LOCAL

Three days after the Chennai Corporation declared Besant Nagar Beach litter free, we spoke to a few visitors to gauge the ground reality.

There was a time when children went fishing, women drew water at these ponds and senior citizens took walks around them every evening. Today, the water bodies have been replaced by largely barren plots with small scattered pools of water.

ROKA (Residents of Kasturba Nagar Association) has created a model for change at the neighbourhood level and made significant progress in source segregation through the sustained efforts of volunteers, aided by a helping hand from the Chennai Corporation.

RTI responses point to rampant, unregulated commercialisation on GST Road. What is often missed is the link between such commercial construction and the growing, chaotic traffic on this important national highway.

A batch of electric tricycles have been procured by the Greater Chennai Corporation for collection of waste. The tricycles are expected to reduce the physical burden on conservancy workers and enable swifter collection of waste.

Recent construction of some shanties and a road for better access and mobility by the fishing community has been labelled as encroachment after complaints from residents in nearby locations. However, the community rebuts charges and enjoys the support of environmental activists.

Infrastructure lapse, weak traffic rule implementation and irresponsible citizen behaviour — all have a role to play in creating the traffic nightmare that GST Road presents today. A look at the top reasons and possible solutions

Environmental degradation at Ennore due to industrialisation has resulted in the loss of livelihood for many fishermen. How was this locality twenty years ago? We spoke to several local residents as they take a trip down memory lane.

There is uncertainty about the construction of a women’s entrepreneur zone at Red hills reservoir. However the primary questions remain unanswered: Why are the officials not speaking up? Why should Chennaites worry about the development?

The indirect impact of the slowdown in the auto sector is increasingly being felt in this spare parts market; traders are also concerned about their future in view of the various shifts that the sector is likely to see in the immediate future.

The overcrowded shopping hub of Ranganathan street faces many risks due to encroachment and lack of fire safety, but this citizen writer points out why the skywalk proposed under the Smart City mission fails to address the core issue.

Members of ROKA — Residents Of Kasturba Nagar Association — write about the association’s dedicated efforts to restore cleanliness and hygiene in the larger neighbourhood, with proper waste management practices in place.