In Focus – Citizen Matters, Chennai

Residents quiz South Chennai candidates on their plans for the constituency

April 16, 2019 Gita Bharath

Representatives of the Federation of OMR Residents Associations (FOMRRA) organised a meeting with candidates of South Chennai to address the various issues plaguing the constituency.

P Venugopal, Thiruvallur: Face of party in Lok Sabha, MP seeks third term

April 15, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

P Venugopal of the AIADMK seeks a third term from Thiruvallur in this election; take a look at his performance in Parliament and what he has done for his constituency over the last five years.

K N Ramachandran, Sriperumbudur: Ears on the ground but poor record in debates

April 13, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Sriperumbudur voters, if you are wondering what your MP K N Ramachandran has done in the last five years — how he used his local area development (MPLAD) funds, or the issues that he raised in Parliament — here’s a report card.

Will provide a strong voice for women: Thamizhachi Thangapandian

April 5, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

In an exclusive interview, DMK candidate from Chennai South, Thamizhachi Thangapandian talks about her plans for the constituency, if elected, and the ways in which she can outperform her predecessor.

Venkatesh Babu, Chennai North: A strong voice in House, but fails to act on unemployment

April 4, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

A quick handy reference for voters of Chennai North to help them assess the performance of their MP T G Venkatesh Babu over his 2014-19 tenure.

With crores in profits from TASMAC, can’t state do more for rehabilitation of addicts?

March 27, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

Substance abuse and alcoholism are a major scourge in Chennai, as our earlier article showed. A visit to two government-maintained de-addiction centres in the city reveals glaring infrastructural lapses and shortage of skilled manpower.

Madambakkam: Where civic body orders burning of inorganic waste

March 20, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

Inorganic and recyclable waste being burnt in empty plots and smoke trails are a common sight in Madambakkam. What’s more shocking is that it turns out that this is how the Town Panchayat wants the waste collected from over 13000 households in the area to be managed!

Chennai’s growing tryst with alcohol, cannabis and LSD and how to curb it

March 18, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

Dry lizard tail, nail polish remover and brown sugar — did you know these constitute growing addictions among the young and old in Chennai? Take a look at the reasons behind the vicious growth of substance abuse in the city and how the government could step in to curb the problem.

Look who’s watching: CCTVs across Chennai raise questions and concerns

March 14, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

The thousands of CCTV cameras dotting the streets of Chennai can well prove to be a double edged sword; will our safety come at the cost of privacy and personal information security?

Rs 1.36 crore a day for just 200 million litres of water; can Chennai really afford desalination plants?

March 7, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

The operational and maintenance cost of the two functional desalination plants is exorbitant, while it is possible to procure the same yield in the form of treated water from lakes, ponds and quarries at one fourth the cost. Why, then, is Chennai looking at a third plant?

தண்ணீரின் தடமே இல்லாமல் ஏரிகள் வரண்ட நிலமானது ஏன்?

February 28, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

ஆக்கிரமிப்பு மற்றும் அலட்சியப் போக்கால் சென்னையின் ஏரிகள் அவல நிலையில் உள்ளன. இதற்கு யார் காரணம்? நிவர்த்தி என்ன?

Why your waste is causing sleepless nights in Ezhil Nagar and R R Nagar

February 27, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Serious flaws in garbage collection and disposal, impractical solutions, and corruption to top it all — a public meeting discussed the chaotic waste management ecosystem in the city and how deeply it affects residents living near garbage dumps. However, citizens themselves hold the key to a better system.