COVID-19: 18 cases in Chennai, exclusive hospital comes up, GCC screens migrant workers

In a bid to contain the spread of the virus, Greater Chennai Corporation is taking measures on a war footing. The Corporation has begun pasting stickers outside houses and apartments of people who have been home-quarantined.

On March 28 morning, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in Tamil Nadu touched 40. Eighteen of them are positive patients (one recovered and discharged and one yet to be discharged) are admitted to hospitals in Chennai, according to the bulletin issued by the state health department on March 27. The corporation has deployed 14,291 conservancy workers to clear the garbage. The city got a 500-bed hospital with an isolation ward at Omandurar for treating COVID-19 patients.

Clearing the air surrounding the availability of services during the lockdown, GCC stated that Public Distribution System, Aavin milk booths, Amma canteens, grocery shops, vegetable and fruit market, restaurants/eateries (only takeaways), banks and ATMs, petroleum and gas stations, pharmacies, municipal service, hospitals/clinics, oxygen cylinder units, medical equipment, electricity board, metro water and public works’ department will remain open.

Home delivery of cooked food (Swiggy, Zomato, UberEats), all non-essential public spaces, entertainment venues and tea shops will be suspended. GCC is also issuing passes for people and personnel, who come under the essential services category, to function during the lockdown.

Stranded migrant workers in Chennai are being sheltered in 17 camps around the city. The Corporation is holding screening camps to test COVID-19.

Source: GCC Twitter handle | State health department bulletin

Check out the latest coronavirus developments across the country in our daily COVID tracker.

Multilevel parking space to come up in T Nagar

In a bid to facilitate parking in the shopping hub of Chennai, T Nagar, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) is planning to construct a multilevel underground parking facility near Panagal Park. It is reported that the construction will be a part of the second phase of the project. The parking space will be linked with the Panagal Park Metro Station.

“We are planning a three- or four-level underground parking near Panagal Park. It will come up under the junction linking GN Chetty Road and Pondy Bazaar, closer to Panagal Park where the road widens. We may dig up that place and build the park as the road widens,” a metro rail official said.

Source: The Times of India

Paalkeni Lake: Govt given time to remove encroachments

Condemning the lethargic attitude of the government, National Green Tribunal Southern Zone (NGT SZ) Justices, K Ramakrishnan and Saibal Dasgupta, have given one month’s time to remove encroachments in Paalkeni Lake in Pallavaram.

The petition against encroachments and illegal entry of sewage water was filed by Confederation of Organisations for Integrated Urban Development (COIUD), an NGO, in 2015. Following this, a Rs 92-lakh fund was approved for restoration. However, Pallavaram municipality and the revenue department did not take any initiatives towards that end. The NGO stated that the lake has shrunk to 10 acres now from 35 acres and also complained about groundwater contamination.

Source: The Times of India | The News Minute

HC permits water extraction sans licence till July 31

The Madras High Court granted permission for the state government to authorise packaged drinking water bottling companies to temporarily function without licences till July 31st.

Hearing the PIL submitted by M V Sivamuthu of Neat India organisation to battle illegal water extraction, Justices Vineet Kothari and R Suresh ruled that the permit should be given only in the areas that are safe and semi-critical with regard to groundwater availability. The PIL was filed against firms that misuse groundwater resources without obtaining license under the Chennai Metropolitan Ground Water Regulation Act, 1987.

The court then directed the bottling units to meet the PWD officials to work out modalities of production and handing over 15% of daily production to the state. It will be supplied to the needy for free in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Source: The Times of India | The New Indian Express

[Compiled by Bhavani Prabhakar]