City: Chennai

The political establishment has been feeling lost ever since the High Court of Madras pronounced an outright ban on parties erecting digital banners and hoardings along the streets and roads of Chennai. And as is always the case, a minor adjustment when it comes to interpretation of the judgement will soon help in getting these public nuisances back. If the news agencies are to be believed, the Corporation of Chennai is of the view that the ban pertains only to political parties and not organisers of “marriages, birthdays and other social celebrations.” We are not sure if religious events are…

Chennai gets first confirmed COVID-19 case; quarantine facility to come up As the coronavirus scare grips the country, the State Health Department is preparing to convert the Government Hospital of Thoracic Medicine, Tambaram, into an exclusive quarantine facility to admit persons with symptoms of coronavirus disease in Chennai. As of March 5th, 426 people were home quarantined in Chennai. Meanwhile the first confirmed case of Coronavirus disease in the city surfaced when a man with travel history to Oman tested positive. The patient has been isolated and kept for further treatment at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Hospital. All international passengers…

In the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), Central, a corpse which was brought in seven months ago lies unclaimed even today; another such has been at the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital (KMCH) since December 2019. These are not isolated cases. Major government hospitals in Chennai are struggling to tackle the pressure of unclaimed dead bodies in their mortuaries. "The situation is concerning because the unclaimed bodies are taking up the capacity of the mortuary. Our morgue has the capacity to hold 60 corpses," said a doctor at the Dean's office in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH).  The…

On a gruelling hot Monday afternoon, Abdul S wakes up from a nap on his rickshaw parked on the Wall Tax Road. A few yards away, the Chennai Central Railway Station is abuzz with passengers. As scores of people walk in and out of the station, Abdul observes them expectantly, and hopes that at least one person from the crowd will approach him for a ride. Abdul belongs to the dying community of rickshaw drivers who bring back memories of the good old days in the Madras that was. The present, however, hardly brings any cheer for them, as they…

Sivaraman*, (name changed) a conservancy worker, was on regular duty last month, collecting garbage in Chrompet. Just as he was handling some 'household waste' collected from a clinic in the locality, a syringe pricked his finger. "I could not bend my finger as it seemed to have been numbed by some traces of anaesthetic still present. I reported it to my head and the doctor from the clinic was warned. They were asked to dispose of bio-medical waste according to the rules,” the worker said. This, however, is not a one-off incident in Chennai. Improper disposal of bio-medical waste is…

Dressed in white and khaki attire, he lets the vehicles at the Anna Rotary junction (under the Gemini flyover) pass towards Nungambakkam. It is 1 pm on a weekday and the mercury level is high. Perspiration trickles down the forehead of the serious-faced traffic cop, who stops a two-wheeler and penalises the rider for not wearing a helmet. Meet C Palani,  a stern, dark-skinned, 48-year-old Traffic Sub-Inspector from the E3 Teynampet Police Station who has manned traffic at various spots over a 10-km stretch in Teynampet, a busy area that is in proximity to the AIADMK office and the Chief…

Translated by Sandhya Raju " கிண்டியிலிருந்து சென்ட்ரல் (12 கி.மீ. தூரம்) செல்ல ஒன்றரை மணி நேரம் முன்னதாகவே கிளம்பினேன், ஆனாலும் கொச்சின் செல்லும் ரயிலை தவறவிட்டேன். சென்ட்ரல் எதிரே உள்ள பாலத்தில் என் வண்டி இருபது நிமிடங்கள் மேலாக நெரிசலில் சிக்கியது. போர்டர் உதவி கொண்டு ரயிலை பிடிக்க வேகமாக ஓடினேன்.  வாகன நெரிசலால், இந்த சாலையை கடப்பதும் அவ்வளவு எளிதல்ல," என்கிறார் வர்த்தக ஆலோசகராக பணி புரியும் கிருத்திகா நாயர். இதுவே இரண்டு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னால் 50 நிமிடம் முன்னதாக கிளம்பியிருந்தாலே அவர் நேரத்திற்கு சென்றடைந்திருப்பார். கிருத்திகா போல் பலருக்கும், இந்த நெரிசல் இடர்பாடுகளையே தந்துள்ளது. பூந்தமல்லி சாலை மற்றும் அண்ணா சாலை வழியாக சென்ட்ரல் செல்லும் வாகனங்கள் ஊர்ந்து செல்லும் நிலையிலேயே உள்ளன. ராஜீவ் காந்தி அரசு மருத்துவமனை அருகே உள்ள பகுதி தான் சென்னையிலேயே மிகவும் போக்குவரத்து நெரிசலான பகுதி; அரை கி.மீ தூரம்…

Officials warned for not sealing groundwater tapping units properly A Madras High Court bench led by Justices Vineeth Kothari and R Suresh Kumar expressed disappointment over officials not complying with the rule that mandates sealing firms that illegally draw groundwater. The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) moved by M V Sivamuthu of Neat India organisation against firms that misuse groundwater resources without obtaining license under the Chennai Metropolitan Ground Water Regulation Act, 1987, especially drinking water manufacturers in Chennai. The bench further warned that it intends to take contempt action against the authorities in-charge in Tamil Nadu…

Chennai has an abundant wealth of water bodies, big and small. Small ponds in neighbourhoods help recharge ground water. Lakes attract many life forms and have an ecosystem of their own. Temple tanks have been around for centuries and help in water conservation. However, the entire network of water bodies that have been the source of life for the city has come under attack from rampant encroachment and various forms of pollution over the years. The floods of 2015 and the drought faced by the city in 2019 are proof of the mismanagement of water in the city and the…

“Chennai Airport incurred a loss of Rs 4 crore last financial year due to a multitude of reasons,” said C V Deepak, General Manager, Finance and the former Officiating Airport Director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), Chennai International Airport. In this exclusive interview, C V Deepak talks about ways to make the airport profitable and about crucial infrastructure projects such as multi-level parking, construction of a new terminal and the second airport.  Where do we stand in regard to the construction of the second airport? There have been media reports about the government zeroing on a site at Parandur in…