Many government departments have to converge to make Chennai work! In addition there are few NGO’s that are doing some very significant work to make the changes at Policy level and also at ground level.
Chennai Trekking Club
Though the group is into trekking. They do a lot of Volunteering. The famous Chennai beach cleanup is done by the efforts of this group. The group was founded by Peter Van Geit a Belgian now settled in Chennai. The group has many sub groups doing dedicated work on Running, Cleaning, Garbage Segregation, Ultra Marathon runners, Blood donation, Organic farming etc… More details about them can be found on their website at http://www.chennaitrekkers.org/
Chennai Volunteers
A volunteer group that works on a wide range of activities. A very good point to start looking if you are new to the volunteering space. Chennai Volunteers is a social initiative that aims to foster civic engagement and ensure that non-profits can engage with volunteers in a sustainable and meaningful way. More details at http://chennaivolunteers.org/
Chennai City Connect Foundation
A non-profit foundation working in the Urban Planning Area in Chennai. They work with with the Greater Chennai Corporation and the Transport Department. They have been working with the Government for almost 8 years now. For more details check http://www.chennaicityconnect.com
C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group
C40 Cities is a network of the world’s largest mega cities. Chennai is a C40 city. The organization is involved in assisting cities to plan their climate change plan. http://www.c40.org
ITDP India
ITDP India is a non-profit foundation headquartered in New York. They work with the Greater Chennai Corporation to improve the quality of the sidewalks. They bring outstanding Global expertise in areas like Bus Rapid Transport, Parking and Cycle Share to Chennai.