On 22nd February, I and fellow students from APU, set out to conduct a citizen audit of a small section of the storm water drain situated in Panathur, near Varthur Lake. We were a group of 10 participants from the ESS club divided into teams of three to collect data from different points along the drain. We used the Citizen audit tool developed by Mod Foundation to record observations. This was my first experience doing field‑based data collection in a group, and it was a truly wonderful and eye‑opening experience.

At the first observation point, we saw large construction sites, and nearby, many families were living in temporary settlements. Between the houses and the construction sites flowed a drainage channel filled mostly with household waste. As we walked further along the drain, the sewage smell became stronger, the amount of waste increased, and the colour of the water gradually changed.

It was difficult to imagine how people live in such conditions – surrounded by waste and foul odour every day. In these settlements, limited access to proper waste disposal leads to household waste being dumped directly into the drains, creating deeply unhygienic conditions that threaten both human health and the environment. At the first point, the water appeared relatively clear, but by the last point, the water had turned black and was heavily polluted with waste.

We were nervous, partly because it was our first time collecting data and partly because we were unsure about how comfortable we would feel on the ground in such surroundings. We wanted to understand the context we were in better and learn how the people there were living. We tried speaking to two or three women, but none of them were willing to talk to us. When we approached one woman, she ignored us and quickly walked away. The second avoided eye contact. That moment stayed with me. It made me realize that they may have been feeling uncomfortable, unheard, or even fearful for a long time, and that we were entering a space shaped by experiences we did not fully understand.

We walked further and approached a man sitting nearby. We tried to communicate with him, but there was a language barrier, which made the interaction difficult. A little later, we found a small barber shop, and thankfully he was willing to speak to us about the condition of the area. He told us that he had been living there for a year and that the dumping of waste has been increasing steadily. The water was getting dirtier, and no action had been taken to clean it. For him, living there had become normal. That normalization of such conditions was perhaps the most unsettling part, prompting us to think more deeply about equity in access to clean environments and how change might begin with simply noticing, listening, and responding with greater sensitivity.

This citizen audit helped me understand the strong connection between human activities, infrastructure, and environmental health.

It showed me two sides of the city. One of rapid urban development and another of neglected communities living beside polluted drains.

I realized that storm water drains are not just meant to carry rainwater; they reflect how responsibly we manage our waste and environment. This experience made me more aware of the importance of proper waste management, community awareness, and citizen participation. It inspired me to be more responsible and involved in protecting the environment, because real change begins when people start observing, understanding, and taking action.