EDITORS' PICK Archives | Citizen Matters, Chennai

How COVID landed the MSME sector in Chennai in deep waters

June 22, 2021 Laasya Shekhar and S Swaminathan

From reverse migration of workers to the oxygen crisis, this is how various factors came together to cripple small and medium businesses and livelihoods in the sector.

Diabetes -- one of the most challenging comorbidities in COVID

Is COVID leading to an upsurge in diabetes in Chennai?

June 21, 2021 Swati Amar

Recovered patients are struggling under post COVID complications such as diabetes, mucormycosis and other medical issues. We spoke to three city doctors to understand more about these.

Preventing child sexual abuse in schools: What teachers and parents must know

June 18, 2021 Swati Amar

Can schools be held responsible for sexual crimes by individuals within their premises? What should they do to prevent such abuse and ensure justice for survivors?

Child Sexual Abuse: Laws and helplines to protect our children and seek justice

June 15, 2021 Swati Amar

In the backdrop of incidents of child sexual abuse that have come to light recently, more awareness is needed on legislations and institutions that work for protection of children.

Chennai diver Uma Mani documents coral health through art

Chennai artist creates awareness about coral health

June 14, 2021 Anjana Parikh

Artist Uma Mani is working to create awareness and gather youth ambassadors for the cause of conserving coral reefs through cinema and other art forms.

Chennai Corporation telemedicine services

How GCC’s telemedicine services are helping manage this COVID wave

June 11, 2021 Bhavani Prabhakar

The civic body has appointed 300 trainee medical officers at the telemedicine “war room” and across zonal centres to attend to various patient needs.

For migrant workers in Chennai, second COVID wave brings déjà vu

June 9, 2021 Aruna Natarajan

Migrant workers in Chennai have been leaving the city in large numbers again, since lockdown was imposed in early May. Has nothing changed since last year’s migrant crisis?

COVID numbers are down today, but can we beat it for good?

June 8, 2021 V Sriram

As Chennai starts to see a decline in COVID numbers, we must all do all we can to implement safety protocols and accelerate vaccination.

Groundwater resources: Why central Chennai has more than other regions

June 7, 2021 Bhavani Prabhakar

To understand why existing reserves of groundwater are not uniform across the city, one needs to look at what lies beneath the ground at our feet. An explainer

When will Chennai’s crematorium workers receive their due?

June 1, 2021 Laasya Shekhar

Crematorium workers in Chennai have been living a nightmare since COVID deaths peaked. Their demands deserve a fair hearing.

Fever survey volunteers play a huge role in COVID control. What’s bothering them?

May 28, 2021 Bhavani Prabhakar

With the second wave of COVID, GCC has brought back fever survey volunteers on the ground. We spoke to some of them to understand their roles and challenges better.

Why COVID makes it imperative to find a home for all: A tale from Perambur

May 27, 2021 Raghukumar Choodamani

The tale of a homeless person who has returned to the neighbourhood highlights the grave challenges posed by lack of shelter facilities and flawed management of COVID waste.

It’s not just the pay! Why Chennai’s resident doctors are stressed and unhappy

May 26, 2021 Laasya Shekhar

Slogging 14-plus hours a day without a single day off duty, they are grossly underpaid. With that, they have now taken up other equally pressing issues with the state.

Chennai is breathing in plastic, the south more than the north

May 24, 2021 Padmaja Jayaraman

A study by Pondicherry University in 16 locations across the city found that the developed commercial hubs were more polluted by harmful microplastics.

Warriors on cycle: How Chennai’s ‘Relief Riders’ are helping COVID-affected families

May 19, 2021 Narayanan G and Shivaraju RM

A group of cyclists in the city have come together to meet the needs of families in isolation. Members share their experience and explain how they are doing it.