Corporation raids commercial units for plastic usage
The corporation has seized over 11.6 tonnes of plastic bags, primarily from shops in Alandur, Adyar, Valasaravakkam and Kodambakkam. The civic body also collected ₹19.45 lakh as fine from the violators of the ban, in the 15 zones of the city.
Raids were conducted in various locations, covering 20,423 commercial establishments. The civic body seized 72.76 tonnes of banned plastic from commercial units during the period from January 1 2019 to January 22 2020.
Source: The Hindu
Corporation to levy fee for garbage collection
Residents, commercial establishments and event companies will have to pay cleaning fees to Corporation from April onwards, according to a resolution passed by the civic body under the Solid Waste Management bye-laws 2019. The fee ranges from ₹10-100 per sq ft for residences, ₹300 – 3000 per sq ft for government and private offices and ₹3000-20000 per sq ft for commercial establishments.
Penalties for littering have been fixed at ₹500 and for unauthorized dumping of construction waste at ₹2000-5000.
Source: The Times of India
Chennai kids fare poorly in national fitness survey
Around 58% of school children in the city have an unhealthy BMI (Body Mass Index) as per the national survey conducted to assess the fitness levels of children in schools. The survey covered more than 1.4 lakh school children nationally.
Although more boys in Chennai fared better on parameters of BMI, upper body strength and flexibility, girls outdid the boys in lower body strength and aerobic capacity. The survey also found a gap between private and government schools, with children in private schools having a better average BMI than those in government schools.
Source: The Times of India
Fishermen join hands to save the ecosystem
Thousands of fisherfolk from 65 coastal villages have joined hands to form a coordination committee to save the Ennore-Pulicat ecosystem from rapid industrialization. As part of the initiative, Chennai Kalai Theru Vizha has chipped in with a unique concept to help the city realise the importance of Pulicat wetlands.
Pulicat system, Ennore creek and Buckingham canal are designated as ecologically sensitive areas and placed under CRZ-1 (critical for maintaining ecosystem of coast) of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011. However, environmental experts say that the proposed Adani Port and Kamarajar Port’s Coastal Employment Unit would both inflict irreversible damage to an already fragile ecosystem.
Source: The New Indian Express
Rail overbridge work at Velachery to be completed by April
Southern Railway has restarted work on the railway overbridge (ROB) on Station Road near Velachery station and is working towards completing it by April. Besides decongesting the Vijaynagar junction at Velachery, it will give motorists easier access to Rajiv Gandhi Salai and ECR. The overbridge will have 6 arms through which rainwater will drain into the Pallikaranai marsh.
Source: The Hindu
[Compiled by Sandhya Raju]