City: Chennai

Gaja spares Chennai with mild showers Cyclone Gaja passed between Nagapattinam and Vedharanyam in Tamil Nadu, crossing six districts in its entire cycle. Uprooting several trees with wind gusting at a speed of up to 120 kmph, Gaja crossed in the early hours on Friday casting a heavy spell in the surrounding areas, leaving over 25 dead. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday announced a grant of ₹10 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives, ₹1 lakh for the severely injured and ₹25,000 for those with minor injuries. Earlier this week, Gaja was at…

தமிழ் மொழி மற்றும் இலக்கியத்தில் ஆர்வம் கொண்டுள்ள, ஒத்த பார்வையுள்ள சிந்தனையாளர்கள் கூடும் ஓர் தளமாக இயங்குகிறது 'மன்றம்’. வாழ்வின் பல்வேறு கட்டங்களில், வேறுபட்ட அனுபவங்களை சந்தித்து அவற்றை பற்றி ஆழ்மையாக சிந்தித்த பலர் அவர்களின் எண்ணங்கள் மற்றும் பாடங்களை பகிர்ந்துகொள்ளும் ஓர் வாய்ப்பாக மன்றத்தின் நிகழ்ச்சிகள் விளங்குகின்றன. மன்றத்தின் உரையாடல்கள் ஆக்கபூர்வமாகவும், பயனுள்ளதாகவும் விளங்கும். மன்றத்தின் மூன்றாவது நிகழ்ச்சி வரும் நவம்பர் 17, சனிக்கிழமை மதியம் 2 மணிக்கு இந்தியன் இன்ஸ்டிட்யூட் ஆப் டெக்னாலஜி ஆராய்ச்சி பூங்கா அரங்கத்தில் நடைபெறவுள்ளது. இதில் கலந்துகொண்டு உரையாற்றும் நபர்கள்: பார்த்தசாரதி ராமானுஜம், யோகா பயிற்ச்சியாளர் மற்றும் மென்பொருள் வடிவமைப்பாளர்: பாரத்தின் அழைப்பு ராஜேந்திரன் தண்டபாணி, தீர்வுகாணபவர், ஜோகோ: கணினி நுண்ணறிவு ஷோபா மேனன், நிறுவனர், நிழல்: நிழலில் பிறந்த ஒளி சி கே குமரவேல், இணை நிறுவனர், நேச்சுரல்ஸ்: சின்ன படிகள், பெரிய கதவுகள் தஸ்லீம் பர்ஸானா, அரங்காவலர், திவ்ய ராஸா ட்ரஸ்ட்: சில…

Saritha and Krishna (names changed), residents of South Chennai, eloped and got married in May this year. As they belong to different castes, their families opposed the relationship, due to which the couple cut ties with the families and are living on their own now. However, every month is a struggle, as the family sustains itself on Krishna’s meagre income. Since a smart card would take care of their basic food expenses such as rice, dhal and sugar, the duo applied for it online. But, they could not complete the procedure, as the form requires deletion of their names from…

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…