Civic

4,200 special buses to be operated for Diwali weekend Since more than 10 lakh people are expected to leave Chennai over the weekend to celebrate Diwali in their hometowns, Transport Minister SS Sivasankar has said that 4,200 special buses would be operated to ensure hassle-free travel. This is in addition to the regular bus operations from Koyambedu, Tambaram, KK Nagar and Poonamallee. While over 1 lakh people have booked online tickets in government buses so far, 2.2 lakh people have booked tickets to travel in trains from Egmore and Central Railway Stations. Further, one lakh people are expected to take…

Record rainfall, yellow alert This year the city had the highest total annual rainfall in a decade, but it has now set a new record. The IMD (India Meteorological Department) said that till October 17, 2022, there were 171 cms of rainfall, while on the following day, Tuesday, there was a new record of 174 cms. Expert sources said the fluctuations in the rains are not new and are already at a scale of 30-50%. They have been caused by human interference, rise in carbon dioxide levels and temperatures. Poor planning has led to flooding in the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway. Due…

All of Chennai is in different stages of 'dug-up' due to stormwater drain (SWD) work across the city. Residents have faced various inconveniences over the course of the work such as traffic jams, blocked roads, limited access to entryways and safety hazards. Despite this, there has been widespread cooperation for the work, as most residents recognise the importance of completion of the work to prevent flooding. But the alarming pace of tree felling in K K Nagar to make way for it has made residents concerned. Unwitting victims of SWD work A consequence of the work happening across the city…

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) began the demolition of illegal structures inside the 800-year-old Mahim fort on October 13th to begin restoration work. However, not all of the 267 families are happy about the decision of the civic body to rehabilitate them to Malad or Kurla. Many believe leaving the G/North ward, under which Mahim fort falls, would deprive them of their livelihoods and make access to schools difficult for their children. 38-year-old Samir Sheikh, who has been living in the area all his life, points at a demolished house inside the Mahim fort and says his family lived there…

A 51-year-old conservancy worker, S Sekar from Perumbakkam in Chennai, died of electrocution in July this year. The incident happened in Venkateshwara Nagar in Velachery when the worker came in contact with a high-tension underground cable while clearing garbage. The cable, which is supposed to be buried deep underneath the ground, was found to be much closer to the surface, leading to his unfortunate demise. And this is just one of many tragedies that the city has seen, arising from exposed electricity cables. According to a news report, as many as 97 people have died of electrocution between January and…

The Right to Information Act of 2005 allows individuals to seek information from elected governing bodies. However, another facet under Section 4(1)(b) of the Act signifies the disclosure of particulars of organisations, including their functions and duties. This includes details concerning the duties and functions, roles and responsibilities of its officers and employees and the decision-making process of the organisation. Section 2 of the RTI Act defines public authorities as “any authority or body or institution of self-government established or constituted by or under the Constitution, any other law made by Parliament, any other law made by the State Legislature and…

Be it golu dolls in Mylapore, tasty street food in Sowcarpet or knick knacks in Pondy Bazaar, whatever your need, the street vendors of Chennai have got you covered. However, the relationship between the city, its residents and street vendors has not always been harmonious. On one hand, street vendors are wary of evictions and unhappy with the little protection they have in the eyes of the law. Read more: Chennai Corporation plans polls for street vendor committees, but how fair will they be? On the other, we have residents of various localities across the city who have over the…

Translated by Sandhya Raju “எனக்கு ஒரு வீடு வேண்டும்,” என்கிறார் ஒன்பதாம் வகுப்பு படிக்கும் தனஸ்ரீ. “கதவு வைத்த கழிப்பறை, கால் நீட்டி தூங்கக்கூடிய அளவிலான ஒரு அறை மற்றும் ஒரு சமையலறை,” என மேலும் அவரது விருப்பத்தை கூறுகிறார். இது அவர் கனவு மட்டும் இல்லை, கண்ணப்பர் திடலில் உள்ள நூற்றுக்கணக்கான குடும்பங்களின் விருப்பமும் ஆகும். இவர்கள் இருபது ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன் ரிப்பன் மாளிகை அருகில் உள்ள தெருக்களிலிருந்து வெளியேற்றப்பட்டவர்கள். ஆக்கிரமிப்பு, நீதிமன்ற ஆணை, வளர்ச்சி திட்டங்கள் என பல்வேறு காரணங்களை சுட்டிக்காட்டி, சென்னையில் ஆக்கிரமிப்பு அகற்றல் அமல்படுத்தப்படுகிறது. பல வருடங்களாக வசித்த இருப்பிடங்களை விட்டு சென்னையின் புறநகர் பகுதிகளில் இவர்கள் வசிக்கின்றனர். இந்த வெளியேற்றம் இவர்கள் வாழ்க்கையில் பல இன்னல்களை உருவாக்குகிறது, ஆனால் இதைப் பற்றி அதிகாரிகள் அதிகம் அக்கறை கொள்வதில்லை. Read more: Life beyond the murals in Chennai’s Kannagi Nagar நிறைவேற்றப்படாத…

Many Chennaiites are naturally anxious about what the revised electricity tariff would do to their EB bills. TANGEDCO raised the EB tariff on September 10, and the changes could mean the bi-monthly bill could see an increase by around 50%. Here are some tips and tricks to help you use electricity judiciously in Chennai, making your homes energy-efficient and keeping power bills reasonable. What is the hike in electricity tariff in Chennai? Current electricity tariff for Chennai's domestic households, post-revision. Source: TANGEDCO Although the initial 100 units remain free, the base rate has increased from Rs. 2.50 to Rs. 4.50,…

It has been a little over two years since the urban local body in Bengaluru had an elected body of representatives. While cases pending in Supreme Court have been cited as a reason for the delaying the BBMP elections, the absence of elected corporators at the local level has meant that MLAs have been calling the shots even for local level initiatives. Reports have tracked how the role of ward committees is being chipped away leading to lack of accountability and eventually translating to citizens losing whatever little say they had in matters pertaining to urban service delivery and civic…