Flyovers have long been seen as the default solution to the city’s traffic congestion. However, Nina Subramani, Senior Researcher with CAG’s Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility team, reminds us that while flyovers may provide temporary relief, traffic often surges again shortly thereafter, making public transport the most reliable and sustainable solution to ease congestion.
Speaking on the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD), Nina Subramani, Senior Researcher at CAG explains that iRAD has the potential to function as more than just a reporting tool. When used in combination with a Safe System approach, it can be a preventative tool also.
Removing pedestrian infrastructure to make room for public transport is ironic at best, as explained by Sowmya Kannan, Researcher at CAG. With Chennai's roads marred by pedestrian fatalities and inaccessible, non-inclusive spaces, only public awareness, more sympathetic urban planning and enforcement in all forms, can move this city out of its rut.
Saroja.S, Executive Director of CAG gives useful pointers on how to file an RTI, including drafting questions that are specific and concise. Filing and obtaining information via RTIs are core to building accountability into governance, but the process itself remains cumbersome, with plenty of room for improvement.
Chennai's water bodies are plagued by waste dumping, with plastic and garbage polluting canals and lakes. Vamsi Shankar Kapilavai, Senior Researcher at CAG, says that shutting down SUP manufacturing units will be the first step to tackling this issue. #Chennai #WasteManagement #PlasticPollution
Chennai's pollution problems are intensifying, with aged MTC buses contributing to the city's rising NO2 levels. Divya Senthil, Senior Researcher, CAG, emphasizes the role of public transport in striking a balance between public demand and environmental protection. MTC's plan to contract 1100 electric buses, if realised, can help reduce emissions and alleviate traffic congestion.
Divya Senthil, Senior Researcher at CAG explains why making public transport an appealing alternative to private vehicles is the way forward, if we are to address the city's parking difficulties. With two wheelers comprising 52% of vehicles in the expanded Chennai Metropolitan Area it's time for strong policies to address the scourge of congestion on our roads.
Rooftop solar uptake in Tamil Nadu is slow despite abundant potential and new government schemes. Bharath Ram, researcher at CAG explains that the 100 unit subsidy given by the government means that solar power is more relevant for urban users who spend more on electricity. Prosumers, as explained by Vishnu Mohan Rao, senior research at CAG, have a more complex interaction with TANGEDCO.
Vamsi Shankar Kapilavai, Senior Researcher at CAG, points out that less than a tenth of the Chennai city’s waste gets processed. This is a serious concern even as the rise in e-commerce leads to more plastic waste. Much of this ends up in landfills, highlighting the need for both industry and consumer responsibility in tackling these growing mountains of waste.
Activists warn that waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, while seen as a solution to Chennai's waste crisis, may pose significant environmental and health risks. Concerns include the release of toxic gases and harmful byproducts, challenging the efficacy of WTE technology.