GENRE: In Focus

No notice. No alternative housing. Tsunami survivors at Nochi Nagar near Marina beach are left in the lurch as the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) is tearing down their temporary shelters, in brazen violation of the residents' basic rights. As their houses are destroyed before their eyes, the Nochi Nagar residents stare at an uncertain future, a future in which they will have to shell out exorbitant sums for rental housing if they want a roof over their heads. They say they have been victims of discrimination throughout -- eleven years ago, they didn’t get the houses meant for them and…

Sanitation woes Public toilets in the city have come under the scanner for poor maintenance, lack of facilities and sheer inadequacy in number required to cater to a population the size of Chennai's. A subset of this issue is the lack of access to toilets for women. Dhagam Foundation’s recent event, Kakkoos-a-kaanom highlighted this problem plaguing people from all walks of life, especially women. The NGO had undertaken a meticulous social audit that covered 613 public toilets across the 15 zones in the city. A perception survey was also conducted among 1351 individuals on the myriad issues that prevent them…

It has been a week of contrasts for transit in Bengaluru last week. Even as the debate about the proposed elevator corridor heated up, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced that a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the Suburban Rail project would be set up in a month to help speed up the project under K-RIDE (Railway Infrastructure Development Company Karnataka Limited). This move was welcomed as a shot in the arm for the project that has been decades in the making - except for one tiny detail. A Special Purpose Vehicle for Suburban Rail already exists for Bengaluru! In…

Karnataka government’s ambitious project of supplying treated water from Bengaluru to the arid districts surrounding Bengaluru ran into problem, when the Karnataka High Court directed the government to stop the pumping of treated water until further instructions. However experts say the idea of reusing treated water is a good one by itself, if proper processes can be put in place. But with protests by residents of the districts supported by their elected representatives growing louder by the day, will this project get killed even before the government attempts to make it work right? The idea of using treated water to…

This year, the government announced an increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for farmers, those national benefactors who are mostly forgotten. The MSP for 14 crops sown in the summer was increased. The price of paddy was hiked by 13 per cent to Rs 200 per quintal, the most important crop, while the MSP for cotton saw a hike of 28 per cent. This was called a “historic decision” by the government, but it immediately set off a ripple of fear among consumers in cities. Will inflation shoot up? Shall we now have to pay more taxes in order to maintain…

A viral Facebook post narrating assault by the police during a routine traffic stop that took place in Chetpet on July 19th has sent shock waves across the city. Haroon Sait, the victim, spoke out about being slapped and beaten by the police as he refused their demand for a bribe. The sub-inspector in question has since been suspended after a departmental inquiry. Commissioner of Police A.K.Viswanathan called on Haroon at his residence and assured that such incidents will not take place in the future. This is, however, not the first instance of a major altercation between motorists and traffic…

After intense overnight showers, Bhubaneswar woke up on a Saturday morning in July with half the city under water. The situation at the capital of the eastern state of Odisha in many ways typifies poor urban management in India that is crumbling under adverse climatic conditions. Residents in many parts of the city were stranded in their homes and the condition was so dire in some parts that the state’s disaster response team had to start rescue operations. Roads in the state capital looked like gushing streams. Disaster response forces moved to waterlogged areas with floating pumps to drain out…

Tamil Nadu will be banning single use plastic and other biodegradables from January 2019. Not wishing to impose restrictions on unprepared citizens, the state government has given itself and its people a good six months before the ban kicks in and plans to conduct back-to-back campaigns over this period. From sensitising shopkeepers and consumers about switching to biodegradable bags to campaigning against plastic in schools, the civic body is leaving no stone unturned to ensure successful implementation.   But, how are the people of the city reacting to the prospect of doing away with single-use plastic altogether? Responses have been mixed…

16 traders lose licences for using disposable plastic At a council meeting held in July, BBMP had declared an ultimatum to traders who do not stop using disposable plastic material (cups, plates and spoons). Mayor Sampath Raj had chalked out a week's deadline for the shopkeepers to permanently shift to using eco-friendly materials instead, failing which the licences of establishments would be cancelled. True to their word, the corporation's health department cancelled 16 trading licences of shops in Avenue Road, Bommanahalli and Neelasandra. One and a half tonnes of plastic was recovered through the raids conducted over two days, along with…

Every Chennaiite who has lived through the floods of 2015 has a quiet apprehension about the monsoon. The revelation that the 2015 flooding, which left scores dead and Chennai in shambles, was the result of inaction on the part of officials, has increased the distrust among the public. However, a joint effort by various stakeholders to renew and restore close to a 100 water bodies under the Greater Chennai Corporation has been underway for many months now. The Goals of Restoration Flood mitigation, renewal of water table and rejuvenation of water bodies constitute the aim of the initiative that has seen…