Articles by News Desk

Viral infections engulf Mumbai This monsoon, severe bouts of illnesses have gripped the city. While COVID cases have dropped, there is an increase in cases of swine flu. Authorities have decided to reduce the prices of swine flu tests - currently standing at Rs 2500-3500. “It costs around ₹2,500 for the swine flu throat swab. For those who are not undergoing the test, we are clinically diagnosing with upper respiratory tract infection and high fever. The fever subsides as soon as we start the anti-viral (Oseltamivir),” said Dr Shekhar Shirvaikar, a family physician from Goregaon. Source: Hindustan Times Environmentalists oppose…

International Chess Olympiad inaugurated in Chennai The 44th International Chess Olympiad was inaugurated in Chennai by PM Modi, in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. . The Olympiad is scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 10 at Poonjeri Village in Mamallapuram. A five-tier security arrangement was made in view of the PM' visit, with the Greater Chennai Police also deploying 22,000 police personnel. The Olympiad was handed over to PM Modi and CM Stalin by five-time world chess champion, Viswanathan Anand. The Olympiad is being held in India for the first time. There has been…

Given Bengaluru's building boom, the city has a vast number of Residents Welfare Associations (RWA). But few RWA members are aware of the complex laws and rules that have to be complied with for transfer of ownership of the building complex from the builder to the RWA. The process of financial, legal, operational and other technical issues regarding the handover can be a long and tedious process.  On June 25th, ADDA, an Apartment Society Management & Accounting Software, in collaboration with Citizen Matters and the Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), organised an event consisting of two panel discussions and sessions on…

There have been various developments around public transport systems in the city over the past year.  The work on Chennai Metro Phase 2 has been underway for a few months, with stations and lines coming up across the city. The proposal to merge the MRTS with CMRL has also moved forward with assent from the government.  The Metro’s rapid development has meant various traffic roadblocks in the city as the necessary infrastructure is being put in place. There have also been issues with the CMRL taking over green spaces such as Thiru Vi Ka Park and Panagal Park.  In addition…

Rise in post-COVID brain disorders Post-COVID-19, there has been a rise in reports of brain disorders, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, Bell’s palsy, insomnia and other behavioural and cognitive issues, said Bengaluru-based neurologists. Neurological complications affecting the brain seem to be the second most common effect. The SARS-CoV-2 virus could affect the lungs and the brain and lead to many complications, including severe headaches, epilepsy or arterial strokes due to altered clotting mechanisms and cerebral venous strokes, peripheral neuropathy, Bell’s palsy, and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). On July 22nd, World Brain Day, this year's theme is “brain health for all”. As part…

GCC plans pedestrian plazas on KNK Road and MC Road Khader Nawaz Khan Road (KNK Road) in Nungambakkam and MC Road in Old Washermanpet are slated to become the sites for the next two pedestrian plazas after Pondy Bazaar under the Mega Street Project. The civic body has drawn plans to revamp MC Road into an open mall and parking space. No vehicles will be allowed to pass through the road. However, there will be a path for cyclists. The pedestrian plazas on MC Road and KNK Road would be implemented at a cost of Rs 23 crore and Rs…

Maharashtra government lifts stay on construction of Metro car shed On July 21st, the new Maharashtra government announced the lifting of the stay on the construction of the Mumbai Metro-3 car shed at the controversial site in the Aarey Colony, a day after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at a meeting with the Consul General of Japan in Mumbai Fukahori Yasukata, assured him that Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded projects would be fast-tracked. The Metro-3 car shed is one of them. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had ordered a stay on the car shed construction in the Aarey Colony on…

Notification on ward delimitation After waiting out the 15 days given for filing objections on the ward delimitation draft proposals by BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike), the government on July 14th issued a final order notifying the new wards and their boundaries. As per the notification, the number of wards in the municipality goes up from 198 to 243. Over 3800 objections filed by citizens and citizen groups had been disposed of. While most suggestions were rejected, a few on new ward names proposed in the draft were accepted. For example, Ward 55 will now be named after Puneeth Rajkumar,…

COVID vaccine booster doses available at government hospitals The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicines sent instructions to all deputy directors of health services to administer Covid vaccine booster doses to people in the 18-59 age group in all government centres on July 15. “Booster shots will be made available and mega camps will be held once every two weeks to complete vaccination in 75 days,” said health minister Ma Subramanian. This is on the heels of an announcement made by the Union Government on offering booster doses free of cost for those under 60. Source: The Times of India…

Tansa dam, which supplies water to Mumbai, is now full One of seven reservoirs in the city, the Tansa dam, has filled up thanks to steady and sometimes heavy rainfall in Maharashtra. However, the dam is now overflowing, which could be dangerous for those living close to it. With a height of 128.17 metres and an overflow level of 128.63 metres, the dam is at risk of rising water levels. Authorities in the area have begun preparations for any outcome in the next few days. Earlier in the monsoon, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had announced a 10 per cent water cut in this…