CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Poor roads have been an inconvenience for Chennaiites across the city. An approach road to the arterial TH road, which was used extensively by residents and passers-by, was damaged in part by rains and in part by civic work in the area. As a result, residents were forced to use the road under extremely unsafe conditions for months on end. With some impetus from civic-minded members in the area, the efforts of the Ward Councillor and the cooperation of residents, the road was finally fixed. The key learning from this experience has been the need to develop a rapport with…

Potholes on roads are a menace for every Mumbaikar – car drivers, bikers and pedestrians. Every year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claims to fill hundreds of potholes during monsoons, yet they seem to crop up the following season and continue to be a safety hazard. In addition to slowing down traffic, the poor quality of roads is also responsible for several accidents and even deaths. Last monsoon, two deaths were reported within two weeks due to accidents caused by potholes. These daunting numbers call for immediate attention. To address the issue, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra recently re-invited bids…

An accessible, comfortable and functional bus shelter is an essential part of any urban mass transit system. Chennai's bus shelters routinely fail to meet one or more of these parameters, affecting commuters. From the perspective of the local administration, which is responsible for its management, a good bus shelter is one that has low maintenance requirements and is resistant to any form of vandalism. From the point of view of a commuter, an ideal shelter is one that allows visibility and easy access to the bus, is comfortable and convenient, provides clear information and is safe. Both viewpoints are equally…

When I thought of writing this article my intention was to cover the 100 Feet Road Indiranagar, Inner Ring Road (IRR), and 100 Feet Road Koramangala from end to end, starting from Binnamangala and ending in Madiwala. I planned to cover the whole distance to write about citizens' worries in traversing this road. When I went on the ground to find more details, I didn’t go beyond 100 feet road Indiranagar. There was so much content in the first 2.7 kilometres itself that it was needless to go beyond! The white topping work on the 100 feet road started about…

‘’A man doesn’t plant a tree for himself, he plants it for future generations," Alexander Smith Often, getting cool shade under a tree has become a luxury in Bengaluru. Especially during summer or on a hot day, you can see people and animals standing in the shade of a building, rather than a tree. However, all is not lost. There are people who have planted and nurtured trees, contributing to the preservation of the city’s green canopy. I came across a beautiful majestic banyan tree just in front of Lalbagh, double roadside entrance. I was admiring the sheer size of…

In a city that suffers a relentless monsoon with lightless damp days followed by a fleeting winter which is now marked by grey smog, spring is precious. And spring too is fleeting.  Avenue trees all across the city begin to jewel themselves in a new flush of leaves; coppers, maroons and fluorescent greens. And soon after, the flowers follow;  yellows, reds and purples. With bees buzzing on the crowns of flowering trees and birdsong cutting through the ever present traffic soundscape of the city. Spring in Mumbai is an act of resistance. Overworked, under-rested and always in a hurry, the…

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has proposed new changes to the tariff and norms with respect to solar rooftop projects for the year 2024, following the expiration of the existing policy on March 31st. The discussion paper outlines several changes, including reducing the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) term to 15 years and introducing grid-interactive support charges. KERC has scheduled a public hearing on April 13th to gather input from all stakeholders before finalising the policy with the proposed changes. This article will explore some of the crucial points outlined in the discussion paper and analyse their potential impact. Reduction…

கொரட்டூர் ஏரி 20 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பாக சமையலுக்கு குடிநீருக்கு பயன்படுத்தி வந்துள்ளனர் ஆனால் தொழிற்சாலை மற்றும் பால்பண்ணை நச்சு கழிவுகளால் ஏரி மாசடைந்தது இதனால் நீரை பயன்படுத்த முடியவில்லை. நிலத்தடி நீர் சுற்றி பாதித்துள்ளது கழிவு நீரால் ஆகாயத்தாமரை அதிகம் வளர்ந்துள்ளதால் மீன்களின் இனப்பெருக்கம் குறைந்து வருகிறது ஏரியைச் சுற்றிலும் 200க்கும் மேற்பட்ட மீனவ குடும்பங்கள் வாழ்ந்து வருகின்றனர் இவர்களின் வாழ்வாதாரம் ஏரியை நம்பி தான் உள்ளது ஏரி மாசடைந்து மண் மற்றும் தண்ணீர் பாதிப்பால் மீன் இனப்பெருக்கம் குறைந்துள்ளது. ஆக்கிரமிப்பால் ஏற்படும் மாசு  ஏரியைச் சுற்றிலும் அரசியல் போர்வையில் சமூக விரோதிகள் தொடர்ந்து ஆக்கிரமிப்பு பணியில் ஈடுபட்டு வருகின்றனர். ஆக்கிரமிக்கப்பட்ட பகுதிகளில் சென்னை மாநகராட்சி எல்லா வசதிகளையும் செய்து கொடுப்பதால் ஆக்கிரமிப்பாளர்களுக்கு வசதியாக போய்விடுகிறது. ஓராண்டுக்கு முன்பாக கோர்ட்டு ஏரியில் ஆக்கிரமித்துள்ள 12 வீடுகளுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் வழங்கப்பட்டது 21 நாளைக்குள் காலி செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று ஆனால் இதுவரை எந்த…

Life in resettlement colonies in Chennai comes with myriad issues. Our wait for proper infrastructure, basic services, benefits and entitlements has been long and the fight has been hard. My life used to revolve around my house in the Perumbakkam resettlement area. Even though I taught children from Classes 1 to 5 to read and write Tamil in our Reading Club, I was still confined to my household and managing its affairs. But as Community Champion, now my life revolves around the entire resettlement area, where I work to make the lives of people here better. An experiential learning programme,…

For the record, Gubbalala Lake, located in Raghavendra Layout close to Vajarahalli Metro Station, is an eight-acre 10 gunta waterbody. In reality, it occupies just four acres and 20 gunta. It is suspected that about two acres of the lake’s land have been encroached upon. The lake has four inlets and one outlet, with a walkway length of 810 meters and a main bund length of 160 metres. The catchment area is about two square kms. The lake is situated in the 110 villages scheme/areas of BWSSB (BBMP vide a notification in the year 2008 acquired gram panchayats with 110…