Bhavani Prabhakar | | Citizen Matters, Chennai

Syringes, casts by the waterfront: Chennai flouts biomedical waste disposal rules

March 3, 2020 Bhavani Prabhakar

Indiscriminate dumping of biomedical waste — especially around waterbodies and in landfills — is rampant and activists in the city are gravely concerned about its implications. What are the rules being violated and why are authorities unable to control this?

How the traditional launderers of Chennai are coping in the age of the washing machine

February 24, 2020 Bhavani Prabhakar

Around 50 families of the Dhobi Khana Housing Board in Purasaiwakkam continue in the traditional laundry business –manually washing, drying and ironing clothes. But do they get enough business in the age of gadgets? How do they cope in the face of water shortages? And what does the future hold?

A Champion of Hygiene transforms the cancer block in Royapettah General Hospital

May 17, 2018 Bhavani Prabhakar

An ordinary citizen becomes a champion of chanGe and helps improve hygiene levels of Royapettah GH’s cancer block, bringing down infection levels and helping the hospital provide

Regular lifeguards, watch towers a crying need at the Marina

April 3, 2018 Bhavani Prabhakar

Given the length and nature of the coastline, Marina Beach should have a number of watchtowers, rescue boats and other precautionary measures in place. What it currently has is just an ill-equipped police patrol and occasionally, fishermen volunteering as lifeguards.

All that you wanted to know about switching from ration book to PDS Smart Card

March 31, 2018 Bhavani Prabhakar

From how and where to get your Smart Card, how to link it to Aadhaar, or how to change your details in the card — this guide will answer all your questions about the modern alternative to your ration book.

100, 101 or 1091: What to expect when you dial a helpline in Chennai

March 26, 2018 Bhavani Prabhakar

100 for police, 1091 for women, 1098 for Childline… recent experiences in Chennai show that users of a particular mobile service were unable to reach the city’s emergency helplines. So, how do these services work? And how prompt would help realistically be?