Local Business

This article is supported by SVP Cities of India Fellowship Why does one need to know the source of vegetables? Given the state of the environment today and the fact that each one of us is a consumer at some level, it has become almost imperative that our concerns grow beyond just our purchase and include the journey of the product before and after we use it. The fear among people seems to be related to heavy metal contamination. Kiran R V, a resident of Rajajinagar, says the vegetables might have been grown using contaminated water, or using sewage as…

It’s a long alley that leads you to this glass-walled cafe. Even before you have stepped into this coffee shop you are greeted by a family playing at the carrom board placed outside along with some high chairs. A world of colours awaits you as you step inside, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere that you immediately settle into. A children’s play area in one corner, mismatched chairs – some wicker, some wooden and some boutique - and a swing chair in another corner create a lively ambience that’s instantly appealing. If we hadn’t known better, we would have treated Café…

A tiny kiosk on the congested DF Road in Mogappair bustles with customers on any week day. R Dakshinamurthy, the owner of the kiosk stall wears a smiling face, as he infuses tea leaves in the aluminum container and lets it brew for a few minutes. His happy face turns anxious whenever a police official walks towards the stall or passes by. Dakshinamurthy is an unauthorized vendor, who has been running the kiosk since three years ago, braving the constant threat of extortion from police and opposition from civil society. He is among the 27,050 vendors waiting for biometric cards…

It’s the end of a long week. My wife and I decide to relax by eating out, and visit a famed joint in South Bengaluru. We are in for a major disappointment as soon as we land at the joint. There is a long serpentine queue and the waiters are ushering in hungry customers into the waiting room after making them wait for a period of one hour. The crowd at the joint is swelling by the minute and the support staff is really irascible now. This is the scene at most of the old joints in Bengaluru that are…

Tamil Nadu, the largest manufacturer and consumer of plastic in South India, has announced a welcome move to ban disposable plastic from January 2019. Ripples of the proposed ban can be felt in the state and even in Chennai city, where questions are being raised over the preparedness of people to fall in line and the many ramifications of doing away with plastic altogether. Will people really be able to discard everyday disposables that they are so used to? And how will the shift affect employment and income generation? A self-help group in Walajabad panchayat of Kancheepuram has initiated a…

Tamil Nadu will be banning single use plastic and other biodegradables from January 2019. Not wishing to impose restrictions on unprepared citizens, the state government has given itself and its people a good six months before the ban kicks in and plans to conduct back-to-back campaigns over this period. From sensitising shopkeepers and consumers about switching to biodegradable bags to campaigning against plastic in schools, the civic body is leaving no stone unturned to ensure successful implementation.   But, how are the people of the city reacting to the prospect of doing away with single-use plastic altogether? Responses have been mixed…

Stories can be told through sound, words and visuals.  Stories expressed through sound are mostly songs and spoken tales.  Novels, short-stories, ballards and poetry are stories expressed with words. Finally combining words, sound and visuals are stories that are told through films, television series, plays and musicals. In today’s context, we could even include videos and other forms of digital content.   "Writing has no barriers. All you need is passion", says Bhavna Singh, a debutante writer. Her book, Story Express, a chronicle of short stories for children, was launched recently. Bhavna Singh is an ardent believer in  inculcating values…

As a small group of volunteers walked though the snaking pathway that led through Urur Kuppam to the stretch of Elliot’s beach near the Broken Bridge, we spotted litter through the trek. There were styrofoam cups, packing material, plastic covers, PET bottles and pieces of glass strewn along the path. We were headed towards the shoreline by the bridge to collect waste for the Waste and Brand Audit, a pan-India initiative that was led by the Kuppai Matters platform in Chennai last Saturday. When we made our way past the bridge to the designated spot, Olaf, a German exchange student…

He wears a loupe on one side of his eye and closely scrutinises the mechanism of an old made-in-China watch. Watches of all ages and sizes lie scattered on a bench before him in his workshop in a small lane leading to the Guindy suburban Railway station. He is not disturbed by the crowds outside or the never-ending noise in the busy lane outside. A scene such as this -- of a watch mechanic immersed in his job -- was once a common sight in all the populated bylanes of Chennai, but has become a rare sight for quite some…

The thrust on sustainability at a citizen’s level has been evident over the last few years with a steady leaning towards greener lifestyle choices among many Chennaiites. The profusion of news highlighting the threats and signs of climate change has caught the attention of the aware and sensitive, making them realise that the adoption of earth-friendly products and practices is no longer merely an option, but an imperative. But for many others, a major stumbling block still remains: “But what can I do as an individual?” Thankfully, there are a large number of people and organisations who are trying to…