City: Chennai

The Public Distribution System in Tamil Nadu (TNPDS), perceived as a boon to citizens from low income groups has many issues. Its nodal agency, the Civil Supplies department, has failed at various levels of operations -- issuing smart cards, easing  online procedures for correcting card information and distribution of the commodities. On one hand,  promises by the state government to complete issue of smart cards by March 1st this year have not been met and on the other, technical issues in the PDS centres are inconveniencing card holders. A reality check conducted by Citizen Matters in various PDS and E…

Two underground stretches of Metro Rail commence operation Commuters travelling to Chennai Central  from Annanagar can now take the Metro, as can travellers from Saidapet to DMS. Two new stretches of Chennai Metro were inaugurated by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Union Minister Hardeep Singh from Egmore railway station.  A commuter who wants to travel from Chennai Central to Chennai airport or AG-DMS to Chennai airport will have to pay ₹70. The minimum fare is Rs.10/- and the maximum fare has now been revised to Rs. 70 Meanwhile, work is said to be in full swing to complete the…

A mid-January dawn in Chennai of UNESCO ‘heritage fame’, as margazhi kolams inch boisterously onto the centre of roads, roadside temples belt out loud religious music to the neighbourhoods. It is the run up to auspicious Thai and the bounteous Pongal festival. Only, the air of peaceful holiness is marred by the overflowing garbage bins everywhere around. Stranger still is that morning walkers, senior citizens, fitness enthusiasts etc., move around effortlessly, unseeing of the muck in every periphery of their vision!Interviewing conservancy workers whose job profile is to keep the streets of Chennai clean and free of garbage and litter…

How a like-minded citizens' group comes together to serve the needy in the summer I was waiting at a bus stop on Poonamalle High Road in the first week of May. The temperature reading on my mobile read 35 degrees celsius. The scorching heat had tired out everyone at the bus stop. Three young men came in a Bolero, that halted near the bus stop. One was carrying a 1 litre pack of butter milk  (‘more’ in Tamil) , while the other had smaller packs of 200 ml. The third one had coloured cards that were the size of postcards.…

Amid incessant protests by the fishermen community against the draft Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Plan (TNCZMP), the state government had organised a public hearing a month ago.  The hearing, which was organised at Chennai Port during the last week of April was nothing but a waste of taxpayers' money, say environmentalists.  What is CZMP The Government of India has issued a direction to all the coastal states and union territories to prepare a plan for protection of zones with rich marine biodiversity, from developmental activities. The plan should be drafted, based on the rules prescribed in the Coastal Regulatory…

A month after DefExpo, trash all over the location. Whatever happened to Swacch Bharat? A citizen driving past Thiruvidanthai on Chennai's ECR captures the trash (plastic, thermocol) and construction debris left behind after the prestigious DefExpo 2018 was held there in April 2018. Land owned by the Nithya Perumal temple was taken over by the Defence Ministry for the event, but the villagers and temple authorities say they have no idea when the land will be returned to them. Environmentalists said the DefExpo site was a violation of coastal zone regulations. “When the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority gave…

Untidy wards, unsanitary washrooms and grimy surroundings — these may fit the common perception of government hospitals, but not the cancer block in Royapettah Government Hospital (GH). The 90,000 sq ft cancer block does not conform to the stereotypical image of any other government hospital in the city,  thanks to one man's obsession with hygiene. Meet Sekar Viswanathan, the founder of Viswajayam Foundation. Along with his team, Viswanathan has strived hard to bring about a fundamental change in the cancer block of Royapettah Government Hospital (GH). A business development manager by profession, the 53-year-old Viswanathan has been serving the needy…

It was recently announced that Care Earth Trust, in association with Nature Conservancy India and IIT-Madras, is in talks with the government agencies and stakeholders to bring back life in Sembakkam lake. As the preliminary work to restore the lake begins, members of Sarvamangala Nagar Association in Chitlapakkam met Jayashree Venkatesan of Care Earth Trust recently for assistance to the neighbourhood in rejunevating Chitlapakkam lake.  Organisations such as these, representing citizens from various parts of Chitlapakkam and Sembakkam, are regularly engaged in dialogues and discussion with the Public Works Department, Revenue Administration, Disaster Management and Mitigation Department, Chennai Smart Cities Ltd.;…

Corporation begins work on T Nagar Pedestrian plaza Bhoomi pooja was performed near the Thyagaraya Road – Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Salai junction, to begin work on the T Nagar pedestrian plaza as part of the Smart City project. The project, estimated at ₹33.80 crore will include an exclusive pedestrian pathway for senior citizens, children and differently-abled people. Other facilities include children’s play area, upgraded toilet facilities, resting places for  shoppers and pedestrians, decorative lamps, fountains and crossing area. Speaking to News Today, a senior official of Chennai Corporation said, “as part of Smart City project, work is already under progress at various…

Amidst all the political and other developments in the state, one thing that went largely unnoticed was the withdrawal of urad dhal from the Public Distribution System. While there has been no official gazette notification to this effect, it appears that the particular pulse has for a long time not been available for distribution. Conversations with beneficiaries bring out the situation on the ground and the impact. Beneficiaries across Chennai have raised their voices on the non availability of not only urad dhal, but also sometimes sugar and other items as well. In this context, it is important to understand…