Articles by News Desk

Heat wave in Mumbai Mumbaikars experienced the hottest day in April in the past decade on Tuesday with the temperatures crossing a scorching 39.7 degree Celsius. According to the Indian Meteorological Department's (IMD) Santacruz observatory, Monday night was also the hottest night of the year in Mumbai. An orange 'severe heatwave' alert was sounded by the IMD for Tuesday. Tuesday's temperature showed an abnormal increase of 6.5 degrees above normal. Night temperatures on Monday also left Mumbaikars sweating with temperatures settling above 27 degrees at Colaba and Santacruz. The heatwave warning was extended to Wednesday with a yellow heatwave alert…

Water supply upgrade Even as the city completes 140 dry days with little rainfall, due to the El Nino effect, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) expects light to moderate showers this month. On April 19th, there were moderate rains. At 37.2 degrees Celsius, April 2nd was the fourth highest temperature for the month recorded in the last 15 years. On March 17th, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) agreed to supply Cauvery water to 21 IT parks in and around Mahadevapura, the BWSSB Chairman said after a meeting with members of the Outer Ring Road Companies Association (ORRCA).…

High voter turnout in all three constituencies of Chennai The three constituencies in the city were among those that recorded the lowest turnout of voters in the State as the first phase of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections drew to a close on Friday evening. The three constituencies within Chennai district — Chennai North, Chennai Central and Chennai South, recorded a voter turnout of 60.1%, 54.3% and 53.9% respectively. The overall voter turnout in Tamil Nadu was 69.46%, according to the Election Commission, Tamil Nadu. The voter turnout in the city was lower this Lok Sabha election compared to the…

The country is going to the polls in one of the most keenly watched elections of all time, and a collective of 70 environment and civil society organisations have appealed to voters to assess the threat to the environment and ecology when they cast their votes in the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. Here is what the organisations have said in a joint statement: As Indians prepare to vote in the Lok Sabha elections this year, it is very important to think of the future of our democracy, especially the youth and their right to clean air and water security in…

Candidate lists, MP profiles, interviews, voter guide, choosing an MP, polling booth info, news, analysis and data... watch this space as we update this continuously over the various phases of voting in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 Constituencies & Candidates Get to know your constituency, and who your candidates are. Phase 1: April 19th Chennai North Chennai Central Chennai South Phase 2: April 26th Bangalore North Bangalore Central Bangalore South Phase 5: May 20th Mumbai North Mumbai South Mumbai North East Mumbai North West Mumbai North Central Mumbai South Central Candidate Interviews & Profiles Have suggested a health survey to…

As India gets ready to vote to decide who will represent the country in Parliament, Citizen Matters is speaking to elected representatives from Chennai, ahead of the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. As part of this series, we did an email interview with T Sumathy alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian, incumbent MP from Chennai South constituency. Thamizhachi has been given the ticket by her party DMK to contest from the same constituency in the 2024 polls. Chennai South and Thamizhachi Thangapandian Chennai South constituency comprises of Mylapore, Saidapet, Virugambakkam, Velachery, Sholinganallur and Thyagaraya Nagar. A poet, writer, educationist and theatre person, Thamizhachi is the daughter…

TapTap wristbands for metro passengers Passengers on the Metro 1 line, which runs from Ghatkopar to Versova, will have a new ticketing option in the near future. Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL) has introduced a QR-coded wristband dubbed TapTap.  Passengers will be able to tap their wristbands at the automated fare collection gate (AFC). With an inaugural price of Rs 200, these wearable metro tickets are available at all customer care windows on the metro line. According to MMOPL, the TapTap wristbands are made of a silicone based material that is non-allergenic. They are water-proof and operate without a battery.…

Kannappar Thidal residents of Chennai Central constituency to boycott Lok Sabha elections In line with the villagers of Ennore and Parandur, residents of Kannappar Thidal in Chennai's Central constituency have also decided to boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Around 62 families, who were living on the streets near the Ripon building, were evicted in 2002 by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) as their presence was found to be an obstacle to the then-ongoing sporting events and developmental work in the nearby Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. These families were provided with a temporary shelter with a promise of alternative housing in…

Highest temperature in eight years The city's maximum temperature this month, so far, has been 37.6 degrees Celsius on April 2nd, which is the highest in the past eight years and third highest in the last 15 years. A Prasad, senior scientist from India Meteorological Department (IMD), says that the El Nino effect shows a decreased index of 1.1 from last year's 1.5. Though the city shows a steady rise in temperatures, the IMD predicts some rainfall in the second week of April, along with some pre-monsoon showers on April 12th and April 13th, with 61.7 mm. The IMD predicts…

The two-time Lok Sabha MP representing Mumbai South Central constituency, Rahul Ramesh Shewale from Shiv Sena has quite a long history in politics. He was a corporator of BMC and was nominated the Chairman of the BMC Standing Committee, four times from 2010 - 2014, before running for parliament. He was elected as MP in the 16th (2009) and 17th (2014) Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai South Central, one of the biggest constituencies in Mumbai, comprising areas such as Chembur, Anuksathi Nagar, Wadala, Sion Koliwada, and Dharavi. Recently, the bid for redevelopment project of Dharavi, one of the largest informal settlements in Asia…