Whenever rainstorms hit and the Adyar River swells, the residents living beneath the Saidapet Bridge hold their breath, silently praying for reprieve. The haunting memories of the catastrophic 2015 floods, when the river overflowed and submerged the bridge, still linger. Many homes were inundated and belongings were swept away, leaving a lasting impact on the community. This happened again during the December 2023 floods. That's why, residents here live in constant fear. On Saturday, as Cyclone Fengal brought severe thunderstorms and gusty winds over Chennai, they just clung to hope that the flood waters would not reach their homes. Read…

As winter sets in, the issue of air pollution once again takes centre stage, especially in cities like Delhi, where air quality worsens, affecting residents' health. Though attention has traditionally focused on northern cities, recent studies have raised growing concerns about the air quality in southern cities like Chennai. A recent study by the Lancet Planetary Health reveals troubling findings, showing that Chennai, despite having lower levels of air pollution compared to the cities in northern India, faces a significantly high mortality risk. The city, with an annual PM-2.5 (fine particulate matter) level of 33.7 micrograms per cubic meter, is…