CITIZEN JOURNALISM

The POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act, was enacted in 2012. The Act aims to protect children under the age of 18 from offences of child sexual abuse and sexual harassment committed by adults. Despite the protections offered by this Act, cases registered under POCSO in Chennai have been on the rise as per the National Crime Records Bureau. Every other day there are news items of harrowing instances of child abuse. In many cases, the offenders turn out to be family members or staff at the school. Those entrusted with the welfare of children abuse the trust placed…

It is our social responsibility to build a community in which every individual plays an independent role in society. To achieve this, the focus should be on transformative and innovative solutions for inclusive development. Inclusivity is a major concern for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) all over the world, as well as in India. According to recent data, nearly 2.21% of the Indian population has some form of disability. However, there is a general lack of awareness about disability. The lack of accessibility infrastructure results in most PWDs in India struggling to live an independent life, unable to do things as…

Around 10 lakh people use the Thane railway station, bringing massive footfall to the vicinity. However, reaching the station has become a headache for commuters, as all roads leading to the station have heavy traffic. The roads leading up to the station are part of a busy, bustling market with shops selling daily necessities and vegetable vendors selling their wares on the roadside. This 1.2-kilometre stretch is used by buses, autos and private vehicles to ply to and from the railway station. Travelling by this road takes around 20-30 minutes, thanks to the road being packed with vehicles and hawkers. People have to…

The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has begun the process of holding public consultations welcoming views from residents on the draft Third Master Plan for Chennai. The consultations are meant to be a participatory exercise which provides a platform for residents to offer suggestions and share grievances. However, my experience attending a recent consultation has revealed many gaps in the process that would prevent effective representation of the views of the residents.  Announcement by CMDA on public consultations across Chennai. Pic: CMDA/Twitter Issues with CMDA’s public consultation I attended the public consultation organised by the CMDA at Hotel Sri Valli…

Padur is an important area strategically located 2km from one of the country's largest IT parks in Siruseri. Due to the presence of IT parks, multiple deemed university campuses, colleges and schools, the population in the area is dense and growing. Yet, scant attention has been paid to the infrastructure in the area. As a result, the bad roads of Padur are a menace that residents have been forced to live with. Read more: Explainer: How are roads in Chennai laid? Unmotorable roads of Padur  On December 1st, a major accident occurred in the area when a government bus collided…

In a previous article, the author traced the development and series of constructions on Outer Ring Road (ORR), from the 1980s-1990s till 2015, when the Dr Muthuraj underpass was being constructed at Hosakerehalli junction, under the Nagarothana Scheme. Part two of the series will explore how multiple contradictory construction work has affected commuters. Road repurposing This has to do with uncertain infrastructure provisioning. Since most of these projects are implemented long after they have been planned or constructed on the go, there are no long-term visions for them. Plans keep changing and there is no one master plan that all…

The phrase Singara Chennai has captured the imagination of many of us who have grown up in the city. I am one of many who have taken up the cause of improving Solid Waste Management (SWM) in Chennai. My key motivation to do so has been the desire to leave behind a beautiful, green and pristine city for the future generation without any filth, garbage or pollution. I have been a close observer of the SWM landscape in the city and the changes it has undergone in the past 20 years, ever since the first instance of roping in of…

I have lived on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) for 15 years now. It has shaped my life to such an extent that it is one of the narratives I use to recount my time in the city. Orienting myself with the everyday changes on this road has shed light on my place as a resident, commuter, voter and more importantly as a citizen - a part of a larger whole. With the announcement of the environmental clearance application for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), it seemed prudent to look back on what the journey has been like on the…

Hailing from Madhubani (Bihar), Binay Kumar Paswan, 40, came to Bengaluru ten years ago in search of employment. Today, he is self-employed as a paanwala, running his own stall near the outskirts of Sarjapur. The venture is not without its challenges. For one, Binay is sometimes forced to change locations, depending on where space is available. He also faces other challenges in the street like harassment and demands for bribes from local authorities. But wherever he sets up shop, he has managed to eke out a living, especially during weekends, when business tends to be brisk.  Binay works from 9…

A mangrove is a shrub that grows along coasts and has roots that are usually found underwater. Mangroves store ‘more carbon per unit area than any other ecosystem on Earth’, and aid in the fight against coral bleaching. They act as natural barriers against storms and rising seas, saving ‘more than $65 billion worth of property damage each year’, according to conservation.org. They thrive in subtropical nations since they are adaptive, and are the best option for mitigating the effects of climate change, be it sea-level rise or the frequency of natural disasters such as cyclones and storm surges. However,…