GENRE: Voices

Time spent in school during our formative years plays a crucial role in how we turn out as adults. This was certainly true for me. My ambitions ranged from being a 'symbologist' after reading Dan Brown to a chemist, after scoring the maximum marks in the subject. I am now a journalist, working a job that sates my curiosity and pays the bills. Many of my dreams and aspirations germinated because my school shaped my exposure to subjects, people and experiences. However, in retrospect, I also wish it had helped me become more aware of myself and the realities of…

Chennai has taken several strides in climate action in recent years with the setting up of the Green Climate Company to tackle climate change challenges and through the formulation of the Chennai Climate Action Plan.  While the intent to fight climate change has been made clear, how climate action plays out in the city’s streets is the key issue. Key climate issues such as the destruction of Pallikaranai Marshland, the pollution caused by the Thermal Power Plant in Ennore and the recent gas leaks in Manali have shown that urgent measures are the need of the hour. Climate rallies in…

In earlier articles, the author traced the journey on the series of constructions on and development of the Outer Ring road (ORR). In part three of the series, the author reflects on whether the flyovers and underpasses in Outer Ring Road benefit everyone, if they really connect Bengalureans, or are meant only to accommodate private vehicles. This is the third and final part in a series of articles on the constant construction work on Outer Ring Road Part 1: The ups and downs of Outer Ring Road: A view through the years Part 2: The ups and downs of Outer…

Unlike regular news coverage where multiple stakeholders are consulted for their opinion on civic issues, articles from citizen journalists offer readers the perspective and personal insight from a fellow citizen. The latter's social background, their work, experiences, with the right questions and direction, are reflected in their arguments. Engaging with three such citizen journalists was also a revealing experience for me. One of them is the president of a street vendor union, second a member of an anganwadi workers’ union and, lastly, a young boy living in a slum in Kranti Nagar, Kandivali. All either come from working class backgrounds…

In a quiet metro car departing from Versova station after 5 pm on a Sunday in November, two lines instantly familiar with Hindi-speaking Indians broke out: “Baithe, baithe, kya kare? Karna hai kuch kaam, Shuru karo antakshari, leke Shahrukh Khan ka naam!” The cry came from a handful of people, split on either side of the belt separating the woman’s compartment from the general. Heads stirred, eyes rose from the screens of phones, quizzical but amused. The setting might have been jarring, but the intent was clear: this was the beginning of antakshari, a word chain game typically played in…

In a previous article, the author traced the development and series of constructions on Outer Ring Road (ORR), from the 1980s-1990s till 2015, when the Dr Muthuraj underpass was being constructed at Hosakerehalli junction, under the Nagarothana Scheme. Part two of the series will explore how multiple contradictory construction work has affected commuters. Road repurposing This has to do with uncertain infrastructure provisioning. Since most of these projects are implemented long after they have been planned or constructed on the go, there are no long-term visions for them. Plans keep changing and there is no one master plan that all…

The phrase Singara Chennai has captured the imagination of many of us who have grown up in the city. I am one of many who have taken up the cause of improving Solid Waste Management (SWM) in Chennai. My key motivation to do so has been the desire to leave behind a beautiful, green and pristine city for the future generation without any filth, garbage or pollution. I have been a close observer of the SWM landscape in the city and the changes it has undergone in the past 20 years, ever since the first instance of roping in of…

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) is over, marking another close to global discourse on climate emergency. Amidst proclamations made on a global and national scale, Mumbai became the first Indian city to receive an 'A' on the CDP's 5th Annual Cities Report, which rates cities on the basis of their environmental action and transparency. To know and understand the details of this, Citizen Matters spoke to Saurabh Punamiya Jain, the former research and policy secretary to the former Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Aaditya Thackeray. He played an important part in drafting the Mumbai Climate Action Plan…

In a city that is increasingly concretised and with dwindling green cover, small pockets of green gardens are a sight for sore eyes. While there are avenue trees and public parks, the residents can do their bit to increase the greenery by opting to maintain terrace gardens.  Terrace gardens are no novelty, but the number of people taking the activity up in Chennai could stand to increase. While neighbourhoods in Chennai have come together to maintain community gardens, there is huge potential for the same networks to also disseminate information and help residents set up their own terrace gardens on…

For a conference sponsored by Coca-cola, it is not surprising that representatives of the most-polluting fossil fuel industries at the COP27 increased by 25% from last year, overshadowing the number of representatives from any global south nation. Moreover, COP27, which concluded recently, failed to highlight the irreversible damage caused by fossil fuels. The brief mention of fossil fuels was related to phasing out “inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies and not all fossil fuel subsidies. The pollutant’s very name was explicitly avoided in the final key decisions draft, despite India pushing for a Fossil Fuel phase-down. The slippery language used for the…