GENRE: In Focus

"We used to get 1000-2000 kilograms of prawns and other fish in a day around 15 years ago. Now, we are able to catch only 150-200 kilograms of fish per day," says Raj Kamal, the coordinator of Save Pulicat Movement, an effort to protect the Pulicat wetlands, one of the oldest wetlands in Chennai. "When our wetlands were clean, we used to make even Rs. 50,000 a month. Now it is just a paltry sum. We are forced to pay this price because industries and other agents pollute our waters." Wetlands in Chennai provide more than just a living to…

In August this year, Rakhi Naik, a domestic worker in Mumbai, was found pleading to the police at Khar police station by Aftab Siddique, a teacher and social activist in the city. Rakhi was on one of the many rounds she had made to police stations asking for help after filing an FIR in April. Through Rakhi, Aftab was able to unravel a complicated pattern of fraud in the city. Men claiming to be brokers and agents dupe people from the lower class out of lakhs of money and make affordable housing harder for them. It all started when Rakhi signed an…

The Kannada movie, 777 Charlie, not only beautifully showcased the relationship between dog and man, but also highlighted the perils of indiscriminate breeding. The film also stressed the essential narrative of ‘adopt, don't shop’. The reality is that dogs are bred indiscriminately, pups and dogs do get abandoned, and there are still many dogs looking for homes.  An abandoned St Bernard. Pic courtesy: Voice of Voiceless Dog Breeding and Marketing (DBM) rules, 2017, and Pet Shop rules, 2018, lay out the broad structure,  regulations and controls to ensure responsible breeding and to avoid cruelty. While the framework exists, does it…

On September 22nd, a one-storied building built over a stormwater drain (SWD) or rajakaluves at Shanti Niketan Layout near Munnenakolalu was demolished. The residents were served notice by the tehsildar of the Revenue Department to vacate the house immediately, following which, the structure was razed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the drains cleared of the debris. BBMP zonal officials oversee the demolition of encroachments. Pic: BBMP PRO The city's collective anger over the recent flooding of residential layouts and damage to property finally led to the municipal body scrambling to clear all constructions that encroached the rajakaluves.…

"I want a home,” says Dhanashree, a student of Class IX. “It should have a toilet with a door, at least one room spacious enough to stretch my legs and sleep and a kitchen of our own,” she adds. This is not just her dream but also that of hundreds of families in Kannappar Thidal who were evicted from the streets near Ripon Building two decades ago. Evictions in Chennai have become a common affair now with removal of encroachments, eminent domain claims, court orders and developmental projects being cited as reasons by various government bodies to carry out the…

Chennai’s high ranking in the annual National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on road accidents has been a cause for concern in recent years. The city has seen over 5000 road accidents in 2021. It stands second behind Delhi in terms of road accident fatalities.  What makes Chennai’s roads so unsafe? Is it poor road design? Lack of adherence to traffic rules? Is poor enforcement also a factor in the increasing number of road accidents? Citizen Matters organised a tweet chat with experts who weighed in on why Chennai’s roads have turned into a death trap and what can be…

Translated by Sandhya Raju “தங்கள் வாழ்கை நிலை உயரவும் தன் குழந்தைகளுக்கு நல்ல கல்வி பெறவும், தமிழகத்தின் பல இடங்களிலிருந்து சென்னைக்கு பிழைப்பு தேடி வரும் மக்கள் வருகின்றனர். இவ்வாறு வரும் மக்கள், பெரும்பாலும் நதிக்கரை ஒரமாக தங்கள் இருப்பிடத்தை அமைத்துக் கொள்கின்றனர். திடீர் திடீரென இவர்கள் குடிசைகள் தீப்பற்றி எரிவதால், இந்த இடம் “திடீர் நகர்” என அழைக்கப் பெற்றது.” சைதாபேட்டை திடீர் நகரில் வசிக்கும் 60 வயது எஸ் கதிர்வேலன்.  ஆனால், ராஜா அண்ணாமலை புரத்தில் வசிக்கும் எல். விஜயா வேறொரு காரணத்தை முன் வைக்கிறார். “இங்குள்ள பெண்களின் அணிகலங்கள் திடீர் திடீரென காணாமல் போவதாலும், அடிக்கடி குடித்துவிட்டு இங்குள்ள மக்கள் தகராறில் ஈடுபடுவதாலும், இந்த பெயர் காரணம் இருக்கலாம் என கூறுகிறார்.” பெயர் காரணம் எதுவாக இருப்பினும் அங்கு நடக்கும் திடீர் சம்பவங்கள் இவர்கள் வாழ்க்கையை தீர்மானிப்பதாக உள்ளது. திடீர் நகர் சென்னையில் பல பகுதிகளில் இருந்தாலும்,…

Some make headlines and cause nationwide furore (especially when a celebrity is involved). Some make it to the news, but as just another statistic without attracting public attention in any measure. While many, many more go unreported, often deliberately brushed under the carpet. All of these, silently or otherwise, add to India’s alarming record of the number of deaths by suicide. The reported numbers for this was 1.64 lakh in the year 2021 alone, though experts say that the real numbers are much higher. But despite the evident crisis that the country faces, suicide prevention rarely receives the systemic focus…

Just in time for India’s 75th Independence day, on August 13th, eleven wetlands were added to the list of Ramsar sites. This latest addition was a move loaded with symbolism, taking the number of wetlands of international importance in the country to 75. One among them is Thane creek, which shares shores with Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane. It is the 3rd Ramsar site in the state.  To conserve the rich and biodiverse ecosystems, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands brings together member countries — which India entered in 1982 — for wise use of their wetlands. The Ramsar tag is…

Nobody wants 2022 to pull a 2015 on Chennai. Each monsoon since the infamous Chennai floods has been a reminder of the devastation that rains can cause to the city. Last year's rains were an eye-opener that the city's flood management still leaves a lot to be desired. The civic body is working frantically to complete the stormwater drain work in Chennai this year before the onset of the monsoon. Since March 2022, the Greater Chennai Corporation has been carrying out desilting existing stormwater drains and building new ones in areas with no drains or damaged ones. The question in…