GENRE: In Focus

Rainwater Harvesting (RWH), an effective solution for flooding and water scarcity, is collapsing in the state that pioneered this conservation model in the country. RWH structures have a nominal presence in many households in Chennai, but rarely ever follow the guidelines that advise harvesting water from the rooftop as well as setback area (around the building). A Rainwater Harvesting Audit carried out by the Akash Ganga Trust for the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority in 2015 exposed the reality of rainwater harvesting in the city and it’s not something we can be proud of. A majority of households lack RWH structures…

Rarely ever would runners anywhere have looked forward to rain as fervently as in the Indian capital over the second week of November. In fact, runners across the country preparing to run the popular Airtel Delhi Half Marathon at the end of the week knew that it was only rain that could save the marquee event that many consider among their most favourite races in the country. In the end the rain gods did oblige, so that on November 19th, thousands of runners participated in the half marathon on what was perhaps the least polluted day in the city in…

சமீப காலமாக நாம் அதிகம் எதிர்கொள்ளும் காதல் நிராகரிப்பு கொலைகள் ஆண் சமுதாயத்தின் மீதான நம்பிக்கையையே புரட்டிப் போடுவதாக உள்ளது. இது போன்ற நிகழ்வுகள் அதிக அளவில் நடக்க என்ன காரணம் என்று உங்களின் பலரைப் போலவே எங்களுக்குள்ளும் ஆதங்கம் மேலோங்கியது. இது போன்ற நிலைமை அமைவதை பற்றியும், எதிர்கொள்வது பற்றியும் பிரபல மனநல நிபுணரிடமும், முண்ணணி திரைப்பட இயக்குனரிடமும் அறிந்து கொள்ள முற்பட்டோம். நம் உடலில் ஏற்படும் வலிக்கு எவ்வாறு நம் மூளை செயல்படுகிறதோ அதே போன்று தான் நிராகரிப்பு ஏற்படும் பொழுது செயல்படுகிறது எனக் கூறுகிறார் பிரபல மனநல வல்லுநர் மினி ராவ். ஆனால் உடல் வலியை மறப்பது போல் எளிதில் நிராகரிப்பு ஏற்படுத்தும் வலியை மறக்க இயலாது. அந்த உணர்ச்சி வடுக்கள் நீண்ட நேரம் ஆழப் பதிந்திருக்கும். இதுவே சுய மரியாதை, தன்னம்பிக்கை ஆகியவற்றை கேள்விக்குறியாக்கும். எதிர்கொள்வது எப்படி? சாதுவான பெண் முதல் நம்மிடம் மிகவும் நட்பாக…

She has been making news for walking across the length of the country to draw focus on the sexual violence against women. But 30-year-old Srishti Bakshi has not been spared the harrassment that has become so common in a woman’s life that it is the new normal. “There have been times when a few people stop to take selfies and get a little too close to comfort. They don’t even realise it is wrong and that it’s making somebody uncomfortable.” says the lady who has already walked more than 40 cities and towns since she started her journey earlier this…

It was a Herculean task for John Jesudason, Chief Executive Officer of Creative Huddle, a startup digital advertising agency, to build his business while also taking care of the nitty gritty of office administration. He was left with no time for the real work, after supervising the housekeeping and management of office amenities in his own office space. But since the time that he switched to a co-working space called The Executive Zone on Anna Salai, with his four-member team, he has been able to focus singlemindedly on growing his business. Co-working spaces are slowly catching up in Chennai, providing…

Metro rail projects are fast progressing in many Indian cities, and more are to come. They have been projected as the best solution to cities reeling under traffic jams. Currently eight cities have metro rails, covering a span of about 370 kms. The longest line of 217 kms is in Delhi, and next comes Bangalore at about 42 kms. In these and five other cities, 537 kms of additional metro lines are being constructed. Even more is in the planning stage. This also means huge public spending, as metro projects require investments of thousands of crores. Yet, many studies have…

Given the current scenario of increasing pollution in Indian cities, it’s quite likely that we shall soon have to breathe from canisters of clean air to avoid chronic respiratory issues. What we’ve been noticing in Delhi is clearly a man-made catastrophe. PM 2.5 levels are at an all-time high and almost 10 times those seen in Beijing. Citizens are seriously considering options to escape the toxic and unacceptably high levels of air pollution in Delhi. But as things stand, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to do so, the burden falling disproportionately on the poor. What is most…

Launched in 2009 by the Government of India (GoI), Aadhaar is increasingly becoming inevitable in every walk of life. While it has become mandatory to link your Aadhaar card with your PAN Card, PDS card, bank account, mobile connections etc., many city residents are finding it quite a task to get the Aadhaar card made, primarily due to ambiguities in information available online. Here is a quick FAQ that can help you get started without further delay. Q. Where can I get my Aadhaar card made in Chennai? First things first: it must be noted that application for Aadhaar Card…

The first ten days of November 2017 has seen a furious and unprecedented level of dialogue and mainstream-media conversation around the topic of air quality, specifically in and about the city of New Delhi. While the situation in the national capital is indeed dire, a large part of that conversation has been aided by citizens, journalists and community activism groups having access to scientifically validated real-time, hourly-updated data of the air quality levels in their neighborhoods and surrounding areas. The conversation around air quality levels for several years primarily involved scientists and researchers from leading Indian institutes and a few…

The northeast monsoon in Chennai over the last few years has been erratic to say the least. From the torrential December 2015 downpour that submerged the city, to a sub-par monsoon in 2016 that led to a drought in the earlier part of 2017, and now the very heavy rains in the first week of the season, we have experienced the season in all its diversity. This year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the official commencement of the northeast monsoon on October 27. While this marked a slight delay in its arrival, Chennai had already received 648.4 mm of…