Articles by Balaji Pattabiraman

The journey of the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust (CRRT) as a governmental agency committed to its cause and enjoying the support of the political establishment has already been documented in an article that describes its setting up of the Adyar Eco-park. The road ahead for this agency promises to be equally eventful as it embarks upon several ambitious projects such as the restoration of the Cooum and Adyar rivers, the Buckingham canal restoration project and the mapping and restoration of all water bodies in Chennai. Monumental as they sound and as they indeed are, these are goals that almost every…

Chennai has many nature enthusiasts; talk to any of them and the one topic that comes up every single time is the systematic and continuous destruction of the city’s existing natural wealth. Actions by government and citizens have been equally responsible for the plundering of nature and the resulting erosion of native flora and fauna. It therefore comes as a pleasant surprise when a governmental organization sensitises the public, consults them and is willing to listen to ideas and implement them. Even more warming is the fact that this dream body is working on the restoration of the Chennai rivers,…