City: Chennai

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…

B Vimala, the councillor of Ward 41, part of the RK Nagar assembly constituency, sits in a modest office above the ward's Amma Unavagam, just off a busy street, a hub of activity. On the wall behind her hangs a picture of veteran Communist leader N Sankaraiah. A member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)), this is 30-year-old Vimala's first term as a councillor. Vimala has been with the CPI(M) for the past ten years. Her political journey began as part of the youth wing of the party, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI). She decided…

“Thamizhaga arase Thamizhaga arase, saga venduma nangal? Appo than paarpaya?” (Will the government of Tamil Nadu pay attention to our plight only when we die?) This was the chorus of around 1,500 temporary workers of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply & Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) that echoed at the entrance of the Board’s office for ten continuous days. The reason for the protest was the decision to outsource manpower through private contractors and overlook the demands of temporary workers engaged by the CMWSSB. Even as Chennai has grown in the past few decades, the sanctioned posts in many key departments remain vacant or have…

Chennai Metro Phase 2 progress and accessibility promise The elevated metro line between Porur and Poonamalle as part of Phase 2 will have a total of 453 pillars. Of this, 111 pillars have already been erected as part of the progress on this line. The total cost of the elevated line is estimated to be Rs 1147 crore. The line is set to be open and operational from June 2023. This line will extend from Lighthouse to Poonamallee and is part of Corridor 3. The total length of all lines in Phase 2 is 118.9 km. The review is on…

“Homeless people in Chennai do not want to come with me,” says Nandhini, a social worker working for the Hope Charitable Trust in Chennai. “I have been spit on, verbally and physically abused by people going through a mental health episode when I approach them and ask them to come with me to get proper treatment. There are many stories I can tell you where the same people later became my friends when they got help and got better,” says Nandhini.  Nandhini reminisces about the time when a girl named Priya from a well-to-do family in Chennai was rendered temporarily…

Organ donation and body donation have been gaining momentum in India, particularly so in Tamil Nadu which has been a pioneer and leader in transplants. Despite the inroads made in the state, the awareness among the general public on organ donation needs to increase manifold in order to meet existing requirements. Currently, India as a whole requires around 2,00,000 kidneys, 50,000 hearts and 50,000 livers annually for those requiring transplants. The current annual availability, however, is a meagre 10,000 kidneys and 1,000 livers. This is very disheartening. With a population of more than 130 crores, the organ donation rate needs…

Beach beautification is almost the first project that any newly elected State Government of Tamil Nadu and for that matter city civic body announces after being sworn into office. Unfortunately, the vision is limited to Marina beach and not much beyond. And what vision there is for the Marina beach is restricted to fountains, re-relaying of the promenade and putting up a granite plaque or two. If all the schemes for Marina beautification had actually been fruitful, we would have a world-class beach in our city. This the Marina beach undoubtedly was till a few decades ago. Now sadly, it…

While the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns were hard on everyone, it particularly affected children with special needs. For children with intellectual disabilities and learning difficulties, going to school was integral to maintaining their physical and mental well-being. While Chennai's special schools remained shut, the students suffered setbacks as a result.  Despite months of resumption of physical classes, students still struggle to acclimate to their surroundings. Persistent staffing and funding issues in special schools across Chennai have also added to their woes. Chennai's special schools during lockdown Intellectual disability comprises conditions characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and adaptive…

Flood mitigation works in Chennai to conclude by September The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has set a deadline of September 30 to conclude all stormwater drain works in the city. The civic body aims to finish construction and repair works before the onset of the northeast monsoon. A circular on the matter has been issued by Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi. The circular called for the completion of the work per set norms.  The instructions from the civic body also stated that the assistant executive engineer, executive engineer and assistant engineer will be held responsible for any stagnation of water in…