City: Chennai

Kumar*, a food delivery gig worker rode back home after midnight on his scooter a few weeks back. Suddenly, a few cops stopped him on the way, captured his photo and then let him go. "Why are you taking my photo? I have my driving license and other documents, and I am also wearing my helmet," he asked them, flabbergasted and confused. But they did not respond. Little did he know that the Chennai police might have used their facial recognition technology (FRT) to see if his photo matched that of a criminal in their database. This has been one…

Cyclone Mandous uproots trees, damages Marina beach ramp Cyclone Mandous left a trail of destruction in its wake over the past weekend with hundreds of trees uprooted and damage to the newly inaugurated accessible pathway for persons with disability on the Marina beach. The cyclone resulted in the uprooting of over 200 trees in 107 locations and generated 645 tonnes of garden waste. Frontline workers had to clear the trees on war footing. The waste generated was sent to the dump yards in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. Another fallout from the cyclone was the destruction of the viewing deck of the…

Savitha*, a 16-year-old minor girl from Chennai, was to be married off to a 35-year-old man in September of last year. Her parents invited close relatives to the ceremony by handing out invitations. Just as the wedding was about to take place, officials from Childline came to her rescue based on a tip-off from her 15-year-old cousin. He sent a copy of the invitation to the non-governmental organisation (NGO) that had once conducted an awareness programme on preventing child marriages in their locality. Savitha was lucky and was rescued on time. She is now pursuing an undergraduate degree in a…

It is a balmy Wednesday morning. Having arranged the chairs in rows and set the required vaccines ready on a wooden table, Selvi G, the Urban Health Nurse (UHN) of Valasaravakkam Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) in Chennai, awaits mothers scheduled to come in for the immunisation of their children. As the first of them arrive, Selvi gives them a heads-up that it is only normal for the child to cry after the injection and there is nothing to panic about. She tells them not to rub the injected area and to administer the medicine which will be given to…

In a city that is increasingly concretised and with dwindling green cover, small pockets of green gardens are a sight for sore eyes. While there are avenue trees and public parks, the residents can do their bit to increase the greenery by opting to maintain terrace gardens.  Terrace gardens are no novelty, but the number of people taking the activity up in Chennai could stand to increase. While neighbourhoods in Chennai have come together to maintain community gardens, there is huge potential for the same networks to also disseminate information and help residents set up their own terrace gardens on…

A room of one's own is considered a basic necessity for a good life. But having one's own space to work, study and rest and a guarantee of privacy are a dream that is seemingly unattainable for many in Chennai. At a time when the city's real estate price seems to be skyrocketing, there are still many families who live in a single room in Chennai, without a proper roof and any ventilation. For these residents, the dream is not to build or buy a big multi-storey house, but merely call a space home where they can stretch their legs…

Are you someone who knocks on the doors of private clinics or large private hospitals even for a fever or minor ailments? Do you know there are government-run Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) in Chennai with facilities to treat minor ailments and for the diagnosis of major illnesses? The city's public healthcare infrastructure came under the spotlight during the pandemic as it was at the forefront of fighting the virus. The major government hospitals took in patients while the UPHCs served as points for screening and vaccination. It was only then that a majority of residents came into contact with…

Some roads to be free of litter in Chennai by 21st December Across all 15 zones, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to make some roads litter-free, with the help of enforcement squads. This is part of a slew of initiatives to improve solid waste management in the city. There are also plans in place to solicit wider cooperation from residents and shop owners in avoiding littering. The enforcement squad will have conservancy inspectors and supervisors led by the zonal assistant executive engineer of GCC's Solid Waste Management department. They will issue spot fines to people who illegally dump garbage…

"Rising petrol prices motivated me to buy an electric two-wheeler in Chennai," says V Akash, who rides an Ather 450X electric scooter. S Kaushik, who owns a Hero Electric Optima HX scooter, has a similar tale to narrate. "I wanted to try something new. Plus, the subsidy also substantially lowered the cost, making it a very viable option. There was a discount of around Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 45,000 when I bought my scooter last year," he says. Many electric two-wheeler users have almost the same motivation for buying an EV. "There is hardly any maintenance cost. We do not…

N Muthukumar is over 60 years of age and works out at the public gym in Thiruvanmiyur. The gym has a building with equipment for hard exercise indoors and mild workouts outdoors. There is an Anganwadi across and the intervening area is roofed.  Muthukumar is oscillating gently on the low pendulum outdoors. On one side he can feast his eyes on flowering plants and on the other, a set of colourful playthings meant for the Anganwadi kids. It is 7.30 am. He stops, breathes deeply, closes his eyes and says, "Forty years ago, this was just a mud pit that…