North Chennai Research Articles

Counter‐Mapping, Counter‐Histories, and Insurgencies of Subjugated Knowledges in the Fisher Struggle for Ennore Creek

AbstractThe Ennore wetlands in North Chennai, India were once dense with diverse habitats and interwoven histories. Many of these histories began to unravel from the 1960s onwards, when state‐sponsored heavy industry began encroaching into and polluting the wetlands. Local fishers, whose lives, livelihoods, and cultural worlds were ignored by these changes, fought back in a campaign to reclaim and restore the wetlands. This paper analyses how the Save Ennore Creek Campaign and Ennore fishers used counter‐mapping strategies to reveal the state's wilful suppression of fisher knowledge and worldviews using maps and plans. It draws from decolonial and ignorance studies literatures to analyse the campaign's counter‐maps as cartographic, performative, and affective insurrections of subjugated knowledges and counter‐histories that un‐made the state's maps and plans, exposed the state's knowledge as wilful ignorance and spotlighted geographical knowledge from the margins as a way of remaking reality and opening up possibilities of alternative futures for the creek and its communities.

Microplastics, their abundance, and distribution in water and sediments in North Chennai, India: An assessment of pollution risk and human health impacts

Plastic particles, measuring <5 mm in size, mainly originate from larger plastic debris undergoing degradation, fragmenting into even smaller fragments. The goal was to analyze the spatial diversity and polymer composition of microplastics (MPs) in North Chennai, South India, aiming to evaluate their prevalence and features like composition, dimensions, color, and shape. In 60 sediment samples, a combined count of 1589 particles were detected, averaging 26 particles per 5 g−1 of dry sediment. The water samples from the North Chennai vicinity encompassed a sum of 1588 particles across 71 samples, with an average of 22 items/L. The majority of MPs ranged in size from 1 mm to 500 μm. The ATR-FTIR results identified the predominant types of MPs as polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene in sediment and water. The spatial variation analysis revealed high MPs concentration in landfill sites, areas with dense populations, and popular tourist destinations. The pollution load index in water demonstrated that MPs had contaminated all stations. Upon evaluating the polymeric and pollution risks, it was evident that they ranged from 5.13 to 430.15 and 2.83 to 15,963.2, which is relatively low to exceedingly high levels. As the quantity of MPs and hazardous polymers increased, the level of pollution and corresponding risks also escalated significantly. The existence of MPs in lake water, as opposed to open well water, could potentially pose a cancer risk for both children and adults who consume it. Detecting MPs in water samples highlights the significance of implementing precautionary actions to alleviate the potential health hazards they create.

The monsoon-groundwater nexus, impacts and adaptation strategies in the northern part of Chennai region, South India

The variations in groundwater quality and their influence on hydrochemical and microbial properties in the metropolitan cities of North Chennai have been scientifically examined in an attempt to comprehend the effects of urbanization. For this ongoing investigation, 50 groundwater samples from surface bore wells were collected in and around north Chennai, South India, during the pre-monsoon (PRm) season in June 2022 and 50 samples during post-monsoon (POm) in January 2023. Southeast of the desired extent, where urban enclaves predominate, has elevated salinity (12,500 mg/L) and electrical conductivity (EC) of 21,200 μS/cm. The predominant types shown in the Piper and Chadha models were sodium-chloride (Na-Cl). Additionally, the Gibbs diagram revealed the observation of evaporation dominance. The interaction between freshwater and seawater has been shown using ionic ratio analysis. A majority of the sample locations indicated the levels of standard plate count (SPC) and total coliforms (TC) contamination in the groundwater were above allowable limits (WHO). There was a slight improvement in groundwater quality during the post-monsoon session suggesting to a possible effect from recently recharged groundwater. In general, the groundwater quality of the research area is impacted by lithological changes, land use, and urban development. Water quality study may be useful in identifying potential health concerns and notify decisions about water management and treatment policies.

PSYCHO-SOCIAL IMPACT AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PATIENTS WITH PSORIASIS ATTENDING A TERTIARY CARE INSTITUTE IN NORTH CHENNAI

Objective: To assess the psycho-social impact of psoriasis and the quality of life (QoL) among psoriasis patients. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with a sample size of 140 done in a dermatology outpatient clinic in a tertiary care institution in North Chennai. The dermatology life quality index (DLQI) was the primary tool for assessing QoL. Results: The study participants’ mean±SD DLQI score was 8.84±4.59. Out of 140 patients, 32.9% had severely affected QoL with a DLQI score &gt;10. About 81.4% of study participants felt embarrassed due to their skin lesions, and marital life was affected by 36.4%. Suicidal thoughts and alcohol addiction (for coping up) were found to be prevalent among 12.9% of the subjects, both of which were maladaptive coping strategies. It was found that patients with DLQI scores of 10 or more tend to cling to alcohol as a coping mechanism, and this association is statistically significant. Further, a significant association was also noted between the site of the lesion and marital life getting affected by psoriasis. (x2=9.893, p=0.042). Conclusion: Patients with psoriasis are subjected to an intricate web of physical and psycho-emotional challenges. Hence, the physician offering chronic follow-up care to those patients needs to adopt a holistic strategy to address their continuing medical and psychosocial needs.

