Civic

Residents of Chennai face myriad issues on a daily basis right from bad roads, poor quality of water, power cuts, safety and connectivity. Fixing these issues requires a concerted effort on the part of residents, officials and elected representatives.  Residents have found ways to escalate problems in their vicinity and the larger city through collectives such as civic engagement groups, residents’ welfare associations and civil society organisations. A civic engagement roundtable organised by Citizen Matters brought together members of these groups who have been actively working for the betterment of the city. The discussion centred on understanding the key challenges…

From Meetha River to a polluted nullah, Mithi River's identity changed a long time ago. A tourist or a newcomer in the city may not even recognise the river due to the waste and sewage deposited over decades. Now, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated a new project - rejuvenation of the Mithi River, by way of filtration of 80 lakh litres of water. What is the new project all about?  Under the 'Mithi River Development and Pollution Control Project', the 'Mithi River Water Quality Improvement' initiative has started since January 2023. As part of that, a sewerage treatment…

Reduction in road accident deaths in Chennai Data released by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) shows a reduction in the number of deaths caused by road accidents in Chennai in the first half of this year. The number of deaths has reduced by 19.7% compared to the figures from 2021 and 10% compared to the figures from 2022. Until June 20 this year, there have been 216 deaths in 214 accidents on the roads of Chennai. Efforts taken by the GCTP to reduce fatalities include a crackdown on drunken driving, wrong-side driving and compliance with traffic rules, including wearing…

BMC to change location of public toilet from Marine Drive after residents protest The residents' demand to change the location of the public toilet, which was planned at Marine Drive was accepted by the BMC. Residents claimed the earlier location could destroy the aesthetics of Marine Drive. They suggested an alternative spot near Rajni Patel Marg but it is yet to be confirmed by the civic body. Ashok Gupta from Marine Drive Citizen’s Association (MDCA) was quoted as saying, “While the toilet was being built until Tuesday, the DMC and Harshita Narvekar assured us on Wednesday that the toilet would…

City's no to statewide bandh Leading industries and associations in the city opted out of the state bandh called on June 22nd and assured people that it would be business as usual They were following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's assurance that he would meet the industry's associations. Members of various trade and industry bodies held a protest in other parts of Karnataka against the hike in power tariff, called by the Hubballi-based KCCI (Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries). Source: The Times of India, Indian Express Read more: Explained: Did the Karnataka government really increase electricity rates by Rs 2.89 per…

Dharavi fire breakout, minors also affected On June 11, a massive fire broke out at Dharavi's residential complex on 90 feet road. The fire that engulfed the seven storey building, injured 32 people including 13 minors. It was declared as a level 1 fire by the civic officials. The youngest minor was one-month-old Rewan Sheikh. Based on preliminary reports from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the fire was confined to the electrical wiring and ducting on all floors, a CCTV camera installed on the ground floor, as well as scrap material stored between the fifth and seventh floors. Source: Indian…

Chennai’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP) released Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, in the presence of Minister for Environment, Climate Change Siva V Meyyanathan, Chief Secretary V Irai Anbu, Additional Chief Secretary to Departments of Environment, Climate Change Supriya Sahu, Mayor R Priya and C40 Cities delegates, released the first Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Chennai on June 13. The CAP, which is aimed to serve as a roadmap for the city to become carbon neutral by 2050, will focus on six priority areas such as electrical grid and renewable energy, building energy, sustainable transport, solid waste management, urban…

Repeal of anti-conversion law, textbook revision The state will repeal the amendments passed by the earlier government regarding the anti-conversion law, during the upcoming assembly session, starting July 5th, said the Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, H K Patil. The government will also form a committee to fully revise school textbooks next year, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in a meeting with Jnanpith awardee, Chandrashekar Kambar. It aims to remove some ‘controversial’ chapters from Social Sciences and Kannada, including RSS founder K B Hedgewar, Bannanje Govindacharya and Chakravarthy Sulibele. They will be replaced by chapters recommended by the Baraguru Ramachandrappa textbook revision committee.…

We have been living in Orlem, Malad for many years now. But for the past seven months, we have been facing a dire situation due to the presence of an illegal Ready-Mix-Concrete (RMC) plant in the area. This plant has resulted in immense pollution and poses a serious health-hazard because of the cement particles. Residents have been falling sick and complaining to the authorities. Unfortunately, the government officials have shown no cooperation in addressing this problem, leaving the burden solely on the affected residents. We have been in touch with the Assistant Municipal Commissioner, and local politicians, but have been…

Vinod Jacob, member of We Love Cubbon Park Association, expresses his concerns over the redesigning of the park. “They are now trying to lay tiles and concrete slabs. All that we’re asking for is to preserve the park in its natural form, otherwise we won’t be able to differentiate Cubbon Park from UB city.” Vinod is not alone in his concerns over the mismanagement and concretising of Bengaluru's parks. The Lalbagh Walkers' Association has flagged issues over allowing vendors in the park, feeding of stray dogs and pigeons, plastic waste, sewage in Lalbagh pond, among other concerns. Ever since the…