Articles by Padmaja Jayaraman

If you have friends and family in other parts of India, you may hear them say, “It is too hot and humid there. I do not want to come to Chennai.” Well, Chennai's heat and humidity may not tempt tourists, but it is certainly attractive enough for tuberculosis (TB) bacteria to thrive.  With climate change staring the city in its face, the risks Chennai runs are not just environmental but have far-reaching implications on health. Could climate change also lead to an explosion of TB cases in the city? How can we protect ourselves from such possibilities? When does TB…

Translated by Sandhya Raju விளிம்பு நிலை மற்றும் பொருளாதாரத்தில் பின் தங்கியுள்ள மக்கள், சிக்கலான சட்ட அமைப்பில் சிக்கிக்கொள்ளும்  நிலையை வெகுவாக வெளிக்கொணர்ந்தது ஜெய்பீம் திரைப்படம். செங்கனி என்ற கதாபாத்திரத்திற்கு ஆதரவாக சந்துரு என்ற வழக்கறிஞர் பணியாற்றினார்.    ஆனால், நிஜ வாழ்க்கையில்  இவர்களின் நிலை என்ன?   அரசு அங்கீகாரம் பெற்ற தமிழ்நாடு மாநில சட்ட சேவைகள் ஆணையம் அல்லது மாவட்ட சட்ட சேவைகள் ஆணையத்தில் உதவி பெற ஒவ்வொரு நபருக்கும் அரசியலைப்புப் படி உரிமை உள்ளது.  “இலவச சட்ட உதவி என்பது அரசு அளிக்கும் தொண்டு அல்ல. இது அனைத்து மக்களுக்கான  அடிப்படை உரிமை,” என்கிறார் சென்னை உயர்நீதி மன்றத்தின் வழக்கறிஞர் எஸ் ஜோதிலக்ஷ்மி, 2019-20 ல் இலவச சட்ட உதவி வழக்கறிஞராக இவர் நியமிக்கப்பட்டார்.  அரசு வழங்கும் சேவை குறித்து பலரருக்கு விழிப்புணர்வு இல்லை, என இந்தக் கட்டுரைக்காக நாம் சந்தித்த வழக்கறிஞர்கள் கூறினர்.  அதன் நோக்க பயனை…

A little girl came to the Thuli store looking for a bottle-green top to wear at the annual day function of her school. She found exactly what she was looking for in a matter of minutes, and free of cost. More importantly, she was able to save preowned clothing which would otherwise have found its way to a landfill. Every year, the fashion industries of the world produce 53 million tonnes of fibres, and less than 1% of it goes back to use, with more than 70% of fibres dumped in a landfill or incinerated. "Apart from filling up landfills,…

"Right to Education is a beacon of hope for us as we wish to see our children get educated," says Sita*, a daily wage worker. Her child has secured admission in a private matriculation school in Chennai on a seat reserved under the Right to Education, or RTE, Act. "We cannot afford the fees of private schools. I did not study, but I want to see my child educated, and climb up the ladder of life." The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act or Right to Education Act (RTE) is an Act of the Parliament of India…

"I used to crave street food as a teenager. I frequently had lunches and dinners from roadside vendors for more than 5 years," said Shruti, a resident of KK Nagar. A few years ago she suffered from food poisoning due to one such meal and had to miss her college semester exams. "That was when it hit me how unhealthy street food in Chennai could be." How does Chennai's street food scene fare on food safety and hygiene? What should you look out for the next time you decide to treat yourself to some scrumptious roadside chaat or bajjis on…

Pallikaranai marshland has become the first wetland in Chennai to get the Ramsar tag in July 2022. The award of the Ramsar tag is part of UNESCO's Ramsar Convention, which is an intergovernmental treaty aimed to conserve wetlands. India has been a party to the treaty since 1982. While this is welcome news, Pallikaranai has also seen a lot of damage over the years, despite being a "protected zone" as per the Tamil Nadu Forest Act. From 2,650 hectares, the wetland has shrunk to around 700 hectares, thanks to encroachments by government and private entities, garbage dumping, leakage of untreated…

The pandemic wrecked the livelihoods of many people in Chennai. The state government set up the Dr C Rangarajan Committee to provide medium-term policy suggestions to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19. One of the suggestions of the committee was the creation of a daily wage programme for the urban poor. Taking this into consideration, the Tamil Nadu government rolled out an Urban Employment Scheme (TNUES) in Chennai and other municipal corporations. The scheme mirrors the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and is designed to provide guaranteed employment for 100 days in a year. "The scheme has…

"Most of the meat and fish vendors in Chennai use single-use plastic bags. But today, we have to hide it and use it," said Raman* the owner of a meat shop in Nesapakkam. The plastic ban has caused a major predicament among small vendors of meat and fish across Chennai. The Tamil Nadu government banned a list of single-use plastic items, including plastic bags of all sizes and thicknesses. The Greater Chennai Corporation has also announced that the shops violating the ban will be sealed and their licences cancelled. Almost 98% of people consume meat in Tamil Nadu, according to…

Critically acclaimed movie Jai Bhim highlighted in great detail the plight of socially and economically disadvantaged communities as they navigate a complex legal system. Chandru, a lawyer working pro bono, steps up to aid the central character Sengeni. What happens to many such individuals in real life? How can those who do not have the means get adequate representation and access to justice in Chennai? Every individual has the constitutional right to get help from the government-sanctioned Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority or the District Legal Services Authority. "Free legal aid is not a charity by the government. It…

"A city designed with the principles of Universal Design will ensure that all users, including people with disabilities, the elderly, children, and women, can move about the city seamlessly, at any given time, without any dependence on anyone else," said Santhosh Loganaathan, a Chennai-based urban planner with the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). If Chennai implements Universal Design perfectly, no resident will feel any inhibition while accessing urban spaces, said Santhosh. For instance, a visually impaired person and a sighted person must have the same confidence while navigating the city. "Currently, only some groups of people can participate…