City: Chennai

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has proposed the reconstruction of some of the flyovers within the city.  A section South Usman Road flyover ramp near Chennai Silks will be demolished and the arm is likely to be extended up to CIT Nagar connecting Anna Salai to T. Nagar, with a bigger 1.2km carriageway.  Similarly, a section of the flyover which links Adyar with Besant Nagar will also be demolished and the foundation pillars will be removed to facilitate the construction of the Metro Rail Twin Tunnels underground.  The flyover will be reconstructed once the CMRL work is completed. In the…

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, speaking at a real estate event recently, assured the stakeholders present that his administration would be happy to consider an increase in the Floor Space Index (FSI) as presently stipulated by law for construction within Chennai.  This announcement was received with much jubilation by the real estate lobby but its impact on the ultimate consumer – those who purchase home and office space – needs to be studied carefully.  Read more: Opinion: One policy change could make your dream home in Chennai a reality FSI and quality of life in Chennai An…

It has been a year since the launch of a bio-CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) plant in Chetpet by Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in partnership with Srinivas Waste Management Solutions Pvt Ltd. Around 100 tons of vegetable and food waste from Koyambedu market and hotels are processed every day and converted into bio-CNG. This renewable source of energy is sold to the Gas Authority Of India Limited (GAIL) and various hotels whose reliance on conventional energy has drastically reduced as a result.  A similar plant at Madhavaram was inaugurated about six months ago but is yet to be functional as it…

"Last year, we were not able to celebrate Women's Day in the Ward because it was too close to the election results. This year, we have planned to celebrate Women's Day with the conservancy and sanitation workers in the Ward, along with other women," says M Renuka, the Councillor of Ward 42. "We are planning to create awareness about the rights of women," she adds. Renuka is a first-time Councillor. She joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) in 2018. "I used to do field work for the party," she says. "Then, in 2022, the party fielded me as a…

Civic body removes close to 100 hawkers from Wall Tax Road The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has evicted 100 hawkers from the pavements near Chennai Central and Basin Bridge. The civic body has cleared encroachments over a five-kilometre stretch. The area used to have shops selling food, mechanical parts and other goods. Pavements were also encroached upon by parked vehicles. Apart from making it difficult for pedestrians to use footpaths, some of the encroachers were also found to have let out sewage into the recently built stormwater drains. Corporation officials say that they have taken a stronger stance against the…

The Tamil Nadu Apartment Ownership Act, 2022 is a new legislation that could potentially safeguard the interest of apartment owners and improve the administration of common areas and facilities.  It has been stated that every apartment should get registered under the new Act. While the legislation was notified recently, the Government is yet to come out with the rules and regulations for the Act.  Some important considerations of apartment owners must be taken into account and reflected in the rules for the aim of the legislation to be met. Stakeholder inputs on Apartment Ownership Act  While framing the rules under…

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), has conducted the Swachh Survekshan survey annually for the past seven years. The survey assesses the cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation of India's urban local bodies (ULBs). The survey looks at the collection of waste, segregation at source, processing and disposal of waste and sustainable sanitation. While Chennai's performance has seen an improvement over the years, the city is far from meeting the criteria on parameters such as going binless, banning the use of plastic and achieving a reduction in the quantum of waste being landfilled. Reporting…

Citizen Matters Chennai organised a Citizen Clinic on Fixing Civic Issues in Chennai with a panel of civic activists providing guidance and sharing their experience in engaging with civic authorities. The panel considered questions on issues such as waste management, water supply, parking and drainage and offered suggestions on the steps to be taken to solve these issues. The panel comprised Raghukumar Choodamani, a resident of Perambur and the Founder of Community Welfare Brigade, a civic engagement forum; Sridhar Venkataraman, a resident of Mylapore and a social activist and Vasanthi Kannan, a civic activist and Secretary of the Kodambakkam Residents…

Be it laying stormwater drains or carrying out patch work on roads or repair and renovation of civic infrastructure - all such activities by the civic body has to go through a tendering process to select eligible contractors to carry out the work. In the past, the tendering process has come under the scanner due to allegations of corruption and favouritism to certain contractors. Anti-corruption activists, residents and contractors have called for greater transparency in the tendering process to ensure the contracts are awarded to those who are best equipped to carry out the work. Here is a look at…

Viral fever spreads in Chennai With the spread of viruses like Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Adenovirus and Influenza virus in Chennai, many residents continue to fall sick with fever, body ache and sniffles. Officials have said that cases of Dengue and Chikungunya have been lower in comparison to December and January. However, as other viral diseases have been spreading, some patients see a sudden drop in platelet count that requires hospitalisation, while others require rest and antibiotics. Most of the patients continue to have a cough even after ten days after the symptoms of fever subside. As this is not…