Panel on Ennore gas leak directs CIL to pay compensation

The seven-member technical committee constituted by the Tamil Nadu government to look into the ammonia gas leak in Ennore in Chennai has directed the Coromandel International Limited (CIL) to pay a fine of ₹5.92 crore to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). The panel confirmed that the leak that occurred on December 26 and affected many local people, was from an under-sea pipeline belonging to the fertiliser plant. The technical committee also recommended that the existing pipeline should be replaced by a new one that has automatic control and advanced systems that can prevent accidents. It also asked the TNPCB to initiate legal action against CIL.

Sources: Times of India | The Indian Express

Read more: Chennai’s Ennore in peril: Residents battle the nightmare of industrial pollution

10-day flower festival set to enthrall the people of Chennai

A burst of bright and beautiful colours will welcome visitors to the Semmozhi Poonga on Cathedral Road from February 10, as the Kalaignar Centenary flower exhibition is going to be held at the botanical garden for 10 days. The highlight of this exhibition is that this time live plants with flowers will be displayed instead of cut flowers. Around 12 lakh flowering plants from across Tamil Nadu, grown by the State’s Horticulture department will be displayed at the flower show, according to the Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, MRK Panneerselvam. The festival will promote native plants. Gardeners worked tirelessly to arrange the flowering plants for the exhibition at Semmozhi Poonga. Tickets are priced at ₹150 for adults and ₹75 for children below 12 years.

Source: DT Next

Mass cleaning drive launched in Chennai

With a view to ensuring cleanliness and good waste disposal practices all over the city, the Greater Chennai Corporation, in collaboration with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and resident welfare associations (RWAs) has initiated a mass cleaning drive at the ward level. The cleanliness drive has been taken up in all the 200 wards. GCC workers along with Urbaser Sumeet employees have been cleaning up garbage from playgrounds, parks and other open spaces. The civic body has asked RWAs to cooperate in the smooth running of the drive and in ensuring that garbage is not indiscriminately dumped in public places. GCC officials are also creating awareness about proper waste segregation and door-to-door collection.

Source: The Hindu

Read more: Lessons from residents’ efforts to remove bins in Valmiki Nagar in Chennai

Food safety officials raid cotton candy shops on Marina Beach

Suspecting chemical contamination through dyes, officials of the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), carried out raids on cotton candy shops on Marina Beach. According to officials, these raids followed reports of similar raids in Puducherry, where examination of the cotton candies revealed the use of harmful dyes that could be dangerous for human consumption. The government has directed the food safety authorities to conduct raids and send the samples to the laboratory to check for harmful chemicals. Similar raids may be carried out in other beaches of Chennai.

Source: The Indian Express

Residents oppose eco-park at Perungudi dump yard

The proposal to build an eco-park on the premises of reclaimed land in the Perungudi dump yard within the Pallikaranai marshland was opposed by Chennai residents, who attended a stakeholder’s meeting organised by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). RWA representatives pointed out that an eco-park at the site would be detrimental as during rains, flood water from surrounding areas drains into the marshland and the park would prevent that. The GCC held the consultation for the biodiversity eco-park, despite an earlier National Green Tribunal order that directed the civic body to move the dump yard to another location, allowing the marshland to be naturally restored.

Source: The Hindu

Also read:

• How Perungudi dump yard has made life difficult for residents in Chennai’s IT corridor
• What do we do with Chennai’s legacy waste?