City: Chennai

In August 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a renewed version of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), through which migrants could avail of a cooking gas connection with just a self-declaration as proof of address. Through this scheme, christened  Ujjwala 2.0, the beneficiaries could get a gas connection, the first gas cylinder worth over Rs 800 and a stove, for free. It was touted as a thoughtful welfare scheme that helped migrant workers avail themselves of a gas connection without the necessary documentation such as caste certificates and ration cards.  Three years later, this scheme remains an unfulfilled promise,…

The devastation that hit the coastal parts of Tamil Nadu and Chennai during the December 2023 floods still haunts the people affected here. Just five months later, the city is already staring at a potential water shortage. Reservoirs serve as the main source of water supply to Chennai residents. However, Veeranam Lake reached dead storage on February 28th due to a lack of inflow from the Mettur dam. As of the lake storage report of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) on May 27th, the reservoirs currently hold only 42.28% of their total capacity. The CMWSSB proposes…

பறவை அப்படினு நாம சொன்னதும் பறவைகள் எல்லாம் சுதந்திரமா எங்கவேண்ணாலும் போகலாம்,என்ன வேண்ணாலும் சாப்பிடலாம்னு பல கருத்து இருந்து வருது. இந்த உலகம் நமக்கானது மட்டுமேனு செயல்படுற ஆறு அறிவுகொண்ட மனிதர்களால அண்மைக்காலமா பறவைகள் படுற கஷ்டத்தை கொஞ்சம் சொல்லலாம்னு இந்த கட்டுரைய எழுத ஆரம்பிச்சேன். பறவை * குமரிஅம் பெருந்துறை அயிரை மாந்தி வடமலைப் பெயர்குவை ஆயின் * நம்ம வீட்டுக்கிட்ட இருக்க மரம், ஓடை, ஏரி , குளம், கடல், மலை, குன்று என எந்த இடமா இருந்தாலும், நாம பறவைகள பார்க்க முடியும், கருப்பு, சிவப்பு, சின்னது, பெருசு  அப்படி எந்த வேறுபாடும் இல்லாம ஒரே இடத்துல பல பறவைகள நம்மளால பார்க்க முடியும். இந்த மாதிரி என்னுடைய சின்ன வயசுல வேடந்தாங்கல் பறவைகள் சரணாலயம் போனப்போ தான் பல்லாயிரம் பறவைகளை பார்த்தேன். அட இவளோ அழகா இருக்கே, இவங்க எல்லாம் எங்க இருந்து வராங்க?, உணவு…

As Priya* woke up at 5:30 am, she took the final sip of her coffee and was about to begin her morning prayers when she received a call from an unknown number. A few years ago, she wouldn't have bothered to answer. But now, as a community worker in a resettlement site, calls from unfamiliar numbers have become a routine part of her daily life. A woman could be heard crying at the other end. Priya asked her to calm down and speak clearly. The woman informed her that her husband was beating her up and had locked her inside…

Recently, two pet Rottweiler dogs attacked a five-year-old child and her mother in a  Corporation park in Nungambakkam, Chennai. Based on a complaint following the incident, police arrested the owners of the dog for negligence and endangering the lives of others (IPC Section 289 and 336). As General Manager-Administration of the Blue Cross of India, I have seen several Rottweilers over the years. While there are laws to address such situations, there needs to be adequate awareness among pet owners that dogs like Rottweilers should be taken for a walk only on a leash. A major portion of the responsibility…

Taking morning walks and evening strolls on the beach shore near the Arupadai Veedu Murugan temple in Kalakshetra Colony, Besant Nagar used to be an enjoyable experience. But, it is not so anymore. In the last two years, this stretch of the seashore has gradually deteriorated because of open defection, indiscriminate disposal of plastic waste and construction debris, and other illegal activities. This has not just made the beach filthy, but also unsafe. Residents living nearby (Besant Nagar, Ward 179) have stopped frequenting this stretch, owing to a lack of patrolling. However, the situation worsened about six months ago, when…

Chennai generates about 6,000 metric tonnes of garbage every day. As the city's population continues to grow, waste generation is expected to increase even more. Not to mention the huge quantities of legacy waste currently accumulating in the Kodungaiyur and Perungudi dump yards. How will the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) effectively manage these vast amounts of waste? As this is a common urban issue, the government has proposed a solution already implemented in several other Indian cities. It suggests establishing an integrated waste management project facility, including a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant. It would come up in the North Chennai region,…

The Central Pollution Control Board and the State Pollution Control Boards are the primary custodians for preventing and controlling all forms of pollution in our country. Despite their significant role in environmental protection, the public is mostly unaware of the functions of these regulatory bodies, due to insufficient research. Therefore, we at Citizen consumer & civic Action Group (CAG) have attempted to understand the functions of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), through a study titled ‘The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in Retrospect: An Examination of Selected Parameters from 2017 to 2022.’ Read more: Fisherfolk lament as environmental…

Recently, there’s been news that the new traffic challan system will mandate a Rs 10,000 penalty on old or new vehicles if owners don't acquire the Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification on time. To tackle expired certificates, the system will use CCTV surveillance to identify non-compliant vehicles and flag them for blacklisting from registration. The rule ultimately has several drawbacks, given the difficulty in acquiring PUC certificates in the first place. The number of PUC centres in Chennai has reduced drastically with only a handful still operational. Only the petrol bunk-owned PUC centres charge the customers based on the tariff…

A nurse-turned-politician, J Kayalvizhi, Councillor of Ward 179 in Chennai, studied nursing at Christian Medical College in Vellore. Until 2006, she worked with an MNC in Saudi Arabia. Since her return in 2006, she decided to take up social service to help people in need, especially in the field of education and health. Her husband, Jayakumar, has been in politics for many years now and holds the position of divisional secretary of Ward 179 in DMK. When Ward 179 in Chennai was reserved for women, Kayalvizhi's husband encouraged her to contest in the polls to channel her interest in social…