CHENNAI BUZZ

Recycling sewage, the only resort for Chennai Poor show of north-east monsoon and dry summers have become the new order in Chennai. As water scarcity turns out to be a burning problem, researchers from Anna University’s Geology department feel that recycling sewage water could be an effective and viable solution. According to ‘Predicting future water supply-demand gap with a new reservoir, desalination plant and waste water reuse by water evaluation and planning model for Chennai Mega City’ published in Elsevier’s Groundwater for Sustainable Development in October 2018, the city’s water woes can be solved by next year through recycling sewage…

2019 to begin with plastic ban The High Court has dismissed the writ petition seeking a stay on government's move to ban plastic of use and throw products. With this, the city is expected to begin the new year on an environmental friendly note. The government had banned 14 items including  plastic carry bags, plastic sheets used for food wrapping, dining table spreads, plates, plastic-coated tea cups, tumblers, water sachets, plastic straws and plastic flags, irrespective of their thickness. Justices S. Vaidyanathan and P.T. Asha observed that there should be a total ban that extends to the currently exempted products…

Clean Marina on top priority for the officials Following the directions of the Madras High Court, Corporation Commissioner D Karthikeyan along with the police commissioner took a walk along the Marina to inspect and take stock of the progress on the clean-up works. From streamlining vendors to stepping up security through CCTV surveillance, work along the world's second longest beach is on at a fast pace. The High Court has directed the civic body to ensure a clean Marina before the new year. Source: The Times of India GCC news: More worms out of the can A recent RTI filed by NGO…

Phethai may give Chennai a miss again, but heavy showers likely Cyclone Gaja gave Chennai a near miss but devastated large parts of coastal Tamil Nadu. Now, a low pressure has started brewing in the Bay of Bengal. Named "Phethai", the powerful tropical cyclonic storm is expected to be the most intense in Andhra Pradesh. Even though it may move towards AP, Chennai may get heavy showers, bringing in much relief to the dry spell the city has been having. Source: The New Indian Express | Times of India Drive against encroachments around lakes 57 lakes in the city will…

Private sewage tankers go on mass strike Nearly 350 private sewage lorries in South Chennai went on an indefinite strike early this week to protest against the hike in rates for discharge of sewage loads at Perungudi treatment plant. Chennai Metrowater has recently hiked charges from Rs 100 to Rs 250 for sewage disposal at its Perungudi sewage treatment plant.  The plant is the sole point of discharge for these tankers, which collect sewage from hotels, multi-storeyed apartment complexes and households from Tambaram, Guduvancherry, Medavakkam, Jaladarampet and along the OMR and ECR stretches. The Perungudi treatment plant receives nearly 208 sewage…

421 families displaced from Chintadripet Around 421 families living in Navalar Nedunchezhian Nagar along the Cooum river in Chintadripet were evacuated with the help of the police. The evacuation drive that is likely to continue till the end of this week is part of the Cooum river eco-restoration project. Residents of the settlement are worried about their children's education with just a few weeks left for the half yearly examination. Meanwhile, a resident of the area has moved the Madras High Court to restrain authorities from evacuation without providing alternative accommodation. Over 7,500 families living along the river have been…

Rain brings relief, but not enough to combat water crisis The intermittent showers in the city since early this week, brought on by low pressure over the Bay of Bengal, came as relief for the water-starved city, but wasn't enough to tide over the situation. The overnight rains around the city reservoirs brought only minimal water flow into the reservoirs, which will meet only four days of supply to the city. Officials of the Water Resources Department said the combined storage of the reservoirs stood at 1,697 million cubic feet (mcft) against the capacity of 11,257 mcft on Thursday (November 22nd)…

Gaja spares Chennai with mild showers Cyclone Gaja passed between Nagapattinam and Vedharanyam in Tamil Nadu, crossing six districts in its entire cycle. Uprooting several trees with wind gusting at a speed of up to 120 kmph, Gaja crossed in the early hours on Friday casting a heavy spell in the surrounding areas, leaving over 25 dead. Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday announced a grant of ₹10 lakh each for the families of those who lost their lives, ₹1 lakh for the severely injured and ₹25,000 for those with minor injuries. Earlier this week, Gaja was at…

SC rule on bursting crackers flouted The Supreme Court order on the two-hour window for bursting crackers and the subsequent directive from the TN Government stipulating one hour each in the morning and evening did not deter Chennaites from enjoying Diwali their way. Most parts of the city went on with the celebrations as usual, unmindful of the apex court order. Tamil Nadu police have registered around 1500 cases on those who violated the SC rule, including 342 cases in Chennai alone. However, despite violations, the average particulate matter level was way below this time, compared to last year according…

One hour in the morning and evening is when you can burst crackers in Chennai The Supreme court has allowed Tamil Nadu to set its own time period for bursting crackers but with the rider that it cannot exceed two hours a day. The order has come further to the plea by the TN Government to the apex court citing festival practices in the state. Further to this, the state government has notified that crackers shall be allowed between 6 am to 7 am and 7 pm to 8 pm.  The apex court in response said the state government, if it…