Laasya Shekhar

Chennai

Principal Correspondent at Newslaundry

Special Correspondent @ The South First. Bylines: TNIE, Mongabay India, Citizen Matters, Newslaundry, Deccan Chronicle. Pluviophile. Fantasiser. Story teller.

Articles

As heat waves sweep India, cities shockingly short of long-term response measures

1 week ago | thefederal.com | Laasya Shekhar

A heatwave is sweeping across North India with states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat expected to see temperatures soar above 40 degree Celsius. The country is bracing for a harsh summer ahead – the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that the summer of 2025, spanning April to June, will experience above-normal temperatures across most parts of India.
Inside Tamil Nadu's Bid to Save the Glorious Hornbills of Western Ghats

2 weeks ago | thequint.com | Laasya Shekhar

Tamil Nadu has announced the establishment of a first-of-its-kind Centre for Excellence in the Western Ghats to conserve hornbills, magnificent yet vulnerable birds known for their fascinating nesting habits. Western Ghats is home to four species of Hornbill: the Great Hornbill, the Malabar Grey Hornbill, the Malabar Pied Hornbill, and the Indian Grey Hornbill. The population of at least two of them are fast depleting due to habitat loss and degradation.
Non-BJP States Lack Funding Despite Medals

1 month ago | thequint.com | Laasya Shekhar

Tamil Nadu produces more top athletes than any other state. Yet, the state lacks basic infrastructure. At the time of writing, Tamil Nadu had won 24 gold medals at the ongoing Khelo India Para Games, currently underway in New Delhi. The state ranks second—both in terms of gold medals won and overall medals earned. In the 2024 Olympics, Tamil Nadu sent six athletes in 4 x 400 metres relay, who gave the season’s best performance. That was the highest number of athletes for any state.
Khelo India, but Not All Are Invited: Non-BJP States Lack Funding Despite Medals

1 month ago | flipboard.com | Laasya Shekhar

7 hours ago Mob in janitor uniform storms Chennai YouTuber's home, dumps human excreta in vicious attack CHENNAI: A mob in sanitary workers' uniforms barged on Monday into the Chennai residence of YouTuber Savukku Shankar, dumping buckets of slush, … 4 hours ago The Hindu Morning Digest: March 25, 2025 I won’t apologise, I don’t fear this mob: Kunal Kamra Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who is in the eye of the storm over a joke he made on Maharashtra … 2 hours ago MeT office forecasts rise in...
Chennai’s last lung space: Nanmangalam Lake faces an ecological emergency

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Shobana Radhakrishnan |Laasya Shekhar |a Bachelors

Catching a glimpse of the Indian Eagle Owl is not a rarity for birders and nature enthusiasts who frequent the Nanmangalam Lake and the surrounding forests. Yet, this privilege is under threat as the lake’s once-thriving ecosystem faces severe environmental degradation. Fed by rainwater from the hillocks of the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest, the lake — spread over 200 acres — is now ravaged by encroachments, illegal water extraction, sewage and garbage disposal.
Winter pollution crisis in Indian megacities: What the CSE report says

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Laasya Shekhar

You and every citizen frustrated by potholed roads, air pollution, garbage—in short our broken cities. Citizen Matters is India’s leading Civic Media Platform. We dig into the “why” and “how” behind issues plaguing our cities and neighbourhoods—and spotlight solutions. But we go further. We focus on citizens driving change and their strategies and bring you a playbook for better cities.
From awareness to action: SSTCN's fight to save Olive Ridley turtles

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Laasya Shekhar

What started as a cool activity in the 1970s—a group of college students going on night walks to protect freshly laid turtle eggs—has, half a century later, evolved into a crucial conservation movement. The Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN) now plays a key role in the conservation of the Olive Ridley turtles along the Chennai coast. Their awareness efforts have been so impactful that these night walks are flooded with people of all ages, particularly children and young adults.
Caught in the tides: Can Chennai protect its Olive Ridley turtles?

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Laasya Shekhar |Shobana Radhakrishnan |Harshitha Padmavinod

Chennai witnessed an unprecedented environmental disaster this year, as more than 1,000 dead Olive Ridley turtles washed ashore in January. The mass mortality event has put the Forest and Fisheries Departments, along with voluntary organisations, on high alert, prompting collaborative efforts to strengthen Olive Ridley turtle conservation.
Compulsory Cauvery connections won't solve Bengaluru water crisis: Citizens, experts

1 month ago | citizenmatters.in | Sandhya Bhat |Laasya Shekhar

As summer intensifies, Bengalureans are once again worried about their taps running dry and the possibility of steep hikes in tanker water prices. Water shortage could be critical this summer in 80 wards, according to a study released by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) last month. The study, resulting from a collaboration between BWSSB and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), predicted a sharp decline in the groundwater levels of these wards by April.
Indian Women Dry Fish With the Power of the Sun, in the Palms of Their Hands

2 months ago | thexylom.com | Laasya Shekhar

On a breezy December afternoon in the village of Mudasal Odai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, fisherwoman Anasuya Indrakumar leisurely plaits her teenage daughter’s hair in the front yard of her thatched home instead of her usual chore of drying the fish. Nearby, her husband mends damaged fishing nets, while a stray dog eats the leftover scraps. The ocean waves rhythmically crash on the beach while peacocks squawk and forage for food.