With the Lok Sabha elections right around the corner, Citizen Matters caught up with Prashanth Goutham of Arappor Iyakkam. In this freewheeling discussion with Meenakshi Ramesh, Prashanth details the roles and responsibilities of an MP and what voters must look for in deciding on the ideal candidate.
[Meenakshi Ramesh anchors the Chennai edition of Citizen Matters and is actively involved in many civic initiatives. She can be reached at meenakshi@citizenmatters.in]
A flower-seller weaving mozhams of jasmine, men reading newspapers, and cackling children playing games — these are common sights across city parks. As Chennai saw temperatures cross 40°C this May, seekers of shade, couples stealing time together, and informal workers turned to parks for solace. Parks and open spaces are crucial for residents in congested areas, many of whom live without air conditioning. But open spaces in Chennai are shrinking. The Urban Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) guidelines mandate 10 to 12 sq. m of open space per person, yet the Chennai Metropolitan Area has roughly just 0.65…
“Ae Dil hai mushkil jeena yahan, Jara hatke, jara bachke, ye hai Bombay meri jaan!” This song from the 1956 hit movie C.I.D has become most Mumbaikars’ anthem since the monsoon has started—replace the words “kahin building, kahin trame” with open manholes and falling trees. Residents have seen mayhem and mishaps due to lashing rains in the city. Within the first six days of July, the Colaba and Santacruz observatories have recorded 823.4 mm and 898.4 mm of rainfall, respectively. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had initially issued an orange alert on July 3, which was changed to a red alert…