City: Chennai

Conservancy workers stage protest, demand regulating their jobs Conservancy workers hired on contract through the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) organised a demonstration in Ambattur demanding regularisation of their jobs. As their contract is set to end by mid-July, the conservancy workers sought immediate intervention from the state government.  According to the worker’s union, Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI), in an ongoing case, the Madras High Court had ordered the civic body to not discontinue their contract for three months. With the three-month timeframe having already expired, the workers are concerned about their livelihoods as the legal hearing has not taken…

A new report from Greenpeace India reveals that a year after initial nationwide lockdowns due to Covid-19, NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide ) pollution has increased in all eight most populous state capitals studied highlighting worsening air quality. Among Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow, Delhi saw the most dramatic increase between April 2020 and April 2021. Chennai stood at second position with an increase of 94% between April 2020 and April 2021. NO2 in Chennai NO2 is a dangerous air pollutant that is released when fuel is burned, as in most motor vehicles, power generation, and industrial processes.…

Translated by Sandhya Raju அரசு தலைமை மாற்றம் பல மாற்றங்களையுயும் அதனுடன் கொண்டு வருகிறது. 90-ம் ஆண்டு மத்தியில் ஐடி புரட்சி பெருமளவில் நிகழ்ந்தாலும், மெட்ராஸ் என்று அப்போது அழைக்கப்பட்ட தமிழகத்தின் தலைநகரமான சென்னை, அதற்குறிய பொலிவை பெற்றிருக்கவில்லை. இந்தியாவின் பிற தலைநகரங்கள் மற்றும் மெட்ரோ நகரங்களை ஒப்பிடுகையில் சென்னை பின் தங்கியிருந்தது. மே 1990 நடைபெற்ற தேர்தலில் வெற்றி பெற்ற பின்னர், அப்போதைய முதல்வர் எம் கருணாநிதி, நகரத்திற்கு சென்னை என பெயர் மாற்றி, "சிங்கார சென்னை" என்ற பெயரில் பல திட்டங்களை அறிவித்தார். சிங்காரம் என்ற சொல்லுக்கு தமிழில் அழகான / அலங்கார / அழகுபடுத்தப்பட்ட என்று பொருள். நகரத்தை அழகுபடுத்துவதோடு, சாலைகளில் குவிந்த குப்பைகளை அகற்றுவது, போக்குரவத்தையும் சீராக்கும் திட்டத்தை அடக்கி இந்த திட்டம் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது. நகரத்தை வாழக்கூடியதாகவும் பயண நட்பாகவும் மாற்ற, இது தான் முதல் படி. முந்தைய மெகா திட்டங்கள் 1990-ம் ஆண்டு…

Thanks to the pandemic, traditional big fat Indian weddings have now become small, muted family events. As social distancing and restriction of movement became the norm in the COVID era, weddings changed too. Many couples have still gone ahead with their matrimonial plans over the past few months, and more plan to tie the knot in the weeks and months ahead but even they must adhere to the current COVID protocol for weddings as laid down by the states.  Even though lockdown norms have been eased in Chennai, things are not entirely back to the old normal. Citizens must be…

When we pick up the newspaper from our doorsteps every morning, we do not usually stop to think how it got there. But newspaper distributors and the entire chain involved play a huge role in ensuring that we are connected to what's happening in the world, through the morning dailies they deliver. Come rain, shine or even worse - the pandemic, their job of collecting and distributing newspapers never comes to a halt. They are indeed as vital as those who make and write the news. But unfortunately, the news distribution sector has always remained in the shadows with little…

The pandemic has not only been a health emergency, but also a huge blow on the economic front. Many people lost their jobs while many more have faced pay cuts. Some like R Sunitha stepped up to the challenge by starting their own business ventures. Sunitha, who lost her job, became a home chef during the lockdown. "I took it very hard initially when I lost my job. But I knew I had to pull my act together to earn during the pandemic. I applied for a trade licence and started my own food business and became a home chef,"…

Post-COVID care centre at Guindy hospital To cater to the needs of those dealing with post-COVID issues, the state government has set up a post-COVID care clinic at the Government Corona Hospital in Guindy. Some of the services offered by the clinic are general medicine, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology, ENT, ophthalmology, diabetology, chest medicine and psychiatry. An ENT specialist has also been stationed to screen patients for any signs of mucormycosis. A 100-bed pediatric COVID ward and a 40-bedded intensive care unit has also been inaugurated at Stanley Medical College & Hospital’s Institute of Social Paediatrics in order to deal…

Retteri lake has been one of the biggest blessings for many households in the areas around Madhavaram and Kolathur and provides a cooling effect to these surroundings during Chennai’s scorching summers. But the neglect of the lake during recent times has residents of these areas seriously worried about the future. While many other lakes have got a facelift and revived focus on maintenance, this, despite being one of Chennai’s largest lakes, has not got the attention that it deserves. The residents of these areas have been fighting against the encroachment of the lake and for better maintenance over the past few…

It has been two months since Geetha Foundation apartments in Puzhuthivakkam installed water meters at a cost of Rs 8500. Since then, the apartment of five flats has been able to save 100-150 litres of water in a month. As part of the installation, a float switch sensor is added to the overhead tanks which sends an alert as soon as water levels reach a particular level. This stops the roof/storage tank from overflowing, resulting in significant conservation of water. “Water level in the storage tank is maintained at the level of the float valve inside the tank. Once water…

Chennai’s checkered history of water management has come under the spotlight every time the city has found itself face to face with a crisis, such as the catastrophic floods of 2015 or the unprecedented drought faced by the city in 2019. Experts have repeatedly called for better management of water resources, alluding to the fact that the city’s many water bodies could be the answer to its water woes, if they are managed better. There have, in fact, been some concerted efforts in recent years to restore and manage the tanks and lakes in Chennai. However, there are multiple organisations…