Articles by Raghukumar Choodamani

Raghukumar Choodamani is a resident of Chennai and likes to write about his observations in Chennai.

Battered roads have become the new norm across the city of Chennai. Roads that were resurfaced over a couple of months ago are now ridden with potholes and craters. At every 10 to 50 metres, commuters are bound to stumble upon a road cut or a pothole or speed breaker or a manhole cover which is at least four to six inches higher than the surface of the road.  The reasons stated for poor roads have been that there is ongoing development work such as the construction of the metro rail or the creation of stormwater drains. As a result of…

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On August 6 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the renovation of 508 stations across the country including the Perambur railway station. As per reports Rs 17.86 crores has been allotted to renovate the second oldest Railway Station in Chennai. The proposed renovation will include the construction of new buildings which will accommodate ticket booking counters, a waiting hall, a VIP lounge, new toilets, retail vending units, cloakrooms, office spaces etc.  Additionally, provisions have been made to include lifts, escalators, restoration of the existing foot-over bridge, more benches, CCTV surveillance, water taps, solar power units, LED…

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Queuing up to buy Aavin milk from the milk booths makes a quintessential Chennai morning for many of us.  However, recent steps introduced by the state government have made it difficult for many customers to be able to continue buying Aavin milk in the city. What I assumed was a simple exercise to link my Ration card and Aadhar information with the milk cards issued by Aavin turned out to be a much more complicated exercise that laid bare the failings of the system.  Read more: How to get your Aadhaar card in Chennai Chaos reigns at Aavin office When…

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Tamil Nadu generates a whopping Rs 44,000 crores in revenue from the Government owned TASMAC liquor stores every year. It is truly unfortunate that these shops have turned into a key source of revenue for the state as their adverse effect on the populace is not quantifiable. Making the entire situation even more unpalatable is the location of such shops across the state. Residential neighbourhoods which were once peaceful have seen great disruptions due to the presence of TASMAC shops.  One such area is in Perambur where three TASMAC shops operated within 100 mts, making the lives of residents increasingly…

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While much of Chennai enjoys the benefits of privatised Solid Waste Management (SWM), the Zones managed by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) have faced issues such as a shortage of equipment and manpower. As different agencies have managed solid waste in these Zones over the years, the present state of affairs calls for a switch to a more efficient, privatised system of waste management for the greater good.  History of SWM in Perambur The conservancy services in Perambur in Zone 6 used to be handled by the government for several decades post-independence. As a young kid, I recall the conservancy…

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Chennai Mayor R Priya’s Makkalai Thedi Mayor scheme was launched in May this year. Under the scheme, the Mayor is to visit all 15 Zones of the city every 15 days to meet with residents and address their grievances.  The meeting that took place in Zone 6 highlighted some key issues with how the residents have been able to engage with the Mayor.  We spent over two hours waiting in various queues before the audience with the Mayor. The poor planning left us wondering if the event was indeed Makkalai Thedi Mayor or Mayorai Thedi Makkal. Read more: In a…

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Commuting by public transport in Chennai brings with it concerns around safety. We come across news reports about the unruly behaviour of youth in MRTS trains and MTC buses. Issues ranging from harassment to scuffles break out on public transport and the average commuter finds themselves in the crosshairs. There have been calls to strengthen safety in public transport, especially in buses, bus stops and the MRTS trains and MRTS stations. Sadly, not much headway has been made in this regard even after many years. Safety in MRTS stations and trains in Chennai Over the last few months, we the…

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An accessible, comfortable and functional bus shelter is an essential part of any urban mass transit system. Chennai's bus shelters routinely fail to meet one or more of these parameters, affecting commuters. From the perspective of the local administration, which is responsible for its management, a good bus shelter is one that has low maintenance requirements and is resistant to any form of vandalism. From the point of view of a commuter, an ideal shelter is one that allows visibility and easy access to the bus, is comfortable and convenient, provides clear information and is safe. Both viewpoints are equally…

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Infrastructure has been a focus area in recent budgets of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), with allocations running into crores. But a quick look around us shows the broken state of many of these structures be it footpaths or play equipment in parks.  Fixing existing deficiencies in public infrastructure before the creation of new ones will prevent the cycle of neglect and decay. The civic body must take steps to ensure that the existing infrastructure is repaired and its upkeep regular.  Instead of taking the people living in the neighbourhoods into confidence, plans for future infrastructure are also being undertaken…

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The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has proposed the reconstruction of some of the flyovers within the city.  A section South Usman Road flyover ramp near Chennai Silks will be demolished and the arm is likely to be extended up to CIT Nagar connecting Anna Salai to T. Nagar, with a bigger 1.2km carriageway.  Similarly, a section of the flyover which links Adyar with Besant Nagar will also be demolished and the foundation pillars will be removed to facilitate the construction of the Metro Rail Twin Tunnels underground.  The flyover will be reconstructed once the CMRL work is completed. In the…

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