Civic

Recent discourse at the national level on stray dogs and the issues faced by residents has brought the spotlight on Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes in cities. ABC is an effective way to keep the population of stray dogs in check while also ensuring that harmful diseases like rabies are kept at bay. ABC procedures also help dogs to lead a longer and healthier life and reduce human-animal conflicts.  The ABC centres in Chennai are operated with the aim to regulate the street dog population by sterilising and vaccinating them. Rules that govern ABC Before we dive into how ABC centres work…

Read more

Cooler weather in Chennai reduces the demand for electricity Owing to cooler weather, the electricity demand decreased by 20% in Chennai, pegged at 2141 MW on November 23rd. The city has been experiencing below-normal temperatures due to low pressure in the north of Tamil Nadu on the Bay of Bengal. TANGEDCO sources say that the electricity demand has reduced due to less usage of air-conditioners in Chennai. Usually, the monsoon season sees a power demand of 2500 MW-2700 MW in the city. On November 20th, a Sunday, the electricity consumption came down to 2013 MW because workplaces were closed in…

Read more

A comprehensive parking policy in the works The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) claims it has completed drafting a parking policy for the Mumbai Parking Authority (MPA), which would be legally authorised to fine illegal parking. It will go live on a pilot basis early next year in the wards: D (Malabar Hill, Nepean Sea Road), G-South (Worli), K-West (Andheri west) and S (Powai, Bhandup). The civic body has been under deadline after the High Court ordered parking spaces be designated in the city. While all NOCs have been acquired, the digital platform and a centralised data system is yet to…

Read more

Coldest November day in a decade The minimum temperature of 13.9 degrees celsius, on November 21st, was the lowest reported in November in a decade, said the IMD (India Meteorological Department). At HAL airport station the temperature was reported to be 12.5 degrees celsius, while at Bengaluru International Airport station, it was recorded to be 14.7 degrees celsius. The maximum temperature on November 21st was 25.2 degrees celsius. It was on November 21, 2012, that the temperature plummeted to 13.3 degrees celsius, but the all-time low record was 9.6 degrees celsius on November 15, 1967. Source: The Indian Express Read…

Read more

Countless promises and mere lipservice display the lack of political will to tackle the mammoth problem of pothole-ridden roads in Bengaluru, even as several reports highlight the spike in fatality caused by them. Citizen Matters on November 18th hosted a Twitter Spaces, titled 'What will it take to make Bengaluru free of potholes?', where several civic leaders voiced their discontent when it came to road management in Bengaluru and offered solutions and avenues for civic action. Vaidya R, who traced the road management by the Electronics City Industrial Township Authority (ELCITA) which yielded peak road and pothole-free roads, highlighted the…

Read more

Street parking in Chennai has always been a contentious issue between pedestrians and vehicle owners. As the former wonders where to walk, the latter wonders where to park.  This question becomes even more prominent as Chennai roads bear almost 60 lakh private motor vehicles as of 2021, which is one-fifth the total number of vehicles in Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the count of privatised motor vehicles has increased by two times. With these recent developments, street parking has become a pressing issue that affects daily life in the city. Attempts have been made to address the issue with the proposal for…

Read more

Teen footballer's death causes uproar The death of a 17-year-old football player, R Priya from Vysarpadi, due to medical negligence at the government hospital in Chennai has created an uproar across the State. Priya was admitted to Periyar Nagar Government Peripheral Hospital where she underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair the ligament on her right knee on November 7. She then developed complications due to prolonged pressure caused by a compression bandage and was shifted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) where her leg was amputated and treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). On November 15, she was…

Read more

Mumbai taxi drivers asked to put a rooftop indicator Mumbai's kaali-peeli (black and yellow taxi) drivers, by March 31st, 2023, will have to put an indicator on its rooftop that tells passengers if it is vacant, hired or the driver wants to take a break. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Transport Authority (MMRTA) has made it mandatory for all taxis in the city to install this colour-coded indicator before the deadline. The indicator will have green, red and white-coloured LED lights with writings in English and Marathi. Red will indicate that the vehicle is hired, green will signal if it is…

Read more

Opposition slams BJP government for voter data theft The BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) filed a complaint with the Halasaru Gate Police Station to look into allegations of voter data theft by Chilume Educational Cultural and Rural Development Trust, a private agency. The State Election Commission directed the district election officer (DEO) to conduct a probe and submit a detailed report. Senior Congress leaders, on November 17th, slammed the '40% Commission Sarkara', the BJP-run government, for permitting Chilume to conduct a house-to-house survey and steal personal voter data. The agency had claimed to be creating awareness on filing online applications through…

Read more

Across the globe, numerous cities have reaped the benefits of citizen-led urban planning proposals. Such initiatives consider the needs and aspirations of citizens, ensuring the effective use of open spaces and resources. For instance, in 2013, the Metropolitan Government of Seoul designed an urban regeneration policy focused on improving public, open spaces within the city through active citizen engagement, collaboration, and participation. Today, it is the 3rd best city in Asia. In a similar effort to revitalise the Nepean Sea Road in Mumbai, the Nepean Sea Road Citizens’ Forum has put forth a proposal to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to redesign a 2.7-km…

Read more