Civic

COVID-19 has changed the landscape of many public services and establishments over the past few years. Chennai's many public libraries were also among those institutions that have been affected by these changes. However, with the return of readers, there are some promising signs. Even as many libraries continue to suffer infrastructural neglect, determined staff and loyal patrons have kept the city's reading culture afloat even in the face of new challenges. There seems to be a sustained culture of visiting libraries in the city despite roadblocks. Pic: Aruna Natrajan Public libraries after COVID-19 hit In March 2020, when the first…

Every year as June comes around, Deepak Doshi, owner of a plywood shop at Hindmata junction, starts to prepare for the impact of heavy rains on his shop. “We prepare to save our plywood from getting damaged by storing it at heights and covering it in a tarp, yet every year it does. We are dreading this year’s monsoon season,” he said. Flooding and waterlogging near the Hindmata bridge is an annual occurrence. A low-lying area with a saucer-shaped topography, the Hindmata junction in Parel is prone to waterlogs and floods. The water level can reach up to four feet…

Revised COVID guidelines Due to rising COVID cases, the State Health and Family Welfare Department has issued revised guidelines for apartment complexes, educational institutions and offices, based on recommendations of the COVID Technical Advisory Committee. Apartment complexes with three to five cases on a floor are now considered small clusters, and symptomatic individuals on the floor should be tested. If more than five cases are detected, all symptomatic individuals in the block/tower should be tested. And if more than 15 cases are reported, all symptomatic individuals in the complex should be tested. Swimming pools and other recreational areas are to…

Mumbai is the most expensive city for expatriates According to Mercer’s 2022 Cost of Living survey, Mumbai has ranked 127 among the costliest cities in India in terms of living expenses and accommodation costs. The cities that followed were New Delhi (155), Chennai (177), Bengaluru (178), and Hyderabad (192).  The survey found that while the city is popular for multinational corporations to establish corporations, organisations are considering other, low-cost cities as alternatives. Mumbai, along with New Delhi, was found to have the highest cost of daily necessities such as milk, bread, vegetables, etc. Source: The Times of India As Mumbai expands, glaring…

Four metro water wokers die due to asphyxiation Four contract workers of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) have died in two different incidents over the past week, allegedly due to asphyxiation while cleaning septic tanks. On Tuesday, two workers, Nelson and Ravikumar who were involved in cleaning a septic tank in Madhavaram asphyxiated while at work. While Nelson was declared dead on arrival, Ravikumar died on Thursday without responding to the treatment. Meanwhile, two other workers, identified as D Dhakshinamurthy, 38, and P Periasamy, 38, of Pallikaranai died allegedly of asphyxiation while cleaning a septic tank located…

Councillor R Durairaj, Councillor of Ward 172 has been a long-serving member of the Dravid Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). He has previously contested from Adambakkam in the local body elections in 2011. At present, he also serves as the Zone Chairman of Zone 13. He looks to address key issues affecting ward 172 such as traffic congestion, encroachment, flooding and poor civic amenities such as street lights. In an interview with Citizen Matters, he lays out his vision and outlines how he plans to achieve his goals during his term. Ward No. 172  Name of Councillor: R. Durairaj Party: DMK Age: 50 Educational qualification:…

Chennai's many parks provide much-needed green spaces in the city. They are abuzz with activity on most days, with many residents choosing the space to walk, work out, catch up with friends or spend some time outdoors. The city's 525 parks attract a wide cross-section of people and represent a microcosm of the surrounding areas. However, what is markedly rare is the use of the spaces provided by the parks for activities such as outreach and awareness campaigns and other programmes in public interest. NGOs and advocacy groups, which are best placed to host such events, have been facing some…

BBMP ward delimitation draft out State government notified the draft of the BBMP ward delimitation report on Thursday. As per the draft, the number of BBMP wards will increase from 198 to 243. Ward boundaries have been redrawn based on the 2011 Census population numbers. As per the draft, out of 28 Assembly constituencies in Bengaluru, 17 now have higher ward numbers. Ward numbers have remained the same in eight other constituencies. Whereas three constituencies - Jayanagar, Shivajinagar and Chamarajpet, all ruled by the Congress party - now have fewer wards than earlier. Opposition MLAs called the exercise “gerrymandering” to…

Chennai to get 100 E-Buses As part of a German bank-funded project, Chennai will get 100 E-Buses in the coming months. The tender has been called for by the Institute of Road Transport (IRT) which is seeking automobile manufacturers who can supply the buses as well as the necessary charging infrastructure to the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).  The buses will all be low-floor and air-conditioned. They will have a capacity of 36 passengers each. There will also be provision for wheelchair-bound passengers and a ramp for entry and exit. The transport department will expand the fleet of E-buses depending on…

Less rainfall in Mumbai as monsoon begins Monsoon touched Mumbai on June 11th this year, and yet, the city has reported unusually low rainfall. Otherwise typical this time of year are intense showers, followed by flooding in many parts. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that as of June 23rd, the city’s rainfall deficit for the month so far stands at 47%. Experts attribute this to the absence of low-pressure systems in the Bay of Bengal and a ‘weak’ offshore trough in the Arabian Sea, close to the Konkan coast. “Ideally, 12 low-pressure systems are expected to form in the…