City: Chennai

Men in khaki sweat it out as sea of people bid an emotional farewell to Kalaignar With all roads leading to Rajaji Hall and the Marina, it was a sea of heads, as lakhs of people thronged to catch a last glimpse of Kalaignar.  As soon as news of DMK leader M Karunanidhi’s passing was confirmed, people started gathering at the Cauvery hospital and later at the residences of Kalaignar. It was an emotional outburst for many, and some of the crowd started venting their ire at the government’s decision on land allotment for the final resting place of the…

Photo Contest Dig out pictures from your personal archives, share it publicly on your Instagram , Facebook or Twitter  with a short anecdote describing the memory and just tag it with #MadrasAndhaNaal   #MadrasDay  #citizenmatters T&C: Photographs shared, must be from your personal collection, not a copyrighted image. Shortlisted entries will be shared on our website and social media. "This was the view from my house in the neighbourhood was once part of the Thiruvanmiyur temple land. The palmyra trees were the 'fence' making up the eastern periphery of IMPCOMS campus, which  was full of snakes. The empty land used to be…

It has been close to a month since R Gopinath, a Class 8 student from the Corporation Higher Secondary School in Koyambedu returned from Washington D.C. but his face brightens up still as he speaks of his experience. Gopinath was one of the students selected by the Rotary Club, with which the US Consulate had tied up for this initiative, a branch of their two-year English Access Microscholarship programme. Eight students from Chennai’s Corporation schools were chosen for a trip to Washington D.C., based on an evaluation of their creativity and logical reasoning skills. Before taking the trip, the students…

The Chennai Corporation has intensified its drive to seize abandoned vehicles from around the city. The operation, which began in March this year, is currently in its third phase with the seizure of a total of 7912 vehicles so far. The list of seized vehicles has been posted on the website of the Chennai Corporation. The first list was published on June 5th and the second list on July 14th. The third list is expected shortly. When is a vehicle deemed abandoned? According to clause 380 of the Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules,1989, a vehicle is considered abandoned 1) If…

"He will be missed, his extraordinary literary prowess, his political acumen, his satirical humour, his eloquent web of lyrical Tamil will all be missed.", says Aruna Subramaniam, a management consultant and active Chennai citizen, who remembers seeing Muthuvel Karunanidhi, or Kalaignar as he was called, with her uncle and his friends, on Marina beach in the days of 'less crowds, glittering sand, friendly sundal vendors, and the delicious Rita ice cream carts.' The sentiment is echoed by most Chennaiites of an older vintage today. The last of the titans is gone, and there is a deep sense of loss -…

No notice. No alternative housing. Tsunami survivors at Nochi Nagar near Marina beach are left in the lurch as the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) is tearing down their temporary shelters, in brazen violation of the residents' basic rights. As their houses are destroyed before their eyes, the Nochi Nagar residents stare at an uncertain future, a future in which they will have to shell out exorbitant sums for rental housing if they want a roof over their heads. They say they have been victims of discrimination throughout -- eleven years ago, they didn’t get the houses meant for them and…

Is Chennai ready to withstand the monsoon? The city experienced good showers last week, but the short spell left many Chennai roads dirty and water logged. That raises a pertinent question: Are we ready to face the monsoon, leave alone a flood-like situation? The storm water drain work is still incomplete in many parts of the city instilling fear of floods, especially in the suburbs of Chennai. Though the officials claim they are undertaking the work and will complete them before the onset of north east monsoon, there still is a long way to go. Meanwhile, the integrated stormwater drain…

Sanitation woes Public toilets in the city have come under the scanner for poor maintenance, lack of facilities and sheer inadequacy in number required to cater to a population the size of Chennai's. A subset of this issue is the lack of access to toilets for women. Dhagam Foundation’s recent event, Kakkoos-a-kaanom highlighted this problem plaguing people from all walks of life, especially women. The NGO had undertaken a meticulous social audit that covered 613 public toilets across the 15 zones in the city. A perception survey was also conducted among 1351 individuals on the myriad issues that prevent them…

With ornately carved arches, Rajasthani-style false balconies and decorative brackets, it is easy to mistake this quaint little building for a mini palace. Cloaked by the flamboyant Gulmohar outside, the Madras Literary Society, a treasure trove of archaic books and venerable first editions from the 16th century patiently waits to share its hidden gems with the curious visitor. The history of the Madras Literary Society can be traced back to the College of Fort St. George set up by the British East India Company in the early 1800s to help English engineers get accustomed to the vernacular language, practices and…

Tamil Nadu, the largest manufacturer and consumer of plastic in South India, has announced a welcome move to ban disposable plastic from January 2019. Ripples of the proposed ban can be felt in the state and even in Chennai city, where questions are being raised over the preparedness of people to fall in line and the many ramifications of doing away with plastic altogether. Will people really be able to discard everyday disposables that they are so used to? And how will the shift affect employment and income generation? A self-help group in Walajabad panchayat of Kancheepuram has initiated a…