Environment | Citizen Matters, Chennai

No waiting for the government, friends of Kotturpuram Tree Park begin replanting

November 20, 2019 Meenakshi Ramesh

Tired of waiting for PWD to fulfil its promise, volunteers sourced and planted saplings in an effort to restore the tree cover at Kotturpuram Tree Park.

Parrots in Chennai? This man knows thousands of them…

November 14, 2019 Lata Ramaseshan

Meet the indefatigable Sekar, the birdman of Chennai, who feeds thousands of parrots on his rooftop. The birds keep their appointment with him every single day!

‘Smart’ T Nagar among top five polluted neighbourhoods in Chennai: Report

November 11, 2019 News Desk

The spike in pollution levels has been drawing public attention in Chennai over the last one week. But a study from Health Energy Initiative and Doctors for Clean Air-Tamil Nadu shows that poor air quality in the city is neither an isolated nor a seasonal incident.

Pollution red alert: Chennai’s Delhi moment is almost here

November 8, 2019 Mahesh V

Are you aware that on the afternoon of Nov 7th, the Air Quality Index (AQI) level in Velachery stood at 271, only marginally better than Delhi’s (282) at the same time? Both data from monitors and snapshots from different areas in the city show why we need urgent action on air pollution.

How industrialisation has rung the death knell for Ennore’s ecology

October 29, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

Environmental degradation at Ennore due to industrialisation has resulted in the loss of livelihood for many fishermen. How was this locality twenty years ago? We spoke to several local residents as they take a trip down memory lane.

What you should do if noise pollution bothers you this Deepavali

October 25, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

The noise from uncontrolled use of crackers can truly be a nuisance spoiling your Deepavali. But did you know that there is a law that doesn’t permit continuous cracker bursting or intolerable levels of noise from public events? Stay informed about what you can do to combat the menace of noise pollution.

‘We don’t want any trees in Chennai’

October 24, 2019 Meenakshi Ramesh

No one says we don’t want trees, but it appears that trees have no friends left among the various civic authorities in Chennai, as they go about brutally hacking, cutting and uprooting carefully nurtured trees.

This Diwali, take a couple of minutes to see what noisy celebrations could mean

October 23, 2019 S Shri Raghav

How does noise pollution affect animals and birds? How can we reduce noise pollution and help protect the other species we share the earth with? A ten year old citizen journalist has the answers…and a plea.

Why a women’s entrepreneur zone in Red Hills catchment area is a bad move

October 14, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

There is uncertainty about the construction of a women’s entrepreneur zone at Red hills reservoir. However the primary questions remain unanswered: Why are the officials not speaking up? Why should Chennaites worry about the development?

சென்னையில் அடுத்த மரம் நடும்முன் நீங்கள் அறிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டியவை

October 3, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

Afforestation drives are indeed most helpful and essential for ensuring an increase in the city’s green cover. But are we doing it the right way? A translation of our earlier article that told us what we must keep in mind as we take a pledge to plant more trees.

Climate Strike comes to India — three things to keep in mind

September 28, 2019 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

Over the last one week, thousands of Indian students and youth across India, inspired by the Global Climate Strike organised by ‘Fridays for Future’, came together to demand immediate action to mitigate local and global climate risks. What should be the way forward?

Small steps to make your office space greener

September 27, 2019 Surekha Raj

The founder of an HR firm in Chennai describes how she motivates her team to adopt environment-friendly lifestyles and take concrete steps to reduce waste generated at the workplace.

Sustainability needs a people-centric approach; is smart city Chennai geared to that?

September 26, 2019 Varun Sukumar

A city tackling climate change needs to think big and small and involve all stakeholders in the process — policymakers, state and local governments, private entities and citizens. That should be one of the primary goals of the Chennai Smart City programme.

Here’s what you must know before you plant another tree in Chennai

September 25, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

While tree plantation drives are increasingly common across the city, planting non-native, invasive species could cause more harm than good. What should we keep in mind as we take a pledge to add to the city’s green cover?

Not just Villivakkam Lake, apartments and malls too can benefit from our technology: BARC scientist

September 22, 2019 Laasya Shekhar

Chennai Corporation has collaborated with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) to restore the Villivakkam Lake, using waste water treated through a special technology. We spoke to J Daniel Chellappa, Senior Scientist at BARC, to know more about the plans and the larger implications.