The Talk in The Town Nagrika

Meet our guest for the 4th episode of season 3 of our podcast "Talk in the Town," Mr. Debashish Bhattacharyya from Kolkata, who has been an anchor in driving the citizens of Kolkata to campaign against the systematic elimination of trams in the city of joy.

Mr. Bhattacharya is the President of the Calcutta Tram Users Association (CTUA), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and modernization of Kolkata’s tramways.

He is among the strongest pro-tram voices in Kolkata, which is also the only city in India where trams still exist but are facing existential threats. A retired scientist, Bhattacharya has been at the forefront of advocating for the tram system, emphasizing its environmental benefits and potential to alleviate traffic congestion.

The 3rd episode of season 3 of Talk in the Town features Dr. Sangeeta Rajgir from Bhopal, Founder and Member Secretary of the Bhopal Birds Conservation Society and State Coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network of Madhya Pradesh.

She is an avid conservationist and researcher working on wetland conservation and avian biodiversity. She has played a significant role in bird conservation efforts, particularly in the Bhoj Wetlands of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Rajgir coordinated a project aimed at the conservation of the Sarus crane, the world's tallest flying bird, which had seen a decline in population in the Bhoj Wetlands. Through community-led conservation efforts, the project successfully increased the Sarus crane population in the region. Additionally, Dr. Rajgir has been involved in birdwatching camps as a key resource person, sharing her expertise and knowledge to educate and engage others in bird conservation.

This episode is power-packed with lots of information on birds and how their population is declining, which Dr. Rajgir has explained in a very easy-to-understand manner for common citizens.

The Second episode of this Season of Talk in the Town features Mrs. Shama Pawar, founder of The Kishkindha Trust, Anegundi, Hampi. She is an artist, conservationist, designer, and social impact leader, driven by a profound passion for cultural heritage. Ms. Pawar has played a pivotal role in actively engaging the local community in Anegundi, situated within the Hampi World Heritage Town, to create a vibrant landscape of creative economies and cultural industries.Through her innovative conservation methods, she has made significant contributions to preserving the authenticity of this historic town. In this conversation, she shares what it takes to instill sense of ownership among the community and much more.

The first episode of 2024 in the Talk in the Town series features Mr. Kailash Pradhan, who is an architect by profession, but has also been a part of electoral politics in the city of Gangtok. He has been proactive in field of environmental protection and sustainable architecture, and has been a part of various local initiatives within the state like "Bato Khoju" focused on degrading quality of life and built environment in Gangtok. Calling himself as "a gangtokay working for a better Gangtok", Mr. Pradhan is also a part of Manch Sikkim, a nascent grassroots movement emerging in Sikkim from an idea that the people are the government, and the government is the people. Mr. Pradhan talks about why it is important for the citizens to own the problems their city faces before owning the solutions.

The latest episode of Talk in the Town features Mr. Shashidhara K who has been a driving force in promoting sustainable mobility for the citizens of Bangalore. As the founder of HSR Cyclists Group, he has spearheaded over 60 cycle day events in the last nine years, fostering a culture of cycling among residents. His commitment to sustainable mobility extends to his collaboration with another organization, the HSR Citizens Forum, which is also a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable living. Together, they have made significant strides under the Sustainable Mobility Accords (SUMA) program by introducing a feeder loop bus service in the HSR layout. Covering 5 of 7 sectors of HSR layout, the bus is a loop service that goes in both directions making it easier for the people to find buses going in any direction within 5 minutes.

This Talk in the Town features Dr. Raghavendra R who works as a programme coordinator for National Service Scheme (NSS) at Seshadripuram Degree College in Mysuru and is also the founder of Achievers’ Academy in Srirangapatna. Dr. Raghavendra has been restoring temples and reviving lakes and ponds in the city of Srirangapatna through community service for last 4 years. What started as an initiative as part of the NSS programme under the leadership of Dr. Raghavendra, has now expanded into a group of 300 volunteers working hard to give a new lease of life to the city.