Coronavirus testing centre to be established in the city
With Kerala reporting the country’s first case of Novel Coronavirus (nCoV), Tamil Nadu is continuing its surveillance measures. A Coronavirus testing centre will be established at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy, in two days.
Director of Public Health K Kolandaswamy said that this forms a part of the plan of the Union Health Ministry to set up 10 more Coronavirus testing facilities in the country.
While screening measures are in place at the Chennai airport, the Chennai port has procured thermal scanners, personal protective equipment and N95 masks. The Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine has issued an advisory for the public on the symptoms of the nCoV and the precautionary measures to be taken. The directorate continues to insist on regular handwashing and surface cleaning in public places.
Source: The Hindu
CMRL in the red; clocked Rs 715 cr loss for 2018-19
A recent study that analysed the annual filing of profit and loss accounts by the Metro rail corporations in seven cities has found Chennai Metro to be the least profitable. The other cities in the study were Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kochi, Gurgaon, Delhi and Bangalore. The net loss reported by CMRL for the financial year 2018-19 was Rs 715 crore, four times its total income over the same period. This figure is for both operational and non-operational lines, while CMRL’s net losses for the period from operational lines alone is recorded at Rs 422 crore in its annual report.
Experts attribute the poor financial performance to low ridership, caused by poor last mile connectivity, delay in commissioning of lines, poor monetisation of non-fare revenue opportunities etc.
Source: The Times of India
Vandalur lake becomes dumping yard for medical waste
Syringes, expired medicines and other medical waste has been found dumped near Manivakkam lake in Vandalur Outer Ring Road. For activist Pugalenthan, it is regular routine to check on the medical waste every weekend who said this is the second time in a month that he discovered such waste concealed under the mud.
There have been similar complaints from residents in Tiruneermalai, Anankaputhur, Kundrathur and Vandalur about the dumping of medical waste in open grounds and water bodies.
Source: The Times of India
Over 2000 shops to be stripped of licences
Over 2000 shops in the city are set to lose their licence as the city corporation has decided to stop the renewal of these licenses. The decision comes after these commercial establishments were found letting sewage to stormwater drains.
All commercial establishments should install CCTV cameras to get trade licences renewed this year. Corporation officials will also direct commercial establishments to provide ramps, as per guidelines of the National Building Code of India, 2005, to help elderly persons and those with disabilities.
The civic body will start renewing trade licenses from February 1 and complete the process by the end of March.
Source: The Hindu
Six weeks to retrieve Marina from encroachment
The city corporation has envisaged a six-week time frame to retrieve the Marina loop from encroachment and to construct a footpath along it. The Madras High Court while receiving the submission also observed that no subordinate court shall entertain any kind of petition or suit relating to Marina beach and Loop Road development, which is being monitored by the high court. A division bench of the Court maintained that the beach will be developed to international standards without interfering with the livelihoods of the fishermen and the latter should also co-operate with the High Court to achieve the objective.
Source: The Times of India
Over 5000 damaged roads in the city to be recarpeted
Many roads damaged due to natural calamities, Metro Water projects and underground sewer network are set to get a makeover as the Chennai corporation is preparing to relay these roads across key stretches such as Nelson Manickam Road and G.N. Chetty Road, as well as in areas such as Anna Nagar, Velachery, Villivakkam and Adyar.
The Corporation has already received approval of ₹338 crore for restoring damaged roads under the Tamil Nadu Urban Roads Infrastructure Programme (TURIP) 2019-20. TURIP’s grant of ₹120 crore and a contribution of ₹100 crore by the Chennai Corporation was also finalised, with the condition that the Corporation Council’s resolution should be obtained before calling for tenders and a common model for bid documents should be adopted while calling for them.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Sandhya Raju]