Articles by News Desk

Photo Contest Dig out pictures from your personal archives, share it publicly on your Instagram , Facebook or Twitter  with a short anecdote describing the memory and just tag it with #MadrasAndhaNaal   #MadrasDay  #citizenmatters T&C: Photographs shared, must be from your personal collection, not a copyrighted image. Shortlisted entries will be shared on our website and social media. "This was the view from my house in the neighbourhood was once part of the Thiruvanmiyur temple land. The palmyra trees were the 'fence' making up the eastern periphery of IMPCOMS campus, which  was full of snakes. The empty land used to be…

"He will be missed, his extraordinary literary prowess, his political acumen, his satirical humour, his eloquent web of lyrical Tamil will all be missed.", says Aruna Subramaniam, a management consultant and active Chennai citizen, who remembers seeing Muthuvel Karunanidhi, or Kalaignar as he was called, with her uncle and his friends, on Marina beach in the days of 'less crowds, glittering sand, friendly sundal vendors, and the delicious Rita ice cream carts.' The sentiment is echoed by most Chennaiites of an older vintage today. The last of the titans is gone, and there is a deep sense of loss -…

Is Chennai ready to withstand the monsoon? The city experienced good showers last week, but the short spell left many Chennai roads dirty and water logged. That raises a pertinent question: Are we ready to face the monsoon, leave alone a flood-like situation? The storm water drain work is still incomplete in many parts of the city instilling fear of floods, especially in the suburbs of Chennai. Though the officials claim they are undertaking the work and will complete them before the onset of north east monsoon, there still is a long way to go. Meanwhile, the integrated stormwater drain…

Eight die in Mumbai suburban rail network every day! Data from the Government Railway Police has shown that a staggering 18000 people have died on Mumbai’s railway tracks over the last five years. However, the number of people who died daily on average was down to 8 in 2017, from 10 in 2013. Around 8 million people use Mumbai’s suburban rail network and the network has the highest passenger density in the world. Recent incidents such as the collapse of a foot over bridge and a near-stampede in a crowded station have led the public to question civic inaction in…

London's Deputy Mayor inaugurates shared network of cities to handle air-pollution:  C40 Air Quality Network, a collective of 14 cities across the world, with Bengaluru and London leading the initiative, was officially launched on July 30.  Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara inaugurated the event to mark the beginning of a global discussion to tackle and share knowledge regarding the steps taken to handle air-pollution. The Deputy Mayor of London, Shirley Rodrigues, listed out measures she intends to implement in the British capital. Imposing toxicity charges on polluting vehicles, and adhering to UK and European air pollution limits are among the…

A series of articles around important topics affecting Bangaloreans. The food on our plate Pic courtesy: Wikimedia The series is an explainer on sources of our food and growing our own food. Many questions are answered here: What’s the source of our food? Where do our vegetables come from? What does the supply chain look like? Are they grown in safe environment? How are they transported? How does one know what is organic food? Why does one need organic food? What are the packaging norms? What challenges are being faced by big suppliers of food door delivery? What are the…

Karnataka government’s ambitious project of supplying treated water from Bengaluru to the arid districts surrounding Bengaluru ran into problem, when the Karnataka High Court directed the government to stop the pumping of treated water until further instructions. However experts say the idea of reusing treated water is a good one by itself, if proper processes can be put in place. But with protests by residents of the districts supported by their elected representatives growing louder by the day, will this project get killed even before the government attempts to make it work right? The idea of using treated water to…

Rain provides respite for Delhi air pollution Delhiites finally got a chance to breathe in some air of “good” quality – for the first time in 2018 -- following continuous downpour over a few days that naturally washed away the usual pollutants present in the air. On Friday, July 26th, The Air Quality Index in the city was recorded at 43, which is categorized as good. However, experts find little cause for cheer or complacency in that. According to global environmental group Greenpeace, the reason for such improvement was largely natural: meteorological factors – in this case, rain, which cleanses…

Relief for property owners: property tax hike reduced to 50% Within days of announcing a likely increase in property tax to as much as 100%, the Government reduceD the cap to 50% for residential buildings. The rollback on tax hike came after requests from the public, and resident welfare associations. The owners of residential buildings, irrespective of whether they are self-occupied or rented out, will now face a tax rate hike of not more than 50%. Source: Times of India Are private schools hampered by the fixed fee rule? The recent controversy surrounding the demand of a caution deposit by…

Tamil Nadu will be banning single use plastic and other biodegradables from January 2019. Not wishing to impose restrictions on unprepared citizens, the state government has given itself and its people a good six months before the ban kicks in and plans to conduct back-to-back campaigns over this period. From sensitising shopkeepers and consumers about switching to biodegradable bags to campaigning against plastic in schools, the civic body is leaving no stone unturned to ensure successful implementation.   But, how are the people of the city reacting to the prospect of doing away with single-use plastic altogether? Responses have been mixed…