Civic

The role of residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) in solving civic problems in the neighbourhood is undeniable. Active RWAs not only help in bringing about positive changes in civic life in the area, but also enhance awareness of rights and duties among the larger citizenry. But how does one form an RWA where none exists? What are the powers of such an RWA? Who can become office bearers? How are by-laws framed?  This FAQ tries to answer the most common queries with regard to forming a welfare association. What is a Residents’ Welfare Association and how is it formed? An RWA…

In August 2019, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike had invited citizen groups and other organisations in Bengaluru to adopt streets. Under this volunteer initiative, the adopter has to maintain streets and ensure their visual cleanliness. Nearly one-and-half years later, the project is yet to kick off. D Randeep, Special Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) at BBMP, says the delay was due to COVID and that the programme would likely be resumed in the first week of February. “During COVID, we did not want people to come out together and do community work, which would be required under AASI. Before COVID, we…

“If you walk two feet you will bump into a person here and we were all advised to maintain physical distance over the past year,” says Radha R of Perumbakkam, underlining the challenges and irony of the lives of those living here. But this, Chennai’s largest resettlement colony, with 21,000 homes and close to 18,000 families in residence, could yet be set for expansion. On January 2 2021, PM Modi laid the foundation for the Centre’s ambitious affordable housing scheme, the Light House Project, that is set to add a further 1152 houses to the already packed Perumbakkam resettlement colony. …

“To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves." -- Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi Suchitra Akella, an ex-employee of HSBC, planted her terrace garden five years ago when she was pregnant with her second child. “Although I had ornamental plants while living in a flat, I was worried about managing the terrace garden,” says Suchitra. “My initial efforts failed many times. Then V S Kumar, Naresh and Shastry from the Rythu Mitra gardening group provided great support. The horticulture department was also helpful. Now, we source fresh produce directly from our terrace vegetable patch at…

Delhi: Institutional quarantine for people arriving from UK As flight services to United Kingdom (UK) resume, an Air India flight comprising of 246 members landed in Delhi on 8th January 2021. Earlier, the government imposed a ban on flights from India and UK due to a new COVID-19 mutant virus found to be present in the UK. As per the new order, only 30 flights a week will be allowed to operate till 28th January 2021. The Delhi airport has advised passengers to keep a gap of at least 10 hours between their flight from the UK and the connecting…

GCC to form road safety cell In a bid to prevent accidents in Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has planned to form a road safety cell. The body would analyse the reasons behind mishaps and propose exhaustive solutions. The aim of the cell is to halve the number of accidents in the city by they year 2026. Tenders have been called for the appointment of a consultant. Improving roads, public transport infrastructure and reinforcing road safety norms are some of the focus areas. It is to be noted that the state government undertakes initiatives to enforce road safety. With…

2% land transport cess on property tax BBMP has decided to levy a 2% land transport cess on property tax from April 1. The cess was approved by BBMP administrator Gaurav Gupta and the Urban Development Department. The proposal had been approved by the previous BBMP Council in 2018. BBMP hopes to rake in up to Rs 80 crore annually from the cess. However, the BBMP cannot utilise the Urban Land Transport cess internally but must transfer it to the DULT (Directorate of Urban Land Transport) once in three months for the upkeep of pedestrian paths, bicycle tracks and other…

There are nearly 750 TASMAC outlets in Chennai district. As the sale of liquor is entirely controlled by the state, these outlets are the only vendors of alcohol for everyone across the city. A sizable portion of revenue of the state government comes from the sales made by these outlets. Even during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the limited number of shops that were opened raked in revenues in crores each day. Despite protests in various parts of the city and across the state, the state government has not kept its promise of closing down many TASMAC outlets. With…

One UK returnee tests positive for new strain One of the returnees from the UK to Chennai has tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus. State Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan stated that the patient was quarantined soon after the arrival and isolated after the results of genomic analysis. The mutation, which is believed to have originated in thr UK, has higher transmissibility. As a measure of caution, non-essential flights to and from the UK have been banned until January 8th to contain the spread of the new strain. Source: The Hindu 15 grade separators to come up in…

Ambattur sees a flurry of activity in its neighbourhoods every day, as the suburb is still expanding. It was one of the zones to be brought under the Chennai Corporation as recently as in 2011. As part of the development of the suburb, several roads and streets are widened in the area from time to time.  If there is one major pain point despite all the efforts to ensure civic amenities, it is the location of electricity poles, distribution pillars and transformers across Ambattur. The placement of these utilities routinely defy a lot of rules and cause much inconvenience.  Electric…