City: Chennai

You've been hearing of a looming food safety crisis triggered by the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in meat and vegetables for some time now. Now, this has hit close to home, right here in Chennai, with new found evidence. A study that examined samples of vegetables, fruit, fish, chicken and mutton from households, market and fish and meat outlets has found the presence of colistin-resistant bacteria in 44 of the 100 samples. The study has also unravelled the mechanism by which a gene responsible for antibiotic-resistance can be transmitted to humans, with worrying consequences. Colistin is known as the ‘antibiotic…

There is perhaps not a Chennaiite, who has not, at one time or the other, frequented the lanes of Parry's Corner, a commercial hub for wholesale plastic and paper products, clothes and electrical items. But ask any of them and it's unlikely to come across one who has visited the neighbourhood recently, but has not been left aghast at the pathetic state of affairs in this historic avenue. Narrow roads made narrower by illegally parked vehicles; cars, rickshaws and pedestrians jostling for space in bylanes that are barely 6 ft wide; unregulated packaging units adding to the mismanaged waste in…

“Hungry people are also angry people. That's the biggest challenge I have to face in my job every day” says Naresh (name changed) as he waits for the restaurant to parcel up his latest order of aloo paratha and rose milk, to be delivered to an apartment three kilometres away. One of the approximately 50,000 delivery boys employed across the country by food delivery service, Swiggy, Naresh begins his day at 8 am, when the first of the restaurants open for service. Orders come streaming in and the app auto-assigns a delivery to him. The restaurant and the delivery location…

SC rule on bursting crackers flouted The Supreme Court order on the two-hour window for bursting crackers and the subsequent directive from the TN Government stipulating one hour each in the morning and evening did not deter Chennaites from enjoying Diwali their way. Most parts of the city went on with the celebrations as usual, unmindful of the apex court order. Tamil Nadu police have registered around 1500 cases on those who violated the SC rule, including 342 cases in Chennai alone. However, despite violations, the average particulate matter level was way below this time, compared to last year according…

Everyday, as we go about our daily commute in Chennai, we see these statues - silent sentinels of the past, standing tall and telling us their stories. Covered in bird poop or dust and often damaged, these towering sculptures are a witness to the city’s pollution and traffic snarls, apart from its history, of course. Except on occasions relating to the personalities (such as birth anniversaries) where they are cleaned up/renovated and garlanded, these statues are largely ignored in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Statues are often the targets of vandalism, as historian Nivedita Louis rightly explained, “Statues…

The elevated road corridor from Maduravoyal to the Harbour is back in the news. A Committee recently reviewed progress on the project with particular reference to the issues of land acquisition. Earlier in the year, it was decided that the road, planned originally for four lanes, will now be expanded to six. With all this, it appears that the project will take off once more, five years after it was stalled ostensibly for environmental reasons, while it was an open secret that the actual cause was political. The story then given out was that the piers for the elevated road…

Every Chennaiite feels a sense of pride and excitement when crossing Kathipara, Asia’s largest cloverleaf flyover that connects several arterial roads at the all important Guindy junction. Just a few yards from Kathipara in Guindy is the Guindy industrial estate, a hub for small and medium scale industries. But a ride inside the estate premises makes you wonder if this locality, with its toxic waste mountains, dangling EB wires and haphazardly parked vehicles is even in Chennai. Such is the stark contrast between the Kathipara area and the Guindy estate. Now and then Touted as Asia’s first production cluster, Guindy…

An untiring battle of the Ennore fishermen to save Kosasthalaiyar river from the clutches of Kamarajar Port proved successful as they scored an important victory after the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) rejected the Port's proposal to locate port facilities on the eastern banks of the Kosasthalaiyar’s backwaters in Ennore Creek. The fisherfolk, however, said that their battle to have all of Ennore Creek declared off limits for industrial projects will intensify. As part of the Phase 3 expansion, Kamarajar port had planned to develop facilities like office, commercial buildings and parking terminals on the eastern part…

One hour in the morning and evening is when you can burst crackers in Chennai The Supreme court has allowed Tamil Nadu to set its own time period for bursting crackers but with the rider that it cannot exceed two hours a day. The order has come further to the plea by the TN Government to the apex court citing festival practices in the state. Further to this, the state government has notified that crackers shall be allowed between 6 am to 7 am and 7 pm to 8 pm.  The apex court in response said the state government, if it…

This article is part of a special series: Air Quality in our Cities At a time when diesel and petrol prices have gone through the roof, a certain ambiguity prevails among many vehicle owners and operators in Chennai. They mull over more economical options, and one auto rickshaw driver sums it up saying, “Anything that is not as expensive as petrol and diesel would help us make some profit.” While street-side discussions focus mostly on the cost aspect, an equally pertinent and critical angle is that of pollution. According to 'The Urban Commute And How It Contributes to Pollution and…