CAG in collaboration with Consumer Rights Movement, Salem conducted a regional media workshop in Salem on 25.09.2022. Witnessing the participation of over 30 media personnel, the workshop discussed the need to implement MVAA 2019, strengthen road safety enforcement, and the role of media in road crash investigations.
With 5034 road accidents, Chennai was the road accident capital for the year 2021. Sumana, CAG was panellist on the Tweet chat organised by Citizen Matters that looked at what can change this course.
CAG's regional meeting on 'Non-communicable diseases and the need for warning labels on the front of processed food products' brought together different stakeholders to discuss the urgent action needed to help consumers make informed food choices.
CAG urges the government to make warning labels on the front of packed foods compulsory. Participants at the regional meeting held on August 17th discussed how this could potentially address the non-communicable diseases epidemic that is sweeping across our nation. More in the link.
CAG in collaboration with TNCPERC, Thiruvarur conducted a workshop on "Strengthening Road Safety Decision Making" for members of the District Road Safety Committee on the 18th of July, 2022. Several eminent speakers shared their inputs on how translating MVAA 2019 provisions to on-ground action will help create safer roads. Sessions on leveraging the use of technology in road safety monitoring and enforcement; the need for a speed management policy at the state level and the global "safe systems" approach to road safety were well received by the DRSC members.
Ms. Santha Sheela Nair IAS (retd) who gave the keynote address at the National Pedestrian Conference spoke about how pedestrians are discriminated against on Indian roads. Much of this goes to explain why we are seeing such high fatality levels amongst pedestrians.
Following the national pedestrian conference, a call to make carriageways narrower and pavements wider. Without drastic changes to how we design our roads, it is hard to give pedestrians the safety they need.
'The OMR stretch alone, every year, 34 #pedestrians die, 90% of them while trying to cross the road (statistics from Chennai Traffic Police, 2019)' - Alarming statistics from #Chennai highlight the importance of #pedestriansafety. Find out more about the National Pedestrian Conference.
CAG, in collaboration with the Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industry Association (TANSTIA), organized a discussion with processed-food manufacturers of Tamil Nadu on the 8th of March 2022. The aim of the event was to sensitise manufacturers on the strong links between consumption of processed food and the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCD) and explain how front of pack warning labels can help address the NCD epidemic in our country.
In the webinar organised by CAG to discuss Chennai's master plans, experts and residents together called for planning and execution that focussed on public transport along with better land use and sustainable development.