Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

Hitching a rideA hawker gives a friendly pooch a lift on his cart at Jama Masjid near Crawford MarketSaluting our statersquos green sentinelsLesser flamingos at the Thane Creek flamingo sanctuaryLast week the Mangrove Foundation published a coffee table book titled BioSentinels of Coastal Maharashtra to mark World Environment Day The book examines the statersquos coastal and marine biodiversity while also highlighting the various sustainable livelihood activities around mangrove areas initiated by the Mangrove Cell and Mangrove Foundation under the Mangrove Conservation and Livelihood Generation SchemeMangroves at Achara SindhudurgldquoCoastal Maharashtrarsquos pristine beaches thick mangrove forests and coral reefs are home to several species of flora and fauna mdash from various species of dolphins and whales to marine invertebrates migratory birds and sea turtles the regionrsquos rich biodiversity give it a high potential for ecotourism The local communities have always played an important role in conservation We have started several livelihood programmes to further involve them in conservation activities and provide alternate sources of incomerdquo shared Harshal Karve a marine biologist associated with the Mangrove Foundation Ecopies of the book can be downloaded from mangrovesmaharashtragovReading the artistic printFrom left The cover of the first issue Tarini SethiThe Irregular Times which claims to be Indiarsquos first art and design newspaper has launched its very first issue The idea behind this publication shared Tarini Sethi its editorinchief is to both revive print media at a time when art is increasingly turning to digital platforms and make art and design more accessible ldquoThis newspaper isnrsquot just for artists It is for everyone The content is very diverse and written in easytounderstand languagerdquo she told us The first issue includes a thought piece by conservationist Cara Tejpal dystopian art by visual artist Anpu Varkey an anecdotal recipe by chef Pallavi Mithika Menon and more You can order your copy at theirregulartimescomBring her into the foldIn a bid to employ women who have lost their breadwinners to the pandemic the Tata group has launched their SCIP Second Careers Inspiring Possibilities initiative Through this women reentering the workforce or working for the first time will be offered skill development training and career counselling before being placed in appropriate job positions within the Tata group of companies To register visit tatasecondcareercomAdieu SurekhaPicMediumWarm funny and generous mdash this is how comrades of Delhibased communications consultant Surekha Pillai who lost the battle to Covid19 remember her Writer and journalist Nilanjana Roy who got to know Pillai in 20082009 in Delhi shared ldquoAt a time when forces of hatred are sweeping over India she embodied real goodness I wouldnrsquot call her an activist although she supported a lot of causes she just put her heart into everything she did At the CAA protests she made sure to talk to and understand the students She had the greatest capacity for pragmatic compassionrdquoMemories of the pandemicParo Anand a Sahitya Akademi Awardwinning author has announced the release of her next book titled Unmasked The book she shared is about inspired by and written during the pandemic and contains 19 short stories in keeping with the Covid19 virus ldquoThis virus was a common thread that bound us all while also dividing us in the way we responded to it These stories reflect thatrdquo she said Sharing that she was deeply moved by a poem written by a 13yearold at a writing workshop she has left the 19th chapter to be authored by the reader ldquoI wanted to offer readers the chance to pen down their own pandemic experience This will make every copy uniquerdquo