10 neighbours have shared what matters to them — in their own words.
“In my native village in Maharashtra, the famous mango varieties are Kesar, Alphonso (Hapus), Rajapuri, and Pairi. This year, the quality is not as good as before because of irregular rain and high temperatures. Many mangoes fell before they were fully grown. Nowadays, traders are selling chemically ripened mangoes, which ruins the taste of mango. The prices in the market are high, but farmers are still not getting a fair share. Middlemen earn more than farmers. Good-quality Alphonso mangoes have become expensive for common and poor families like us, getting good quality, natural ripened Alphonso mangoes have become expensive.”
“"In my native village in Maharashtra, the famous mango varieties are Kesar, Alphonso (Hapus), Rajapuri, and Pairi. This year, the quality is not as good as before because of irregular rain and high temperatures. Many mangoes fell before they were fully grown. Nowadays, traders are selling chemically ripened mangoes, which ruins the taste of mango. The prices in the market are high, but farmers are still not getting a fair share. Middlemen earn more than farmers. Good-quality Alphonso mangoes have become expensive for common and poor families like us, getting good quality, natural ripened Alphonso mangoes have become expensive. "”
In your area, citizens are grappling with significant challenges primarily driven by climate change impacts ☀️, leading to poor quality and reduced yields of seasonal produce like mangoes, coupled with exorbitant market prices 💸 and unfair farmer compensation. There's widespread concern over rising fuel and LPG costs, which are escalating daily expenses for essentials and transport. Furthermore, residents are struggling with extreme heat and inadequate urban infrastructure, including a severe lack of shade, frequent power cuts, and limited green spaces, making daily commutes and living conditions increasingly difficult.
“Security Guard"Himsagar and Fazli are what we buy here, and pricing has been steep this season is around a hundred and twenty rupees a kilo from the start. I think one issue is that there is very little quality regulation at the retail level. Vendors sometimes mix overripe or damaged fruit into the batch and there is no accountability. A practical community solution would be for our residents welfare association to negotiate a bulk purchase arrangement directly with a wholesale supplier from Mechua or College Street market. Several apartment buildings in our area could pool together, place a weekly order, and split it this would reduce cost and ensure fresher fruit. I have raised this informally with a few neighbours and there is interest. Someone just needs to take initiative and coordinate it."”
“House-helpThe commute to Dum Dum Metro station in the morning already feels punishing by eight o'clock. The heat this year is more humid than dry which makes it significantly worse. One issue I have noticed is that there is almost no shade along the main roads leading to the station no trees, no bus shelter roofing, nothing. People are standing in direct sun waiting for buses or autos. A practical community solution would be for the RWA or local club to petition the municipality for temporary shade structures or green canopy plantings along the most used pedestrian routes. Urban tree planting is a long-term solution but shade nets along footpaths could be implemented quickly and cheaply. I would happily contribute to a crowdfunded effort if someone organized it.”
“This was our first time engaging closely with communities like these as people genuinely trying to understand. We came in with textbook frameworks and left with something harder to articulate. What stayed with us was not the numbers but the specific details like Timmya's wife, eight months pregnant in a tin sheet room; the elderly man waiting years for a pension he was always entitled to; the ragpicker woman who called this settlement "stable" and meant it without complaint. This experience made us think seriously about what technology and practice actually mean in contexts like these. Technology is only as useful as the relationships it sits inside. And real practice looks like showing up, week after week, until people believe that showing up means something. We are grateful to THAMATE for letting us see that.”
“Father Cylinder prices have gone up by nearly two hundred rupees compared to two years ago and the broader fuel cost increase is pushing up prices of vegetables and transport as well. It is a compounding problem. One community-level idea I have been thinking about is whether apartment buildings in our area could collectively invest in a rooftop solar setup to reduce dependence on grid electricity, which in turn reduces overall household energy costs even if it doesn't directly address LPG. Some housing societies in South Kolkata have already done this. Our building has twelve flats handash if we split the installation cost it becomes manageable and the savings over five years are significant. I plan to raise this at our next building committee meeting. The energy crisis is a systemic problem but we can build some resilience at the local level.”
“Here in Karnataka, varieties like Badami and Raspuri are very popular. The taste of Raspuri mango this year is good, but there is not enough quantity of naturally ripened mangoes. Due to climate changes and water shortages, many farmers have suffered losses in mango business. This year mango prices are higher than last year, making it difficult for some families to buy regularly. Most people prefer naturally ripened mangoes because they taste better. Nowadays, the taste of mangoes is becoming worse, and prices are still rising.”
“I come from Assam. I have to say that Bengaluru was really hot this year. The temperature was high at night. I always carry a water bottle with me. I try to stay inside when it is the hottest part of the day. Many students get tired when they are going to college especially when they are on buses. There are not places to wait in the shade at the bus stops so it is not very comfortable to commute. The heat in Bengaluru has changed my routine and it is harder for me to focus I get tired really fast. Bengaluru heat is something that I am still getting used to. It is affecting my life in many ways like my daily routine and my concentration, in Bengaluru.”
“I am from Bihar, in our state we mostly get Langra and Dussehri mangoes. My family said that this season the production is less because of changing weather conditions. Sometimes there is too much sunny weather and sometimes unexpected rain. This causes the quality of mangoes and taste. Mangoes in the market look good from outside, but from inside they are rotten. Because of high prices, many poor families buy fewer mangos only. ”
“This summer has been really tough in the afternoons. My house gets extremely hot. We often have power cuts which makes it hard to use fans or coolers. I drink buttermilk and coconut water to stay cool. I keep the windows open for air to come in. But in the afternoon the air was also hot. My kids often get headaches and dehydration. Feel tired after playing outside. We try to avoid going out when the sun's, at its peak level. The fact that there are not trees and green spaces around here makes the heat feel even worse. It is uncomfortable for my children to play outside. They get tired very quickly. I have to take care of them.”
“Yes. My family has been affected by the LPG shortage. I have one small hotel, and to run it smoothly we daily use LPG. We daily use LPG cylinders for cooking breakfast, tea, and meals. Now there are delays in getting a new cylinder and also the price are increased. These delays in getting a new cylinder has created a problems in managing my hotel. To deal with LPG shortage problem we try to use the gas carefully and avoid wasting fuel. Sometimes we use wood stove for cooking meals and breakfast. Also I am forced to charge extra money on customers.”
