Civic – Page 9 – Citizen Matters, Chennai

Infrastructure gaps and corruption mar Chennai’s public healthcare system

October 9, 2017 News Desk

In a recent survey, 73% of people complained over drinking water facilities, while 49% reported that they had to pay a bribe to access government hospital services. This and more findings from Arappor Iyakkam-led citizens’ audit of public health facilities in the city

Sick of corruption? ‘Kollayane Veliyeru’ movement to be launched this Sunday

October 5, 2017 Deepa Seshadri

Meeting on October 8th, planned by NGO Arappor Iyakkam and co-organized by citizens and other organizations, aims to launch a massive campaign by bringing together all those who wish to raise their voices against corruption in the state.

With the CRRT in charge, can Chennai look forward to a cleaner Cooum?

September 22, 2017 Balaji Pattabiraman

The imperative of restoring the city’s water bodies have been voiced by many, but progress till date has been disappointing. The Chennai River Restoration Trust’s mission has raised hopes anew for revival of the Cooum and other rivers.

Mandatory segregation? Great idea, but how can we implement it?

September 15, 2017 Meenakshi Ramesh

The reported move of the GCC to make segregation at source mandatory is music to the ears of many waste champions in the city, but they know that a lot more needs to be done to make the mission a success on a city-wide scale.

The man who introduced Chennai to waste segregation, much before anyone else

September 8, 2017 Akshatha M

Long before Indian cities began to talk about segregation and composting, Chennai as a city had successfully experimented with it, thanks to the unique Exnora initiative. But how did the movement wane? Akshatha M chats with M B Nirmal, the visionary founder of Exnora.

Kotturpuram schoolkids’ mural on school wall is much more than a work of art

August 30, 2017 Akshatha M

Students of the AMM Matriculation HS School in Kotturpuram were tired of the political posters that made their compound wall an eyesore, till a group of art-loving students decided to take matters in their hands. And look at the results!

How will Chennai cope if the water crisis continues?

August 28, 2017 Akshatha M

Chennai has just about survived the scantiest north-east monsoon in 140 years, and the worst-ever water situation in the last 14 years. Akshatha M finds out about the CMWSSB’s contingency plans for the coming season.

What does the Corporation achieve by continually changing street names?

August 23, 2017 V Sriram

A street name that has been around for centuries becomes an integral part of local history; changing it for cosmetic reasons or short term posturing serves little purpose, writes blogger and historian V Sriram.

How Satta Panchayat Iyakkam delivers hope for Chennaiites every Saturday

August 21, 2017 Akshatha M

For five years, the NGO’s weekly grievance redressal camps have been effectively assisting ordinary citizens to address and solve problems pertaining to a range of issues, from property disputes to police inaction.

Chennai to focus on overall service parameters in new SWM contract: GCC Commissioner

August 18, 2017 Akshatha M

Under new system, contractor payments will be based not on quantity alone but on more holistic indicators such as segregation, collection and cleanliness of bins and streets, says Commissioner D Karthikeyan in a freewheeling chat with Akshatha M.

Legal battles looming as Chennai plans to regularise 10000 buildings

August 14, 2017 Akshatha M

Under guidelines issued by the Urban Development Department, all unauthorised buildings built before July 1 2007 can be regularised upon payment of a penalty.

In photos: There once was a lake…

August 11, 2017 Bhavani Prabhakar

As part of their attempts to revive the Chitlapakkam Lake, NGO Arappor Iyakkam, with the help of the Chitlapakkam Rising group and local residents, conducted a social audit of the lake. Bhavani Prabhakar captured a few pictures during the event.