Articles by Padmaja Jayaraman

“I board a share auto near my house in Virugambakkam to the metro station in Ashok Nagar to get to work every day. I use a share auto on my return as well,” says G Balakumar, a frequent share auto-user in Chennai. Over the years, share autos have become an integral means of first and last-mile connectivity for many in the city. They fill a necessary gap and bolster the use of public transport in the city by providing a reliable and cheap mode of transport. With a growing user base, it becomes necessary to bring in some form of…

Translated by Sandhya Raju பிளாஸ்டிக் பைகள், உபயோகப்பட்ட டயப்பர்கள், வீணாக்கப்பட்ட உணவுகள், சில சமயம் உபயோகப்பட்ட மருத்துவ ஊசிகள். இது போன்ற பொருட்களை தினந்தோறும் தன் பணியின் போது பிரிக்கிறார் தூய்மை பணியாளர் ரமேஷ்*. “கைகள் வெயர்த்து போகும் என்பதால் எப்பொழுதும் நாங்கள் கையுறையை உபயோகிப்பதில்லை,” என்கிறார் ரமேஷ்.  இது போன்ற கடுமையான சூழலில் சொற்ப சம்பளத்திற்கு தான் நகரத்தில் தூய்மை பணியாளர்கள் வேலை செய்கிறார்கள். பெரும் சவாலாக உள்ள போக்குவரத்து பெரும்பாலான தூய்மை பணியாளர்கள் தங்கள் இருப்பிடத்திலிருந்து வெகு தூரம் பணிக்கு செல்ல வேண்டியுள்ளது.    “காலையில் 3 மணிக்கு எழுந்து, சமைத்து, வீட்டை சுத்தம் செய்து, இரண்டு பேருந்து மாறி பணியிடத்திற்கு செல்ல வேண்டும். காலை 6-6.30 மணிக்குள் பயோமெட்ரிக்கில் வருகையை பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும். ஐந்து நிமிடம் தாமதானாலும், எங்கள் மேற்பார்வையாளர் வீட்டிற்கு திருப்பி அனுப்பி விடுவார் அல்லது அந்த நாள் சம்பளத்தை பிடித்தம் செய்து…

Efforts have been made to create a positive perception of schools run by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) with the aim of making the prospect of studying in these schools attractive. There has been an increase in enrollment in GCC-run schools in Chennai on the back of these moves and largely driven by the economic toll of COVID-19. While there is a clamour for smart classrooms and the creation of model schools in the city, many GCC-run schools continue to function without basic infrastructure such as an adequate number of classrooms, working toilets and usable and safe playgrounds. Teachers in…

Plastic wrappers, soiled diapers and sanitary pads, food waste, and sometimes a used syringe. The bare hands of Ramesh*, a conservancy worker in Chennai, sift through these items inside discarded by residents as he tries to segregate waste on a daily basis. "We do not always use gloves because our hands sweat and become clammy," says Ramesh. This is one among myriad issues faced by a majority of the city’s conservancy workers who work under harsh conditions for meagre pay. Commute a key issue for conservancy workers in Chennai A majority of the conservancy workers are assigned work in areas…

"Last year, we were not able to celebrate Women's Day in the Ward because it was too close to the election results. This year, we have planned to celebrate Women's Day with the conservancy and sanitation workers in the Ward, along with other women," says M Renuka, the Councillor of Ward 42. "We are planning to create awareness about the rights of women," she adds. Renuka is a first-time Councillor. She joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 2018. "I used to do field work for the party," she says. "Then, in 2022, the party fielded me as a…

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), has conducted the Swachh Survekshan survey annually for the past seven years. The survey assesses the cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation of India's urban local bodies (ULBs). The survey looks at the collection of waste, segregation at source, processing and disposal of waste and sustainable sanitation. While Chennai's performance has seen an improvement over the years, the city is far from meeting the criteria on parameters such as going binless, banning the use of plastic and achieving a reduction in the quantum of waste being landfilled. Reporting…

The mere mention of Cooum conjures up images of a dirty, smelly water body. The pollution of the Cooum river has been an issue that takes centre stage in all discussions around improving life in Chennai. The fate of Chennai's other water bodies, the Adyar river and Kosasthalaiyar river and the Buckingham canal also mirror that of the Cooum. Many attempts have been made over the years to clean up Chennai's polluted rivers. Allocations running into thousands of crores have been made for these projects by various governments, but progress has been slow and incremental. Read more: Sewage lorries polluting…

"En ward-u," says Councillor V Kaviganesan of Ward 12, to the 26 conservancy workers of his ward who are assembled for a meeting at 6 am. "En veedu," respond the workers. This drill lasts three to four times before the conservancy workers leave for work every day. "My ward is my home" has become the motto of the civic workers in Ward 12. V Kaviganesan of the DMK says that this is his first stint, and he wants to do his best to serve his people. He is also a practicing lawyer at the Madras High Court at the moment.…

You travel on a road in Chennai. You notice smoke from other vehicles and a mound of unsegregated solid waste on the side of the road. Maybe you are in a hurry to reach your destination, and you may not process these scenes. But next time, take in those sights. They are polluting Chennai's soil with heavy metals. Heavy metals are those metals that have greater atomic weight in the periodic table of elements. Moreover, in higher quantities, these metals can become toxic. Examples of heavy metals include Lead, Cadmium and Mercury. Soil pollution due to heavy metals studied in…

"If I had been made a Ward Committee member, I would have pushed for relocation of the wine shop near my lane so that women can walk around safely after sunset," says Mallika, a daily wage worker from Nesapakkam, Ward 137 of the Greater Chennai Corporation. Unfortunately, she was unaware of when the councillor of her ward chose the Area Sabha Representatives or who the Ward Committee Member of her area was. "The councillor came during the local body election time. I do not recollect seeing him coming after that," she says. While it has been touted as a platform…