Greater Chennai Corporation plans to clear abandoned vehicles
In a joint operation with the police, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) plans to clear the city’s streets of all abandoned vehicles. The drive will cover 471 bus routes roads and 40,000 streets across Chennai and is aimed at reducing congestion.
As a first step, GCC plans to count the number of abandoned vehicles across 15 zones. Then, the owners of the vehicles will be sent a notice providing two weeks to remove the vehicles. After this time period, the GCC and the police will seize the vehicles.
Details such as the registration numbers of the vehicles seized will be published online and in the media. Vehicles that are not claimed by anyone will be auctioned by the local body.
Source: The Hindu
Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme to expand scope of work
The Greater Chennai Corporation is considering the expansion of the scope of work under the Tamil Nadu Urban Employment Scheme (TNUES). The additional tasks that can be assigned to workers include working in the nursery in the Communicable Diseases Hospital in Thiru vi ka Nagar. Workers will be provided with the necessary training in horticulture before being assigned the work.
At present, desilting stormwater drains is the only work assigned to the TNUES workers in Chennai. But the tedious and manual nature of the work has been harsh on women workers. The lack of toilets and drinking water amenities has burdened the workers.
Experts urge that the TNUES policy must be shaped in a manner similar to the rural MGNREGA scheme.
Source: The New Indian Express
Read more: Will the Urban Employment Scheme in Chennai end the woes of urban poor?
Chennai Corporation dumps waste in Pallikaranai marshland- a Ramsar site
The waste management contractor engaged by the GCC has been found dumping garbage in the Ramsar-tagged Pallikaranai marshland recently. Conservancy workers dumped waste in newer parts of the marshland, going against the rules of conservation.
The boundary that separates the dumpyard and marshland has not been clearly marked, making it difficult to check where waste is dumped.
GCC officials denied the claim of illegal dumping, adding that they have extended the dumpyard boundaries but there will be no further expansion.
Environmentalists recommend that a study to detect heavy metal concentration be conducted near the dumpyard. The plants and water bodies in the surrounding areas have been found to be contaminated due to the presence of the dumpyard.
Source: The Times of India
Eviction on Marina Loop road met with protests by fish vendors
Following an order by the Madras High Court, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) carried out evictions along a section of the Marina Loop road. Fish vendors along the western side of the Loop road were evicted.
Fisherfolk protested the move by dumping the day’s catch on the road, calling for a halt to the evictions. Business came to a halt as customers stayed away due to the chaos.
The fisherfolk in the area have raised their voices against evictions as they have been selling fish at this spot as far back as 1945. On their part, the authorities claimed that only a section of the shops will be evicted and the others will be allowed to continue selling fish on Loop road until a complex being built in the area is readied.
A stakeholder meeting has been called by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), after which the civic body will decide on its next move.
Source: The New Indian Express
Read more: Why fisherfolk in Chennai are opposed to beach beautification projects
WRD to commence Phase 2 flood mitigation work in Porur lake
Phase 2 of the flood mitigation work in Porur lake by the Water Resources Department (WRD) is set to commence in May. The project will cost Rs. 88 crores.
A new channel will be created from Gerugambakkam to link the stream on the Gerugambakkam-Pozhichalur road with the lake. It will better the water channels around the lake, says a WRD official.
Due to localities like Mugalivakkam, Moulivakkam and Ramapuram suffering heavily due to flooding during the 2021 monsoon, WRD is planning to work on the upstream stretches of Porur lake.
Source: DT Next
[Compiled by Padmaja Jayaraman]