Akshatha M Citizen Matters, Chennai

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.

Rs 2000 or Rs 15000? No transparency in conservancy fees for use of public spaces

September 4, 2017 Akshatha M

Organisers had to shell out Rs 15000, as against the Rs 2000 initially quoted, for each of two concerts held on Besant Nagar during the Marghazi Festival this year, but have since been trying in vain to substantiate the official basis for these charges.

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.

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.

Silence and uncertainty shroud OMR water supply projects

August 7, 2017 Akshatha M

While the Chennai Metro Water site displays a vibrant water and sewage network plan in place for the OMR IT Corridor, no one, not even officials seem to know the actual status of these projects.

Rs 700 crore spent annually as OMR residents wait in vain for piped water

August 4, 2017 Akshatha M

For years, residents of the famed Rajiv Gandhi Salai IT corridor have been pressing for basic water and drainage infrastructure, lack of which has meant not just huge expenses but also undesirable developments for the city as a whole.

Meet the Chennai crusader who has filed 20 PILs in two years!

July 28, 2017 Akshatha M

Businessman-turned-PIL advocate VBR Menon is on a mission to clean up the city system — from water bodies management to registration of unapproved plots. Akshatha M catches up with him.

What difference does a NOTA vote make?

May 13, 2016 Akshatha M

In the 2014 general election, close to 6 lakh voters in Tamil Nadu chose ‘None of the Above’ option on the ballot machines. So all in all, the people who opted for NOTA was 1.4

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