GENRE: In Focus

L Kumar, a resident of Vadapalani, was on his way to T Nagar on his bike. It was one of those rare days when the weather in Chennai was pleasant and the road was free of traffic. All was well until Kumar encountered a herd of stray cattle which barged into the middle of the road abruptly. In an attempt to avoid colliding with the herd, he hit the brakes hard. He slipped from his bike and hit the ground. The accident left Kumar with a dislocated shoulder, a fractured elbow and injuries to both his legs. The bike was…

Citizen Matters has published in-depth articles and analyses on understanding the multiple causes of Bengaluru's flooding this year. So it was only pertinent to engage with citizens to understand the issues they faced in their homes and apartment complexes during the floods, and give them a platform to raise their queries. Challenges of rain-related problems, such as seepage, weakening foundations, damp basements, soil damage, not to mention potholed roads and footpaths, will predictably become more frequent as rainfall intensifies due to climate change. The first edition of Bengaluru Citizen Clinic, a format in which experts address specific questions from citizens…

Visit any of the Amma Canteens in Chennai, and you are very likely to run into a food delivery worker, satiating his hunger with sambar rice or idlies at a maximum of Rs 5, after delivering orders costing hundreds and thousands to patrons of other restaurants across the city. It's not only gig workers, of course. Amma canteens are the go-to place for many other working class people in Chennai for their daily meals. Food subsidy schemes dispensed through low cost canteens aim to tackle hunger and poverty. Tamil Nadu was a pioneer among all states in implementing such a…

The recent flooding in Bengaluru made national headlines as the ‘high-tech’ IT capital of India was ground to a halt in the wake of heavy rainfall spells. The severity of the event shone the spotlight on the state of the city’s lakes, particularly the extent of encroachment, and poor waste management that have impaired the ability of Bengaluru’s water bodies and stormwater drains to act as flood buffers. With climate change, the frequency of such extreme weather is likely to increase, underlining the need to understand the city’s complex and integral waterscape better. Lesson one, in this regard, is that…

For nearly a decade, Kamatchi* harboured dreams of becoming a District Collector. She was regular at school and did not miss any classes. She was certain that once she achieved her dreams she would be able to allocate new houses for the residents of Kannappar Thidal, where she lived with her family. But the increasing instances of child marriages in Chennai, especially in its resettlement colonies, have shattered the dreams of many like Kamatchi. "We have been here all our lives near the Ripon Building where many IAS officers work. I wanted to enter that building only as an IAS…

As proposals of building new skywalks in the city meet with stiff public opposition, Mumbai faces the dilemma of whether to continue building skywalks or to gradually phase them out.  Skywalks are elevated pedestrian walkways connecting various heavily targeted destinations either to railway stations or to other high-concentration commercial areas. The purpose of the skywalks is the efficient dispersal of commuters from congested areas to strategic locations, such as bus stations, taxi stands, shopping areas, etc, according to the MMRDA website. But opinions are divided on whether skywalks as an infrastructure project are useful or not. While the government is convinced…

Streeties or free-living dogs (FLDs) are frequently at the centre of much controversy regarding human-animal conflict and zoonotic diseases like rabies. These issues can cause trauma and claim lives. It is, hence, our collective responsibility to address it. Some experts are of the opinion that the only viable approach is the complete eradication of these dogs. But is this approach workable in India? Should other approaches also be considered? Are there certain beliefs that make some people insist on one approach over the other? What should our considerations be when we discuss what is the right approach for India? There…

Ever wondered what happens at public consultations for major government projects across Chennai? “Usually at these hearings, they want to show that they have taken the consent from a wide array of people; from well-off residents to a few fishermen. But when we are given a chance to speak, it is only in terms of ‘yes or no'," says Velayudam, a fisherman who had attended a public consultation on the construction of stormwater drains in East Coast Road. Velayudam wanted to speak about how such a project negatively affects the lives of fishing communities living in Sholinganallur. He was of…

வண்ணாரப்பேட்டை டெக்ஸ்டைல் பார்க்குக்குள் நுழையும் பகுதி - பரபரப்பான காலை, சாலையின் இருபுறமும் மின்னல் வேகத்தில் கடந்து செல்லும் வாகனங்கள், எதையோ தொலைத்துவிட்டு திரிவதை போல உம்மென்று ஹெட்செட்டில் மூழ்கியிருக்கும் மனிதர்கள் - இவற்றுக்கிடையே ஒரு தடவைக்கு வெறும் 30 நொடிகளை மட்டுமே வாய்ப்பாக அளித்திருக்கும் சிக்னல் விளக்கை பார்த்த படி சாலையை தன் கைகளாலேயே தவழ்ந்து கடக்கவேண்டும் என்கிற வரத்தோடு சாலையை கடக்க தயார் நிலையில் இருக்கும் ஒரு தவழும் மாற்றுத்திறனாளியை இன்று சந்தித்தேன். அவருடனான உரையாடலின் ஒரு பகுதி. வாழ்வாதாரம் தேடி அண்ணே ‘வணக்கம்’ என கூறி என்னை அறிமுகப்படுத்திக் கொண்டதுடன், என்ன வேலை செய்றீங்க? எங்கிருந்து வரீங்க? என அவருடனான எனது உரையாடலை தொடங்கினேன். நான் தீவுதிடல் பக்கத்துல இருக்குற திடீர் நகர் பகுதியில தான் பொறந்து வளந்தேன் தம்பி. நான் மட்டும் இல்ல எங்க தாத்தா காலத்துல இருந்து அங்கதான் இருந்தோம். சின்னவயசில இருந்தே இளம்பிள்ளை…

The 10.58 km-long coastal road project has faced opposition from environmentalists, urban planners and fisher communities ever since the construction first began in 2018. The road, being built on the promise of effectively reducing city traffic, runs from Princess Street at Marine Drive to the Worli end of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. This under-construction part of the project is under the umbrella of the larger plan that stretches up to 29 km and connects Marine Drive to Kandivali. On October 7th, 120 architectural firms under the banner of Mumbai Architect Collective (MAC) wrote a letter to Ashwini Bhide, Additional Municipal…