Exploring Socio-Economic Realities through the Lens of “Vada Chennai”: A Cinematic Analysis of Urban Dynamics and Human Struggles in North Chennai

This research paper undertakes an in-depth exploration of the socio-economic realities embedded in the Tamil epic crime film “Vada Chennai” directed by Vetrimaaran. Released in 2018, the film serves as a poignant cinematic portrayal of the complex urban dynamics and human struggles prevalent in North Chennai. Through a meticulous analysis, this study aims to unravel the layers of narrative intricacies, thematic elements, and directorial choices that contribute to the film’s profound reflection of societal nuances.

Bio monitoring of toxic pollutants in air and leaves of Ficus religiosa in selected sites of Chennai city

Biomonitoring of vehicle exhaust and deposits of heavy metal on the leaves of the trees located on the roadside was carried out. The selected site Chennai metropolitan city, the capital of Tamil Nadu is a large city, hence divided the city into three sites such as North Chennai, Central Chennai and South Chennai. From these sites, we selected Ficus religiosa trees that are located alongside the roads where a greater number of vehicles pass by. We examined the atmospheric polluted gases by means of using gas sensors and the pollutants on the leaf samples from all the selected sites of Chennai city. For the present study, Ficus religiosa was chosen which belongs to the family Moraceae (the Mulberry family) to know the atmospheric air pollution in our surroundings and the heavy metals (lead, copper, nickel) deposition on the leaves of the trees through Atomic Absorption spectrometry. The ultimate aim of this work is to bio monitor and correlate the existing particulate matter present in the atmosphere and heavy metal deposition in the Ficus religiosa tree leaves of selected sites of Chennai city. The findings could be used for further studies about pollution monitoring and improve the tolerance in future.

Geochemical contamination of heavy metals and health risk assessment of coastal sediments along the North Chennai to Pondicherry, India using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF)

The present work aimed to assess the contamination and human health risk assessment of heavy metals (HMs) in 21 sediment samples collected from the North Chennai to Pondicherry coastal area of Tamil Nadu using total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (TXRF). Enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor (CF), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were calculated to estimate sediment contamination. The average concentrations of HMs (mg kg−1 dry weight) were: Al (4305.12), V (25.77), Cr (15.08), Mn (83.39), Fe (4539.77), Ni (2.89), Cu (2.67), Zn (9.46), As (2.81), Hg (0.05), and Pb (0.92). Results of EF indicated no enrichment with Al, Ni, and Pb, moderate enrichment with V, and severe enrichment with As and Hg. Based on Igeo, all sediment samples showed unpolluted with HMs (except As and Hg). Based on total lifetime cancer risk (LCR), there are no significant health risks for people in the study area from carcinogenic Cr, As, and Pb.

Groundwater hydrogeochemical assessment in and around the northern part of the Chennai city, South India

In the present study, 50 groundwater samples from the bore wells and tube wells, were collected in North Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India during the premonsoon (June 2021) and postmonsoon (January 2022) seasons and their physicochemical properties were assessed. The majority of the physicochemical characteristics with the exception of electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl-) and sulphate (SO42-) were determined to be within the world health organization (WHO) standards for drinking water. The water quality index (WQI) was assessed and given one of six categories, from excellent to unfit for consumption. Gibb's plots showed that evaporation was the dominating type, while Piper and Chadha models predominantly showed sodium-chloride (Na-Cl) kinds. The interaction of freshwater and seawater has been observed through an ionic ratio analysis. In accordance to a groundwater quality research conducted in the study region, practically in all the sample locations, the levels of standard plate count (SPC) total coliforms (TC) bacterial contamination were higher than the acceptable guidelines (WHO). Water management and treatment policy decisions can be made with the support of water quality analysis which can also help to identify potential health issues.

