Civic Amenities Citizen Matters, Chennai

Wedding blues: Unscrupulous kalyana mandapams fleece hapless customers

October 9, 2019 Swati Amar

What’s in a venue? Everything, find hapless customers as unscrupulous kalyana mandapams insist on cash payment and no refunds in case of cancellation. It may be a good time to come full circle – weddings celebrated at home or a temple!

RTI data reveals that only 34% of Chennai roads are flood proof!

September 30, 2019 Ranga Prasad

A robust storm water drain network is the need of the hour for Chennai to prevent floods similar to that of 2015. But only 1894 km out of the total 5500 km of roads in the city were networked with storm water drains as of October 2018.

Chennai Buzz: City’s first Aadhaar Seva Kendra | Electric bus gets going | ECR cameras to nab traffic rule violators…and more

September 1, 2019 News Desk

On which route will you find Chennai’s first electric bus? What can the Aadhaar Seva Kendra help you with? And what is Chennai Metro’s latest initiative for its commuters? Catch all this and more in this weekly recap of news.

Who looks after the OSR parks in Chennai?

July 8, 2019 Mahesh V

They take care of the city’s lungs, and yet remain invisible most of the time: the caretakers of the OSR parks around the city. A citizen journalist finds out what life’s like for them.

Meet Dr Jayakumar, MP-elect from Thiruvallur

May 28, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Dr K Jayakumar of the INC unseated the incumbent two-time MP from ADMK to win Thiruvallur. He has previously served as the Namakkal MLA.

Meet TR Baalu, MP-elect from Sriperumbudur

May 27, 2019 Sri Loganathan

DMK’s Principal Secretary TR Baalu has been elected to the Lok Sabha from Sriperumbudur constituency for the fifth time. He defeated PMK’s A. Vaithilingam.

Meet Dayanidhi Maran, MP-elect from Chennai Central

May 25, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Dayanidhi Maran won from the Central Chennai constituency for the third time. The former cabinet minister defeated rivals from PMK and MNM, assuring voters of bringing in new jobs and solving the water crisis.

Chennai Corporation plans to decentralise waste management, but how?

May 11, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

In an interview with Citizen Matters, Corporation Commissioner G Prakash talks about the plan to decentralise the handling and management of 100% of wet waste generated in the city, and the efforts under way to implement the same.

What can Chennai learn from Kerala and Bengaluru on citizen participation in urban governance?

May 6, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

The divergent models followed by Kerala and Bengaluru to ensure participation of citizens in ward committees can hold vital learning for Chennai, where citizens seek a greater say in local governance.

How can you get your community certificate in Chennai?

May 2, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

The community certificate is a critical document that enables citizens from reserved categories to avail health, education and employment benefits. If you want to get it in Chennai for yourself or anyone you know, here’s a quick guide.

Shenoy Nagar residents fight to save Thiru Vi Ka Park

April 26, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Thiru Vi Ka park, which served as vital lung space for the neighbouring communities, has been closed to the public since 2011, when it was taken over for Metro construction. Now, with recent plans of the CMRL, the park and green cover may be lost forever, fear citizens.

Zooming into the environmental problems of a growing Chennai

April 19, 2019 Amirtharaj Stephen

A look at the environmental issues that Chennai faced since the 2014 national elections, through the camera lens.

Meet Thiruvallur candidates: Two-time AIADMK MP faces another doctor fielded by MNM

April 17, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

Thiruvallur Parliamentary constituency is comprised of six assembly constituencies — Madhavaram, Poonamalle, Avadi, Ponneri, Gummidipoondi and Thiruvallur. Once part of the Sriperumbudur constituency, Thiruvallur was carved out as a separate constituency in 2008 after delimitation.

எம்.பி.க்களுக்கு 1000 கோடி அவசியமா?

April 1, 2019 Senthil Arumugam

சட்டம் இயற்றவேண்டிய பணியைச் செய்யவேண்டிய எம்.எல்.ஏ மற்றும் எம்.பி.க்களின் பொறுப்பில் தொகுதி வளர்ச்சி நிதி கொடுக்கப்படுவது அவசியமா? அந்நிதி அவசியமுள்ள உள்ளாட்சி அமைப்புகளுக்கே சேரவேண்டும் .

Three ponds in Perungalathur get a new lease of life

March 25, 2019 News Desk

As part of a CSR project, TAKE Solutions has collaborated with EFI to scientifically revive three ponds by strengthening their bunds and regulating the inlet and outlet channels.