The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Shadab Khan
Discovering the unknown
Feather Duster Worms
Biomapping the North, an initiative by Marine Life of Mumbai under the Coastal Conservation Foundation, is working to fill a crucial gap in marine biodiversity data from the city’s northern shores.
Pearly Sea Anemone. Pics courtesy/Shaunak Modi and Arvind Premanand
As director Shaunak Modi told this diarist, “We did not have the number of observations that were comparable to the southern shores of Mumbai, so we realised that while we had some data from the north, it was not enough to understand the biodiversity there.”
Hence the volunteers have documented species across Bhuigaon, Uttan, Gorai, Dana Pani and Erangal, recording 240 observations of 85 species by 14 observers till now.
From garbage to gulaab
Members of Govandi Arts Festival who helped revamp the lane. Pics courtesy/Govandi Arts Festival
Perhaps neighbourhoods across Mumbai ought to take a leaf out of the residents of Natwar Parekh Compound in Govandi. In September 2025, mid-day’s The Guide pages had covered the Community Design Agency’s (CDA) community development project in an article titled, ‘Gully Girls of Govandi.’
The lane before the revamp
The latest news is that the project has inaugurated yet another transformed lane, now called Gulab gully.
The vibrantly painted lane after it was improved
“The community came together to pool in for 25 per cent of the funds, hire a contractor to incorporate the designs,” shared junior architect Neha Raut, who was part of the core team alongside Parveen Shaikh and the Sakhi Sangh Women’s Collective among others.
History at arm’s length
A life size replica of the façade of the Cellular Jail at the school. Pic courtesy/pais_friends_library
Vistors to the ongoing book exchange at the CP Goenka School in Dombivli hosted by Pai’s Friends Library might witness an ode to India’s history. “Keeping with its theme of history, we have designed the space to resemble the Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a chance to teach children of its historicity, and the freedom fighters’ sacrifice,” shared Pundalik Pai, Pai’s Friends Library.
The city is the canvas
An untitled illustration by Dumbre at Upper Govind Nagar in Malad. Pics courtesy/Siddesh Dumbre
Siddhesh Dumbre, a UX/UI designer and part-time illustrator from Malad, has taken it upon himself to turn abandoned and scrappy buildings into art. His original series, Seeing the Unseen, began about five months ago, when he started illustrating overlooked structures across the city.
Dumbre said, “This started as a passion project when I was strolling around town, and I found a roof that looked like the benches at the beach; with that the series was born. I later renamed it to My art taking over Mumbai, as it sounds more fun, while my main motive would be to beautify the abandoned.” Through his work, Dumbre reimagines neglected spaces, offering a fresh perspective on the city’s forgotten corners and overlooked urban landscapes.
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