work on the ground, this is a chance to be part of a city-wide study.

📍 Pune | ⏳ 1 month | 🚀 Start: 15 April
📩 Send your CV & cover letter to: [email protected]
🗓️ Apply by: 14 April

“The safety of pedestrians is not a luxury, but a constitutional obligation of the state.”
— Supreme Court of India

But how often do we actually think of walking as a right?

The Right to Walk — access to safe, unobstructed, and disabled-friendly footpaths and safe crossings — is part of the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

This right is further supported by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, Motor Vehicles Act, and the Indian Roads Congress Guidelines for Pedestrian Facilities, which mandate safe, continuous, and accessible walking infrastructure.

Yet, everyday experiences tell a different story. When footpaths are broken, blocked, or unsafe, it reflects how easily fundamental rights are overlooked in our cities.

Did you know about your rights as pedestrians? Stay tuned to learn how you can exercise them.

We didn’t always produce this much . Not necessarily because we were more “aware” but because systems worked differently.

Today, is framed as a waste problem. So we try to recycle, manage, and dispose better. But plastic is also a production and a climate problem. Recycling deals with plastic after it exists. But, asks a more fundamental question: What if it never became waste in the first place?

Across , reuse systems already exist, often informal, invisible, and unsupported. This , we’re starting by mapping them.

If you’ve seen reuse in action — street vendors, refill practices, returnable packaging — tell us. And if you’re working on waste, retail, packaging, or policy, we’d love to connect.

Last Friday, students from Huzurpaga Girls High School and Junior College joined local citizens for an Air Quality Index (AQI) Walk in Pune’s Peth area to see, record and clear the air of mystery around what we're breathing.

The walk was organised by under the IEC programme of the National Clean Air Programme ( ), in collaboration with Parisar, and .

As participants moved through different streets, the AQI changed significantly depending on traffic congestion, street activities and nearby pollution sources. Even small activities like burning incense sticks caused a sharp but temporary spike in particulate levels.

Understanding these patterns is the first step towards building cleaner and healthier neighbourhoods.