GENRE: In Focus

It is a rough journey for the Adyar River as it flows from Adhanur village of Kancheepuram district to Chennai. At  suburban Tambaram, the water body is greeted with a barrage of sewage that turns the muddy water pitch black. Further down  at Tiruneermalai, heaps of biomedical waste are let into the waters. As it flows through Anakaputhur, industrial effluents pollute the water, leaving an unbearable stench. And at Kotturpuram, the river is almost walled in by construction material and solid waste thrown on its banks.  Dumping at Kotturpuram: Not a new story The illegal dumping of construction waste is…

It has been raining on and off in Chennai over the past few weeks. And yet, 59-year-old P Mary from Saidapet has a recurring nightmare waking her up in the middle of the night every other day. In her dream, she is invariably exerting herself on the lever of the hand pump. After what seems like endless minutes of strenuous labour, water drips from the tap, drop by drop, a pale yellow colour. Reluctantly, she empties the pot, for there's a perceptible stench emanating from the water. Now, she has to again pump for another five minutes in order to…

Maharashtrians mostly believe that the popular 10-day Ganesh Chathurthi festival, which ends on Sept 12 with the immersion of idols in the sea, was first started by Chhatrapati Shivaji. Today, it is the biggest festival in the state, especially Mumbai, with Ganesh Pandals displaying larger than life idols, gaily painted and adorned with jewellery and entertainment through the night. For idol makers and sellers in Mumbai, it is a festival for making some profit. Environmental activists, however, see it -- and especially the immersion of idols in the sea -- as a disaster. Immersion of Ganesh idols usually takes place…

Maharashtrians mostly believe that the popular 10-day Ganesh Chathurthi festival, which ends on Sept 12 with the immersion of idols in the sea, was first started by Chhatrapati Shivaji. Today, it is the biggest festival in the state, especially Mumbai, with Ganesh Pandals displaying larger than life idols, gaily painted and adorned with jewellery and entertainment through the night. For idol makers and sellers in Mumbai, it is a festival for making some profit. Environmental activists, however, see it -- and especially the immersion of idols in the sea -- as a disaster. Immersion of Ganesh idols usually takes place…

Come monsoon and Mumbai’s overburdened suburban rail system is overwhelmed when rainwater floods its tracks. This year, the Central, Western and Harbour lines were the worst hit, with trains running at 30-minute intervals, when they ran at all. Commuters like Sanjay Garg, 32, who are totally dependent on the suburban service to commute to and from work, were forced to take two days of unpaid leave, as heavy rains brought mobility to a complete halt. Sharing his anger and agony were literally millions of Mumbaikars. The only ones who enjoyed the ‘holiday’ were students as schools had to shut down.…

Come monsoon and Mumbai’s overburdened suburban rail system is overwhelmed when rainwater floods its tracks. This year, the Central, Western and Harbour lines were the worst hit, with trains running at 30-minute intervals, when they ran at all. Commuters like Sanjay Garg, 32, who are totally dependent on the suburban service to commute to and from work, were forced to take two days of unpaid leave, as heavy rains brought mobility to a complete halt. Sharing his anger and agony were literally millions of Mumbaikars. The only ones who enjoyed the ‘holiday’ were students as schools had to shut down.…

On 7th September 2017, a 7-year-old school-going child was run over by a school bus while he was trying to cross Old Madras road (OMR). He was rushed to the hospital in an auto-rickshaw. The doctors examined the boy, and proclaimed that he suffered severe head injuries and had died on the way to the hospital. On 14th March 2017, a male pedestrian, 45, was hit and run by an unknown vehicle near Battarahalli junction on OMR when he tried to cross the road. He too sustained serious injuries and died on the way to the hospital. In another three…

We were sitting in one of the clothes vendors’ shops in Sudama market. He knew us well and each time greeted us with tea and articulate conversations. That day however his son was sitting there and as before invited us for tea. While we were talking his friend came with an envelope postmarked from the Canadian embassy. It was his answer to whether he would be able to attend a family wedding. We waited in anticipation as the young men opened the envelope, to reveal that his visa had been denied. The disappointment was evident in both faces. They had…

The Bombay High Court (HC) has become the last recourse for citizens to save Mumbai's miniscule tree cover -- less than a tree per head as aganst the world standard of seven trees per head. The city's few remaining trees are facing the axe from large, high-profile infrastructural projects. The High Court is playing the role meant to be played by the Mumbai's Tree Authority, a statutory body set up following promulgation of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. From getting the Tree Authority suspended for nine months, probably for the first time, and insisting…

The Bombay High Court (HC) has become the last recourse for citizens to save Mumbai's miniscule tree cover -- less than a tree per head as aganst the world standard of seven trees per head. The city's few remaining trees are facing the axe from large, high-profile infrastructural projects. The High Court is playing the role meant to be played by the Mumbai's Tree Authority, a statutory body set up following promulgation of the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act, 1975. From getting the Tree Authority suspended for nine months, probably for the first time, and insisting…