City: Chennai

This article is part of a special series: Safety of women in Indian cities An alarming number of women have been subjected to violence and abuse in the private and public sphere over the ages, and the incidents reported are on the rise. Survivors of such trauma often require assistance on multiple fronts,  seeking medical, legal and emotional support.  State-operated emergency helplines that women can dial in times of crisis have been set up at various levels over the years, providing emergency services, police intervention, medical and legal assistance.  In addition to this, Chennai is home to various non-profit organisations…

As Dr Alby John Varghese, the 31-year-old Regional Deputy Commissioner (South) of Chennai Corporation took some time to rest, he was pleased to see the way things were being handled by his efficient team during the "Reuse and Reduce Sale." Citizens were called upon to donate various lightly-used items that were still in usable condition but which they no longer needed. We managed to steal some time from his schedule for a quick tête-à-tête and understand how he and his team pulled this off. How did you come up with the initiative? Alby John Varghese, IAS The concept of the…

Chennai gets AC buses again After nearly a gap of one and a half years, MTC has re-introduced AC buses in the city again. The AC buses have been launched on two routes: Dr MGR Bus Terminus in Koyambedu to Siruseri via Velachery and Thiruvanmiyur to Tambaram. The minimum ticket price has been fixed at ₹15 and the maximum is ₹60 till Siruseri. The MTC further plans to add five more routes. Source: The Hindu Chennai ranks third highest in the no. of murders in metros Chennai has seen a consistent rise in the number of murders according to the…

To encourage a culture of reusing stuff and reducing waste generated to create a positive impact on the planet, Chennai Corporation is organising an exciting event on January 12th and 13th - the "Reuse and Reduce Sale." Citizens can donate various lightly used items in good condition that they wish to part with, for the R & R sale where these will be sold at nominal price. You can also swap similar items at the sale venue. Scroll down to get more details regarding the event: What can you donate? (All items must be in good condition) 1) Children's toys/playthings…

Besant Nagar beach got a new tag this week. On January 6th, it was declared a litter free zone, in the presence of Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash,  Regional Deputy Commissioner, South, Alby John Varghese and other zonal level officers.  The announcement was a welcome move, considering the fact that civic forums such as SPARK have been fighting for it for many years now. But many residents have a host of questions regarding this: What exactly is a litter free zone? How sustainable is it? Has the Corporation rushed to make an announcement too soon?  Chennai Corporation is implementing three…

Feeling too lazy to step out of your home? Don’t like your PG/hostel food? Your spouse can’t cook? No time to prepare lunch? Ran out of groceries? For all these reasons and more, food delivery services are a quick, one-click solution for millennials. An aerial view of Chennai today would show the long stretch of beach, sparse tree cover, myriad projects under construction across the city... and a sea of red, orange and green riders dotting its roads. Rapidly growing market Such is the rapid growth of food delivery services in the city over the past 5 years. The market leader…

Picture this. You could sell your paper waste for the highest market rate; contact local scrap dealers and sell your discarded plastic containers, unused bags and slippers and even buy compost at dirt cheap rates. All online. Waste management and recycling in the city just got easier with the launch of India’s first web portal-cum-mobile application for waste trading, called Madras Waste Exchange . On December 3 2019, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) Commissioner, G Prakash inaugurated the website that is developed under the Smart City Mission. Three weeks after the launch, Citizen Matters Chennai spoke to Azhagu Pandiaraja M P,…

Chennai has welcomed globalisation and liberalisation with open arms. As India’s largest auto hub with multiple automobile manufacturers setting up shop in the outskirts of the city, and being home to many IT services companies employing more than a lakh people, Chennai, with its concentration of skills and activities, is today an important centre for both manufacturing and services. Which in turn is facilitated by other ancillary services such as transportation and communication. In a modern economy such as this, changes take place rapidly or over a period of time. Infrastructure for example, is perhaps the most tangible manifestation of…

Translated by Krishna Kumar "கிணத்த காணோம், கிணத்த காணோம்!" - கண்ணும் கண்ணும் படத்தில் வடிவேலு காவல்துறையிடம் ஒரு திறந்த கிணற்றை காணவில்லை என்று பொய் புகார் கொடுத்து நம்மையெல்லாம் வயிறுகுலுங்க சிரிக்கவைத்த நகைச்சுவை காட்சியை யாரால் மறக்க முடியும். கிணறு ஒன்றை காணோம் எனும்பொழுது அவ்வளவு சிரித்தோம், ஆனால் நிஜத்தில் ஒரு நீர்நிலையே காணாமல் போகும் சாத்தியமுண்டா? அதிர்ச்சியூட்டும் விஷயம் தான், அனால் நடக்கிறது. சென்னை -திருவள்ளூர் நெடுஞ்சாலையில் 7 குளங்கள் அப்படிதான் காணாமல் போயுள்ளன. பல வருடங்களாவே இந்த குளங்கள் பொது மக்களாலும்,  சென்னை மாநகராட்சி மற்றும் தமிழ்நாடு குடிசைமாற்று வாரியம் போன்ற பல்வேறு அரசு துறைகளாலும் தொடர்ந்து ஆக்கிரமிப்புக்கு ஆளாகியுள்ளன.  ஒரு காலத்தில் [30 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்] குழந்தைகளும் பெரியோர்களும் அல்லி நிறைந்த இந்த குளங்களில் மீன்பிடித்து மகிழ்ந்தனர் ; பெண்கள் அங்கிருந்து தண்ணீர் எடுப்பது சகஜம். பண்டிகைகளுக்கு விளக்கேற்றி, கரையில் மக்கள் கூடிய காட்சிகள்…

Evictions near the Cooum in Triplicane Around 3000 families along the banks of the Cooum river near Triplicane were evicted forcibly by the Chennai police and slum clearance authorities on December 30th. The eviction drive is part of the river restoration project. The families residing in Gandhi Nagar, Sathyamoorthy Nagar and Indira Nagar were evicted without notice, prompting protests from the residents. The residents lamented that the move would leave many without homes and would affect the continued education of many of the school and college-going children. The settlements that have been evicted have seen residents living there for nearly…