Articles by News Desk

Monsoon preparedness works in the city The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has intensified its monsoon preparedness drive following rains lashing the city through the week. Officials have begun conducting inspections of stormwater drains across the city. Equipment necessary to pump out water in case of water logging is on standby with the civic body earmarking 807 pumps for this purpose. Earth movers have also been placed at river mouths in the city. Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi has also said that close to 92% of the city’s 696-km stormwater drains have been desilted in the runup to the monsoon. Despite these…

Colaba-Seepz Metro Will Be Tested at Marol-Maroshi Route By Next Year Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday, September 30th, announced trial runs of the Colaba-SEEPZ Metro rail line 3 in Mumbai that will be held underground at Marol-Maroshi, outside the Aarey green belt. "The trial runs for the Metro line 3 will be done underground at Marol-Maroshi, outside the Aarey area; later, the train will be run on the Colaba-SEEPZ line as well. After the trial runs, 31 such trains will run on the route" he said. He also instructed officials that not a single tree in Aarey should…

Many Bengalureans don't think of the city as a biodiversity hub. But school students who participated in the 'Biodiversity in my Bengaluru backyard' contest challenged this notion. The contest was organised by Citizen Matters, in collaboration with the conservation magazine Mongabay-India and the apartment management software platform ADDA. Students in grades 9-12 were invited to submit articles or photos/videos of biodiversity in their premises. The best entries were announced at a virtual event on September 18th. Read more: "To protect nature, start at home": Bittu Sahgal Best entries - 'Article' category The following students were selected for submitting the best…

Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC), a citizens' group, in collaboration with Karnataka government's Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), released a report on their 'Livelihood Cyclists Survey', on September 30. The report highlighted the needs and requirements of the cyclist while he/she is riding the cycle across the city, to understand their concerns regarding traffic on the roads, parking facility and other infrastructure. Cycling is one of the most sustainable modes of transport with zero dependence on fossil fuels, zero emissions, making it an affordable transport option. Bicycles have always had an important role in the informal sector, especially in…

City of 1000 Tanks intends to develop a Water Balance Model across the city by collecting rainwater, treating wastewater and runoff pollution with decentralized Nature-Based Solutions, and by recharging the underground aquifer to make Chennai water-rich. City of 1000 Tanks has an immediate, midterm and long-term vision for Chennai’s water security. Based on a unique Water Balance Model the project will harvest rainwater and treat wastewater and runoff pollution before recharging into the underground aquifer. This is achieved by people-friendly and culturally appropriate planning, made possible through aesthetically beautiful nature-based systems. The project will be rooted within the local context…

ICMR recommends phased opening of schools ICMR has recommended vaccinating children aged 12 and above as they face a higher risk of COVID-19 infection. In its latest set of recommendations, ICMR has suggested a phased opening of schools and implementation of multi-layered mitigation measures to ensure students' safety. An article published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, said that though children aged between one and 17 had similar susceptibility as adults to mild COVID-19 infection, the risk of severe disease and fatality in children remains low. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has also released detailed guidelines…

Beautification work by Corporation Several beautification projects have been initiated in the city across localities by the Chennai Corporation. A new fountain at Marina beach has been completed and another such structure is under construction near the War Memorial and Egmore Railway Station. As part of the drive, several areas including the T Nagar pedestrian plaza will receive additional lighting. On the cards is also a facelift for parks across the city including the famous Maadi Poonga. A park with fountains is planned near Mint Flyover at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crores. Dynamic lighting has also been proposed for…

Schools, colleges to reopen from October 4 Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar has issued strict guidelines for the city's schools which are set to open for Grade 8 - 12 on October 4. The guidelines included mandates such as contact sports are disallowed, all schools and colleges have to be connected with nearby Covid centres, follow one seat for one student policy, and have 50 students capacity per class. What the SOPs are missing, as some experts point out, is how underfunded civic schools will be supported by the BMC to carry out some of these procedures. According to a Citizen…

First electric bus unveiled Bengaluru’s first electric bus, nine-metre-long and non-AC, was unveiled by Transport Minister B Sriramulu. The bus can run 120 km on a single charge, and carry 33 passengers. The BMTC (Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation) had got the e-bus built by the Uttar Pradesh-based JBM Auto Limited.  This is the first of 90 electric buses to be inducted by BMTC by December. Each bus will cost Rs 90 lakh, of which about Rs 60 lakh is contributed by grants from the Smart Cities Mission. Over the next three years, the fleet might expand to 500. The first…

On September 21, two women died in a fire that broke out at their apartment in Devarachikkanahalli. The balcony of their apartment unit was enclosed with metal grills, and hence they had no escape route. The lack of fire safety is a concern in many Bengaluru apartments. Here’s an explainer on how to make your apartment fire-safe, and what to do in case of a fire. What can Management Committees do? First, the Management Committees in apartments have a crucial role to play. They should: Ensure the complex is fire-safety compliant, as per the National Building CodeConduct audits of fire…