“The entire history of Madras can be summed up as a perpetual groping for water” says historian V Sriram, as he provides a glimpse into Chennai’s history of water (mis)management.
Water levels in the four reservoirs at Red hills, Cholavaram, Chembarambakkam and Poondi are almost six times less than at this time last year. With Chennai among the drought-hit districts in the state, the festival of colours should have been celebrated more responsibly.
Can a motley group of school students aged 8 to 13 suggest and devise solutions to problems such as air pollution, waste management and water scarcity? Yes, they can and the Sarvalokaa Hackathon in the city gave them a platform to showcase their innovative solutions.
With warnings of a water-scarce, severe summer, threats from air and sound pollution, and holes in safety infrastructure, headlines this week do not contain much cause for cheer. A quick look at some news.
