INTERVIEWS

Coronavirus or COVID-19 needs no introduction. Anyone with access to any form of media today is aware of the current spread of the virus as also the various steps different governments and countries are taking to prevent further outspread. At the time of publishing this interview, the total number of confirmed cases in India stood at 298, with 4 people having died due to the virus. The concern in India currently is that the virus has reached a stage where it will start spreading exponentially if proper care is not taken at both personal and governmental levels. In the midst…

Chennai has an abundant wealth of water bodies, big and small. Small ponds in neighbourhoods help recharge ground water. Lakes attract many life forms and have an ecosystem of their own. Temple tanks have been around for centuries and help in water conservation. However, the entire network of water bodies that have been the source of life for the city has come under attack from rampant encroachment and various forms of pollution over the years. The floods of 2015 and the drought faced by the city in 2019 are proof of the mismanagement of water in the city and the…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsLGX74M128 (Interviewed by Laasya Shekhar) Among the various portrayals of illegal drug smuggling in Tamil movies, the more realistic depictions are actually seen in the film Kolamavu Kokila, a fact endorsed by none other than the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), A Bruno. In a real incident reminiscent of one of the scenes in the movie, a recent tip off received by the NCB passed on information about a bus driver and conductor who tried to smuggle cocaine in a tiffin box by handing it to a woman commuter for safekeeping, hoping to avert suspicion. Unlike in…

While the pedestrian plaza and smart bike projects are well underway, there are many other plans for Chennai under the Smart Cities Mission, all at at various stages of progress. While Chennai started its smart city projects a couple of years after other cities did, it has caught up with the latter now, feels Raj Cherubal, CEO of Chennai Smart City Limited (CSCL). A few exciting projects in store include the restoration of the Mambalam Canal. The restoration efforts will not only focus on cleaning of the canal but also the creation of usable public spaces around the same, with…

Chennai’s water security has been a hotly debated issue, ever since the city saw alternating incidents of devastating drought and destructive floods over the last five years. The floods were the result of thoughtless urbanisation while the drought came about due to the city’s poor adoption of water conservation. An answer to the conundrums surrounding water in Chennai may well lie in turning towards nature-based solutions, according to the proposals put forth by a promising initiative titled City of 1000 Tanks. City of 1000 Tanks is a multi-stakeholder effort, including the Corporation of Chennai and 100 Resilient Cities, that involves…

Did you know the pedestrian plaza was conceptualised at least eight years ago and precedes the launch of the Smart Cities Mission? Many projects that have grown under the Smart City umbrella, such as the rejuvenation of water bodies, stem from ideas that were incubated and nurtured for years before they saw concrete action. While citizens only monitor the visible progress of work on projects, the behind-the-scenes engagement by officials and processes involved, such as preparation of detailed project reports and consultations with stakeholders, are vital to the success of the efforts at a later stage, though often time-consuming.  Raj…

Chennai offers a slew of transportation options for its citizens. The MRTS network that serves as a key connection with the suburbs, the swanky Metro rail that now connects large parts of the city and the well-networked bus system play an important role when it comes to commuting within the city. In addition to this, Chennai has a large number of private vehicles, with two-wheelers topping the list. As a result, the city grapples with congestion, lack of parking space and issues such as air pollution from vehicular emissions. With the aim of curbing the ill-effects of rising personal vehicle…

The bustling shopping area of Pondy Bazaar in T Nagar has seen many changes over the last few years. For many, the street provides a one-stop solution to all they may need. Just take a walk down the street and you can get anything, from freshly ground coffee powder to large household appliances, all at various prices. Pondy Bazaar was famous for its pavements lined with small shops and street vendors who sat outside the larger outlets that were found on either side. The stretch where most of the shopping took place was also one that was least pedestrian-friendly.  This…

When the smart cities mission was launched in 2015, it held much promise for Chennai as it was one of 20 cities selected in the initial phase. Chennai was formally identified in January 2016 for a slew of projects that ranged from water conservation to pedestrianisation. While the city saw a slow start to these projects, ranking only 37 out of 87 cities when the smart cities were ranked in 2018. However, two years later, key projects such as the Pedestrian Plaza and rolling out of smart bikes have taken place. Expansion of these initiatives are in the pipeline now,…

History says that the origins of the city of Madras lie in the north. But, for various reasons, North Chennai has remained one of the least developed regions in the city. Unmilled roads, lack of sewer connections and traffic congestion are among the many basic issues that plague the northern parts of the city.  “The problems faced in the city as a whole is generally aggravated in North Chennai. But there has been steady development,” said P Akash, IAS, Regional Deputy Commissioner (North) Chennai Corporation, in an exclusive interview with Citizen Matters Chennai.  Excerpts from the interview: What are the…