Articles by Laasya Shekhar

The sparkling clean aquariums with some exquisite species of ornamental fish look spectacular. The line-up of shops selling beautiful accessories and equipment for aquariums add to the vibrancy of the place, yet there is something missing. A sense of uncertainty engulfs the air in Kolathur, the North Chennai locality that has emerged as the hub of an industry developed around ornamental fish breeding and related exports.  Outside an aquarium shop here, M Sanjay sits, hoping that he finds at least one customer before he pulls down the shutters of the shop. He sells aquarium stones and business hours are about…

When we pick up the newspaper from our doorsteps every morning, we do not usually stop to think how it got there. But newspaper distributors and the entire chain involved play a huge role in ensuring that we are connected to what's happening in the world, through the morning dailies they deliver. Come rain, shine or even worse - the pandemic, their job of collecting and distributing newspapers never comes to a halt. They are indeed as vital as those who make and write the news. But unfortunately, the news distribution sector has always remained in the shadows with little…

It has been two months since Geetha Foundation apartments in Puzhuthivakkam installed water meters at a cost of Rs 8500. Since then, the apartment of five flats has been able to save 100-150 litres of water in a month. As part of the installation, a float switch sensor is added to the overhead tanks which sends an alert as soon as water levels reach a particular level. This stops the roof/storage tank from overflowing, resulting in significant conservation of water. “Water level in the storage tank is maintained at the level of the float valve inside the tank. Once water…

Decentralised Micro Composting Centres, garden waste processing units — Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has initiated a slew of projects in the past two years, said N Mahesan, Chief Engineer, Solid Waste Department (SWD), GCC. He was speaking at the webinar conducted by Citizen Matters Chennai on managing waste during and post COVID-19. When the trial run for the Bio-CNG plants in Chetpet, which converts kitchen and food waste to energy, is completed, the civic body will inaugurate six more such facilities. “Through these plants, we can process 1500-1800 tonnes of wet waste,” said Mahesan.  In addition to the Material Recovery Facilities…

Everyday, the advertisement sections of our morning newspapers bear notices of banks auctioning the properties of enterprises that failed to repay loans for more than three months. Everyday, smaller manufacturing companies in Chennai, which had successfully braved the economic distress even during the tsunami and the 2015 floods, are bringing down the shutters for good. And while the COVID-triggered medical crisis and political news routinely eclipse such news, COVID-19 has actually crippled the MSME sector in Chennai (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), leaving many entrepreneurs neck deep in debt. Industrial estates in Chennai that were always abuzz with activity are now…

Unlike Bengaluru, there are no housefull boards outside the crematoriums of Chennai. Neither has Chennai witnessed the traumatising scenes of unauthorised, open burning of bodies, as seen in New Delhi. Even before COVID cases spiked last year, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) had directed Chennai crematorium workers and officials to use the space judiciously — a move that probably helped these facilities function efficiently when the second wave hit Chennai hard in 2021 and COVID fatalities rose sharply. The GCC has also vaccinated a majority of crematorium workers in its 41 crematoriums and 147+ burial grounds in the city, according to…

Geared fully in a PPE suit in the harsh Chennai summer, Dr M Keerthi Varman attends to COVID patients at the Stanley Medical College Hospital. Throughout six continuous hours of his duty, he shuttles between the outpatient ward, where he assesses the condition of COVID patients and the 'zero delay' ward, where immediate care and oxygen support have to be provided to patients with no time lost in the admission process. Work in a COVID ward demands more than the usual share of care and alertness. "A patient once removed his oxygen mask to use the restroom. It could have…

Translated by Sandhya Raju தன் தந்தையின் ஆக்சிஜன் செறிவு அளவு 78 ஆக குறைந்தபோது, ஈசிஆர்-ல் வசிக்கும் இந்துலேகாவிற்கு (பெயர் மாற்றப்பட்டுள்ளது) பதட்டம் தொற்றிக்கொண்டது. தன் 72 வயது தந்தைக்கு தனியார் மருத்துவமனையில் சிகிச்சை அளிக்கும் நிலை அவருக்கு இல்லை. "வென்டிலேடர் சிகிச்சைக்கு நாள் ஒன்றுக்கு இரண்டு லட்சம் செலவாகும் என்றார்கள். எங்களை போன்ற நடுத்தர வர்க்கத்தினர் இதை எப்படி சமாளிக்க முடியும்" என வினவும் இந்துலேகாவிற்கு அரசு மருத்துவமனை தான் ஒரே தீர்வு. மே மாதம் 4-ஆம் தேதி ராஜீவ் காந்தி அரசு மருத்துவமனை மற்றும் ஸ்டான்லி மருத்துவமனை வாசலில் மணிக்கணக்காக காத்துக் கிடந்தனர். "104 உதவி மையத்திற்கு தொடர் அழைப்பு பலன் அளிக்கவில்லை. உதவி மைய ஊழியர்கள் பதில் அளித்தாலும், அவர்களால் இந்துலேகாவின் தந்தைக்கு ஆக்சிஜன் படுக்கையை வழங்க முடியவில்லை." என்கிறார் இந்துலேகாவிற்கு உதவி செய்த கோவிட் தன்னார்வ படையை சேர்ந்த தன்னார்வலர் பாரதி ரமணன். ஒரு…

Singara Chennai. The capital of Tamil Nadu and a hub of automobile and electronic hardware industries. A city that is often labelled as India’s health capital with several multi speciality government and private hospitals. And yet, there remains a lot to be done to fulfill the expectations and aspirations of its citizens. The recent elections saw the DMK come to power in the state, clinching every seat in the city. In its earlier stints, the DMK government had been behind several projects that are key landmarks in the city today: the multi-level flyover at Kathipara, the largest cloverleaf flyover in Asia,…

Indulekha (name changed) from ECR nearly had a nervous breakdown when her father’s oxygen saturation levels dipped to 78. COVID treatment for her 72-year-old father at a private hospital was something she could not consider. “They quoted a sum of Rs 2 lakh a day for ventilator support. How can a lower middle class family like ours ever afford it?” Indulekha questioned. Her only choice was to go for the government hospitals.  On May 4th, the family waited outside the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Stanley Medical College hospital for hours, in vain. “Multiple calls to the 104 helpline…