16 May,2026 07:23 AM IST | Mumbai | Team mid-day
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
A boy flashes a cover drive during a game of cricket in a lane in Pydhonie.
Mumbai entrepreneur Munaf Kapadia has launched Liveability Index, a non-profit civic-technology thought experiment aimed at creating a structured public feedback system for civic issues. Described as Reddit meets Google Maps, but for civic issues, the open-source platform allows residents to post hyperlocal reports about concerns such as broken footpaths, traffic bottlenecks, garbage issues, and poor lighting, while also highlighting positive municipal work.
The interface for saring feedback; an illustrated map of the city according to administrative wards. Pics courtesy/Munaf Kapadia
"The goal is not to criticise the government, but to help residents share constructive, hyperlocal feedback in a way that can support municipal teams and elected representatives," said Kapadia. The platform enables users to plus-one reports, add context, and share them with resident groups, corporators, civic officials, and journalists. Kapadia said the larger idea is to make civic feedback "as easy as rating a food delivery order", helping governments identify recurring issues, prioritise work better, and communicate more effectively with citizens.
Shoyeb Farooqui, a photographer and vintage car enthusiast from Mohammed Ali Road, recently conducted a retro-themed photoshoot featuring classic cars against Mumbai's heritage landmarks. Shot on film cameras including the Minolta SRT 101 and Pentax k1000, the series showcased vintage vehicles such as a 1959 Chevrolet Impala, a Mercedes W123, and a Triumph Herald near iconic locations like the David Sassoon Library and other historic buildings across South Mumbai.
"My idea to click images is to offer a vintage vibe. You'll surely transport back to the 1960s and '70s, when Mumbai wasn't Mumbai; it was Bombay," said Farooqui. Using this platform, he revealed his aim to recreate old Bombay's nostalgia by blending heritage architecture, film photography, and timeless automobiles into a visual narrative.
Since my childhood I was always fascinated with dance and drama. I remember when I was young, Tamasha artistes would perform in Dapoli, which is where I grew up." Abhishek Khedekar, a photographer who spent six years capturing the Tamasha companies of Maharashtra, told this diarist, elaborating about the inspiration behind his latest installation at NCPA's Dilip Piramal Art Gallery.
The installation, titled Tamasha, will be on view till June 14, and features the time Khedekar spent with these artistes in Pandharpur. "Incidentally, a transport facilitator to these Tamasha companies connected me to a company owner. When the owner informed me that the troupe would be performing in Pandharpur, I immediately packed my bags and joined them there," shared Khedekar. He also revealed that this is the second installation of the collection with the first one having been at London's Webber Gallery in 2024.
As Environment Life Foundation's Mangrove Soldiers mark over 300 weeks of their mangrove clean-up drives tomorrow, Dharmesh Barai, the founder, spoke to us about the troops' six-year-long weekly marches to Mumbai Metropolitan Region's coastlines, "Coastal protection is vital to balancing our ecosystem and fighting climate change. We urge more citizens to come forward and join hands to save our mangroves." he appealed.
Volunteers at a previous clean-up drive. Pic Courtesy/Environmental Life Foundation
