INTERVIEWS

Sample this: One drone disinfects 80,000 sq metres in a day, requiring negligible manpower and covering all nooks and corners of the city.  This technology, adopted by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to combat the spread of COVID-19, has caught the attention of many city residents. In a tie-up with Team Dhaksha (Aerospace Department) of Anna University, the civic body is using drones for spraying disinfectant across the city. Following a pilot run in the Corporation’s headquarters at Ripon Building using four drones, the project is to be extended across Chennai, according to the Corporation’s press release. We spoke to…

Translated by Sandhya Raju கொரோனா வைரஸ் அல்லது கோவிட்-19 என்ற நோய்க்கு அறிமுகம் தேவையில்லை. வைரஸ் தொற்று பரவல் பற்றியும் மத்திய மாநில அரசுகள் எடுத்து வரும் நடவடிக்கைகள் குறித்தும் அனைவரும் அறிந்ததே. இந்த கட்டுரை எழுதும் இந்த சமயத்தில் கிட்டத்திட்ட ஆயிரம் பேருக்கு தொற்று பரவி 29 பேர் உயிரிழந்துள்ளனர். இதற்கு மேலும் தொற்று விரைவாக பரவாமல் இருக்க அரசாங்கமும் ஒவ்வொரு தனி நபரும் போதிய பாதுகப்பு நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொள்ளவேண்டும். சமூக விலகல், ஜனதா கர்ஃபியூ, ஊரடங்கு ஆகியவற்றிற்கு நடுவே, மனநலம் குறித்து விவாதிக்கப்படவில்லை, இது போன்ற அசாதாரண சூழலில் பொது சுகாதாரத்தில் ஒரு முக்கிய சவாலாக இது உள்ளது. இச்சமயத்தில் ஆரோக்கியமான மனநிலையை பேணுவதும், குறிப்பாக மனநல பாதிக்கக்கூடியவர்களுக்கு உதவுவதும் முக்கியம். கோவிட்-19 (கொரோனா வைரஸ்) தொற்று  மனநலம் மீது எத்தகைய தாக்கத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் என பெங்களூருவை சேர்ந்த மனநல மருத்துவர் மற்றும் ரிச்மண்ட் பெல்லோஷிப் சொசைட்டியின்…

These are difficult times, and the world around us seems headed towards a dystopia of sorts. As discussed in our earlier interview with Dr Kalyanasundaram, Bengaluru-based Consultant Psychiatrist and an Honorary Adviser to the Bengaluru Branch of Richmond Fellowship Society, the risk of mental health issues has increased sharply. Indeed, we are already beginning to see signs among people caught in the situations created by the outbreak of coronavirus – corporate professionals struggling to get all work done from home, parents trying to keep their kids occupied and entertained all day, caregivers trying to explain the situation to the most…

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…