Articles by Varsha Venugopal

Last month, news reports emerged of ticketed passengers stranded at Chennai Central railway station. They carried bonafide tickets for seats on a train bound for Howrah, but discovered that unauthorised travellers had occupied their coaches; it is said that people began to board the train even as the railcars were entering the platform so that the sleeper coaches were full by the time they made a stop at the station. According to a report in The Hindu, ticketless passengers had not only overrun the reserved coaches but also blocked walkways with their luggage, making it impossible for those who had…

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) recently released the results of the 2023 Swachh Survekshan, a cleanliness survey conducted as part of the Swachh Bharat (Urban) campaign that covers 446 cities. The evaluation parameters covered the cleanliness levels of residential and commercial areas as well as public spaces, water bodies, parks, schools and waste management arrangements. Indore and Surat shared the first rank while Navi Mumbai bagged third place. As for our State, the survey results are rather tepid – no city in Tamil Nadu made it to the top 100 clean cities list. Trichy was named the…

In November last year, it was reported that the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) removed 600 tonnes of garbage and 250 tonnes of debris from water bodies over four months. The operation was a part of the desilting works undertaken by the administrative body to enhance the stormwater flow capabilities of the main canals. While it is not the sole reason for flooding during heavy spells of rain, indiscriminate waste disposal leads to clogged drain inlets and polluted water bodies that increase stagnation. Healthy water bodies can help tackle both water scarcity and flooding crises. The GCC oversees 33 canals totalling…

Mr G R Alfred Rupak, correspondent of St. Antony’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Thiruvottiyur says it started on July 5th, when a pungent odour akin to LPG gas permeated the air, forcing students to exit their classrooms. The malodour also affected other residents of Thiruvottiyur and Manali, with many reporting breathlessness and eye irritation. The stench, they feared, was a sulphur dioxide leak from the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited (CPCL) which operates a refinery in Manali. TNPCB addresses gas leak in North Chennai The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) issued orders at once for CPCL to monitor ambient air quality;…

It was just in January that a Government Order was issued for the construction of three new flyovers for the city at a cost of Rs. 335 crores. Now, Chennai’s new mayor Ms. Priya Rajan has signalled the administration’s intent to focus on a new batch of flyover projects as part of a roster of key civic solutions. Flyovers are touted to be essential infrastructure to decongest traffic snarls, but whether the benefits are commensurate with the steep price tags is a matter of some debate. Flyovers did not add much extra capacity A 2016 piece in The Hindu states…

The children used to come every evening after school, armed with cricket bats and balls, badminton racquets and footballs. They would descend upon the Chennai Corporation playground at RA Puram in droves, challenging one another to earnest matches. Anyone driving past on RK Mutt road or Brodies Castle road could see the children at play, occasionally catching thrilling glimpses of solemn contests, joyous victory, or bitter defeat. The kids have all but disappeared today, for CMRL has taken over the playground to undertake work relating to Phase 2 Corridor 3 of the metro expansion plans. The walking tracks in Panagal Park,…

Among Asia’s largest perishable good markets, the Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex (KWMC) was in the news last month following reports that traders had dumped unsold stock of vegetables and flowers on the road. Wholesalers pointed to a drop in demand, underlining that apart from other factors, commercial demand from hotels and catering services had dropped by 50 per cent during the pandemic – a figure that is presumably recovering at a slower rate than expected given the volume of wastage. The President of the Koyambedu Market Licensed Merchant’s Association S. Chandran has been quoted saying “We receive the same quantity…

The Institute of Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) is working with the Greater Chennai Corporation to finalize the city’s new parking management policy. The ITDP said that the goals of the new framework included reducing the demand for parking and reclaiming on-street parking spots for sustainable modes of transport – the expectation is that the new policy will minimize traffic congestion, air pollution and accidents.  “In many Indian cities, the phenomenal growth in ownership of private motor vehicles, combined with dwindling investments in public transport, has resulted in streets choked with traffic. Haphazard parking takes up significant real estate on-street…

As part of its mission towards a cleaner and greener Chennai, the newly elected administration has announced its plan to revive the Singara Chennai project of the late nineties. The plan is supported by a budget of Rs 500 crores, out of which the Corporation has been allocated Rs 300 crores and Metro Water, Rs 200 crores. In an official quote to the Times of India, the goals of the campaign have been described thus: “The funds will predominantly be used for beautifying Chennai under heads that include solid waste management, artwork, culture, improving greenery, setting up new infrastructure such…

As the city celebrated Madras Week this month, the results of the Swachh Survekshan survey – an initiative under Swachh Bharat to monitor cleanliness in different cities and towns in India – were released as well. It seems to be a mixed bag for Chennai. While our city has jumped up the rankings from the 61st place last year to the 45th this year, it also achieved the dubious distinction of being tagged the third dirtiest city in the category of those with a population of more than 1 million, with only Patna and East Delhi below it. Authorities unhappy…