GENRE: LN

Road crashes kill around 1,50,000 people every year in India and could thus be termed the 7th most important non-communicable disease. The Government of India, in 2019, passed the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act which increased penalties for several violations such as not wearing helmets and seatbelts.  As part of the National Road Safety Month 2021, Citizen consumer and civic Action Group (CAG) surveyed 10 locations in Chennai city to gauge the level of compliance with helmet and seatbelt rules. By law, only two persons are allowed on two-wheelers and both are required to wear a helmet, properly fastened. In cars,…

In a bid to promote non-motorised transport (NMT) in Chennai, team Stride of the India Smart Cities Fellowship, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and BYCS’ Bicycle Mayor of Chennai have initiated a crowdsourcing exercise to map the cycling amenities in Chennai.  Digital tool for promoting NMT The team intends to develop a digital tool for monitoring non-motorised transport (NMT) scenarios and engaging citizens to promote walking and cycling in Chennai. Kickstarting the project, Chennai has been chosen as the pilot city. Upon completing the pilot, the initiative will be scaled up across different Indian cities. The project…

Porur and Ramapuram are two neighbourhoods which were only recently included in the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) limits in 2013. But long before the inclusion and subsequent formation of resident associations here, Ramapuram was largely an isolated place with cultivable lands.  “Alcohol brewing was the main occupation back in the 1980s when the neighbourhood was a village. In the early 2000s, people began to settle here, educational institutions and firms were established and that is how the locality began to develop,” recalls PV Kishore, a resident of Ramapuram since 1984.  Kishore adds that groundwater was the only source for drinking…

Sithalapakkam, located in south Chennai, is an uncharted suburb for many. People often confuse it with Chitlapakkam near Chrompet, and it takes a long explanation to clarify the difference, so that residents just find it easier to say they are from Medavakkam, a prominent and relatively better known locality close to Sithalapakkam! With several lakes, abandoned quarries and vast areas of arable land, Sithalapakkam looks less like an urban neighbourhood and more like the countryside. But its close proximity to the city and affordable land market are the primary factors that encouraged many middle-class citizens to make this neighbourhood their home. …

Ambattur sees a flurry of activity in its neighbourhoods every day, as the suburb is still expanding. It was one of the zones to be brought under the Chennai Corporation as recently as in 2011. As part of the development of the suburb, several roads and streets are widened in the area from time to time.  If there is one major pain point despite all the efforts to ensure civic amenities, it is the location of electricity poles, distribution pillars and transformers across Ambattur. The placement of these utilities routinely defy a lot of rules and cause much inconvenience.  Electric…

Translated by Sandhya Raju அகலமான நடைபாதைகள், பிராகசமான தெரு விளக்குகள், சைகிளுக்கென தனி பாதை, நியமிக்கப்பட்ட பார்க்கிங் இடம், ஷாப்பிங் வந்தவர்கள் சற்று ஓய்வெடுக்க பெஞ்சுகள் என பாண்டி பஜாரில் உள்ள தியாகராயா சாலை பல பேருக்கு ஷாப்பிங் அனுபவத்தையே மாற்றி அமைத்துள்ளது. இந்த வசதிகள் அனைத்தும் சென்னையில் முதன் முறையாக அமைக்கப்பட்டது. வாகன ஓட்டிகளும், பாதசாரிகளும் பரஸ்பரம் ஒருவருக்கொருவர் அடுத்தவரை பாதிக்காமல் செல்வதை இங்கு காணலாம். ஆண்டு முழுவதும் மக்கள் கூட்டம் உள்ள இந்த ஷாப்பிங் பகுதியில் இப்படியொரு பாதசாரிகள் பிளாசா இன்றியமையாததாக இருந்தது. மாற்று திறனாளிகள் உபயோகிக்கக் கூடிய நடைபாதைகள், நெறிபடுத்தப்பட்ட பார்க்கிங் ஆகியவை பாதசாரிகளுக்கான திட்டம் கீழ் அமைக்கப்பட்டது அனைவரின் பாராட்டையும் பெற்றது. இருப்பினும், இந்த் திட்டம் செயலுக்கு வந்த ஒரு வருடம் பிறகு பல்வேறு கேள்விகளை எழுப்பியுள்ளன. சில்லரை வர்த்தகம் புரியும் வியாபாரிகள் நடைபாதைகளை ஆக்கிரமித்துள்ளது, வகையற்ற பார்க்கிங், இரவு நேரத்தில் மது அருந்திவிட்டு…

Wide footpaths, bright street lights, a separate lane for cyclists, designated parking space and benches to relax on while shopping. The transformation of Thiyagaraya Road in Pondy Bazaar into a pedestrian plaza has redefined the shopping experience for many residents of Chennai.  For the first time ever in Chennai, a dedicated space was allocated for pedestrians for a hassle-free shopping experience in a commercial street. At this part of T Nagar, vehicle users and pedestrians now coexist without disturbing each other.  The pedestrian plaza was much needed for Pondy Bazaar, where citizens shop throughout the year. The changes envisaged as…

Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) is a busy stretch during mornings and evenings. A year ago, vehicle users using OMR were accustomed to long waits at the toll plazas before they could pay the charges and pass through. For the most part of the day, the plazas used to be crammed with vehicles of regular commuters, queueing up to pay toll.  FASTag came as a boon for the users of the road, which is under the purview of the State Highways Department. The wait time was considerably reduced, thus easing congestion in this important stretch. FASTag also encouraged many citizens such…

Tamil Nadu will see an all-important election for its state legislative assembly in 2021. With key political parties already kicking off their campaigns, voters too must do their part to ensure that their names are on the voting rolls. The Election Commission of India has released the draft voters' list for the state. Citizens can go through the draft voter rolls and get any changes in the same made if they find their details to be incorrect or if they have shifted residence. They can do this during the claims and objections period that will last until December 15th.  The required…

Vishnu Gattupalli is a happy Management Committee (MC) member of his apartment, Trifecta Starlight, located at Mahadevapura. Their newly commissioned 84 kWp solar power plant helps them save more than 80,000 rupees each month on common area electricity bills. “We are extremely happy to have the rooftop solar power plant that has no direct emissions”, says Vishnu. The committee was inspired by the success stories of solar installations in other apartments. Vishnu who is also Secretary, Whitefield Cluster of Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), says over 30 apartments in the city have adopted solar rooftop. Rooftop solar systems are now an…