CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Over the last few decades, the number of private motor vehicles on the roads of Chennai has increased significantly. The increase in the number of vehicles only contributed towards promoting severe air pollution, which had to be controlled. With this in mind, a Pollution Under Control (PUC) certificate for motor vehicles was made a mandatory requirement as per the Regional Transport Office (RTO) Rules. The PUC certificate is an indicator that the emissions from the vehicles are within the permissible limit. When the PUC certification rule was first introduced, several centres were opened across the city of Chennai. Over the years…

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allocated crores of rupees to beautify wards, yet, participatory planning has been abandoned altogether. There is a greater need for involvement of citizens in actively monitoring the work being undertaken in their ward and demanding accountability from the municipality. Complaints of irregularities in the tendering process also alarm us, considering the lack of consultation with citizens during the planning or implementation stages. In an ideal world, all that would be expected of a citizen is that they would pay their taxes and enjoy the benefits and comforts authorities offer, in the form of good…

Rani has had debilitatingly painful periods ever since she started relying on injectable contraceptives. When she reached out to her doctor for help, she was told to be patient and that “this happens, it is quite normal.” But it does make it very difficult for her to manage her periods. Not only does she have to take care of household responsibilities, but she also has to go do her job as a door-to-door garbage collector in the hilly terrains of Shimla. But however painful or uncomfortable it gets, she knows she cannot afford to take menstrual leave. For door-to-door garbage collectors…

Chitlapakkam has evolved over the years from being a Town Panchayat sandwiched between Tambaram and Pallavaram Municipalities to now being a part of the Tambaram Corporation. Chitlapakkam has seen tremendous growth, with a population of 40,000 residents at present. Many residents still commute to the core city for work or study. One aspect that has been a pain point for residents has been the poor bus connectivity. After tremendous efforts, a mini-bus route that was discontinued has been brought back to service, with residents hoping for more such services in the coming years.  Mini-bus service in Chitlapakkam For more than…

Before the arrival of the Chennai Metro, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus and Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train services were the primary drivers of public transport, largely defining the local transport landscape for people in Chennai's core area. The EMU services ran in three directions North Line, West Line and South Line and helped in residential development as people moved out of the core city, due to the availability of a comfortable reliable transportation system and reduced travel time. The suburban rail network was a boon to commuters from faraway, suburban localities such as Palavanthangal and Tambaram.  But with the passage…

A raft of proposals for the beautification of Mumbai was announced recently amid well-orchestrated publicity. The project which is estimated to cost Rs 1700 crore is slated to be completed by March 2023. Neighbouring Thane will be forking out Rs 100 crore for a similar beautification project. The "Mumbai Beautification Plan" includes beautification of road dividers, improvement of footpaths, installation of street furniture and street lights, the beautification of traffic islands, optimum usage of public spaces underneath bridges, maintenance of toilets and creation of wall paintings and murals. Even the most politically naïve citizen will refuse to believe that these…

India's cities are ranked amongst the world’s most congested cities. This has huge repercussions in terms of reduced productivity with commuters wasting precious hours of their lives stuck in traffic and fuel waste. This multi-part series examines the measures needed to sustain and improve urban mobility. For a detailed discussion on each measure, check the following guides: Part 1: Urban planning measures Part 2: Transportation planning measures  Part 3: Traffic control measures Also see: Action agenda for better mobility (this article) The article How to make Bengaluru traffic jams go away analyses these measures in the context of Bengaluru.  NITI…

Learning outcomes in government schools have been greatly impacted by the pandemic. There has also been a record number of enrollments in government schools in the city due to the economic impact of COVID-19. To improve the prospects of students in government schools in Chennai, fluency in English has also been made a key focus, with English classes being piloted across government schools. A tailor-made programme for government school students to gain proficiency in the English language has also been launched by Citizens for Law and Democracy (CLAD). We currently operate in three schools in Chennai, reaching out to nearly…

Kya kahein kuch kaha nahi jata/ Ab toh chup bhi raha nahi jata. Meer Taqi Meer’s poetry effectively sums up the sentiments of a large number of nature-loving Hyderabadis. More so, after about 200 trees of gold (Tabebuia aurea) and several other trees including pink trumpet trees (Tabebuia impetiginosa) and royal palms were removed from NTR Marg – the road from Secretariat to Khairatabad -- to make way for a race track for Formula E races to be held in the city in February 2023.  Formula E is a single-seater motorsport championship conceived in Paris in 2011, to showcase the…

Across the globe, numerous cities have reaped the benefits of citizen-led urban planning proposals. Such initiatives consider the needs and aspirations of citizens, ensuring the effective use of open spaces and resources. For instance, in 2013, the Metropolitan Government of Seoul designed an urban regeneration policy focused on improving public, open spaces within the city through active citizen engagement, collaboration, and participation. Today, it is the 3rd best city in Asia. In a similar effort to revitalise the Nepean Sea Road in Mumbai, the Nepean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum has put forth a proposal to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to redesign a 2.7-km…