2017 | Citizen Matters, Chennai

A life spent caring for others, even the dead

December 29, 2017 Bhavani Prabhakar

Meet the phenomenal Roja Sri, a lone woman, who apart from caring for the needy and poor, takes full responsibility for unclaimed dead bodies in the city and performs their last rites.

Law on paper, manual scavengers in Chennai struggle for respite

December 27, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

Central law says manual scavengers can choose to give up the profession and start life afresh with funds from the government, but hapless workers in Chennai know how elusive that can be.

R K Nagar wakes up to songs of a different kind on election eve

December 20, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

A day ahead of the controversial R K Nagar byelections, VoiceOfPeople used music and conversation to educate people about responsible voting in a constituency plagued by myriad problems.

When all you need to be is a gracious guest…

December 19, 2017 Aarti Madhusudan

What if you were invited to dine and interact with a group of citizens that you would never have met in the usual course? Aarti Madhusudan gets new perspectives on inclusion and empathy after such an evening in Shollinganallur.

When Greater Chennai Corporation hears citizen voices

December 18, 2017 R Venkatasubramanian

Across Chennai, individuals and groups are taking proactive action to interact with civic authorities and get their issues resolved. And it often works, as this piece from a citizen journalist shows.

Sewage: எங்கே செல்கிறது உங்களின் கழிவு?

December 14, 2017 Sandhya Raju

A few days ago, scores of dead fish washed up on the beaches of Adyar. Contamination of sea water with untreated sewage was the primary reason for this, but how does this happen?

How to start harvesting rainwater at your home in Chennai

December 12, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

Contrary to what many believe, rainwater harvesting has significant monetary as well as environmental benefits. So if you are still unsure of why and how you should go about it, here’s a quick overview.

Solving civic problems, with just a phone camera!

December 11, 2017 Bhavani Prabhakar

If you live in Mylapore, you must have passed C R Balaji on his bike at least once, clicking pictures to highlight civic problems in the area. Bhavani Prabhakar speaks to the man, an inspiration for every Chennaiite.

Underpaid, shunned: The sad plight of Chennai’s burial ground workers

December 7, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

Workers in Chennai’s 38 burial grounds struggle to make their ends meet and battle social stigma, as the Corporation dithers over regularisation of their employment.

Three ways to make Chennai a really safe city for women

December 6, 2017 Bhavani Prabhakar

There are many ways to make a city safer for women, and one of them is to inculcate gender equity in every domain. Bhavani Prabhakar reports from a recent conference hosted by Chennai-based NGOs, AWARE and Bhumi.

Will stray cattle continue to hold up traffic in ‘Smart’ Chennai?

December 4, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

Cattle owners continue to bribe officials to prevent their wandering cattle from being impounded, while the Chennai Corporation is yet to adopt a firm strategy to curb stray cattle menace on its streets.

Metro to link Chennai Central and airport by March 2018

December 2, 2017 G Ananthakrishnan

A look at the new connections to be provided by Chennai Metro in early 2018 as well as some key features of the currently operational lines.

Mylapore Sai Baba temple celebrations hold mirror to citizens’ helplessness

December 1, 2017 Gayathri V

You may have to do without telephone and Internet connections for the sake of a festival, or bear the noise of crackers for hours after your bedtime, and there’s not much you can do!

Hundreds stare at uncertain future as Thideer Nagar slum evicted

November 29, 2017 Kalyani S

The ongoing eviction drive at the Thideer Nagar slum and their rehabilitation in far-off Perumbakkam creates grave difficulty for slum residents, who work in the neighbourhood and send their children to school here.

When Chennai spent Rs 65 lakh on a road in a year, but still didn’t get it right!

November 27, 2017 Prashanth Goutham

In the first of a series of planned exposés, NGO Arappor Iyakkam focuses the spotlight on Devanathan Road in Mandaveli and raises several important questions.