Ms. Nithya Raman has a BA in political theory from Harvard University and a Masters in Urban Planning from MIT. She has published widely on urban planning and urban policies, especially on access to land tenure and services for the urban poor. She founded Transparent Chennai in 2009, a project that created maps and data about issues facing the urban poor.
Dr. Arjun Rajagopalan completed his bachelor’s degree in Medicine from Madras Medical College, Chennai and his postgraduate training in surgery from St. Francis Hospital and the Loyola University Medical Center, USA. He was Trustee and Medical Director & Head, Department of Surgery at Sundaram Medical Foundation, a multi-speciality hospital in Chennai. He is a lucid writer and speaker on health care issues and policies.
Mr. Keshav Desiraju held posts in the government such as Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs and Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare. He spent many years working in the health and education sectors and subsequently remained engaged with several NGOs working in those areas.
CAG submitted comments on the Draft Amendment to the EIA Notification, 2006, which proposes exempting Common Municipal Solid Waste Management Facilities, including landfills and Waste-to-Energy plants, from prior environmental clearance. CAG’s experience in urban waste, environmental health, and climate governance highlights the need to ensure the framework remains robust, inclusive, and evidence-based to help strengthen the environmental safeguard architecture while enabling effective waste management systems nationwide.
Political climate denial isn’t just about rejecting science, it’s about refusing responsibility. For years, leaders have downplayed the crisis while being quick to blame others for its consequences. This refusal to own the problem has stalled action and shifted the burden onto communities already facing the impacts. When no one in power steps up, the crisis deepens. Political climate denial is ultimately a failure of accountability: no one wants to take responsibility, but everyone is happy to point fingers.
Let’s remember: sustainable transport isn’t just about reducing carbon — it’s about building cities where everyone can move safely, affordably, and efficiently.
It’s crucial that we begin to prioritise people over vehicles, especially considering that pedestrian fatalities in Tamil Nadu are among the highest in the country. In 2023, a staggering 4,577 pedestrian deaths were reported in Tamil Nadu, according to MoRTH
Governments need to invest in streets designed for people, not just for traffic.
What does it take for a city to make its roads truly safe for everyone?
Helsinki’s journey to zero road deaths shows that safety isn’t luck, it’s the result of consistent planning, data-driven action, and people-first design.
As Chennai grows, this is the moment to reimagine how we move, where every journey begins and ends safely.
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If development doesn’t prioritise people, can we really call it progress? It’s time to rethink our choices and build cities where walking is safe, dignified, and central to urban life. In 2023, pedestrians accounted for more than 20% of all road accident deaths in India. Let's concentrate on preventing this data from becoming the norm.
Distribution licensees like TNPDCL (formerly TANGEDCO) are responsible for providing reliable and quality power to its consumers. Should you face any difficulties with this, there are multiple levels of grievance redressal — starting at the local level and escalation to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum (CGRF) and, subsequently, the Ombudsman, if needed.