In Focus – Citizen Matters, Chennai

Seven reasons why Chennai should have seen this water crisis coming

June 21, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Severe water shortage has brought Chennai almost to a standstill today, but the writing on the wall has been clear for quite some time now. Here are seven tell-tale signs the state should have taken note of and acted upon.

Does Chennai have enough buses for its commuters?

June 7, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

A large number of commuters in areas unserviced by the MRTS, Metro or other services remain fully reliant on the bus system, but does the city have enough buses to meet the demand?

As Chennai reels under water crisis, faulty restoration of Paruthipattu lake angers residents

May 30, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

An eco park at Paruthipattu Lake is due for inauguration. But with restoration work causing raw sewage to enter the lake, citizens are least cheered by the prospect of a boating facility and more worried about groundwater contamination in this time of acute water scarcity.

To fight sexual harassment of women, it is important to continue to talk: Chinmayi Sripada

May 27, 2019 Swati Amar

Chinmayi Sripada, one of the earliest and most prominent faces of the #MeToo movement in India, was recently denied permission to hold a protest in Chennai against the clean chit to CJI Ranjan Gogoi in a case of sexual harassment. In this interview, Chinmayi tells us why she chose to take this case up, and about her activism on this issue in general.

Nearly a third of Kodungaiyur residents have difficulty breathing, but no action on waste dump

May 22, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

An in-depth survey by CAG revealed the presence of heavy metals at Chennai’s Kodungaiyur dump yard. As it has a direct, visible impact on public health, remediation of the dump yard is the need of the hour. Realisation, however, does not seem very close.

What can Chennai learn from Kerala and Bengaluru on citizen participation in urban governance?

May 6, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

The divergent models followed by Kerala and Bengaluru to ensure participation of citizens in ward committees can hold vital learning for Chennai, where citizens seek a greater say in local governance.

லாபம் காணும் டாஸ்மாக்; அதிகரிக்கும் மது அடிமைத்தனம்

May 1, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

அதிகரிக்கும் மது அடிமைத்தனத்தை கையாள சென்னையில் போதிய சிகிச்சை மையங்கள் உள்ளனவா? அவற்றின் நிலை என்ன?

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.