COVID-19: Walkie-talkie for healthcare workers, number of fever camps to be increased, PPEs dumped at Kodungaiyur

On July 3rd, Chennai recorded 2,082 fresh COVID cases, taking the state’s total to 4,329 for the day. Meanwhile 2,357 recovered and 64 patients succumbed to the disease in the state on the same day.

Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital has distributed 20 walkie-talkie devices and 20 mobile phones to healthcare providers in COVID wards for better communication. According to the hospital Dean Dr E Theranirajan, each floor will have a common phone number with which doctors, staff nurses and others on COVID-19 duty can be contacted. Relatives of COVID patients can also dial in and speak to the patients. 

With the number of people visiting fever camps in Chennai having increased, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to increase the number of camps. As many as 11,736 camps have been conducted in Chennai that saw a footfall of 7.41 lakh people; 33,090 cases of Influenza-like Illnesses (ILI) were reported till July 3rd. The camps also collected 29,051 swab samples for COVID test. For every ward, the civic body has arranged two camps, and four in hotspots. Further, the corporation plans to introduce two/three more Siddha centres in the city.  

To track patients who are home quarantined, the civic body has rolled out an application named HQIMS (Home Quarantine and Isolation Management system) that will have basic details of people in home quarantine.

For the welfare of construction workers, the civic body will soon deploy mobile medical units across 15 zones that will screen people at construction sites. It has requested the Department of Public Health, Tamil Nadu, for deputing more doctors and nurses. 

Biomedical wastes such as PPEs, masks and goggles used by frontline workers on COVID duty are reportedly being dumped at the Kodungaiyur dump yard by the civic body lorries. Waste pickers in the yard stated that the lorries regularly dump the safety kit in pits. It may be noted that unsafe disposal of biomedical wastes pose a huge threat. According to the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, the kits should be incinerated. 

Source: The Hindu | The New Indian Express

Chennai gets a new CoP

In a major rejig of IPS officers in Chennai, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal took charge as Commissioner of Police, Greater Chennai City, this week, while his predecessor, A K Viswanathan, was posted as Additional Director General of Police, Operations. 

Soon after announcing about an online public grievance system, Mahesh took to Twitter to announce redressal through a video call. He can be reached at 63691 00100 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 12 noon and 1 pm.

Source: The Hindu

NGT appoints a committee to review Kadaperi lake

A joint committee has been appointed by a National Green Tribunal bench comprised of Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta, to inspect Kadaperi lake in Tambaram and estimate the environmental compensation for violations and the damage caused. Due to encroachment, the water body has shrunk to 40 acres. Originally, the lake was spread across 65 acres. 

A project worth Rs 3.5 crore, submitted by the Tambaram Municipality, to desilt the water body has not been completed. The water body resembles the infamous Cooum river now, with sewage from the Tambaram Municipal area, Tambaram Railway Colony and MTC Workshop all draining into the lake.

Source: The Hindu

Chennai Peripheral Ring Road project update

The State Highways Department has initiated the land acquisition project for the Chennai Peripheral Ring Road, which connects Ennore Port to Mahabalipuram. The project will be executed in five sections and the construction phase will begin by 2020-2021.

Notification for acquiring 59,608 square metres of land at Polivakkam village (Thiruvallur) has been given. This part, the third section, connects Thiruvallur bypass with Sriperumbudur on the Chennai-Bengaluru highway.

• First section: Ennore Port to Thatchur on NH-5 (25.50 km stretch)
• Second section: Thatchur on NH-5 to the start of Tiruvallur Bypass (26.25 km) 
• Third section: Thiruvallur Bypass to Sriperumbudur on NH-4 (29.55 km)
• Fourth section: Sriperumbudur on NH-4 to Singaperumalkoil on NH-45 (24.85 km) 
• Fifth section: Singaperumalkoil to Mahabalipuram on East Coast Road (ECR) (27.50 km)

Source: DTNext

80 locations identified for multi-level parking project

Eighty sites have been identified for kickstarting the multi-level parking project under the Smart City Mission. In the first phase, the civic body will carry out work in 38 locations, which are located in the vicinity of transport hubs. Consultants have been invited for preparing a detailed feasibility report. The purpose of the project is to design off-street parking space for 2 lakh four-wheelers and 2 lakh two-wheelers in Chennai.

Source: DTNext

Compiled by Bhavani Prabhakar