Mangrove Soldiers use AI in Nerul jetty clean-up; Dehradun literature festival, Mumbai biennale preview set

On the occasion of Lakshmi Puja, Mangrove Soldiers carried out a clean-up drive at Sarsole Jetty in Nerul. Along with removing garbage, AI was used in the drive. A team from the Environment Life Foundation photographed the waste so that an AI camera could be used to understand pollution patterns.

Dharmesh Barai, founder of the foundation, said, "We are looking at how artificial intelligence and modern technology can help identify pollution patterns, and how we can find better ways to protect our mangroves, rivers and marine ecology."

For book lovers, the 2026 edition of the Dehradun Literature Festival (DDLF) is returning. At the three-day event, writers, artists, actors and thinkers will hold conversations and give presentations on one stage. The festival will be held from November 27 to 29 at the Doon International School. This year's theme is "Life, Literature, Legacy".

Among the guests are Shabana Azmi, Ratna Pathak Shah, Raj Babbar, Manu Joseph, Peepal Baba, Anup Soni, Sayani Gupta and Sharib Hashmi. Others will also attend. Fans of Imtiaz Ali can hear his conversation with A.R. Rahman on the relationship between music and cinema. It is described as the first conversation of its kind. Vishal Bhardwaj's fundraising concert series DUA will also be held. Ruskin Bond will also be at the festival, where he will release a special anniversary edition of his first novel, The Room on the Roof.

For art lovers, a first look at the seventh edition of the biennale will be presented at the CSMVS on November 14. After months of research, studio visits and conversations, curator Kader Attia will present his plans. Jitish Kallat, president of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation, will then speak with him. Kallat said, "Until now, Kader's thinking about the biennale has largely remained within the realm of research, studio visits and conversations." He spoke of this shift from behind-the-scenes preparation to public dialogue. According to him, this dialogue will continue through the coming year and during the biennale.

Ayaan Banerjee, an environment and animal welfare activist, is 24 years old. He is on a 7,000-km Karuna padayatra and has covered 5,500 km across seven states. His next stop is Mumbai. Here, on November 10, he will walk 31 km from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to Borivali with The Walking Project, a group working for pedestrians' rights.

The Walking Project has been demanding better walking facilities since 2012. Aishwarya Tatke, convener of the group, said, "These community padayatras bring people together, let them see the state of footpath infrastructure and think about sustainable ways to save their city."