Articles by Aruna Natarajan

The woes faced by resettlement colonies in the grips of COVID-19 and the impact of the lockdown has been immense. Issues highlighted in the past -- such as shortfalls in adequate, livable housing for those evicted from their original settlements -- have only been heightened by COVID-19, as our earlier article illustrated. Yet another stark fact is that women, children and disabled individuals face added burdens as a result of the way such housing is designed.  The feminisation of poverty COVID-19 and the lockdown has placed an enormous burden on the women in resettlement colonies. Managing the household, ensuring cleanliness…

Five or more people cooped up for 24 hours in a room 10x10 sq ft. The children barely catch a sliver of the sky above their heads. The women deprived of any kind of interaction with their neighbours and friends, which had been the only respite from their usual grueling, monotonous domestic schedules. The men, caught in the confines of four walls 24x7, more dour and impatient than usual. As the spread of COVID-19 and the effort to curb it resulted in India enforcing one of the strictest lockdowns in the world, this was the reality for thousands of families…

The infamous evening traffic jams during rush hour in OMR seem like a thing of the past. The lockdown imposed on account of COVID-19 and the subsequent directives by many firms to work from home have made the once bustling area -- commonly dubbed as Chennai’s IT corridor -- deserted, with only local residents seemingly still around. The area resembles a ghost town in many parts. Customers -- mostly employees who would take breaks over a cup of tea -- at the tea shops that had come up outside the big office buildings have vanished. Restaurants and take-out services have…

Chennai has made global news over the past few years for its woes with water. First, it was the destructive floods of 2015 that saw most of the city under water for days, as a result of excessive rains and poor reservoir management. Then came the drought of 2019, where major parts of the city went without drinking water for weeks as deficit rainfall the previous year played havoc on water availability. Water has become a major talking point when it comes to discussing Chennai's livability. For a city with a storied history, could it be that the past offers…

As Tamil Nadu went into a total lockdown on March 24th, many individuals in the city found themselves helpless and in dire need of assistance. From migrant workers looking to get back to their hometowns to senior citizens who resided by themselves, the lockdown impacted scores. The situation would have been several times worse had not NGOs, civil society organisations and some individuals taken it upon themselves to come to the aid of those affected. Thus, when a migrant worker stuck in Chennai with his family and twins, just a few months old, ran out of milk and supplies for…

‘Social distancing’, a phrase that was alien to a majority of us has now become one of the key weapons in our battle against the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Along with masking, limiting contact with others by ensuring a metre's distance between individuals is one of the recommendations that has been widely acknowledged as a measure that could help contain the spread. Cities across the world went into extended lockdowns to prevent the spread of the virus. Halting of public transport, closure of shops, movie halls, malls, bars, restaurants and other establishments took place in most cities.  But while crucial to…

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing closure of all educational institutions, India has seen a transition to online teaching at all levels, including in primary and secondary schools.  Predictably, it has not been a very smooth transition, however, and questions have been raised over various aspects of it:  What challenges does it pose for a schooling system that has made rare use of technology as an enabler? What are the ways in which classes are being conducted and how effective are they? Should private schools charge fees for lessons delivered online? How are schools bridging the digital divide that separates the privileged…

Management of solid waste has been a persistent issue for various cities. Chennai has been grappling to find ways to deal with its burgeoning quantum of waste and has tried out several experiments centered around decentralisation, starting from the early 2000s. While the city’s progress on this front has been patchy, some signs of promise had begun to sprout just before the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Prior to lockdown Chennai made crucial strides towards decentralised waste management with a pilot project  in Anna Nagar, that saw a significant reduction in waste sent to the landfills. The Zero Waste initiative…

Chennai has seen a steady increase in the number of cases over the past two weeks. The city hit 10,000 cases on May 24th. In just over two weeks from the date,  the total number of cases has more than doubled, and the tally on June 11th stood at 27,398. The number of deaths stand at 279.  Recent days have seen citizens share harrowing accounts of  their inability to find beds and timely care for COVID+ family members. There are several reports of patients being forced to wait hours at public hospitals to be accommodated.  With the rising number of…

Translated by Sandhya Raju கோவிட்-19 தொற்றை தடுக்க பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்ட ஊரடங்கு உத்தரவால் பலர் தங்கள் குடும்பத்தினரை பிரிந்திருக்கும் சூழல் ஏற்பட்டது. அனைத்து போக்குரவரத்துகளும் நிறுத்தப்பட்டதால், வேலை நிமித்தம் வெளியூர் சென்றவர்கள் தங்கள் வீட்டிற்கு திரும்ப முடியவில்லை. அவசர காரணங்களுக்காக மட்டுமே பயணம் அனுமதிக்கப்பட்டது அல்லது சொந்த வாகனம் வைத்திருந்தவர்கள் பயணிக்க முடிந்தது. ஒவ்வொரு ஊரடங்கு நீட்டிப்பின் போதும் சில தளர்வுகள் அளிக்கப்பட்டன. பல்லாயிரம் கி.மீ தூரம் உள்ள தங்கள் சொந்த ஊர் நோக்கி விருந்தினர் தொழிலாளர்கள் நடக்கத் தொடங்கியதும், மாநிலங்களுக்கிடையே ரயில் போக்குவரத்து ஏற்பாடு செய்யப்பட்டது. மேலும் தளர்வுகள் அறிவிக்கப்பட்ட சூழலில், மே மாதம் 25-ம் தேதி முதல் குறிப்பிட்ட சில நகரங்களுக்கு உள்நாட்டு விமான சேவை தொடங்கப்பட்டது. மாநிலங்கள் கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டிய நடைமுறை மற்றும் இயக்க முறை குறித்து விரிவான நடைமுறையை மத்திய சிவில் விமான போக்குவரத்து அமைச்சகம் வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. விமானப் பயணம் மேற்கொள்ளும் முன் கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டியவை…