Corporation evicts pavement dwellers in Egmore

The Greater Chennai Corporation evicted close to 50 families who had been residing on the pavement close to Egmore Railways station. The families allege that they had been given no notice of the move and that their belongings had been bundled and taken away. The evicted families were residents of Egmore for close to five decades. After the eviction they are currently housed in a Corporation shelter near Pattalam with the promise of permanent housing in 10 days.

The evicted families returned to the site of their shanties the following day and staged a protest demanding proof of permanent housing to be offered to them. Some of the families remained in the shelter while others made their demand heard. There was also uproar about the treatment of residents at the shelter, with food being delivered to them in battery-operated vehicles used to transport garbage. The local MLA I Paranthamen intervened after protests to assure that adequate arrangements will be made for the evicted residents. 

Source: The New Indian Express | The Hindu

Plastic waste conversion plant in the city

The first plant to convert plastic waste to fuel oil is set to be operational near the Kodungaiyur dumpyard by the end of this month. The civic body plans to set up more such plants in a public-private partnership model to tackle plastic waste in the city. A second such plant is set to come up in Sholinganallur. The plant can handle a capacity of 20 tonnes of waste and can run around the clock. The plant will use the method of pyrolysis to handle plastic, wood and tyres. 

In recent weeks the civic body has clamped down on plastic use in the city and revived its efforts to implement the plastic ban. Despite the ban being in place since January of 2019, the city still sees the use of single-use plastic to a great extent. The civic body has fined shops and manufacturers in recent weeks to prevent the widespread use of plastic in the city. 

Source: The Hindu

Read more: Two years since the ban, plastic is back in a big way. Is COVID the real reason?

Real time MTC bus tracking on the cards

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) is set to launch the much awaited real-time bus tracking feature through an app. The Locate and Access My Bus (LAMB) app will allow commuters to track their buses real time and provide information on the estimated time taken for the journey. The app is at the testing stage and will be made available to the public in the coming months. 

The MTC’’s LAMB app is part of a larger upgradation of its digital capabilities under the Smart Cities Mission. The bus fleets are now equipped with GPS devices that will feed into the LAMB app. This will help MTC track its buses and also supply information necessary for depot management. 

Source: The Hindu

Monsoon preparedness works in the city

As the onset of the Northeast monsoon is expected around October 27, the civic body is working in full swing to implement all monsoon preparedness measures. Zonal level officers have been appointed to coordinate and oversee the works across the city. The Corporation’s 31 canals across the city have been desilted with the desilting work ongoing in the stormwater drain networks at present. Tree pruning is also being carried out ahead of the onset of rains.

The civic body has also repaired 722 manholes and 69 stormwater drains that have suffered damage. Around 469 kms of the city’s 695 kms stormwater drain networks have been desilted. The Corporation is also working with other agencies such as the Southern Railways to implement flood prevention measures such as the creation of culverts in flood-prone areas. 

Source: The Times of India | The Hindu | DTNext

Read more: Monsoon is here; is your area among those listed ‘vulnerable’ by GCC?

IIT-M under the scanner for treatment of stray dogs

The management of the Indian Institute of Technology – Madras (IIT-M) has come under fire for the poor treatment of stray dogs in a facility run by the institute on campus. A total of 185 dogs have been captured by the management from its premises citing threats to public health posed by COVID-19. At that time, the management stated that the dogs under their care have been captured to carry out vaccination and deworming. However, during the recent incident where three dogs from the shelter were brought for treatment, it was found that they had not been vaccinated or dewormed and had not been fed food or water for a while. 

After uproar from animal rights activists, the Health Minister Ma Subramanian visited the shelter. During the visit it came to light that 30% of the dogs captured had died at the shelter with no post-mortem conducted for any of the 57 dogs that had died. 

Taking cognisance of the issue, the Madras High Court had directed the state government to ensure that this shelter on the IIT-M campus was shut. A final verdict on the issue is expected in November. 

Source: The Hindu | The NewsMinute

Also read

• In pictures: Chennai’s lakes get monsoon ready
• CAG Brand Audit: Who’s the biggest plastic polluter in the city?

[Compiled by Aruna Natarajan]