City: Chennai

Here is the first story to kick off our month-long celebration of Madras Day! Happy Birthday Madras! Sriram V is 75 walks old!! A name synonymous with Chennai heritage, Sriram marked this milestone with a tour of Dare House, the distinguished Art Deco building on Parry's corner, which is the headquarters of the Murugappa group. (A list of all 75 walks can be found here) Meenakshi R: Between Walk 1 and Walk 75, tell us what has changed. Sriram V: I did my first walk in 1999, in Mylapore. In those days there was no social media or apps to…

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“கடந்த பத்து வருடங்களாக எல்லோரையும் சூரிய எரிசக்திக்கு மாறும் படி வலுயுறுத்தி வருகிறேன். இது நான் எடுத்த சிறந்த முடிவு. இது எவ்வளவு எளிதானது என்பதை மக்கள் உணர்ந்தால், அவர்கள் நிச்சயம் முயற்சிப்பார்கள். அதற்கான மனம் தான் தேவை” என்கிறார் சென்னைவாசி டி சுரேஷ். சூரிய எரிசக்தி பற்றி சென்னை மற்றும் தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்களிடையே எடுத்துச் செல்லும் இவரது முயற்சிக்காக இவர் சோலார் சுரேஷ் என்றே அழைக்கப்படுகிறார். க்ரீன்பீஸ் மற்றும் ஜெர்மி (Greenpeace India and GERMI) நடத்திய Rooftop Revolution: Unleashing Chennai’s Solar Potential  ஆய்வின் படி சென்னையில் 1.38 GW (கிகாவாட்) அளவுக்கு சூரிய மின்சக்தி தயாரிக்க வாய்ப்பு உள்ளது என்றும் இதுவரை இந்த முயற்சி மேற்கொள்ளப்படவில்லை என்றும் கூறுகிறது. மேலும், வீட்டு கூரை மேல் சூரிய மின்சக்தி அமைப்பின் மூலம் 586 MW (மெகாவாட்) கிடைக்கும் என்றும் இது மொத்த அளவீட்டில் 46% ஆகும் எனவும்…

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A viral Facebook post narrating assault by the police during a routine traffic stop that took place in Chetpet on July 19th has sent shock waves across the city. Haroon Sait, the victim, spoke out about being slapped and beaten by the police as he refused their demand for a bribe. The sub-inspector in question has since been suspended after a departmental inquiry. Commissioner of Police A.K.Viswanathan called on Haroon at his residence and assured that such incidents will not take place in the future. This is, however, not the first instance of a major altercation between motorists and traffic…

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Relief for property owners: property tax hike reduced to 50% Within days of announcing a likely increase in property tax to as much as 100%, the Government reduceD the cap to 50% for residential buildings. The rollback on tax hike came after requests from the public, and resident welfare associations. The owners of residential buildings, irrespective of whether they are self-occupied or rented out, will now face a tax rate hike of not more than 50%. Source: Times of India Are private schools hampered by the fixed fee rule? The recent controversy surrounding the demand of a caution deposit by…

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Tamil Nadu will be banning single use plastic and other biodegradables from January 2019. Not wishing to impose restrictions on unprepared citizens, the state government has given itself and its people a good six months before the ban kicks in and plans to conduct back-to-back campaigns over this period. From sensitising shopkeepers and consumers about switching to biodegradable bags to campaigning against plastic in schools, the civic body is leaving no stone unturned to ensure successful implementation.   But, how are the people of the city reacting to the prospect of doing away with single-use plastic altogether? Responses have been mixed…

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We have been living in Perambur, Chennai since 1975 and I recall having spent the early days of my life in a reasonably quiet and clean neighborhood. With economic development and urbanization the entire neighborhood has today transformed into a bustling area, with all sorts of problems. Individual houses have made way for new high rise apartments, gardens have been replaced with covered car parking, trees have been cut down to facilitate construction of roads, SWD’s and the foot paths are extensively encroached upon with transformers and power distribution pillars. Given the speed at which things are changing we neither…

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Chennai is expanding at a dizzying pace. The number of residential units being built in the city is escalating every year, and so is the demand for water. The fact that more than 1800 new applications reach the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB)'s head office every month, points to the magnitude of the demand. However, a majority of the applicants, and indeed most citizens, are often confused or oblivious of the procedure to be followed and the documents to be furnished for a quick resolution of their application. As a result, most of them end up making…

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Every Chennaiite who has lived through the floods of 2015 has a quiet apprehension about the monsoon. The revelation that the 2015 flooding, which left scores dead and Chennai in shambles, was the result of inaction on the part of officials, has increased the distrust among the public. However, a joint effort by various stakeholders to renew and restore close to a 100 water bodies under the Greater Chennai Corporation has been underway for many months now. The Goals of Restoration Flood mitigation, renewal of water table and rejuvenation of water bodies constitute the aim of the initiative that has seen…

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How can cities as drivers and victims of climate change cope with its risks and become custodians of a livable environment? Chennai, having already been directly affected by the effects of climate change, especially needs to find answers to this question. EYES ON THE CANAL, an initiative focused on reimagining one of Chennai´s most important spatial and functional elements, the Buckingham Canal, has now floated an open call for ideas to raise awareness on the issue of climate change in urban areas and especially to propose visionary, but also feasible, solutions to improve the current situation alongside the canal.  How…

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The Swacch Bharat ranking released last month has seen Chennai climb to rank 100, up from a lowly 235 the previous year. While there is some reason for cheer there, realities on the ground with regard to sanitation facilities in the city are far from promising. Chennai's lack of public toilets has been an issue that has plagued the city for many years.  With a burgeoning population, the facilities in existing toilets have also been found to be wanting. Couched in this larger issue is the oft neglected problem of absence of adequate public toilets for women in the city…

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