City: Chennai

Chennai's many delayed road works such as flyovers and expressways have worsened the traffic snarl and increased commute times across the city. Many of these pending projects have been delayed by over two to three years, with the longest delay manifest in the decade-long work underway on the Port-Maduravoyal Expressway. Each project has faced its own obstacles including land acquisition, funds crunch and legal challenges leading to many years of wait for the commuters and residents for decongested roads. Velachery flyover Work commenced in January 2016 Cost: Rs 92 crore Project aim: The Velachery flyover project is one of the…

Coronavirus testing centre to be established in the city With Kerala reporting the country’s first case of Novel Coronavirus (nCoV), Tamil Nadu is continuing its surveillance measures.  A Coronavirus testing centre will be established at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy, in two days. Director of Public Health K Kolandaswamy said that this forms a part of the plan of the Union Health Ministry to set up 10 more Coronavirus testing facilities in the country. While screening measures are in place at the Chennai airport, the Chennai port has procured thermal scanners, personal protective equipment and N95 masks. The…

History says that the origins of the city of Madras lie in the north. But, for various reasons, North Chennai has remained one of the least developed regions in the city. Unmilled roads, lack of sewer connections and traffic congestion are among the many basic issues that plague the northern parts of the city.  “The problems faced in the city as a whole is generally aggravated in North Chennai. But there has been steady development,” said P Akash, IAS, Regional Deputy Commissioner (North) Chennai Corporation, in an exclusive interview with Citizen Matters Chennai.  Excerpts from the interview: What are the…

In 1987, an MTC bus plying on the muddy Pallavaram–Thoraipakkam 200 Feet Radial Road would see passengers reaching out for their handkerchiefs or the corner of their saris to cover their noses. Today, the road has been widened and many educational institutions and IT companies have mushroomed around it. However, the stench along the stretch of the Pallikaranai marshland remains unbearable. In fact, it is worse than in 1987. Destruction of wetlands: The Pallikaranai story The degradation of this freshwater marshland started in 1980 when the Greater Chennai Corporation started using the ecologically-rich wetland to dump solid waste. The marshland…

Enough and more has been said on the subject of stifling dissent and readers must be wondering as to whether yet another article on the subject is at all warranted. But even if we were to wish away what is happening elsewhere in the country, and we certainly cannot do that, the recent occurrences in Chennai have taken us by surprise and it is time we feel necessary to speak out on what the city stands for. But for those who are not aware, a brief recap is necessary. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 is the current subject of discussion…

It was October of 2018. We were on the road from Silchar Airport in Assam to Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre. A distance of 30 kilometres took forever, especially after reaching the dusty and crowded roads of Silchar town. The traffic moved at a snail's pace. And then we sighted the hospital. It was at first sight an unimpressive plain building, parts of which seemed unfinished. The terrain was uneven, we negotiated the slopes and entered the building and were shown into the spartan room of the Director, who received us warmly. He showed us around the facility. He…

In view of the severe water crisis that gripped Chennai in 2019, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB or Metro Water, in short) has unveiled a set of goals for 2020, which if met could help make the city water secure. The agency plans to extend its services to the underserved and unserved areas in the city this year, and ensure the following: 1. Reuse of Waste Water In order to meet the growing water needs of the city, Metro Water plans to expand the number of wastewater treatment facilities in Chennai. The city has seen two…

Corporation raids commercial units for plastic usage The corporation has seized over 11.6 tonnes of plastic bags, primarily from shops in Alandur, Adyar, Valasaravakkam and Kodambakkam. The civic body also collected ₹19.45 lakh as fine from the violators of the ban, in the 15 zones of the city. Raids were conducted in various locations, covering 20,423 commercial establishments. The civic body seized 72.76 tonnes of banned plastic from commercial units during the period from January 1 2019 to January 22 2020. Source: The Hindu Corporation to levy fee for garbage collection Residents, commercial establishments and event companies will have to…

Commencing her teaching career in Indraprastha College, New Delhi in 1970, Uma Raman chose to continue her calling even after she resigned as the Principal of Naval Public School, New Delhi in 1997 and relocated to Chennai. She is currently an education consultant in English Language curriculum planning, teacher training and the creation of English language teaching materials.  “I started writing textbooks while in Delhi but when I moved to Chennai, that became my main work,” says Uma. She has authored a number of widely-used textbook series in English. Recently, she was a member of the committee for revising the…

Translated by Vadivu Mahendran குழந்தைகள் பாலியல் துன்புறுத்தல் பாதுகாப்பு  சட்ட (திருத்தம்) 2019 இன் படி அதில் மிக முக்கிய அம்சங்களானக சேர்க்கப்பட்ட குழந்தைகள் ஆபாசக் காணொளி தடுப்பு மற்றும் பாலியல் குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு மரணதண்டனை போன்றவை பலராலும் வரவேற்கப்பட்டது. முக்கியமாக வழக்குகளை விரைந்து முடிப்பதன் மீதான உத்தரவே பெரிதும் ஆமோதிக்கப்பட்டது. இதனை நடைமுறைப்படுத்த சட்ட அமைச்சகம், நாடு முழுவதும் இருக்கும் குழந்தைகள் மற்றும் பெண்களுக்கெதிரான 1.66 லட்ச குற்ற வழக்குகளை விரைந்து முடிப்பதற்காக 1023 சிறப்பு விரைவு நீதிமன்றங்களை நிறுவுவதைப் பரிந்துரைத்தது. உண்மையில் போக்ஸோ சட்டமானது சம்பவம் நிகழ்ந்த ஒரு வருடத்திற்குள் சட்டரீதியான நடைமுறைகள் எல்லாம் முடிந்திருக்க வேண்டியதை அவசியமாகக் கொண்டுள்ளது. எப்படியாயினும், பெரும்பாலும் இந்த விவகாரங்கள் எல்லாம் ஏட்டளவிலேயே உள்ளது. சென்னையில் மட்டும் நூற்றுக்கணக்கான போக்ஸோ வழக்குகள் வெவ்வேறு நீதிமன்றங்களில் உள்கட்டமைப்பு மற்றும் செயல்முறைக் குறைபாட்டால் அதிகளவில் தேங்கியுள்ளது. உதாரணமாக, சென்னையில் ஹாசினி வழக்கில் செங்கல்பட்டு நீதிமன்றத்தால் ஒரு…