City: Chennai

Walking along the beach for nearly 8 km and looking for nests of turtles, dead in the middle of the night, can be both fascinating and tiring. Watching an olive ridley turtle coming to shore to nest, a process that is older than dinosaurs, can be exhilarating. If not, the waves, the sand and the conversations around the environment we live in amongst people from different backgrounds can be rewarding. The fluorescent glow of the increasingly rare Noctilucas, a bioluminescent organism, adds to the beauty of the ‘turtle walk’. However, turtle conservation is not as easy as it sounds. It also…

The death of a 26-year-old intellectual disabled man in the city, two weeks ago, came as a rude shock to Chennaites, as it underlines two factors: absence of civic responsibility and apathy from the police department. M Praveen Kumar, who was waiting with his mother at Adyar gate to board a bus to his work place in Savera hotel, went missing after he got into another bus. Praveen’s mother lodged a complaint at the Teynampet police station and informed his colleagues, family and the volunteers of Vidyasagar, an organisation that works with people with psycho-social disabilities in Kotturpuram, and also…

On a humid Sunday afternoon, the lanes of Anakaputhur, an interior suburb of Pallavaram, wear a dim look, with barely any shops open or civilians on the road. But, as one enters Shanmuga Mudaliar Street near the Murugan temple, lively squeaks from the handloom units speak for the glory of this weavers’ town. The squeaks date back to over half-a-century ago, when the erstwhile village started developing as a handicraft centre, exporting the famous ‘Madras Real Handkerchief’ to Nigeria. An eight yard garment, Madras Real Handkerchief was worn by men and women in the African country, until it was stopped…

The decline of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services over the years does not usually come to the fore unless there are untoward incidents such as the recent Chennai Silks fire.  But whether it is obvious or not, the deterioration in the department coupled with the general lack of fire safety awareness and preparedness in the city has meant that personnel are often incapacitated to save as many lives as could be saved. While the department boasts of having added high end engines including gigantic Bronto Sky lifts, there are too many constraints and demotivators for the personnel. Narrow roads…

Chennai may never become a super metro or a smart city, whatever those two terms may mean or imply, but it is fast becoming one of the most built-up cities of India. The value of open space is fast being forgotten and Government and private parties alike view all such areas only as places where buildings can be put up. You name the precinct – colleges, University, the High Court, the stations, administrative headquarters – everywhere the trend is the same. More and more buildings are coming up. No thought is being given to alternative campuses in other parts of the…

What started as a happy celebration ended in a terrible tragedy at ‘1 above’ restaurant located in the reputed Kamala Mills Complex, Mumbai on December 29, 2017. The fire that broke out at the resto-bar claimed the lives of 14 people and left several others injured. Since then, a spate of other fire accidents have been reported from Mumbai and cities across India, highlighting more often than not the alarming and abysmal state of fire safety preparedness in our cities. Fire accidents can happen anytime, anywhere. It was not too long ago that Chennaites witnessed the seven-storeyed building of The…

At a recent All India conference for senior police officials in the capital city, best performing police stations across the country were recognised and honoured. K4 Police station, Annanagar, Chennai bagged the 5th position in the country for its speedy disposal of cases, zero incidence of murder and the way visitors are handled. Citizen Matters spoke to officials at K4 to understand the distinct functioning of the police station. வண்டிகள் நேர்த்தியாக நிறுத்தி வைக்கப்பட்ட பார்கிங் ஏரியா, வரவேற்பாளர் அறை, பார்வையாளர்கள் காத்திருக்கும் பகுதி, குடிநீர் என ஒரு ஹோட்டல் போன்ற அமைப்பு கொண்டிருக்கிறது கே4 காவல் நிலையம். ஆனால் சிறந்த காவல் நிலையமாக தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டதற்கு இதுவல்ல காரணம். ஜனவரி ஏழாம் தேதி…

Chennai airport has been in the news for quite some time now. For those of us who regularly come through its portals, some of the news sounds almost comic. One of the articles in the dailies says Chennai airport is soon going to see Phase II of expansion, after which it will be like Singapore's Changi airport. Another said that there will be a tunnel to connect the passenger and cargo terminals that are proposed in Phase II.  The third report said that the airport is attempting a 10-day trial of operating the cross runway in order to increase the…

Four days before the Bhogi festival, the state Environment Minister, K C Karupannan had flagged off an awareness campaign at the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) office in Guindy with a view to ensuring an improved post-Bhogi situation in the city. “Auto rickshaws sounded a recorded message over microphones as they plied across the city, warning citizens against the hazardous pollution created by festival practices. We sensitised people in all the fifteen zones in Chennai,” said a spokesperson from the TNPCB. But all claims by the TNPCB came to nought on Bhogi day when thick smoke engulfed the city,…

For our English readers: Mandram is a global platform for like-minded people with interests in Tamil language and literature. It marks the coming together of people from different backgrounds to share their perspectives, journey and success stories for everyone to be inspired. Despite the Internet binding us all together, we still stay polarised. Mandram looks forward to be a TED in Tamil. The first ever Mandram was organised in Chennai which had speakers from varied backgrounds like science, art and culture sharing their perspectives. தமிழ் மரபை பறைசாற்றும் பொங்கல் திருநாள் ஒரு புறம் நகரத்தில் களைகட்ட, தமிழ் இலக்கியம், எழுத்து மேல் உண்டான ஆர்வம் காரணமாக…