GENRE: In Focus

Before the arrival of the Chennai Metro, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) bus and Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) train services were the primary drivers of public transport, largely defining the local transport landscape for people in Chennai's core area. The EMU services ran in three directions North Line, West Line and South Line and helped in residential development as people moved out of the core city, due to the availability of a comfortable reliable transportation system and reduced travel time. The suburban rail network was a boon to commuters from faraway, suburban localities such as Palavanthangal and Tambaram.  But with the passage…

When one asks about the recent incident where three children in Mumbai’s Rafi Nagar lost their lives to a measles outbreak, the common response from residents in the area is: What is measles? The disease is either known by its local name gobri or is commonly confused with chicken pox. What is measles, really? A measles rash is flat and is accompanied with high grade fever along with runny nose, sore throat, cough, and even conjunctivitis. The symptoms can last for several weeks. On the other hand, chicken pox comes with raised bumps, low grade fever and symptoms generally last…

Translated by Sandhya Raju சூடான டீ, இசையுடன் மழைக்காலத்தை வீட்டினுள் ரசிப்பது தான்  நம் பெரும்பாலனவர்களின் விருப்பம்.  மழையை நாம் ரசிக்கும் அதே நேரம், மழை நீர் தேங்காமலும், மின்சாரம் தடைபடாமலும், கழிவுகள் தெருக்களில் தேங்காமலும் இருக்க, பலர் மழைக் காலத்தில் நமக்காக பணியாற்றுகின்றனர். தங்கள் சொந்த வேலைகள், குடும்பத்தின் தேவைகள் ஆகியவற்றையும் பொருட்படுத்தாமல், பல களப்பணியாளர்கள் மழைக்கால வேலைகளில் ஈடுபடுகின்றனர். பருவ நிலை மாற்றம் காரணமாக, பல தீவிர கால நிலை நிகழ்வுகளை எதிர்கொள்ளும் நிலையில், களப் பணியாளர்களின் பணி மேலும் சவாலாக மாறும் நிலை உள்ளது. களப்பணியாளர்களின் கடினங்கள் 21 வருடம் முன், சென்னை கழிவு நீர் மேலாண்மை வாரியத்தில் தற்காலிக பணியாளராக சேர்ந்த வெங்கடேஷின் நாள் தினமும் 5.30 மணிக்கு தொடங்குகிறது. ஊரப்பாக்கத்தில் வசிக்கும் இவர், தினமும் 30 கி.மீ பயணித்து ராயபேட்டைக்கு பணிக்கு வருகிறார், ஊதியமாக  ₹2,800 பெற்ற அவர், 2021-ஆம் ஆண்டு ₹6,000…

While Bengaluru's tree-lined streets are getting fewer and fewer, it is becoming evident that the concrete infrastructure has come at a price. Several reports have attested to the decreasing green cover in urban areas. According to the State of Forest Report 2021, only 3.91% of Karnataka's geographical area has tree cover. The data also revealed that between 2011 and 2021, Bengaluru lost almost 12.9 square kilometres of moderately dense forest. "Tree cutting is presented as inevitable or as a fait accompli for any road or metro project. More often than not, how the road should progress is decided first and…

Recent discourse at the national level on stray dogs and the issues faced by residents has brought the spotlight on Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes in cities. ABC is an effective way to keep the population of stray dogs in check while also ensuring that harmful diseases like rabies are kept at bay. ABC procedures also help dogs to lead a longer and healthier life and reduce human-animal conflicts.  The ABC centres in Chennai are operated with the aim to regulate the street dog population by sterilising and vaccinating them. Rules that govern ABC Before we dive into how ABC centres work…

Panchasheela Nikalje, 43, almost walked into a ditch full of water one wet July morning in 2022. “I don’t know if we have more rain or worse roads, or both,” she said over the phone. It had been a long day of work swabbing floors of vitrified tile in apartments in suburban Mumbai’s Malad. “But walking to go to work seems riskier every time it rains.” A resident of Ambujwadi, a sprawling colony of informal homes adjoining a coastal swamp in north-west Mumbai, Panchasheela says she goes to work regardless of the weather. “Bahut baarish ya bahut dhoop me bhi. (On…

As AC trains in Mumbai turn five this Christmas, they have milestones to celebrate. In August, the AC trains on the Western Railway (WR) carried one lakh passengers in a single day for the first time - a feat that is a regular feature now. On October 27th, it celebrated moving one crore people in only the first seven months of the financial year. AC trains on the Central Railway (CR) started later and had fewer services. It recorded a patronage of Rs 72.32 lakh in the same period. The number of daily passengers boarding the trains has skyrocketed in…

Rajokri Lake, located near the Delhi-Gurugram border till 2017 was a dying water body that had suffered years of toxic abuse. Domestic wastewater and sewerage from the adjoining semi-urban settlements of Rajokri village were channelled through open drains into the lake, which became a breeding ground for communicable diseases. As one resident of the area said, “It was hell living here. But today, we have a park where children play and an open gym”. In what had become a hub for anti-social elements, “it is now safe for women to venture out anytime,” added the resident. The transformation was the…

Among the many vocations and livelihoods severely impacted by climate change is the dried fish processing sector in Mumbai. Unseasonal rains lashing the coastline directly affect the produce and yield, and ultimately the business itself. The trade, entirely dependent on sunlight for its drying process, has become extremely vulnerable to the unseasonal rains, a direct result of climate change. At Madh village, between resorts and bungalows lining the coastal backyard, lies a buzzing village trading in dried fish. As soon as a boat lands at the jetty with fresh catch in baskets, the fish are sorted by the women at the jetty.…

Bengaluru, in many ways, is still recovering from the recent deluge, which caused an estimated loss of approximately Rs 225 crores and claimed 96 precious lives. Three months down the line, we are in no way even remotely better prepared for another impending tragedy. The impact of such climate change-induced disasters are only made worse by unregulated urbanisation and the unpreparedness of government agencies. The Department of Science and Technology has identified Bengaluru to be moderately vulnerable to climate change-associated risks. Yet, it is one of the only Indian metro cities that still does not have a Climate Action Plan…