Prevalence of Handwriting Difficulty among Second Grade School Students in North Chennai: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background: Handwriting is one of the important skills, i.e., a child needs to meet the needs of the elementary school classroom. Handwriting difficulties affect children’s school performance. The prevalence of handwriting difficulties among the school children was 34%. Handwriting, a complicated perceptual-motor skill, requires a variety of talents, including visual-motor coordination, motor planning, cognitive and perceptual skills, as well as tactile and kinesthetic sensitivity. A child spends 30%–60% of their school day performing fine motor activities, mainly handwriting activities. Occupational therapy services are often recommended for children with handwriting problems. Handwriting interventions commonly focus on learning, acquisition, and maintaining a new skill. Thus, this study interprets the handwriting difficulties among school-going children. Objective: The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence of handwriting difficulty among second grade school students in North Chennai. Study Design: The study design was a cross-sectional study. Methods: The students were selected based on the selection criteria. Multistage sampling method was used. The North Chennai wards were chosen first, and then, the areas within them, using the table of random numbers. The lottery method was used to choose a total of 9 schools and a total of 821 students were included. Prior to the child’s participation in the study, the parent’s consent was obtained. Then, the Screener of Handwriting Proficiency and student assessment were administered to all the participants. The collected data were analyzed and results were inferred. Results: Handwriting difficulty was prevalent among 240 students which accounted to be 29.2% of second grade students, while 581 students with 70.8% were found to have without handwriting difficulty. Out of 459 male students, 172 students (37.5%) and a total of 363 female students, 68 students (18.8%) have handwriting difficulty. Comparatively, male students were found to have more difficulty than female students. This difference of observation was identified statistically significant which denotes gender contributing factor with respect to handwriting difficulty. Conclusion: This study concludes that handwriting difficulties were more prevalent in boys than in girls. Errors in memory were more remarked when compared to other components and placement component was found to have least errors.

Nutritional status impacting academics among school children in selected schools of North Chennai

Abstract Background: Though numerous variables affect academic performance in children, one of the primary underlying causes is poor nutrition. Nutritional status determines how the body develops, how the mind works, and how one behaves and hence should be given sufficient priority in growing children. The likelihood of acquiring type 2 diabetes is becoming more common in children and adolescents with poor nutrition and unhealthy eating habits. Aim: This study aimed to determine the nutritional status of girls and boys studying in grade 9 and the influence of nutritional status with respect to achievements in academics. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive study done based on the permission obtained in a private school located in North Chennai. The sample of 210 children of grade 9 was selected based on their academic performance, socioeconomic status, age, type of school, sex, family size (siblings order), and parent’s educational status randomly. Data were collected in the form of questionnaire to understand the impact of nutritional status influencing academic achievements. Results: Of the 210 participants studied, the nutritional status among boys and girls was perceived differently (P &lt; 0.01). The nutritional status with respect to parental education and sibling order also had a significant difference (P &lt; 0.01). There was a positive correlation between academic achievement in the quarterly and half-yearly exams and the nutritional status of the students. Conclusions: The study report clearly indicates that there is a relationship between the nutritional status of the children and their academic achievement. The nutritional status of children has also an impact on their risk of developing diabetes.

Effect of prediabetes on tuberculosis treatment outcomes: A study from South India

Background and aimsThe aim was to assess the effect of prediabetes on tuberculosis(TB) treatment outcomes. MethodsThis is a prospective observational cohort study of 569 eligible new smear positive cases screened for DM between 2014 and 2018 in TB units in North Chennai, South India. Based on study criteria, a total of 187 subjects were included and categorised into two groups: TB with normoglycaemia (groupI) (HbA1c<5.7%) and TB with prediabetes (group II) (HbA1c = 5.7–6.4%) and followed them at 3rd and 6th month and treatment outcomes were assessed at the end of the TB treatment. ResultsTotal cure rate was 72.7% with no significant difference between the groups. Higher proportion of deaths occurred in group II (6.3%) compared to group I (1.3%) (p = 0.09). At the end of intensive phase of directly observed therapy (DOTS) treatment, about 23.8% were observed to have positive sputum smear in group II compared to 8.6% in group I(p = 0.019). The estimated relative risk to remain as sputum smear positive among people with prediabetes at the end of intensive phase was 3.0(95% CI: 1.2–7.6). There was a significant association found with HbA1c at enrollment and unfavourable TB treatment outcomes (β = 1.38, [odds ratio (95% CI) 3.98(1.65–9.64); p = 0.007]. ConclusionDeath rate was high and there was a delay in sputum conversion among TB patients with prediabetes at the end of the intensive phase of TB treatment. HbA1c at the time of diagnosis of prediabetes was significantly associated with unfavourable TB treatment outcomes.

