No more power cuts in T Nagar
Following the installation of two new substations and six new feeders, T Nagar has become a power-cut-free zone. The area has over one lakh connections comprising a mixed load of both domestic and commercial connections. The installation of the aforementioned infrastructure has brought down the overall load of the existing feeders from 80% to 30%.
This helps in back feeding – switching the power supply from one feeder to another – in case of a high load in one feeder. Eventually, the number of calls received in Minnagam for complaints about power cuts has also decreased from 2,206 in December 2021 to 1,219. The facilities were inaugurated by Chief Minister M K Stalin.
Source: The Times of India
145 vehicles with fake number plates identified in Chennai
As many as 145 vehicles with fake number plates were identified during the two-day drive carried out by the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) on January 24 and 25. While 16,107 vehicles were identified with faulty number plates, the violators were directed to change the number plates as per the rules right on the spot.
Of this, 15,962 vehicle owners rectified their number plates immediately and were allowed to go without any changes pressed on them. Meanwhile, the other 145 were detained and are being verified for involvement in any possible offence. The GCTP levies a fine amount of Rs 500 for sporting a faulty number plate for first-time violators. However, the amount gets compounded for repeated offences.
Source: The Times of India
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CMWSSB to hike water and sewer tariff in Chennai
Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has planned to revise the water and sewer tariff by 5% for residential and 10% for commercial buildings from April 1. Earlier the tariff was revised in May 2018. The tariff has to be increased by 5% annually. This was not done so over the past few years due to COVID-19.
The announcement has garnered a mixed response from the residents. Even though the raise in water and sewer tariffs is only minimal, the residents point out that it would become a burden given the increase in taxes and charges by various government agencies such as GCC and TNEB. Meanwhile, the residents in North Chennai have also pointed out that the blanket hike will affect people from low-income communities.
Source: The Hindu
Suburban train users in Chennai affected by delays in upgradation of rakes
The Railways Department completed platform extension work to accommodate 12 car rakes at all suburban stations except the MRTS back in February 2018. Even after four years, the rakes have not been upgraded from nine-car rakes to 12-car rakes.
According to the RTI data accessed by The New Indian Express, around 112 additional suburban coaches are required to run 12-car services in the Chennai-Arakkonam, and Chennai-Gummidipundi sections. This will increase the passenger carrying capacity of suburban trains by 55,000 and 20,000 respectively on these routes. However, the delay in upgradation has affected thousands of passengers who use the service on a daily basis.
Source: The New Indian Express
Read more: Why Chennai’s suburban rail passengers are struggling to get their voices heard
Merger of new areas with CMA delayed due to administrative reasons
The state government decided to expand Chennai Metropolitan Area up to 5,904 sq km from its existing cover of 1,189 sq km for which a government order was passed in October 2022. However, there has been a delay due to the restructuring of human resources by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), says a new report.
While the GO issued in October 2022 was only to allow the CMDA to start the process to implement the merger, the officials have said that all the local bodies that are to be merged with the CMA have to pass resolutions in respective councils giving consent to the merger. The expanded CMA will encompass the whole of the Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Thiruvallur districts, while only some parts of these neighbouring districts of Chennai are under CMA now.
Source: DT Next
[Compiled by Shobana Radhakrishnan]