City: Chennai

Translated by Sandhya Raju “தமிழக அரசே தமிழக அரசே, சாக வேண்டுமா நாங்கள்? அப்போ தான் பார்ப்பாயா?” சென்னை குடி நீர் & கழிவு நீர் பெரு வாரியம் தலைமை அலுவலகத்தின் முன்பு தொடர்ந்து  10 நாட்கள் 1500 தற்காலிக தொழிலாளர்கள் எழுப்பிய கோஷம் இது. தனியார் ஒப்பந்தகாரர்களுக்கு ஒவுட்சோர்ஸ் முடிவை எதிர்த்தும் இவர்களின் கோரிக்கைகளை நிராகரிக்கப்பட்டதை எதிர்த்தும் இவர்கள் போராட்டம் நடத்தினர்.  கடந்த சில ஆண்டுகளாக வேகமான வளர்ச்சியை சென்னை அடைந்தாலும், பல முக்கிய துறைகளில் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்ட பணியிடங்கள் நிரப்பப்படாமல் அல்லது கணிசமாக குறைக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. முக்கியமான அத்தியாவசிய பணிகளான திடக்கழிவு மேலாண்மை, குடி நீர் வினியோகம், சுகாதாரம், மின்வாரியம் என பல துறைகளில் தற்காலிக அல்லது ஒப்பந்த அடிப்படையில் பணிபுரிபவர்கள் பாதுகாப்பற்ற சூழலில் பணிபுரிகிறார்கள்.   சென்னை குடி நீர் வாரிய தற்காலிக பணியார்களின் போராட்டம் சரியான நேரத்தில் சாலையில் மண் அகற்றப்பட்டு, கழிவு நீர் அடைப்புகள் அகற்றப்பட்டு,குடி நீர்…

K Karthik, Councillor for Ward 7 has spent a decade in politics. He belongs to the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). His foray into politics came after stints in corporate HR at firms such as Pepsico and the Murugappa Group. In 2011, Karthik became a full-time politician, following in the footsteps of his father K Kuppan. K Kuppan serves as MLA from Thiruvottiyur in the 14th Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He contested unsuccessfully from the same constituency in the 2021 Assembly Elections. Citizen Matters caught up with Karthik in his office at Aniruth Park, a hotel he owns…

With catastrophic rains and severe drought having become a recurrent feature in the recent history of the city, it is time to take climate change and its effects seriously. Chennai needs a comprehensive climate action plan for a holistic approach to preparedness and mitigation. Cities like Mumbai taking the lead show the need for climate action now. While a state-level action plan has been prepared, what actions specific to Chennai could help combat the effects of climate change? Citizen Matters hosted a tweet chat with experts to understand what a climate action plan for Chennai could look like and what must…

Four metro water wokers die due to asphyxiation Four contract workers of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) have died in two different incidents over the past week, allegedly due to asphyxiation while cleaning septic tanks. On Tuesday, two workers, Nelson and Ravikumar who were involved in cleaning a septic tank in Madhavaram asphyxiated while at work. While Nelson was declared dead on arrival, Ravikumar died on Thursday without responding to the treatment. Meanwhile, two other workers, identified as D Dhakshinamurthy, 38, and P Periasamy, 38, of Pallikaranai died allegedly of asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank located…

Waste management had long been a puzzle that Chennai failed to crack as the city grew over the past few decades. As the city made strides toward decentralised waste management, there was hope that this might prove to be the step that improves the situation. However, over a year after the new system was put in place, there are questions about the efficacy of its working. One of the two key components of decentralistion is wet waste composting which takes place through dedicated micro composting centres (MCCs). Citizen Matters zoomed in on how wet waste is treated in the city…

Councillor R Durairaj, Councillor of Ward 172 has been a long-serving member of the Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He has previously contested from Adambakkam in the local body elections in 2011. At present, he also serves as the Zone Chairman of Zone 13. He looks to address key issues affecting ward 172 such as traffic congestion, encroachment, flooding and poor civic amenities such as street lights. In an interview with Citizen Matters, he lays out his vision and outlines how he plans to achieve his goals during his term. Ward No. 172  Name of Councillor: R. Durairaj Party: DMK Age: 50 Educational qualification:…

Chennai's many parks provide much-needed green spaces in the city. They are abuzz with activity on most days, with many residents choosing the space to walk, work out, catch up with friends or spend some time outdoors. The city's 525 parks attract a wide cross-section of people and represent a microcosm of the surrounding areas. However, what is markedly rare is the use of the spaces provided by the parks for activities such as outreach and awareness campaigns and other programmes in public interest. NGOs and advocacy groups, which are best placed to host such events, have been facing some…

“Oho! Namma Ooru! Semma Joru!” Kamala Vanchinathan, a resident of Ramapuram, takes this tune as cue to carry two bins filled with garbage to hand over to the conservancy worker. "Vandi kulla kuppaya pirichi podanum," blares the song as she hands over the wet and dry waste to the battery-operated garbage collection vehicle. She is quite proud of her efforts to segregate the waste generated in her house at source and encourages others to embrace the practice. But the responsibility of solid waste management does not end with those such as Kamala who segregate waste at source. Although they are…

Chennai to get 100 E-Buses As part of a German bank-funded project, Chennai will get 100 E-Buses in the coming months. The tender has been called for by the Institute of Road Transport (IRT) which is seeking automobile manufacturers who can supply the buses as well as the necessary charging infrastructure to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).  The buses will all be low-floor and air-conditioned. They will have a capacity of 36 passengers each. There will also be provision for wheelchair-bound passengers and a ramp for entry and exit. The transport department will expand the fleet of E-buses depending on…

Councillor N Adiyaman of Ward 105 in Arumbakkam started his political journey with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) decades ago. His father is also a member of the party. Adiyaman serves as a division organising secretary within the party and continues to hold the post after being elected councillor. He believes that the vision of the state government in transforming Chennai would help bring huge changes to the city. At the same time, he is aware of the various civic issues faced by those in his ward ranging from flooding to waste management and is looking into solutions to address…