EVENTS

Are incinerators and waste to energy plants the solution to the city's mounting landfills? How are tenders for solid waste management issued by the Corporation? Can informal waste workers be integrated into the waste ecosystem? These were some of the pressing concerns at the centre of deliberations at a public meeting for solid waste management and the way forward, organised by city-based think tank Citizen, consumer and civic Action Group (CAG). Harsh realities on ground Speakers at the meeting highlighted the invisible ground realities of waste management that the general public are oblivious to. M Radhakrishnan of social service organization…

A wooden toothbrush, an eco-nozzle that regulates water flow from the tap and detergents and bathing products prepared and packed by eco-friendly methods. If you are environmentally conscious and looking for options to lead a zero or minimum waste lifestyle, Namma Green Sandhai is where you want to be on March 2nd, between 3 pm and 7 pm. The sandhai is yet another community initiative by Namma Ooru Foundation (NOF), to encourage mid sized entrepreneurs dealing with environment-friendly, sustainable alternatives. NOF is organising the sandhai at Adyar Shastri Nagar Welfare Association Community Hall, as part of the organisation’s 4th anniversary…

The 17 dead in last week’s Karol Bagh fire in New Delhi are still being mourned. Families of victims who perished in Mumbai’s Kamala Mills fire are still grappling with the loss of their loved ones. So is every family that has lost one or more of its members to fires, that were avoidable. This February 23rd marks nine years since fire ripped through the Carlton Towers on Old Airport Road in Bengaluru, which claimed nine precious lives. As part of the ninth anniversary of the Carlton fire incident, Beyond Carlton - India's first citizen-led fire safety community, born out…

On a humid Sunday afternoon, two lads meddle with the coconut twigs and rat skins at the bund of Rajakilpakkam Lake, near Tambaram. The young boys, aged 3 years and 5 years, spend the afternoon playing with the skin of the rats caught by their father a day ago. Hailing from the Irular tribe whose occupation is to hunt snakes and rats, these kids make use of the leftovers from the catch. "I have never thought about giving my children toys. Even if I wish to, I can never afford it," says a 40-year-old Varadan A, the father. Just a…

The 9th Annual Eureka Run sponsored by CanFin Homes is scheduled for 5:45 AM on February 24th, at Elliot’s Beach, Chennai. The run is organized by Aid India, a non-profit working on improvements in learning quality of children in villages. Aid India uses the annual Eureka Run as a platform to create awareness about issues that plague the field of education and its impact on the lives of children in Tamil Nadu. In the 1083 remote villages that it works in, Aid India aims to boost children's confidence by building skills in Spoken English, Mental Maths and Science.  Its unique…

Over the Republic Day weekend, around 5000 Chennaiites flocked to an exhibition that showcased an art form that dates back to the days of the Indus Valley civilisation and is perhaps one of the oldest upcycling methods that has been traditionally and indigenously practised: Quilting. The first edition of the India Quilt Festival took place from 25- 27 January, 2019. The event, a pioneer in the space, featured competitions, stalls, workshops and lectures on quilting. Citizen Matters spoke to Varsha Sundararajan, one of the organisers of the fest. Does India have a special connection with quilting? India has a 4000-year-old…

In an attempt to leverage technology for civic responsibility, international school Chettinad Sarvalokaa Education and not-for-profit organisation, Reap Benefit are conducting a two-day event called Sarvalokaa Hackathon 2019. It is an initiative that will bring together young people from various spheres on one platform to solve local, civic and environment issues in their neighbourhoods. The Hackathon will take place on February 1 and 2, 2019 at Chettinad Sarvalokaa Education, inside the Chettinad Health City Campus, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Old Mamallapuram Road, Kelambakkam. The hackathon will comprise of workshops on rapid prototyping, design thinking, electronics and coding by some of the…

From vehicular emissions to garbage burning, to dust on the streets and industrial smoke, there are many facets to air pollution in Bengaluru. Karnataka government allocated Rs 96 crores in last budget to monitor air pollution across the state in its budget for the first time in 2018, but the progress of work remains unknown. This winter season where the temperature has dipped up to 6 degrees in some areas, has shown that the quality of city's air is declining and much needs to be done to improve it. A recent report published by Climate Trends has shown Bengaluru to be…

Right To Education (RTE) helpline (1800 4253 4567) was launched recently by the  Social Welfare Department of Karnataka, which allows one to lodge complaints and get information on the Act. The Executive Director of the Child Rights Trust, Vasudeva Sharma, spoke to RadioActive about how the helpline could be used effectively. Vasudeva Sharma explained that the RTE Act had been introduced way back in 2009 in Karnataka, and a lot of calls used to be received by the Child Rights Trust members on their personal numbers seeking clarifications. Even though there were no instructions available regarding RTE at that time,…

The Knights of Cubbon Bark, (Cubbon Park Canines Volunteers) have organised the second annual Santa BowWow FunTrain at 9 am-10.30 am on Sunday, December 23, 2018. After the excellent response last year, the festival is back with a bang. It is designed to help children get along with dogs in a safer and happier manner. The Knights of Cubbon Bark, (Cubbon Park Canines Volunteers) decided after an unfortunate child-dog interaction, where a frightened dog inadvertently injured a young boy, that it was important to create a safe and fun platform to help children and adults figure out ways to happily…