Articles by News Desk

This summer, Bengalureans faced another gruelling water crisis. So much so that residents even in core areas of the city had to start buying water from private tankers. And in outer areas, even private tanker supply was inadequate. We had earlier published a guide on building recharge wells to capture rainwater this monsoon. Another way to meet your water requirement is by treating and reusing the greywater generated in your household, especially if you live in an independent house. What is greywater? Greywater is simply soap water; it's the wastewater from bathrooms, washing machines etc. Greywater does not contain much…

Over 90% of suburban rail stations yet to get CCTV The shocking incident of another young woman hacked in the suburban station of Chetpet has turned the focus on security in many of the stations.  Following a similar incident in Nungambakkam station in 2016 where a woman techie was stabbed to death, the Railways had hurriedly installed a closed circuit televion (CCTV) camera  at the station. Railways sources have said that out of the 136 stations identified for CCTV coverage in 2011, only 8 have had them installed, while the work on the other stations have slowed down. Chetpet incidentally…

Transport Department against carpool platforms The Transport Department has warned against the use of private cars for carpooling. The warning was in response to the launch of the carpooling service rPool by the online bus ticketing platform redBus. Using the rPool platform, car owners can offer rides in their private cars, and in turn get reward points that they can redeem at a fuel station or Amazon Pay. The service would also benefit passengers since the fares are lower than that of autorickshaws and cabs, claims the platform. However, Transport Department officials say there is no legal provision to allow…

Schools ask students to bring their own water From residences to hotels, Chennai has been gasping for water supply. The looming water crisis has put schools, hostels and mansions in a fix. Some of the schools in Chennai have asked students to bring their own water to manage the water situation. Parents are worried that this will add to the burden of already heavy school bags. According to official data, students in around 907 government funded schools depend on piped water supply and never carried water bottles in the past. Meanwhile, Chennaites hope for some respite as the neighbouring state…

  BBMP plans property tax hike BBMP may hike property tax rates anywhere between 15 to 30 percent this financial year. This plan comes soon after a power tariff hike and a proposed water tariff hike in the city. S P Hemalatha, Chairperson of the BBMP Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, said that the last property tax revision was three years back, in 2016. She said that BBMP was facing a fund deficit of over Rs 1200 crore, and hence they decided to hike property tax which was the Palike's main revenue source. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations…

25 schools in Chennai and suburbs unrecognized Over 5900 schools in the state including 25 schools in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts are being run without No-Objection-Certificate (NOC) and recognition of the school education department. The department had asked all private schools to upload details of recognition on the EMIS portal, and according to the details received, 5902 schools in the state have not renewed the recognition. Parents have been advised to look up the school education department website to know the recognition status. Source: New Indian Express City to get 500 mld till November despite the impending water crisis The…

Work begins on Vellara Jn-Pottery Town Metro line Work on the 5.63-km underground Metro stretch from Vellara Junction to Pottery Town began on May 30th. L&T had been awarded the project, worth Rs 2628 crore, to build the tunnel and stations along this stretch. The company has 42 months to complete the project. The stretch is part of the Gottigere-Nagavara line of Metro. The iconic Fatima Bakery and Hotel Tom's, as well as a portion of the All Saints Church, will be demolished for the project in spite of protests by citizens. Work on the stretch is expected to worsen…

Relief for Chennaites as tanker lorries call off strike The already water-starved city had a shock when the private water tanker lorries called for a strike from May 27, following the crackdown on tankers tapping groundwater from the city’s outskirts.  The Tamil Nadu Private Water Tanker Lorry Owners’ Association has now decided to postpone the strike after talks with the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department. The 4500 private tankers draw water from the farmlands in Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts. Taking advantage of the acute water crisis, the association is also putting pressure on the government to grant them permanent…

May 28th is World Menstrual Hygiene Day, and around this time, government organisations focus on menstrual health. Increasingly, there are conversations and programmes around Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). While this is a welcome change, these programmes often end up communicating that the only “good” way to manage periods is by using disposable sanitary pads. Many organisations and schemes donate pads or make them available at a subsidised rate. The pads are laden with chemicals that are extremely harmful to health and create havoc in the waste management world. Menstrual cups and cloth pads are a healthier, cost-effective, comfortable and trash-free…

  BWSSB: There's enough water, don't panic The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) says there is enough water available in reservoirs for Bengaluru, and hence there is no need to panic. The city's water sources now are the Krishna Raja Sagar dam and the Kabini river. These can service the city with drinking water till June end, says BWSSB. In a recent drought advisory to six states including Karnataka, the central government had warned that water shortage in the dams has dropped to critical levels. While areas served by BWSSB have got more or less regular supply this…