City: Chennai

Ashok Raj, a resident of Vettuvankeni, was recently cheated of Rs 4,500 by a city-based manpower agency providing domestic househelp services. The help never turned up even after the money was paid and multiple calls made to the agency did not evoke a response. Ashok soon realised he had been cheated and came to know that the agency has been engaged in serial fraudulent activities over the past few years. He subsequently got in touch with other victims. Collectively, they visited J8 Neelankarai police station to file a case against a manpower agency under cheating/fraudulent charges.  The officials initially were…

The long suffering residents of Chennai have been living with two dead rivers, the Adyar and the Cooum, flowing through the heart of their city. These two rivers meander sluggishly through the city carrying sewage and dangerous pollutants. Besides these two rivers, there is the third one – the Kosasthalaiyar, which flows in the northern end of the city and not as polluted as the other two. These three rivers flow east towards the Bay of Bengal. A river is considered dead when it is incapable of sustaining any form of life – fish or aquatic plants, in it. This…

COVID: Collector recovers from COVID, phase-II of vaccine trials to begin soon On August 20th, Chennai recorded 1,177 fresh COVID cases, 1,132 recoveries and 22 deaths. The total number of active cases stand at 12,287. Infographic representation of total number of COVID cases in Chennai as on August 21st. Graphic: GCC/Twitter Thirty-three officials from Chennai Collectorate including Collector R Seethalakshmi who were infected with COVID have reportedly recovered. To ensure the frontline workers remain safe, the civic body has begun testing all the workers. Samples from volunteers and frontline workers are part of the 13,000 tests carried out every day.…

இசை என்பது நம் மக்களின் வாழ்க்கையோடு பின்னிப் பிணைந்த ஒரு அம்சமாகும் என்பது நாம் அனைவரும் அறிந்ததே. சந்தோஷமோ, துக்கமோ அதைப் பரிமாறிக்கொள்ளவும், வெளிப்படுத்தவும் இசை ஒரு முக்கிய பங்கு வகித்து வந்திருக்கிறது. சென்னையிலும் எந்தவொரு விசேட நிகழ்வானாலும் அதில் ஒரு அத்தியாவசிய அம்சமாக மாறிப்போனவை மெல்லிசைக் குழுக்களின் நிகழ்ச்சிகள். இதில் ’ஏ’ ‘பி’ ‘சி’ என்று வகைப்படுத்தப்பட்டு ‘ஏ’ பிரிவில் 20 குழுக்களும் ‘பி’ வகையில் 60 ம் ‘சி’ வகையில் சுமார் 500க்கு மேலும் என இசைக் கருவிகளின் பயன்பாடு மற்றும் இசைக் கலைஞர்களின் எண்ணிக்கையின் அடிப்படையில் தரம் பிரிக்கப்பட்டு அதனடிப்படையில்  ரூபாய் பத்தாயிரம் முதல் பல லட்சம் வரை அவரவர் தேவைக்கேற்ப இந்நிகழ்ச்சிகளை ஏற்பாடு செய்து கொள்ளும் நிலை இருந்தது ஆனால், தற்போதைய கட்டுப்பாட்டு சூழலில் ஊரடங்கு மற்றும் சமூக இடைவெளியைக் கடைபிடிக்க வேண்டுமென்ற விதியினால், திருவிழாக்கள் மற்றும் வேறு பல சுப நிகழ்வுகளையும் எளிமையாக நடத்த…

In the aftermath of the devastating floods of 2015 and the drought that hit Chennai, the focus on conservation of water bodies has been amplified. The many lakes of Chennai that have suffered years of neglect have begun to get a fresh lease of life with restoration efforts taking place across the city. The Environmentalist Foundation of India is an NGO that has been playing an active role in the restoration of lakes along with other non-profits and civic agencies including the Greater Chennai Corproation and Chennai Smart Cities Limited. While lake restorations of this scale are multi-year, ongoing activities,…

Chennai has made global news over the past few years for its woes with water. First, it was the destructive floods of 2015 that saw most of the city under water for days, as a result of excessive rains and poor reservoir management. Then came the drought of 2019, where major parts of the city went without drinking water for weeks as deficit rainfall the previous year played havoc on water availability. Water has become a major talking point when it comes to discussing Chennai's livability. For a city with a storied history, could it be that the past offers…

While the Tamil Nadu government has extended the lockdown till August 31st, urban communities in Chennai are preparing to strengthen their resilience to handle side effects of such a prolonged period of lockdown and restrictions. How is the pandemic affecting them? What are the lessons learned? Swati Amar meets people from different neighbourhoods of Chennai: Royapuram and the neighbouring areas Chennai Zone 5 comprises Royapuram, George Town, Mannadi, Sowcarpet and areas adjoining the Government General Hospital and Madras Central Station. Head & chief diabetologist at M V Hospital for Diabetes Royapuram and president-elect at D-Foot International Dr Vijay Vishwanathan says,…

For the first time in history, the Madras Week celebrations have moved online this year, under threat of the pandemic. When we look back at the history of Chennai, or erstwhile Madras, it is not just historical landmarks and heritage sites that stand out, but also its journey of evolution, and the various things people identify the city with. Healthcare, for example, in which the city has always played a pioneering role, so that it's come to be recognised as a Mecca of healthcare today. A very interesting story in this regard is that of the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology…

COVID-19 has had a seriously unsettling effect on all sections of people, not least on students who find themselves in an unprecedented situation caused by closure of schools and colleges, and a rather hasty, unprepared thrust on digital modes of learning. Figures released by UNESCO, as they assess the impact of the global coronavirus pandemic on education, say that in India alone, some 32 crore learners have been impacted in some way or the other by the closure of educational institutes, nearly 17 crore of them in secondary school or at higher levels. Undoubtedly, the most affected and stressed are…

COVID-19: Two-day quarantine for international travellers with negative certification; four symptoms to watch out for Chennai recorded 1,187 fresh COVID cases, 837 recoveries and 25 deaths on August 14th, according to the health bulletin. The number of recoveries crossed one lakh on August 14th in the city.  Infographic summary of COVID-19 cases in Chennai. Graphic: GCC/Twitter International travellers who hold a negative COVID test certificate will be subjected to two-day institutional quarantine upon arrival at Chennai. Whereas passengers without certification will be in seven-day quarantine and would be tested twice -- upon arrival and on the seventh day of quarantine…