Determination of natural radioactivity and the associated radiation hazards in beach sediments along the North Chennai to Pondicherry coastal area, India

Determination of natural radioactivity and the associated radiation hazards in beach sediments along the North Chennai to Pondicherry coastal area, India

Tamil Film Representation and Real Identity of North Chennai

Tamil Film Representation and Real Identity of North Chennai

Cutaneous Manifestations Associated with COVID-19 Infection in a COVID-Designated Hospital in North Chennai - A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affects different organ systems, including the skin. There are reports on cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 available in the literature. In this study, we have tried to describe the dermatological signs of COVID-19 in different categories of patients. A descriptive cross sectional study was conducted to describe various cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 in different categories of reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-positive COVID-19 patients in a COVID-designated tertiary care hospital. Approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee, and 5460 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19-positive patients were included under five categories. Investigators following a strict COVID protocol examined and documented the findings. Investigations and treatment were carried out as per the protocol, and the study was conducted for a period of 6 months. Out of the 5460 patients studied, 1.9% patients had cutaneous manifestations. Vasculitis (24%) and maculo papular rash (19%) were the common findings. The incidence of vasculitis was 44.4%, 61%, and 6.6% in categories A, B, and C, respectively. Maculopapular rash and urticaria were the common findings in categories D and E, respectively. COVID digit was seen in only one case. Other manifestations such as acne, adverse drug reaction, erythroderma, and bullous disorders were also noted. Cutaneous manifestations because of vascular pathology were the most common association in severe COVID-19, which indicates that the presence of vasculitic skin signs correlated with disease severity and elevated d-dimer values. Urticaria and maculo-papular rash were transient and did not give any clue to the diagnosis or severity of the disease.

Heavy metal accumulation in selected fish species from Pulicat Lake, India, and health risk assessment

Heavy metal pollution in aquatic systems has become a major problem worldwide. The present study was designed to assess bioaccumulation of metals, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cr, in fish species such as Lutjanus fulviflamma, Chanos chanos, Arius sp., and Terapon jarbua, commonly present in the Pulicat Lake, a brackish water ecosystem located in north Chennai coastal region, southeast India. Mean concentration of Cu and Cr in the sediment samples were 123.1μg/g and 90.1μg/g, respectively. The order of metal prevalence in water and sediment samples were Pb>Cr>Zn>Cu and Cu>Cr>Pb>Zn, respectively. However, in fish samples, the order of metal accumulation was Cu>Cr>Zn>Pb. Mean concentration of Cu in L. fulviflamma, C. chanos, Arius sp., and T. jarbua was 10.5μg/g, 25.5μg/g, 19.0μg/g, and 23.6μg/g, respectively. Mean Cr concentration in the animals varied from 1.19μg/g to 23.1μg/g with highest accumulation in the liver of Arius sp. In general, maximum accumulation of metals is mostly observed in the gills of the organisms. Although the concentration of Cu and Cr in the muscles was above World Health Organization’s permissible limit, the Estimated Daily Intake values were below the standard reference dose which means that the muscle tissues of the fishes are safe for human consumption.

Effect of School-Based Educational Interventions on the Knowledge of Malaria and Dengue Among Higher Secondary School Children in Chennai, India: A Pre and Post-intervention Study.

Introduction: School children are a means to reach and sensitize the community on the prevention of seasonal diseases such as malaria and dengue. The current study aims to determine the impact of school-based educational interventions on the knowledge of students toward the prevention and control of malaria and dengue in higher secondary schools.Methods: This pre- and post-intervention study was conducted in three higher secondary schools in Zone IV, North Chennai, from September to December 2021. A total of 284 students in the age group of 13-17 years participated in the study. School-based educational interventions were delivered through PowerPoint-assisted lectures, participatory group activities, and demonstration of mosquito larvae and their control. The impact of the interventions as the change in knowledge level was analyzed using McNemar’s test, with a p-value of <0.05.Results: Educational interventions led to the improvement in knowledge about malaria symptoms, such as fever (43.7% to 76.1%; p<0.001), chills (45.1% to 82.4%; p<0.001), and headache (46.1% to 86.6%; p<0.001), and the knowledge of Aedes mosquito bites as the cause of dengue transmission enhanced (41.9% to 92.2%; p<0.001). Similarly, there was an increase in knowledge on the identification of vector mosquito breeding sites inside the house (11.9% to 67.9%; p<0.001) and outside the house (10.9% to 69.7%; p<0.001) and mosquito net usage (21.5% to 76.1%; p<0.001) after the interventions.Conclusion: School-based educational interventions had a significant impact on enhancing the knowledge on the prevention and control of malaria and dengue among school children. Involving school children can strengthen existing malaria and dengue prevention and control strategies in endemic areas.

