CAG's report 'Evaluating the efficacy of the Meendum Manjappai campaign' was released during the inaugural event of Climate Action Month 2024. The report finds that while 94% of respondents indicated a desire to avoid single use plastics, the cost of plastic alternatives were a prohibitive factor.
The Meendum Manjappai vending kiosks are a great initiative, but like other reuse systems, struggle from some practical difficulties including rough handling and poor maintenance. CAG will soon be releasing a report analysing the effectiveness of the campaign in eight districts in Tamil Nadu.
The majority of Chennai households continue to not segregate their solid waste, leaving this difficult and messy task to conservancy workers. Vamsi Shankar Kapilavai, Senior Researcher at CAG says that to make source segregation a reality, consistent communication campaigns are required, and that piecemeal approaches to this will only have limited success.
As vendors struggle to transition away from single use plastic (SUPs) bags, Vamsi Shankar Kapilavai, Senior Researcher at CAG, explains that the low production cost of plastic coupled with the low production of alternatives perpetuate our reliance on SUPs. He recommends curtailing plastic production as more effective than raiding vendors.
Using data from CAG's Fair Fares report, this article makes the point that progressive urban transport schemes such as the free bus scheme for women in Tamil Nadu have personal and societal benefits that work at different levels in different sections of the population.
A baseline study on climate literacy in Tamil Nadu was conducted as part of the Tamil Nadu Climate Change Mission by CAG for the Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Tamil Nadu. The findings of the study emphasise the need for enhancing the climate literacy in schools and colleges.
A study by CAG exploring the intriguing correlation between ambient air quality and instances of violent crime in Chennai, has been featured by the press. While the study finds a weak correlation between the two, the aim has been to further impress on the need for maintaining healthy air quality.
Mr. Alby John, IAS, Managing Director of the MTC, speaking at the launch of CAG's report analysing TN's free bus scheme for women, mentioned several anticipated improvements to Chennai's bus fleet including an automated fare collection system, installation of high quality GPS on all buses, and a new passenger information app.
An article discussing findings from the CAG study which revealed that a significant majority of consumers knew of the single-use plastics ban. However, poor enforecement and therefore easy availability of SUPs lead to a reliance on plastics.
Madhuvanthi Rajkumar, CAG, participated in the Citizen's Clinic organised by Citizen Matters. The event brought together experts who guided households onward in their zero waste journeys.