City: Chennai

While the pedestrian plaza and smart bike projects are well underway, there are many other plans for Chennai under the Smart Cities Mission, all at at various stages of progress. While Chennai started its smart city projects a couple of years after other cities did, it has caught up with the latter now, feels Raj Cherubal, CEO of Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL). A few exciting projects in store include the restoration of the Mambalam Canal. The restoration efforts will not only focus on cleaning of the canal but also the creation of usable public spaces around the same, with…

Chennai’s water security has been a hotly debated issue, ever since the city saw alternating incidents of devastating drought and destructive floods over the last five years. The floods were the result of thoughtless urbanisation while the drought came about due to the city’s poor adoption of water conservation. An answer to the conundrums surrounding water in Chennai may well lie in turning towards nature-based solutions, according to the proposals put forth by a promising initiative titled City of 1000 Tanks. City of 1000 Tanks is a multi-stakeholder effort, including the Corporation of Chennai and 100 Resilient Cities, that involves…

Did you know the pedestrian plaza was conceptualised at least eight years ago and precedes the launch of the Smart Cities Mission? Many projects that have grown under the Smart City umbrella, such as the rejuvenation of water bodies, stem from ideas that were incubated and nurtured for years before they saw concrete action. While citizens only monitor the visible progress of work on projects, the behind-the-scenes engagement by officials and processes involved, such as preparation of detailed project reports and consultations with stakeholders, are vital to the success of the efforts at a later stage, though often time-consuming.  Raj…

கல்வித்துறை சமீபத்தில் வெளியிட்டிருந்த அறிவிப்பால் ஒரு பரபரப்பான சூழ்நிலை உருவாகியது.  அது மாணவர்களை மட்டுமல்லாது , அவர்களது பெற்றோர் மற்றும் சமூகத்தின் மீதும் ஒரு தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்துவதாக இருந்தது. அந்த அறிவிப்பானது, அரசு மற்றும் மெட்ரிகுலேஷன் பள்ளிகளில் படிக்கும் 5 மற்றும் 8 ஆம் வகுப்பு மாணவர்களும் பொதுத்தேர்வு எழுத வேண்டும் என்பதுதான். பலமுனைகளிலிருந்தும் அதன் சாதக பாதகங்களை வலுவாக முன்வைத்ததை அரசும் நன்கு சீர்தூக்கி பார்த்து தற்போது அதனை ரத்து செய்துள்ளது. என்றாலும் அந்த அறிவிப்பின் பிரதிபலிப்பாக சமூகத்தில் நிகழ்ந்தவைகள் கல்வி சம்மந்தமாக சமூகம் என்ன பார்வையைக் கொண்டுள்ளது என்பது தீவிரமாக விவாதிக்கப்படக் கூடியதாகியுள்ளது. ஒரு முதிர்ச்சியான சமூகத்தை உருவாக்கும் வகையில் கல்வியளிக்கும் முறை உள்ளதா என்பது வினாவாகித் தொடர்கிறது. அறிவிப்பின் தாக்கங்கள் சமச்சீர் பாடத்திட்டத்தை மேம்படுத்துவதற்காக செய்த சில மாற்றங்களால் எழுந்த பரபரப்பே  முற்றிலும் அடங்காத நிலையில் வந்த அந்த அறிவிப்பானது, மறுபடியும் அதைப் பற்றவைத்தது. மாற்றங்களின் சவால்களைச்…

"I started with an hour and half in hand from Guindy towards Central (a distance of 12 km), but still missed my train to Cochin. The cab was stuck at the flyover opposite the station for over 20 minutes. I hired a porter to carry the luggage and ran to the station in desperation. But given the steady flow of vehicles, it is tough to cross the road too," says a frustrated Krithika Nair, a business consultant. Two years ago, she would have made it in comfortable time, if she had started from home just about 50 minutes prior to…

Chennai offers a slew of transportation options for its citizens. The MRTS network that serves as a key connection with the suburbs, the swanky Metro rail that now connects large parts of the city and the well-networked bus system play an important role when it comes to commuting within the city. In addition to this, Chennai has a large number of private vehicles, with two-wheelers topping the list. As a result, the city grapples with congestion, lack of parking space and issues such as air pollution from vehicular emissions. With the aim of curbing the ill-effects of rising personal vehicle…

Treatment for CoronaVirus only at Government hospitals The State Health Department has issued a directive that incidences of coronavirus will be treated only at Government hospitals and no private hospital should admit or offer treatment to patients with symptoms of the virus. The Department has said that this step is being taken to keep a strict vigilance and to avoid the potential risk of the suspected people being exposed to the general public. There are currently 1351 passengers from China who are under surveillance and they have been put on quarantine for 28 days. Source: The Times of India City…

The bustling shopping area of Pondy Bazaar in T Nagar has seen many changes over the last few years. For many, the street provides a one-stop solution to all they may need. Just take a walk down the street and you can get anything, from freshly ground coffee powder to large household appliances, all at various prices. Pondy Bazaar was famous for its pavements lined with small shops and street vendors who sat outside the larger outlets that were found on either side. The stretch where most of the shopping took place was also one that was least pedestrian-friendly.  This…

When the smart cities mission was launched in 2015, it held much promise for Chennai as it was one of 20 cities selected in the initial phase. Chennai was formally identified in January 2016 for a slew of projects that ranged from water conservation to pedestrianisation. While the city saw a slow start to these projects, ranking only 37 out of 87 cities when the smart cities were ranked in 2018. However, two years later, key projects such as the Pedestrian Plaza and rolling out of smart bikes have taken place. Expansion of these initiatives are in the pipeline now,…

It was a little past 8 am on a weekday. The two-lane Perumbakkam Main Road bustled with office-goers rushing past in their cars, students waiting at the bus stop and many others thronging the roadside tea shops. The large Sholinganallur marshland (which is part of Pallikaranai marshland) is bisected by the road, yet disconnected from all the busy activity. The marsh provides a picturesque view of birds roosting on the trees, hovering for prey and flying off to the nearby water bodies.  With binoculars around his neck and an office bag by his side, Deepak Venkatachalam squints his eyes to spot…