Quick Predictions of Onset Times and Rain Amounts from Monsoon Showers over Urban Built Environments

Predicting the onset times of precipitation over densely populated cities for the purposes of timely evacuation is a challenge. This paper explored a flooding event over an urban built environment in a South Asian mega city, Chennai, where extant urban planning models rely on predicted rainwater amounts for early warning and impact assessment studies. However, the time duration of flooding events is related to the nature of the urban sprawl in the built environment. Any evacuation measure is invariably tied down to the time duration over which the precipitation event occurs, and therefore to the expected time of a precipitation event to begin. In this context, a crucial parameter useful to municipal authorities is the onset time of precipitation. This study used optimised analytical formulations to predict this time, and the derived analytical expressions for the case study yielded comparable times estimated from a computer-intensive full-scale large eddy model within an accuracy of 2%. It is suggested that municipal authorities (who are non-experts in fluid mechanics) use this early prediction for the purposes of quick alerts to a congested city’s most vulnerable citizens within urban sprawls. However, for the procedure to work at its best, it involves a two-stage procedure. The first step involves the use of a parcel model to obtain the expected cloud droplet spectral spreads based on the prevailing dynamical characterisations. The second step involves an optimisation procedure involving cloud spectral properties from the first step to quantify both the auto-conversion rates and the threshold. Thereafter, an onset time calculation based on cloud properties is estimated. These new results are cast in closed form for easy incorporation into meteorological applications over a variety of urban scales. Rain mass amounts were also predicted analytically and used to configure Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System (ARCGIS) to compute low drainage flow rates over the vulnerable parts of Chennai city. It was found that heavy precipitation over the North Chennai region yielded discharge rates to the tune of ~250 m3s−1 during a 24 h period, causing intense flooding in the low-lying areas around the Cooum River basin with a large population density, with estimates sufficiently corroborating observations.

Tracing the Evolution of Street Foods in North Chennai: A Critical Analysis of Changing Street Food Culture in Chennai

Tracing the Evolution of Street Foods in North Chennai: A Critical Analysis of Changing Street Food Culture in Chennai

Assessment of Oral Health Care Needs among Fishermen Living in North Chennai, India – A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Studies conducted among fishermen shows that there was a high prevalence rate in Oral mucosal lesions. However, data on oral health care needs among fisherman is scarce. Hence this was undertaken to obtain a data that can be used to plan programmes for the prevention and treatment of such oral mucosal lesions in the fishermen.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A study was carried out among 71 fishermen after obtaining clearance from the institutional ethical committee and concerned authorities. A self administered questionnaire is distributed among the study group comprising questions relating to personal history and deleterious habits. Clinical examination was carried out using mouth mirror, explorer and under proper illumination. Oral health examination was done using WHO Basic Oral health Assessment proforma, 2013. Data collected and analysed statistically using SPSS software.&#x0D; Results: Among the 71 fishermen, 56(78.9%) were males and 15 (21.1 %) were females. In the study population, 44(62%) were tobacco chewers, 39(54.9%) were snuff users, 24(33.8%) were alcohol consumers and 19(26.8%) were smokers. Smokeless tobacco (41.5%) was the most common deleterious habit after which by alcohol consumption (33.8%) and smoking (26.8%).The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions was 20.8%.It was found that statistically significant association existed between the deleterious habits and leukoplakia.&#x0D; Conclusion: According to the our study, the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions was 20.8% among the fishermen who had a clear association with deleterious habits such as tobacco chewing, smoking, alcohol consumption and snuff.

Groundwater contamination with heavy metals in Chennai city, India – A threat to the human population

The goal of this research was to learn more about heavy metal pollution in groundwater in North Chennai during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The total no. of 108 groundwater samples were utilized for this study retrieved from both dug and bore wells. The analytical results indicate that all the determined trace metals show wide spatial and temporal variations. Spatial variation is mainly due to the different sources of contamination, and temporal variation is mainly due to the influence of rainfall and the associated changes in the hydrogeochemical conditions. The abundance order of trace elements based on average ionic concentration in pre-monsoon is Iron (Fe)> Manganese (Mn)> Chromium (Cr)> Copper (Cu)> Lead (Pb)> Nickel (Ni)> Zinc (Zn) and during post-monsoon Fe>Mn>Pb>Zn>Cr>Cu>Ni. Nemerow’s pollution index (NPI) gives an idea about the range of pollution for individual water quality parameters concerning a standard value. Our result showed that North Chennai city is polluted by Lead in both seasons.