GENRE: Solutions Citizen Matters, Chennai

Despite heavy rains, this Thiruvanmiyur road saw no flooding; here’s why!

November 4, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

One citizen’s angst and sustained action towards footpath and storm water drain cleaning and redesign ensured a clear road even as many parts of Chennai were in knee-deep water.

How a Chennai-based team is helping families unite with long-lost loved ones

October 26, 2017 Laasya Shekhar

Since its inception a little over a year back, the initiative of the State Crime Records Bureau, ably supported by NGOs, has succeeded in reuniting 105 families where a member had gone missing and had ended up in Chennai or elsewhere in the state.

Chennai’s lonely grannies now have reason to smile

October 24, 2017 Bhavani Prabhakar

Students of the NSS wing at Ethiraj College for Women are volunteering enthusiastically for the “Talk to a Granny” programme launched by Chennai-based Senior Citizens Bureau, with the aim to cheer up elderly women battling loneliness in the big city.

How Satta Panchayat Iyakkam delivers hope for Chennaiites every Saturday

August 21, 2017 Akshatha M

For five years, the NGO’s weekly grievance redressal camps have been effectively assisting ordinary citizens to address and solve problems pertaining to a range of issues, from property disputes to police inaction.

Photo essay: Chennai Trekking Club organises 8th Chennai Coastal Cleanup

June 20, 2017 Peter Van Geit

The huge awareness drive saw 4600 volunteers participating and removing 32 tonnes of garbage from 20 km of Chennai’s shoreline between Lighthouse and Uthandi.

Dark streets, uncleared garbage: Here’s how you can get civic officials to hear you

May 12, 2017 K Adithyan

Citizens’ group Naam Virumbum Thamizhagam seeks redress for local problems by registering online complaints on the Chennai Corporation website. Their experience carries useful insights for all Chennaiites.

Converting waste to manure at the ward level: A first-hand account

May 1, 2017 Jagadheeswaran D

The key to a cleaner ward with effective waste management lies in persistence and education of all concerned, writes this citizen journalist engaged in SWM efforts in Ward 93.

They save trees from abuse in their free time, and you can too!

April 25, 2017 News Desk

Through the month of April, volunteers of NGO Nizhal have been freeing trees of advertisement boards and other forms of constriction, thus gifting them a fresh lease of life.

Waste and the city: What I learnt at the Venkatamangalam composting yard

March 24, 2017 Santhosh Lakshmi

Bhumi volunteer Santhosh Lakshmi witnesses first hand the waste to energy project initiated for the Pallavapuram and Tambaram Municipalities and comes back with some points for all Chennaiites to ponder upon.

What Manali can teach the rest of Chennai about waste

February 16, 2017 Aarti Madhusudan

Aarti Madhusudan recounts what she saw and learnt about waste management initiatives, as she spent a day in this North Chennai Zone.

Upcycling: A citizen’s guide to creatively reducing landfill waste

November 28, 2016 Bhavani Prabhakar

Upcycling — producing creative, high-end products from reusable waste — has found a growing following in the city of late. Bhavani A P captures the trend and provides a primer for the beginner.

Five lessons from Sholinganallur apartment’s waste management

November 18, 2016 Harsha and Prabha Koda

Getting a community habituated to segregating their household waste at source is a long and sometimes arduous journey. But it’s well worth the time and effort, as this OMR initiative shows.

Creating cooler shades for Chennai: A chat with the Founder of Nizhal

November 4, 2016 Meenakshi Ramesh

Citizen Matters caught up with the founder of Nizhal, who has been committed to the cause of greening Chennai for over a decade now.

How is Chennai preparing to tackle the rains?

October 14, 2016 News Desk

Take a quick look at the various administrative and technical measures that the state has planned with an eye on prevention and management of flood situations in the city.