NGT slaps local body with Rs 8 lakhs fine
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has slapped the Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat with Rs 8 lakh fine for improper waste management. Taking note of the flouting of Solid Waste Management (SWM) norms, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) formed a committee to conduct a probe and recommend solutions. The body has directed the TNPCB to impose fine.
The under-fire Panchayat was found to have rampantly violated the regulations as bio-medical wastes and domestic wastes were frequently disposed along the roads. The Panchayat stated that the face-off between the self-help group that has been handling the waste and officials as the reason behind the poor waste disposal mechanism.
Source: The Times of India
Also Read: Chennai is missing the most important piece in the waste segregation puzzle
Waste Exchange portal to go live end of Feb
Launched in 2019, the Madras Waste Exchange portal is expected to go live by the end of February. The development of the website we delayed due to the pandemic.
As of now, the registration of new members is not open yet, whereas the existing members can only log into the website and cannot place their orders.
Since January, a team has been exclusively working on the website development. The key aim behind the development of the Madras Waste Exhange portal is to reduce the quantity of garbage that ends up at the two dumpyards in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur.
Source: The New Indian Express
Also Read: Here’s how Chennai’s novel Madras Waste Exchange is incentivising recycling
FOB along Marina
The civic body plans to construct a foot over bridge (FOB) that helps fisherfolks to reach the other side of the road as part of the Marina Loop Road project. This exercise is being undertaken as part of its efforts to beautify the Marina beach with guidelines from Madras High Court.
The proposed structure will help fisherfolk reach the new fish market that is being built by the corporation. Two months ago, the civic body proposed the construction of a new market along with shops and parking facilities to address the bottleneck in the locality.
Although the government agency is marching forward with the project, the fishermen continue their protest against it.
Source: The Times of India
Metro extension project to be inspected
The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) will inspect the phase 1 Metro extension project in North Chennai between January 31st and February 2nd.
Early last week, officials from CMRS visited the city to check the technical specifications and inspect if the stations had been constructed according to the prescribed standards.
Over the course of the visit, the team will inspect aspects of safety such as access to emergency exits, dimension of tunnels and walkways and inspect automatic fare collection gates, passenger information display system, ticketing maching, etc.
Source: The Hindu
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- Why persons with disability are unhappy with Chennai Metro
- Why Chennai Metro needs to pay more attention to use of public space
[Compiled by Bhavani Prabhakar]