CHENNAI BUZZ

September may finally see water crisis resolution With the Mettur dam fast filling up and discharge likely to increase in a few days, the Veeranam tank is expected to receive inflows in 10 days. Heavy rains in the adjoining states of Andhra and Karnataka have also brought respite to the water-starved city, creating a steady increase in the water levels at the reservoirs. Krishna water supply from the Kandaleru reservoir in Andhra Pradesh will help boost the storage in the city reservoirs. Chennai currently is managing with drinking water supply of 525 million litres on alternate days. The city is…

Comply with helmet rule or shell out Rs.1000 as fine The city traffic police will soon start levying fines on two wheelers that violate the helmet rule, as per the Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill. To avoid confrontation with the public, the police have issued a warning to adhere to the rule or shell out Rs.1000 as fine (up 10x from the current fine of Rs 100).  The police have said that there needs to be an attitudinal shift in the mindset among the public, that safety is more important than convenience or fashion. According to the new rule, pillion riders must…

Flood mitigation project gets central nod The Central government has given its nod for a comprehensive flood mitigation project and has recommended it to the World Bank for loan assistance. The project that is expected to take off in six months will help reduce the vulnerability of several localities to floods in different river basins, including lower Palar, Araniyar, and Kosasthalaiyar. Additional storage of nearly 4.76 thousand million cubic feet will also be created to cater to the drinking water needs of the city. Various structures, including check dams, recharge wells and sub-surface dykes, will be constructed in rivers as…

Welcome relief as Chennai records excess rainfall After the longest ever dry spell experienced by the city, the southwest rains have brought in much-needed relief for the city over the last couple of months. According to reports, Chennai has also recorded excess rainfall of over 50% since June. Though the rainfall has been in short isolated spells, the few short and heavy spells in the city and suburbs have statistically resulted in excess rainfall this southwest monsoon. The Meteorological department has forecast more rains during the nights in the coming days. Weather experts have also predicted more rains in the…

Groundwater extraction without permission might invite action Hearing a public interest litigation petition filed against the illegal withdrawal of groundwater from private lands at Pidarithangal village in Poonamallee Taluk of Tiruvallur district, the Madras High Court has directed the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department to submit details on the number of permits issued across the city. The judges also pointed out that Section 5 of the Chennai Metropolitan Area Groundwater (Regulation) Act of 1987 mandates that any person who wants to extract groundwater for any purpose other than domestic and transport it through lorries should make an application to…

Private contractors roped in to maintain stormwater drains Amidst complaints against the maintenance of stormwater drains before the monsoon, Chennai Corporation is all set to privatise the maintenance work for these. The contract, expected to be implemented within a year, will see private contractors clean the drains periodically, create awareness and ensure that leaks are plugged. The Corporation Commissioner said that the contract will not only regularise cleaning but also ensure that illegalities are removed. The total length of stormwater drains in the city is 1894 km. Source: The Times of India City to get water from Jolarpet from July…

Rain brings respite against heat, but no relief from water crunch Amid cheers on social media celebrating the arrival of scattering rains across Chennai, the city has got respite from the gruelling heat. But the wait for water continues. The bone dry lakes, temple ponds and water bodies were partially filled, but the water table in the city is yet to see a significant rise. Incidentally, residents who had taken rainwater harvesting a little seriously enjoyed the instant benefit of the rains, however light. Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department has forecast that the city may experience showers over the weekend. Nungambakkam…

Chennai sees rain after almost 200 days Chennaites took to social media to express their happiness and celebrate the sudden showers that caught the city by surprise on Thursday. Though it lasted for a few minutes only, it brought some respite and hope for heat-struck, water-starved Chennai. The city has recorded more than 10 hot days so far this month, when the day temperature crossed 40 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the quality of water in the city has changed to become very hard. As the water table too steadily declines, wells are being dug far too deep, leading to over-extraction, which…

Over 90% of suburban rail stations yet to get CCTV The shocking incident of another young woman hacked in the suburban station of Chetpet has turned the focus on security in many of the stations.  Following a similar incident in Nungambakkam station in 2016 where a woman techie was stabbed to death, the Railways had hurriedly installed a closed circuit televion (CCTV) camera  at the station. Railways sources have said that out of the 136 stations identified for CCTV coverage in 2011, only 8 have had them installed, while the work on the other stations have slowed down. Chetpet incidentally…

Schools ask students to bring their own water From residences to hotels, Chennai has been gasping for water supply. The looming water crisis has put schools, hostels and mansions in a fix. Some of the schools in Chennai have asked students to bring their own water to manage the water situation. Parents are worried that this will add to the burden of already heavy school bags. According to official data, students in around 907 government funded schools depend on piped water supply and never carried water bottles in the past. Meanwhile, Chennaites hope for some respite as the neighbouring state…