Chennai - an unlivable city & a choking hell

Chennai has lost its glory, heritage and legacy. Exploding population, high rural-urban migration, traffic snarls, water scarcity, ineffective sewage and drainage facilities, contamination, pollution, high cost of living have all turned this city into a choking hell now.

Chennai city is celebrating its 372nd birthday today and everyone is feeling ecastatic, turning nostalgic. But, I am in no mood to celebrate, as the city has turned unlivable for the commoners, the vast majority. I am at a loss to understand the reason for celebrations, as the city has totally lost its heritage and legacy.

The density of population is abnormally high even in the outskirts; space availability is on the decrease; infrastructure facilities are abysmally poor (except a few pockets); unplanned and haphazard growth everywhere and to cap it all, severe traffic snarls everywhere. All these have turned the city into a nightmare. The 372-year old city is totally unlivable and I wonder what is there to celebrate.

Traffic is the biggest nightmare in this city, that makes one exhausted even before reaching the office. Commuters are virtually at the mercy of arrogant, uncivilized and undisciplined auto, share-auto, bus and truck drivers. Chaotic traffic, which gets worse every passing day, is certainly making life a hell. Number of vehicles continue to grow at an exponential rate, but road space is constantly on the decrease. Appalling road conditions compound the problem. Traffic police have become totally helpless and silent spectators of the congestion.

Commercial establishments and business units are allowed to mushroom in residential areas, making lives of people horrible. Cars and two-wheelers are parked on roads, without any road sense.

Open spaces have become sparse to find - children do not have space to play. Civic sense is utterly lacking as city cleaning works have taken the backseat - streets are filled with garbage and plastics. No one can afford to keep the windows open as Mosquitoes rule the roost. I have not spoken anything about the rainy days. If I start to write the woes of Chennai during monsoon, that will fill volumes.

Renting even ordinary dwellings has turned a luxury. Still worse, most of the house owners are behaving like the ceremonial kings and treat the tenants as their slaves and humiliate them. While even the middle-class is struggling to cope with the rising costs, I can't even imagine the plight of the have-nots.

Even at home, people feel highly insecure as instances of thefts, robbery, looting and even murders for petty gains have become casual happenings.

Exploding population, high rural-urban migration, traffic snarls, water scarcity, ineffective sewage and drainage facilities, contamination, pollution, high cost of living, hostile neighbours have all turned this city into a living hell. Chennai might have been a charming city two or three decades ago, but it is a choking hell now.

Of course, we, the people should take the blame. Even the mightiest Government cannot make Chennai livable in the near future. Reverse migration through a suitable decongestion plan is the need of the hour. Through tax concessions and sops, the Government should encourage business units migrate to tier 2 and tier 3 towns. This requires determination and political will from both central and state governments through proper policy initiatives. 

For me Chennai life is a cursed life. If I get an opportunity to move out of this hell, I would be the happiest person on the earth!