City: Chennai

Ramasamy (name changed) refused to change the proposed date of marriage of his second daughter when his first born in the US expressed inability to attend her sister’s marriage. He had fixed a marriage hall belonging to a superstar, six months before D-Day and had paid the entire rent of several lakhs as advance -- which was non-refundable.  This is the plight of many who believe in conducting traditional wedding ceremonies in halls in Chennai. Says Sindhu Vijayakumar, a senior media professional in Chennai, “People are paying in lakhs to hire just four walls and a limited parking space.  The cost…

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Smart Cities Mission in 2015, which aims to execute ‘smart solutions’ that help develop cities in a people-friendly, sustainable way. Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL) is the local arm of this initiative. It is also the organisation behind the upcoming pedestrian plaza at T-Nagar and other key projects. Below are excerpts from a chat with its CEO, Raj Cherubal. What is your vision of a Smart Chennai? The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has the concept of a liveability index, which basically focuses on improving the quality of life. Electronics,…

Dengue outbreak in north Chennai Over 350 cases of dengue were reported in the city in September, with a particular spike in areas like Royapuram and Tondiarpet in north Chennai. Officially, the highest number of cases -- 25 --were reported in Tondiarpet. However, the government has been criticised for under-reporting dengue cases and classifying many such as undiagnosed fevers. Officials attribute the rise in incidence to intermittent episodes of rain in the city, but inadequate garbage clearance and gaps in civic infrastructure in the densely populated regions of northern Chennai have also had a role to play. However, health officials…

How does a national downturn affect a small, local market in this city? If we want to understand that, we should probably look at the Pudupet spare parts market.  The nation-wide auto sector slowdown has hit the livelihoods of many traders at Pudupet, a second hand vehicle-parts market off Egmore. There has been a slump in metal prices due to the slowdown, a factor that has probably had the most damaging impact on the Pudupet traders.  “There has been a steep fall in metal prices: Iron price has declined to Rs 16 from Rs 25 and aluminium costs Rs 63…

Translated by Sandhya Raju "மரம் வளர்போம், மழை பெறுவோம்" - சுற்றுசூழலை பேணிக் காக்க மாநிலம் முழுவதும் இந்த வாசகத்தை காணலாம்.  கல்வி நிறுவனங்கள் முதல் தொண்டு நிறுவனங்கள் வரை, முக்கிய நாட்களை கொண்டாட,  மரம் நடும் விழாவை தவறாமல் ஏற்பாடு செய்கின்றன. இந்த முயற்சிகள் உண்மையாகவே பலன் தருகிறதா?  நடப்படும் மரக்கன்றுகள் எவ்வாறு உள்ளன? இவை நகரத்தை பசுமையாக மாற்றுகிறதா? சுருங்கி வரும் பசுமை கடந்த இருபது ஆண்டுகளில் சென்னையின் பசுமை போர்வை வெகுவாக குறைந்து உள்ளது. வர்தா புயலின் தாக்கத்தில் பல மரங்கள் வேரோடு சாய்ந்ததில், சென்னையில் பதினைந்து சதவிகித மரங்கள் குறைந்துள்ளதாக கேர் யெர்த் டிரஸ்ட் நடத்திய ஆய்வில் தெரிவித்துள்ளது. நகர்புறத்தில் முப்பத்திமூன்று சதவிகித பசுமை இருத்தல் வேண்டும் என கூறப்படுகிறது. சென்னை மெட்ரோ போன்ற உள்கட்டமைப்பு வளர்ச்சி காரணமாகவும் சென்னை நகரின் பல பகுதிகளில் மரங்கள் சாய்க்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. நகரமயமாக்கல் நகரத்தின் பசுமை போர்வைக்கு பெருத்த…

Daan Utsav, one of the largest volunteer driven philanthropic initiatives across the country is back this week between October 2 - 8. With events, drives and activities helmed by NGOs, individuals and corporate houses, the week-long effort brings together people from all walks and provides an opportunity to improve the lives of the less fortunate.  Chennai will see a variety of activities as part of Daan Utsav, where citizens can contribute their time through volunteering or provide financial support for various causes. Gift a meal No Food Waste, an NGO working to address the twin issues of hunger and food…

A month ago, Saritha Kumar of Nungambakkam ordered a designer saree from an online store. She paid the cash of Rs 10,000 online and waited for a month. The delivery never reached her. Upon suspicion, when she read reviews from other customers on the store’s Facebook page, Saritha realised she had been cheated just like many others before her. She was shocked to know that even the store’s address and phone number were invalid.  Had Saritha researched about the store before ordering the saree, she would have saved the money. Either due to carelessness or ignorance, a lot of consumers…

Are you a Chennaiite negotiating the busy roads of the city almost daily? Have you noticed the sidewalks being dug up on your way to Anna library or EA Mall or Chennai Central in recent times? Did you wonder why these roads are being dug up all of a sudden throughout the city?  Of floods and droughts Chennai has seen the worst of nature's fury several times in the recent past, with the frequency of floods and droughts having increased drastically. Post the historic floods in 2015, Cyclone Vardah devastated the city once again in 2016. However, as the monsoon…

Groundwater table rises in the city The city has witnessed a healthy rise of 2 to 4 metres in groundwater level since August, thanks to the rainfall during recent days. According to the Regional Meteorological Centre, from June 1st to September 11th, the city has received 416 mm against the normal 356 mm. The rise has not been uniform, however. While localities along the beach in Adyar, Injambakkam, Akkarai and Besant Nagar saw negligible rise in the level, Korattur and Ambattur have seen a steep rise of 5 metres in the groundwater level over the period mentioned. Source: The New…

We have just come to the end of a week that has seen unprecedented mobilisation across our cities and towns over the issue of climate change and environmental justice. On September 23rd, 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg came up with yet another passionate and angry outburst against global leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit 2019. "You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can…