City: Chennai

15-year-old C Aarthi (name changed) is known as a brave and straightforward girl in Kannagi Nagar of Chennai. Her constant smile speaks of a cordial and open personality. But, ask her about the problems in notorious Kannagi Nagar where instances of prostitution and child marriages are common, and she keeps mum. However, two postgraduate students of the Social Work (aided) Department at Madras Christian College took a different route. B Swetha and C Sowmiya, who were placed in the Centre for Women’s Development and Research, tried a creative approach: Art therapy. Girl children from Kannagi Nagar between eight and 15…

Now you can volunteer with the Chennai Corporation The Chennai floods of 2015 saw many individuals and associations coming together to reach out to the needy and ever since, there has been a steady increase in the rise of citizen movements.  Taking cue from this, the Chennai Corporation has now rolled out the carpet for individuals and groups to enrol as volunteers with the Chennai Corporation. All you have to do is fill in a form that is available on www.chennai.corporation.gov.in or with the respective zonal offices.  The volunteering service will mainly be related to relief and rescue operations in…

October 2. Apart from being Gandhi Jayanthi, this is also one of the days on which Grama Sabha takes place in the state. Grama Sabha, in which all the voters of a village meet, takes place four times a year (on Jan 6, May 1, Aug 15 and Oct 2), and offers a forum for villagers to raise their voices on matters of village governance in the presence of its representatives and officials from the administration. It is an avenue for community participation in governance, a step towards Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj (Village self-rule). Now, take a step closer home,…

Dear Chennai politicians, I have a bone to pick. You ruined my Sunday. A Sunday which I was looking forward to. A Sunday which I had marked on the calendar, to meet an old friend who had come to town. My friend was staying in North Chennai and I, in the South and I was looking forward to a peaceful, traffic free ride through the city I proudly call home. All that and more changed the very instant I left home. The moment I stepped out and shifted gears, I was in for a harrowing experience. The whole city looked…

The tenth edition of Daan Utsav, a celebration of the spirit of giving, is around the corner and various programmes and initiatives have been lined up in the city from October 2nd to October 8th. Since 2009, Daan Utsav has commenced on Gandhi Jayanti, with events and initiatives spread across a week to follow. The festival was created with the aim to give back to the society. Individuals, NGOs, educational institutions and corporate companies have over the years come together to provide their time, money and effort to share with those in need. The various initiatives as part of Daan Utsav…

The steady, low hum of buses leaving the city punctuates the night at Koyambedu, a commercial hub in Chennai. A few shops remain open for the odd patron while others are firmly shut. Under the golden yellow of the street lights, a rhythmic swoosh of bamboo against tar grows in the dark. Three women, bent at work, are leaving a pristine path in their wake, a trail they have cleaned for the last seven years. Armed with a rickety tricycle, an old aluminium basket, two brooms and reflector vests, this motley crew makes singara Chennai. The women work meticulously, one…

All of us would agree there is a growing need for last mile connectivity in our public transport system. With the introduction of the Metro Rail and expansion of MRTS, the idea of a multi modal transport system is definitely a welcome move. Given the popularity and  large scale acceptance for shared public transport systems worldwide, is this not the right time for the administration to introduce clear guidelines and a set of rules for the privately operated share autos ? Over the last several weeks diesel share autos which ply between Retteri and Perambur have been taking a detour from…

I moved to Chennai nine years ago, and right away I had the most wonderful opportunity to meet and make new friends - I volunteered for the very first DaanUtsav. In those years it was called The Joy of Giving Week, and I met people from all walks of life - business leaders, musicians, film stars, government officials, sportspersons, students, stay at home mothers, young entrepreneurs... as we went about trying to evangelise the idea of a nationwide festival of giving, in the week of Gandhi Jayanthi. DaanUtsav is now in its 10th year, and grown exponentially over the years,…

From being a much vaunted city of firsts, Chennai certainly appears to lag right behind everyone else when it comes to heritage conservation. The latest metro to steal a march over it is Kolkata, which is close to completing the restoration of two magnificent structures, both built in the colonial era. What is more, there are creative programmes in place for both the buildings, so that they are kept in continuous use. You just need to compare this with what is happening here in Chennai. Our city has sadly lost it on matters concerning heritage. The Currency Building in Kolkata,…

This article is part of a special series: Air Quality in our Cities A recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment ranked Chennai second, only behind Delhi, on emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide, toxic pollutants, particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide due to urban commute. The average trip length of cars were found to be highest in Chennai. Low public transport ridership and growing population have been identified as the cause for poor showing, which is predicted to get worse if measures are not put in place to check vehicular emissions. The growing vehicular population in Chennai and Tamil…