COVID-19

Being locked up at home during the long COVID-19 lockdown, I got to reminiscing about my childhood. For instance, as kids, we used to look forward to the monsoon rains. Splashing, making boats and wading through the water excited us and made us feel happy. We had to go to school in knee-deep water wearing raincoats. But this never interrupted our routine. Now, when a virus has engulfed the world, we are told to lock ourselves up in isolation. I pity the kids. They are the ones bouncing with energy. How this is going to impact them, I wonder. Today,…

The once bustling pink city’s bazaars located in the walled city area lie forlorn and quiet today. Before the COVID lockdown, locals and tourists used to throng the famous Jauhari bazaar and Bapu bazaar, drawn to it by the glitter of gems and jewellery, sparkle of embellished lac bangles and colourful bandhej (traditional tie-dye) fabrics. But hopes are high that shops and workers will be able to return, albeit slowly and painfully. The tourists who kept the city’s economy buzzing will probably not return in the foreseeable future. And locals may not have the resources, or the inclination, to spend…

It is always heartbreaking to cancel weddings. The pandemic imposed lockdown has forced hundreds of would-be couples to postpone their big event to some time later next year. At the same time, a significant new trend has also emerged during the crisis -- that of lockdown weddings. Given the uncertainty over when things will be back to normal, many refused to suspend their plans indefinitely and went ahead and took the plunge, although with a downsized wedding that was practically possible and that satisfied social distancing requirements and other norms of the times.  Jagan G and Gowri Gnanasambanthan fell in…

“The lockdown may end sooner or later but not our troubles”. Arijit Khan, 32, a wedding photographer by profession, is one of many such people in Kolkata who used to earn their livelihoods from social gatherings and events, which are now banned to contain the COVID pandemic. “Photographers could be eliminated from the curtailed guest lists during wedding and other occasions,” worries Arijit. ““Even payment for completed work is not being cleared, besides cancellation of around 10-12 bookings made prior to lockdown. It is becoming difficult to run the expenses of my family that includes two minor twin sons.” Alternative…

With nearly one-third of the world’s population under lockdown, once busy roads and streets are now empty, and public transit ridership as well as train and air travel have dropped significantly. The pandemic has slowed down the use of transportation systems and infrastructures. Under these circumstances, transport infrastructure and services around the world are being modified for reduced demands and to meet COVID-related safety standards. But some cities are going as far as to find entirely new ways to continue using existing transportation infrastructure. Adaptive reuse is the process of converting a building or structure to serve a function other…

Lockdown has been tough for all, but more so for the hidden and forgotten communities around us. We wanted to create awareness about these communities who badly needed support - the people who have been constructing our apartments and houses, helping us with our domestic work and providing us with other essential services. Many of them have lost their jobs, some of them have not been paid salaries. Our journey began with a small group of migrant families in HSR layout, ward 174. We began by lending a helping hand to the efforts of BBMP and the Labour Department in…

Last week, the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services released new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for travellers entering Karnataka. The new SOPs offer many relaxations, particularly for inter-state and inter-district travellers. Inter-district travellers no longer need to be screened at the point of entry and don’t have to undergo institutional quarantine, while inter-state travellers have been given a way out of it. Here are the new rules for travelling to Karnataka during Lockdown 4.0: Inter-District Travel CategoryQuarantineTestingCategory 1 (Symptomatic)* Screened at point of origin (bus station, railway station)* Symptomatic passengers will be referred to fever clinicsDecided at fever clinicCategory…

The mobility sector will witness a dramatic change post-lockdown. With physical distancing and cleanliness being emphasised, the number of people opting for personal transport could well go up in Chennai as in other cities.  While we have to learn to live with the virus we also need to ensure safe social distancing; given the likely crowds and surge in use of private vehicles, I wonder if there will be enough space for practising social distancing. The biggest problem post-lockdown is going to be gridlock. Studies in the past have shown that that Indians, on average, spend 7% of their day…

We met this thin man, sitting on a chair in front of a roadside shop in KR Puram on March 28. He was happy to receive the food packets and water bottles we gave him. We thought he was sitting in that chair to guard his valuable makeshift shop. We kept watching this individual whenever we returned to the same road, after food distribution to needy people in KR Puram Railway station area. He was with another man the first day. His friend didn't accept food from us, but was happy to receive it on the second day, probably due…

ஆம். இனி கொரோனாத் தடுப்பு என்பது ஒவ்வொரு தனிநபர் கைக்கும் வருகிறது என்ற உண்மையை நாம் ஏற்றுக் கொண்டு தான் ஆகவேண்டியுள்ளது. அதுவும் நோய்த் தொற்று குறிப்பாக சென்னையில் அச்சமூட்டும் வகையில் உச்சநிலையைத் தொட்டு வரும் இந்த சூழலில் இக்கூற்று நம் மூளையை உசுப்புகிறது. மே 25 இல் தொற்று எண்ணிக்கை 11,131 (இது தமிழகத்தின் எண்ணிக்கையான 17,082 இல் பாதிக்கும் மேல்). சென்னையில் மட்டும் தினமும் இப்போது 400, 500 என உயர்ந்து வருவதை இங்கு நினைவில் கொள்ளலாம். ஊரடங்கு 4.0 இல் சென்னை ஏற்கனவே அறிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சிவப்பு மண்டலத்துக்கான சில தளர்வுகளுடன் இயங்கிடுமாறு அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்நிலையில் தான், நமது உயிரின் பாதுகாப்பு இதோ இப்போது நாம் எடுக்கும் ஒவ்வொரு சின்ன சின்ன முடிவுகளிலும் தான் என்ற நிதர்சனம் நமக்கு மேலும் ஒரு புதிய விழிப்பைத் தருகிறது. வைரஸின் பரவல் வேகமெடுக்கும் ஒரு அபாய தருணத்தில் வருகின்ற இந்தத் தளர்வின்…