City: Chennai

A migrant belonging to Jharkhand is labelled a rowdy, a person from North East is assumed to be sexually open and those from West Bengal are supposedly ‘dirty.’ From the local tea kadais to the cafeterias, such preconceived notions often form the subject of gossip and casual talk. Migrants who come to cities such as Chennai, are typically at the receiving end of such misplaced bias. A 2013 research report by J Jeyaranjan of Institute of Development Alternatives, based on a survey of 315 migrant workers across three sectors known to employ them in large numbers (namely, Construction, Manufacturing and Services), found…

A fascinated child stands transfixed in the Zoology section of the Government museum in Egmore, her attention drawn by the giant skeleton of a whale on display, spanning the length of the room. This is is just one of many intriguing artefacts in India's second oldest museum. While the museum can boast of a steady stream of visitors, with enough in store for everyone who would like to spend an hour in learning, there are several aspects of the museum that leave plenty of room for improvement and are crying for attention from the state. The massive collections of the…

Phethai may give Chennai a miss again, but heavy showers likely Cyclone Gaja gave Chennai a near miss but devastated large parts of coastal Tamil Nadu. Now, a low pressure has started brewing in the Bay of Bengal. Named "Phethai", the powerful tropical cyclonic storm is expected to be the most intense in Andhra Pradesh. Even though it may move towards AP, Chennai may get heavy showers, bringing in much relief to the dry spell the city has been having. Source: The New Indian Express | Times of India Drive against encroachments around lakes 57 lakes in the city will…

Come December, every year, thousands of music rasikas, practitioners, scholars and other curious on-lookers from all over the world descend on Chennai to experience the remarkable cultural coming-together that is the annual Music and Dance Season. However, the Tamil Heritage Trust (THT), has created a parallel ‘concert’ experience this year, which allows rasikas an opportunity to immerse themselves in the magnificent ocean of history, literature, fine arts, sculpture and architecture that is India’s Heritage. Pechchu Kachcheri 2018 is a celebration of heritage along with music. As part of the event, a series of lectures, Cholavanadu Kalayudaithu, has been organised that…

Come January 1, 2019, the Tamil Nadu government will implement a blanket ban on single use plastic, an unprecedented move in the state, aimed at protecting the environment. Plastic ban has been at the centre of discussion among many citizens who are still confused and worried about life sans plastic. The state government is continuously reminding people about the ban through newspaper ads, but has failed to provide a concrete road map on the implementation of the ban or the alternatives to be adopted. Several  organisations, especially NGOs, have on the other hand been on the field to sensitise the…

Fifteen years ago, Chennai had to rely on neighbouring metros such as Bengaluru to rehabilitate and reform the lives of drug addicts and alcoholics. But as the number of addiction cases increased, private rehabilitation centres mushroomed in the city. "There is a steep increase in people falling prey to alcoholism, drug abuse and other substances. We had admitted 111 cases in 2015-16 and 220 patients in 2016-17," says Dr V Sunil Kumar, a clinical psychologist and founder of  Mindzone, a private de-addiction centre in Adyar. However, while a barrage of information is available online when you search for de-addiction centres,…

As soon as the shutters of this jewellery store in Camp Road are rolled up, customers start to trickle in. The shop across the signal on Velachery Main Road is lively and buzzing by 11 am on a Saturday morning: a middle aged woman checking gold prices and a to-be-married couple selecting a toe ring. A narrow lane cuts across the same Velachery Main Road, on the other side of the signal. The aroma of camphor in the air is distinct and as one proceeds through the lane, the rhythmic sound of metal grows louder. Sitting inside a tiny shop,…

December 2015 -- a date that Chennai is unlikely to forget in a long time to come. The ruthlessness of nature coupled with an unprepared civic administration created one of the worst floods that any city in India has ever seen. But if there was anything good about the floods and their aftermath, it was the awareness created among large sections of citizens about the need to restore and preserve the water bodies in the city. Among the many water bodies that were identified to be in need of a major makeover was the Buckingham Canal. Several discussions, research and…

Private sewage tankers go on mass strike Nearly 350 private sewage lorries in South Chennai went on an indefinite strike early this week to protest against the hike in rates for discharge of sewage loads at Perungudi treatment plant. Chennai Metrowater has recently hiked charges from Rs 100 to Rs 250 for sewage disposal at its Perungudi sewage treatment plant.  The plant is the sole point of discharge for these tankers, which collect sewage from hotels, multi-storeyed apartment complexes and households from Tambaram, Guduvancherry, Medavakkam, Jaladarampet and along the OMR and ECR stretches. The Perungudi treatment plant receives nearly 208 sewage…

Just like sports clubs and art clubs, several Chennai colleges will soon have Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) clubs to sensitise and train youngsters to prevent and act against human slavery. Twelve colleges in Chennai have expressed intention to launch AHT clubs in their institutions to elevate human trafficking issues to public discourse and combat the rampant human rights violation. The launch of the programme, to commemorate the 70th International Human Rights Day on December 10th, took place at the Madras School of Social Work (MSSW).  The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) spearheaded the initiative, in collaboration with the International Justice Mission…