Pallavaram Children Take Toxic Tour Of North Chennai For Puppetry Project
On July 18, fifteen children from the Narikurava community in Pallavaram embarked on a "Toxic Tour" of industrial North Chennai to gather research for an upcoming year-long puppetry production on environmental degradation. The production, titled "Enge Engal Nadhigal" (Where Are Our Rivers?), will feature the children as the primary scriptwriters and storytellers.
The tour was organized by Agai – Theatre of Voices, a Chennai-based collective, in collaboration with the Vettiver Collective and the Chennai Climate Action Group. During the cross-city journey, the children traveled to the industrial north of the city, where they observed thermal power plants, oil refineries, and the Adani Port. The initiative aimed to show the children firsthand how development and air pollution impact the everyday lives of local residents.
Rather than acting as a standard awareness program, the tour allowed the children to act as researchers. The information they gathered will be used to shape the script of "Enge Engal Nadhigal." Over the course of the next year, the children will develop the performance and eventually travel to various parts of Chennai and other cities to raise awareness about disappearing rivers and ecological damage.
Agai – Theatre of Voices has been working with the children from Pallavaram for two months, focusing on creative engagement rather than rigid academic lessons. Founders Tittu and Nambi Srinivas, who are both trained social workers, established the collective in 2023 to provide a platform for social and environmental justice.
The founders explained that their methodology involves sitting with the children, making puppets, and listening to their stories. According to Tittu, the puppets became a space where the children could speak freely about environmental topics, such as forests and rivers, without being prompted.
While financial uncertainty remains a challenge for the young collective, Agai plans to continue its collaborative work. The group is also involved in other local environmental initiatives, including the upcoming March for Marshlands rally scheduled for July 25 at Besant Nagar Beach.
