Poor last mile connectivity, inadequate fleet strength, lack of safe pedestrian infrastructure and poor cyclists’ infrastructure are some of the reasons why Chennai ranks 15 among 40 cities in the Ease of Moving Index. Sumana Narayanan, senior researcher, CAG, comments that this will need various agencies and stakeholders working together to address these.
Released on February 20th, 2024, CAG's report, Fair Fares- towards gender inclusive public transport, analyses the impact of Tamil Nadu's free bus transport for women scheme.
'Clothes make a man', they say. But do we know what makes clothes these days? Madhuvanthi Rajkumar, researcher at CAG, explains the dangers of plastics in textiles and debunks the common misconception that all textile waste is biodegradable by nature.
As the Greater Chennai Corporation plans gender studies to make public places and public transport women-friendly, Sumana Narayanan, senior researcher at CAG comments that in addition to looking at physical infrastructure (lighting, bus stop locations), it would be useful to improve passenger information systems so women don't wait for long periods at bus stops especially during non-peak hours. There is also a lack of communication regarding existing safety measures such as how the installed panic buttons work.
The Metro Rail construction, along the OMR, has significantly disrupted movement of traffic on this major artery. Sumana, CAG, emphasises the need for a more robust public transport network along the road to ease the congestion. Will a BRTS network go towards solving some of these issues? We need data and feasibility studies to inform this further.
To mark World Diabetes Day, this op-ed emphasises the need for simple, effective Front of Pack Labelling that warns consumers of high fat, sugar and salt. Curtailing India's diabetes epidemic will not be possible without strong regulations that stop manufacturers from hiding their unhealthy ingredients behind dubious labels.
Sumana, CAG, explains that to be properly utilised, a cycle track must be continuous, with permanent separations between track and road, with speed limits in place for motorists. She adds that without this, the proposed cycle track between Neelankarai and Akkarai will go the way other city cycle tracks have gone before it - dysfunctional.
With nearly 8000 post graduate medical specialisation seats going vacant, the National Medical Council has decided to bring down eligibility criteria, allowing even those students with zero and negative marks on their qualifying exams to pursue further studies. Saroja, CAG, asks what the point of qualifying exams is then, if it does not serve a gate-keeping function, allowing only deserving students to progress into specialisations.
As electricity bills soar after the tariff revision by TANGEDCO in 2022, Vishnu Rao, CAG, explains that commercial entities' and industries' high tariffs are currently subsidising domestic use. To keep costs bearable, the state government needs to look into revising the subsidy they offer domestic consumers. Meanwhile consumers must prioritise transitioning into cleaner energy sources such as rooftop solars.
A piece by Shankar Prakash offering a critical review of the Chennai Climate Action Plan, examining its merits and those areas that need improving. An important read as we cross over from 'global warming' to 'global boiling'.