City: Chennai

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and three other states are scheduled for 2026. Close on the heels of the Bihar elections, where the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the ECI has now announced that all poll-bound states and union territories will undergo a similar revision exercise. Form distribution has already begun in the Chennai district, and according to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), as of now, more than 40% residents have been covered in this exercise.  This makes it essential for every eligible voter in Tamil Nadu to verify their inclusion in the…

With a surge in dog bite incidents across Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has intensified measures to ensure responsible pet ownership. The civic body has set November 23 as the deadline for all dog owners to get a pet licence, failing which, they will face a fine of ₹5,000 starting November 24. Though mandatory pet licensing began in 2023, very few complied. Now, GCC is enforcing it more strictly, with penalties, to ensure public safety and improve the management of community and domestic dogs. “We have survey data on pet dogs in Chennai from previous years, but no way…

As the realities of climate change become increasingly evident, conversations around its psychological impact are more important than ever. In the first part of this series, we shared the experiences of individuals navigating eco/climate anxiety in their daily lives. In this second part, we speak with two experts, Cauviya and Samatha, to delve deeper into eco-anxiety and eco-grief and examine how environmental changes are influencing mental health across different social groups. Read more: Bengaluru’s street vendors are the first to be impacted by climate change: Lekha Adavi About the experts Cauviya Cauviya is an industrial/organisational psychologist who is trained in…

For the residents of Tansi Nagar in Velachery, Chennai, the arrival of the rains signals not relief, but a looming threat of flooding that damages their homes, property, and hard-earned possessions. These families are forced to vacate their houses, needing boats, tractors, and other makeshift transport to relocate. This grim reality affects more than 10,000 families living in the Velachery area, including neighbourhoods such as Annai Indira Nagar, Anna Nagar, Balamurugan Nagar, Venus Colony, Sarathi Nagar, Bhuvaneshwari Nagar, VGP Selva Nagar, Seshathripuram, EB Colony, and Balakrishnan Nagar.  Rainwater from this entire locality drains through the canal adjoining the Perungudi Railway…

M Ravi, a 63-year-old resident of Sarvamangala Nagar in Chennai, fondly remembers the days when he would bathe in Sembakkam Lake before heading to college. “Early mornings were cold as we lived close to the lake. I neither had the time nor the means to heat water. A clean lake gave me not just a place to bathe but also taught me how to swim. Rain or shine, it was central to our social life,” he says with a smile. Nearly five decades later, he stands before the same lake, now choked with sewage, and feels a deep sense of…

Residents of North Chennai have been vehemently opposing the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) proposed Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant set to come up in Kodungaiyur. Over the past few months, they have made several representations to GCC officials and Mayor Priya Rajan, and even organised a human chain protest. During their research into the dangers of WTE plants, the group found that these facilities release pollutants including sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), hydrogen chloride (HCl), heavy metals, dioxins, and furans — contaminating the air, water, and soil. Waste incineration, in particular, contributes significantly to elevated PM2.5…

As Chennai moves rapidly towards privatising its waste management, serious questions are emerging, not only about the impact on workers, but also on the city’s finances and transparency. In the first part of this series, we saw how privatisation of waste management affects the workers. In this second part of our series, we investigate whether privatisation truly makes economic sense for the city. Today, 13 of Chennai’s 15 zones are managed by private companies, including Ramky Group and Urbaser-Sumeet. But a closer look reveals troubling gaps in accountability. Read more: Status check: Key concerns remain as Chennai moves ahead with…

As a child growing up in Chennai, then called Madras, the two things that made me happiest were a trip to the beach and a ride over the Gemini Flyover. Yes, what seems mundane now was a magical experience in the 1980s. Built in 1973, the Anna Flyover was Chennai’s first and the longest in the country at the time of its construction. It remained the sole flyover until 1993, when nine more came up. Today, with over 42 flyovers and more in the pipeline, Chennai is often referred to as the “City of Flyovers.” But are flyovers truly the answer to the city’s…

A walk around Madipakkam Lake today offers a lush, green escape: a scenic pathway encircling brimming waters, shaded by native trees and plants that purify the air. Small islands in the lake attract a variety of birds, making it a haven for urban biodiversity. Along the paved paths, vendors selling healthy snacks and fresh vegetables have set up shop, a reflection of how environmental restoration can also support local livelihoods, particularly for low-income groups. From as early as 4 am until late in the evening, hundreds of people, both young and old, visit the lake daily. Whether it is for…

A collective of various voluntary groups, civil society organisations, activists, educators and students has demanded urgent state-led action to uphold the right to shelter and dignity for persons living on the streets in Tamil Nadu. This campaign has been initiated by the Information and Resource Centre of the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) and other NGOs in Chennai and across the State, to support homeless people, whose lives are jeopardised by the absence of a dedicated state programme. Here are the recommendations put forward as part of the campaign: State-wide recommendations Tamil Nadu must urgently evolve a state-specific scheme for persons…