GENRE: In Focus

As the dump trucks drive in and deposit tonnes of refuse at the dumping ground in Kodangaiyur, a group of people wait patiently to sift through the garbage. As far as the eyes can see, there are mountains of unsegregated waste and the stench is unbearable. This group of informal workers are the waste pickers of Chennai, an important cog in the wheel of waste management in the city. Chennai produces about 6,300 tonnes of waste daily, overwhelming the city’s two main dumping sites, Kodangaiyur and Perungudi, with unsegregated trash. Although some community-led initiatives raise awareness about the importance of…

As dawn breaks, there is a steady stream of customers at Muhammed's tea shop in Chennai. As they arrive, he serves them tea in glass tumblers. However, one customer insists on a paper cup for hygiene reasons, despite Muhammed explaining that the glass tumblers are washed and sterilised with hot water. Glass tumblers cost around Rs 20 each and can be reused hundreds of times until they break. In contrast, paper cups cost Rs 100 for 50 cups (Rs 2 per cup) and are neither reusable nor environment-friendly. “Though plastic-coated paper cups are banned, we can’t avoid using them when…

Three months before the Ganesh festivities, residents of Kandivli’s Lokhandwala noticed disruptions in their walkways. Stalls making Ganpati idols had sprung up on the footpaths around the main Lokhandwala circle, making it difficult to walk. The presence of hawkers further compounded the problem. Unlike the community Ganesh pandals, which appear only a month before the festival and are confined to specific locations, these stalls are numerous and have been permitted to remain until the end of the Navratri festival in October, spanning almost four months. Read more: Soaring noise levels during Ganesh festival underlines the need for citizen action With…

Two years ago, the Tamil Nadu government published a glossary for addressing the LGBTQIA+  community. The development occurred in large part because of the advocacy by queer and trans groups. Since its release, the glossary has shown how language plays a crucial role in the broader struggle for visibility and equality for these communities. Orinam, an LGBTQIA+ support and activist group, has been curating queer and trans Tamil terms for years. They collaborated with Queer Chennai Chronicles and The News Minute to create the official state terminology. The glossary, which contains both Tamil and English words, not just promotes inclusive…

After 45-year-old Shanthi S was evicted from her home in Suryanagar and moved to the resettlement site in Perumbakkam, one of her biggest concerns was making ends meet after losing her job. A single parent with two children, Shanthi worked as a domestic help in and around Kotturpuram before being resettled. Travelling back to work was not an option as she couldn't leave her kids home alone all day. The loss of livelihood has been a significant issue for residents of resettlement sites like Shanthi since 2017. This problem is considered a primary cause of the rising incidents of domestic…

“I have got a lung infection because of the dust. Even at home I try to keep my windows shut. A lot of redevelopment is happening near my home as well as office,” says Rohini Vij, an HR professional at a fast food chain. Her workplace in Prabhadevi is undergoing renovation and refurbishment work, and what makes working even more difficult is the redevelopment of buildings around. She says the noise and dust are affecting their productivity. It does not help that it is the same situation in the area where she lives in Bandra. Rohini is among the many…

Vasanthi Kannan resides in a Kodambakkam apartment complex with eight units. She has spent nearly three decades as a civic activist, tirelessly advocating for household waste segregation. Despite her efforts, she remains the sole resident in her building, who segregates waste, before handing it over to the sanitation workers. In Pulianthope, a locality with 2,000 households, adherence was the issue. "The government distributed two bins to every household in 2020 and asked the residents to segregate the waste before handing it to sanitation workers. Initially, there was some compliance, but without strict enforcement, the initiative failed," says Selavaraj M, Founder…

In 2023, the BBMP launched Kere Mitra (lake friend) to ensure transparency in lake management. It was introduced to bridge the gap between citizens and the authorities in the daily maintenance of lakes, which fall under BBMP's custody. The Kere Mitras or lake volunteers are selected for a period of three months. While some were satisfied with the programme, others expressed their reservations about the selection process and lack of training. However, is the initiative achieving its intended goals? The BBMP seems satisfied with the applications. The next phase of Kere Mitra will not be open to new applicants. "In…

It's been six months since Chennai endured a devastating flood. The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) claims heightened focus on completing stormwater drain (SWD) projects in the city. Notably, the lion’s share (Rs 1,321 crore) of the GCC budget was allocated for constructing stormwater drains in Chennai. The city currently has around 2,950 km of stormwater drains that can handle 2–5 cm of rainfall per hour. In a PTI report dated December 15, 2023, S Rajendiran, Chief Engineer at GCC pointed out that this is quite inadequate to handle heavy rains like the one Chennai faced in December last year. According…

A ride on the dusty roads near the vast agricultural lands of Parandur and surrounding villages, and a stroll along the Ekanapuram Kadapan Thangal, one of the water bodies used for irrigation, makes one thing clear. The project site of the proposed Chennai Greenfield Airport, which encompasses more than 10 lakes and smaller water bodies, is rich in biodiversity. So, any construction activity here can have a long-lasting ecological impact. In the proposed Parandur project site, an area of 5,369 acres (2172.73 Hectares) has been earmarked for the development of the Chennai Greenfield Airport. Moreover, more than 36,000 trees will…