CHENNAI BUZZ

Flood mitigation works pick up steam In the run-up to the rainy season in Chennai, Water Resources Department (WRD) has lined up flood mitigation works, especially in sensitive areas like the rivers of Cooum, Adyar and Kosasthalaiyar, apart from Buckingham Canal. The work includes expanding Adyar and Kosathalaiyar rivers, removing silt, and setting up drains and new pipe culverts. Those found occupying areas in and around the rivers are set to face eviction, confirmed WRD. Source: DT Next Read more: Chennai wetlands key to flood mitigation: Are we doing enough? Namakku Naame Thittam projects yet to get funds from Chennai…

104 accident hotspots identified in Chennai Chennai police have identified 104 accident hotspots in the city. Ranked second in terms of fatalities due to road accidents, Chennai saw 5,034 accidents and 998 deaths last year as per the data from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Commissioner of Police (CoP) Shankar Jiwal, who addressed the media persons on September 8th, said that a special task force, which might turn into a road safety authority, has been formed. The special task force constitutes officials from six departments including corporation officials, highway department engineers, traffic police personnel and IIT professors who will work…

Schools under Greater Chennai Corporation to be revamped ICT for teacher development, infrastructure, classrooms and school management systems will be revamped in 80 schools run by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). The timeline for the project is six months. Around Rs. 174.91 crore has been allocated for revamping the schools under the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) and Singara Chennai 2.0.  The revamping includes a greater focus on homework, remedial sessions and weekly tests.  Additionally, GCC plans to build 3600 classrooms and get 4000 more dual desks for the schools. GCC has already bought 10,000 dual desks…

GCC to create 28 new playgrounds In a welcome move, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has planned to construct 28 new playgrounds with several amenities across the city. It would be made free for the public. A sum of Rs 29.4 crore has been allotted to construct the playgrounds.  Ten of these playgrounds will come up in the first phase of the project. In a bid to make it more accessible for people from the economically-weaker sections, the GCC has planned to set up these grounds near Urban Habitat Development Board colonies. As a pilot, a playground has been created near the KP…

Greater Chennai Corporation cracks whip on unauthorised hoardings The civic body removed 1705 unauthorised hoardings out of a total of 1800 hoardings across the city. The frames that hold these hoardings were also removed. Thiru vi ka Nagar had the most number of illegal hoardings with 355. Around 200 hoardings in the zones of South Chennai, including Perungudi, Sholinganallur and Alandur were also removed. Manali had the least number of unauthorised hoardings, with only 10 hoardings in the Zone. This initiative was part of the mass cleaning drive organised in Chennai, which saw the participation of 877 volunteers and 133…

Madhavaram bus terminus to become a net zero emission zone soon The Madhavaram Mofussil Bus Terminus (MMBT) in Chennai is set to become the first terminus to earn the “Net Zero Carbon Emission” status in Tamil Nadu. Member-Secretary of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), Anshul Mishra, said that the bus terminus would completely switch to green energy. A study on offsetting carbon emission by opting for an on-grid solar power plant system and achieving net zero carbon emission status for the terminus was recently completed by CMDA. Following the success of the project, Kilambakkam and Kuthambakkam bus termini will also…

More air quality monitors to be set up in Chennai To check the air pollution levels in the city more efficiently, five more Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), budgeted at Rs 7.08 crores are likely to be set up across the city. Four stations would be placed in industrial and residential areas, while one would be at the seat of the civic body at Ripon Building. A decision on the locations will be arrived at by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). The Fifteenth Finance Commission has released Rs 91 crores for the city under the National Clean Air…

International Chess Olympiad inaugurated in Chennai The 44th International Chess Olympiad was inaugurated in Chennai by PM Modi, in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. . The Olympiad is scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 10 at Poonjeri Village in Mamallapuram. A five-tier security arrangement was made in view of the PM' visit, with the Greater Chennai Police also deploying 22,000 police personnel. The Olympiad was handed over to PM Modi and CM Stalin by five-time world chess champion, Viswanathan Anand. The Olympiad is being held in India for the first time. There has been…

GCC plans pedestrian plazas on KNK Road and MC Road Khader Nawaz Khan Road (KNK Road) in Nungambakkam and MC Road in Old Washermanpet are slated to become the sites for the next two pedestrian plazas after Pondy Bazaar under the Mega Street Project. The civic body has drawn plans to revamp MC Road into an open mall and parking space. No vehicles will be allowed to pass through the road. However, there will be a path for cyclists. The pedestrian plazas on MC Road and KNK Road would be implemented at a cost of Rs 23 crore and Rs…

COVID vaccine booster doses available at government hospitals The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicines sent instructions to all deputy directors of health services to administer Covid vaccine booster doses to people in the 18-59 age group in all government centres on July 15. “Booster shots will be made available and mega camps will be held once every two weeks to complete vaccination in 75 days,” said health minister Ma Subramanian. This is on the heels of an announcement made by the Union Government on offering booster doses free of cost for those under 60. Source: The Times of India…