Articles by Sandhya Raju

2020 ஆம் ஆண்டு பெரும்பாலும் பலர் வீட்டினுள்ளே கடந்து விட்ட நிலையில், பொது இடங்களின் பயன்பாடு இந்த வருடம் அவ்வளவாக இல்லை என்றே கூறலாம். அரசும் கோவிட்-19 தொற்றை கட்டுப்படுத்துவதில் தன் முழு கவனத்தையும் செலுத்தியது. இதனிடையே, நிலைமை சற்றே சீராக தொடங்கியதும், சென்னை நகரில் பல திட்டங்கள் மீண்டும் உயிர் பெற்றன அல்லது கவனம் பெற்றன. இதில் குறிப்பிட்ட சிலவற்றை இங்கே தொகுத்துள்ளோம். அனைவருக்குமான மெகா தெருக்கள் அகலமான நடைபாதைகள், பிராகசமான தெரு விளக்குகள், சைக்கிளுக்கென தனி பாதை, நியமிக்கப்பட்ட பார்க்கிங் வசதி என நகரின் முக்கிய இடங்களில் 426 கி.மீ தூரம் தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட தெருக்களை, ஸ்மார்ட் சிட்டி திட்டத்தின் கீழ் மெகா தெருக்கள் ஆக உருவாக்க சென்னை மாநகராட்சி முடிவு செய்தது. இந்த திட்டம் செயல் வடிவம் அடைய நீண்ட காலம் ஆகும் என்பதை கருத்தில் கொண்டு, அண்ணாநகர், வேளாச்சேரி, மைலாபூர், அடையாறு, நுங்கம்பாக்கம், தண்டையார்பேட்டை என தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்ட…

It is unfortunate that we find ourselves in such trying times, when the COVID-19 crisis has impacted our work, business and community. On the one hand, there are essential service providers who toil hard risking their well-being to serve us; on the other, there is a majority of us, who are blessed to have the option to work from home (WFH). #WFH as a concept may not be new, but for many, the current circumstances present a new experience altogether. WFH requires a lot of discipline and planning. As someone who has worked from home for many years, here is…

As the world is coming together to combat plastic pollution, there is still so much to be done to even be aware and acknowledge the impact of some products that have become an indispensable part of our lives. For example, we are yet to wake up to the eco-disaster of the disposable sanitary pads, while start-ups and NGOs are finding it hard to make an impact with alternatives. To create awareness on sustainable menstruation, Goli Soda, an upscale store in Chennai selling recycled and upcycled products hosted a panel to talk about the impact of waste created by conventional sanitary napkins…

As the city gears up for celebrations of Madras Day (or Week), like every year I go back in my own time machine to reminisce about the city and in particular my locality. Fortunately, I have been living in the same locality - intersection of Anna Nagar West and Villivakkam - since my school days and have seen the rapid development and transformation of both areas. Long before 100 Feet Road became the link to all parts of the city, I remember casually hopping across this road to reach my school. The other prominent road was the New Avadi Road,…

The theme for this year’s World Environment Day, celebrated on June 5, was “Beat Plastic Pollution”. Beyond lip service, it is most heartening to witness the deeds of people who walk the talk and show that where there is a will there is a way to ramp up our fight against plastic pollution. Citizen Matters spoke to one such Chennai citizen, V C Kannan, who, along with his family, has demonstrated that it is indeed possible to go plastic-free, especially at a large event such as a wedding. Yes, a zero-plastic wedding! The Big Idea For a family that has…

Hemraj, a youth in his mid twenties, hails from Royapuram, in North Chennai, which is a neglected area in terms of development or infrastructure compared to other parts of the city. From street light malfunction to free flow of sewage to handling simple checks by the police, Hemraj says he had no clue how to resolve all them and whom to approach, until he started volunteering with a civic-action group, Arappor Iyakkam. Citizen movements across the city are growing and are becoming a powerful tool to resolve civic issues and what is heartening is that these citizen movements are now…

Amidst all the political and other developments in the state, one thing that went largely unnoticed was the withdrawal of urad dhal from the Public Distribution System. While there has been no official gazette notification to this effect, it appears that the particular pulse has for a long time not been available for distribution. Conversations with beneficiaries bring out the situation on the ground and the impact. Beneficiaries across Chennai have raised their voices on the non availability of not only urad dhal, but also sometimes sugar and other items as well. In this context, it is important to understand…

Dr Sowmya Sanak Kumar Athreya, co-founder of Svarakshema Foundation shared her experiences on how music can be a powerful healer. As a singer and music therapist, Sowmya has been researching how music therapy can heal physical and psychological diseases and uplift the lives of people. Sharing one of her experiences, Sowmya said, “A 7-year-old kid with a kidney ailment and cerebral palsy was placed under music therapy to control his anger. He would often get admitted to the hospital due to allergies and would throw away all the tubes connected in anger and frustration. After being treated for a year,…

Where? As the sun  began to descend, the already buzzing Koyambedu market road came alive with more action as hundreds of people assembled at a local hotel for the Sakkadai Thiruvizha, organised by Arappor Iyakkam. The event on April 8th was envisioned as a citizen awareness program to highlight the problem of untreated sewage that is being continuously let out into the city’s water bodies, spelling doom for them as well as for the entire ecosystem. The highlight Officials from Chennai Corporation, PWD and CMWSSB  came together on a single platform to listen to the woes of the people. It…

How many of us remember our 10th and 12th board exam marks? Do they really matter now? Do we know how successful those rankers are, who ceremoniously gave interviews year after year, purporting to become world class doctors to serve the needy? If the parents of all kids, who are about to take the supposedly life-deciding board exams, pause for a second to ponder these questions, we can not only move away from rote learning towards nurturing a knowledge-driven society, but also perhaps ensure a happier, more holistic development of these young minds. Year after year, we focus on the number…