The world has achieved some great heights by now. Living standards in India have definitely improved. While we define development with access Mc Donald's, KFCs etc, for this cobbler on the sidewalk of Chennai, it's an advancement from Rs. 5 to Rs. 20 per pair of shoes that need repair.
Chennai Municipal Corporation takes pride in the newly beautified walls. But the poor working conditions of some citizens under its jurisdiction is less of a concern and more of a blotch on the decorated walls.
He does a good job of it, however. Can be located from morning 1130 am till night 730 pm near Nandanam signal. In the evening, it's only the street lights and the traffic that provide him the light to do his work.
This 19th century site is an important site, historically and otherwise as the oldest running oil well in the world. In fact the place is so rich in crude oil that it still naturally oozes out of the ground in the premises of the museum.
The place is surrounded by villages and cattle roam freely. Even otherwise, it's a photographer's paradise with undisturbed vegetation, unexplored forests and jungles. You might even get lucky and spot an occasional cheetah or a panther. The refinery was actually built in the midst of pristine pure forests, so there is no dearth of wildlife or indigenous vegetation, wide varieties of orchids, plants, fruits, birds. It's simply heaven and the most self sufficient that any place could ever be. Under these circumstances, health and environmental concerns should have been taken seriously and the Assam Oil Corporation could have taken some steps to clean up and maintain the area, since they're exploiting the most of it.
