Civic

A churn is expected in the solid waste management ecosystem in the city in the coming months. The Chennai Corporation is said to be in the process of finalising the draft Solid Waste Management bye-laws, 2016 in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016. The proposed plastic ban to be implemented from January 2019 will only add to the changes that the residents of the city must adapt to once the implementation is in full swing. These measures are expected to help the city cut back on waste generation, one of the highest per capita in the country. Showing…

என் ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமையை நீ பாழாக்கி விட்டாய்! ஊருக்கு வந்த ஒரு பழைய நண்பரை சந்திக்க காத்திருந்த நாள். நான் தென் சென்னையிலும் அவர் வட சென்னையிலும் தங்கியிருந்ததால், என் சொந்தவூர் என்று பெருமையாக நினைக்கும் இந்த ஊரை சுற்றி போக்குவரத்து நெரிசலின்றி, நிம்மதியாக, இனிமையான பயணத்தை எதிர்பார்த்துக்கொண்டிருந்தேன். எல்லாம் வீட்டை விட்டு வெளியேறும் வரை தான், வெளியேரியபின் எல்லாமே வேறு மாதிரி. என் வண்டியை வெளியே எடுத்து, கியர் போட்ட பிறகு எல்லாம் ஒரு பயமுறுத்தும் அனுபவமாக மாறியது. நகர்வாசிகளுக்கு சேவை செய்ய கடமை பட்டிருக்கிறோம் என்ற எண்ணத்தை முற்றிலும் நிராகரித்து, நகரமே குத்தகைக்கு வண்ணம் தீட்ட விட்டாற்போல் காட்சியளித்தது. ஆமாம் உங்கள் தலைவர் நூற்றாண்டு தான், ஆனால் பொது இடங்களை உங்கள் கட்சியின் சொந்த இடம் போல உபயோகிக்க உங்களுக்கு எந்த உரிமையும் இல்லை. உங்கள் தலைவர் உயிரோடு இருந்தால் உங்கள் அரசியல் விசுவாச ஆரவாரங்களை பார்த்து அவருக்கே பொறுக்காமல்…

Farmers lead Kisan Kranti Yatra to Delhi Around 70,000 farmers from across the country embarked on a yatra to make their demands heard by the central government. The Kisan Kranti Yatra was flagged off on September 23rd and saw farmers raising their voices in several demands, including an increase in minimum support price and loan waiver. They wanted to highlight the general agrarian distress that is prevalent in the country. The farmers however met with police action, with reports of lathi charge and tear gas at the Delhi-UP border as they neared the capital. There was widespread condemnation of the attempt to muzzle the…

Now you can volunteer with the Chennai Corporation The Chennai floods of 2015 saw many individuals and associations coming together to reach out to the needy and ever since, there has been a steady increase in the rise of citizen movements.  Taking cue from this, the Chennai Corporation has now rolled out the carpet for individuals and groups to enrol as volunteers with the Chennai Corporation. All you have to do is fill in a form that is available on www.chennai.corporation.gov.in or with the respective zonal offices.  The volunteering service will mainly be related to relief and rescue operations in…

October 2. Apart from being Gandhi Jayanthi, this is also one of the days on which Grama Sabha takes place in the state. Grama Sabha, in which all the voters of a village meet, takes place four times a year (on Jan 6, May 1, Aug 15 and Oct 2), and offers a forum for villagers to raise their voices on matters of village governance in the presence of its representatives and officials from the administration. It is an avenue for community participation in governance, a step towards Gandhi’s vision of Gram Swaraj (Village self-rule). Now, take a step closer home,…

Panathur, situated near Kadubeesanahalli area in East Bengaluru, despite being the bridge to Outer Ring Road and Varthur where many tech parks are located, has always been a disguised rich slum. For people who migrate to Bengaluru thinking that it is an IT hub, the dreams shatter on the very first day, when they see the traffic here. Many multi-million dollar companies have their offices in the vicinity and the place is home to many good apartments - “good” as long as the residents are inside. What does a usual day on Panathur road look like? Even on the weekends,…

Dear Chennai politicians, I have a bone to pick. You ruined my Sunday. A Sunday which I was looking forward to. A Sunday which I had marked on the calendar, to meet an old friend who had come to town. My friend was staying in North Chennai and I, in the South and I was looking forward to a peaceful, traffic free ride through the city I proudly call home. All that and more changed the very instant I left home. The moment I stepped out and shifted gears, I was in for a harrowing experience. The whole city looked…

The steady, low hum of buses leaving the city punctuates the night at Koyambedu, a commercial hub in Chennai. A few shops remain open for the odd patron while others are firmly shut. Under the golden yellow of the street lights, a rhythmic swoosh of bamboo against tar grows in the dark. Three women, bent at work, are leaving a pristine path in their wake, a trail they have cleaned for the last seven years. Armed with a rickety tricycle, an old aluminium basket, two brooms and reflector vests, this motley crew makes singara Chennai. The women work meticulously, one…

I moved to Chennai nine years ago, and right away I had the most wonderful opportunity to meet and make new friends - I volunteered for the very first DaanUtsav. In those years it was called The Joy of Giving Week, and I met people from all walks of life - business leaders, musicians, film stars, government officials, sportspersons, students, stay at home mothers, young entrepreneurs... as we went about trying to evangelise the idea of a nationwide festival of giving, in the week of Gandhi Jayanthi. DaanUtsav is now in its 10th year, and grown exponentially over the years,…

From being a much vaunted city of firsts, Chennai certainly appears to lag right behind everyone else when it comes to heritage conservation. The latest metro to steal a march over it is Kolkata, which is close to completing the restoration of two magnificent structures, both built in the colonial era. What is more, there are creative programmes in place for both the buildings, so that they are kept in continuous use. You just need to compare this with what is happening here in Chennai. Our city has sadly lost it on matters concerning heritage. The Currency Building in Kolkata,…