Greater Chennai Corporation cracks whip on unauthorised hoardings
The civic body removed 1705 unauthorised hoardings out of a total of 1800 hoardings across the city. The frames that hold these hoardings were also removed.
Thiru vi ka Nagar had the most number of illegal hoardings with 355. Around 200 hoardings in the zones of South Chennai, including Perungudi, Sholinganallur and Alandur were also removed. Manali had the least number of unauthorised hoardings, with only 10 hoardings in the Zone.
This initiative was part of the mass cleaning drive organised in Chennai, which saw the participation of 877 volunteers and 133 elected representatives. The cleaning drive also included clearing condemned vehicles, scrap and waste.
Source: DT Next
Read more: Why Chennai has not been able to get rid of illegal street hoardings
Few takers for T Nagar Multi-Level Car Park
Chennai Corporation hiked the charges for on-street parking three times over that of the Multi-Level Car Park (MLCP) in T Nagar. Current hourly charges for on-street parking stand at Rs 5 for two-wheelers and Rs 20 for four-wheelers.
Despite the MLCP charges being less, many motorists prefer parking on the streets. Visitors to the shops remarked that it is convenient to reach their vehicles easily after shopping if they park on the street.
Apart from lowering the charges of the MLCP, the attendants in the facility also take time out to describe the services to attract more users. To encourage more people to use the MLCP, the corporation plans to limit parking spaces on the street.
Source: The New Indian Express
A slew of programmes to celebrate Madras Day 2022
In the wake of Madras Day on August 22, many events are scheduled till early September, from heritage walks and talks to quizzes. Madras Day is commemorated to celebrate the heritage of Chennai.
Madras Musings is organising a talk with chess player Aaron Manuel. There is also a live concert of Kollywood music on the lines of activism, among other events. Apart from this, videos about the traditional games of Chennai will be launched by Kreeda. The schedule of all the events can be found on the website of The Madras Day.
Source: The Hindu
Read more: Celebrating Madras Day with fascinating facts about the city
GCC to assess flood preparation at the ward level
With the northeast monsoons around the corner, GCC is set to inspect more than 568 neighbourhoods which are at risk of floods. The assistant engineer of every ward has been instructed to note the status of water management and flood mitigation in their areas.
The officials will study 2078 km of existing drains and revamp 200 km of old drains. Around 1055 km of drains are also being desilted in Chennai.
The Corporation Commissioner has given directions to seal illegal sewage connections flowing into stormwater drains. The sealing process began in April 2022. Currently, there are 10,664 illegal sewage inlets in the city.
Source: The Hindu
Nitrogen dioxide concentration rises in Chennai
According to data from the National Clean Air Programme, an initiative of the Central Pollution Control Board, Chennai has recorded an all-time increase in nitrogen dioxide concentrations in the air. In March 2020, the NO2 level was 9.24 microns per cubic metre, which has increased to 12.80 microns per cubic metre, as of June 2022.
Read more: Lockdown relaxed, NO2 pollution up: Here’s what it means for every Chennaiite
Although the NO2-level cap set by CPCB is 40 microns per cubic metre, it is alarming to see Chennai being highly polluted due to its thermal plants. Studies show that inhaling NO2 for a long time can flare up asthma symptoms, and long-term effects leading to death.
Source: The Times of India
[Compiled by Padmaja Jayaraman]