Civic

Rainfall, groundwater data to be available online Chennai Metrowater Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has expedited work to patch the automatic water gauge and digital water recorder devices. This will help inform residents of the city about variations in the groundwater table as well as the volume of rainfall in their respective neighbourhoods through data available on the CMWSSB website.  According to officials, the rainfall data would be useful to determine how it impacts the level of groundwater table, its quality and also assess over-exploitation of water as it happens. The agency also intends to distribute water based on the…

Bengaluru was 'cleanest' city post Deepavali Karnataka State Pollution Control Board's Air Quality Index data during this year's Deepavali (November 14 to 16) showed that air pollution levels in Bengaluru were lower by 30.34% when compared with the corresponding days last year. With an AQI between 50 and 70, it had the cleanest air among other cities. The most polluted localities on those days were Chandra Layout, Vijayanagar, Hampinagar and Nayandahalli, with an average AQI of around 90. The least polluted areas were the Kempegowda International Airport, Madiwala, Bellandur, Bommanahalli, Yemlur, Koramangala and HSR Layout. There has been a 20%…

Post Diwali, air quality worsens in Delhi-NCR On the night of Diwali (14th November 2020), pollution levels in the national capital rose up to eight times above the safe limit and further worsened on Sunday morning. Air quality in the NCR area was in the 'severe' category due to Diwali celebrations. On Sunday morning at 6 AM, the level of PM 2.5 (particles that are directly inhalable and as small as 2.5 micrometers) in Delhi was 469.3 ug/m3 against the safe limit of 60 ug/m3 as per Indian standards. As of 9 AM on Sunday, AQI (Air Quality Index) for…

Only green crackers are allowed in Bengaluru this Deepavali. Pic: Pxfuel Green crackers allowed during Deepavali Though Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had earlier announced a firecracker ban, on November 6, the state government specified that green crackers could be burst. The National Green Tribunal has also said that only green crackers can be allowed in Bengaluru, which is a 'non-attainment city' in terms of air quality. According to the records maintained by the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), Bengaluru is polluted beyond the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standards. NGT also said it might have to consider issuing directions…

To begin with, a quick update on the pandemic. On November 13th, Chennai recorded 565 fresh COVID cases. The day also saw 681 recoveries and six deaths. And now, for other important news that you may have missed this week: Consultant appointed to chart organisational structure for CUMTA The World Bank has appointed Deloitte as a consultant for charting out an organisational structure for the Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (CUMTA). Reports state that the transport agency is likely to conduct the first meeting before the board meeting, which will take place in February 2021. Deloitte has been entrusted with…

COVID-19: One-third of the population did not wear masks correctly; only one active containment zone in the city On November 6th, Chennai recorded 612 fresh COVID cases and 13 deaths. The day also witnessed 650 recoveries.  A study jointly conducted by the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE) and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) revealed that only one-third of the population within the GCC limits wore masks correctly. The survey, which was conducted from October 16 to 19, covered 3,600 persons from 60 random streets in slum and non-slum localities. The survey found that 28% people wore masks correctly in slum…

Power tariff hiked, water tariff hike likely The KERC (Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission) has approved an average increase in power tariff by 40 paise per unit. The new rates will come into effect from the first meter reading date falling on or after November 1. The FKCCI (Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industries) warned that many industries would shut down due to the tariff hike. The Kassia (Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association) said the hike would be particularly disastrous for MSMEs as they struggle to revive operations amid the pandemic and a severe slowdown in the economy. The…

As India reaches the eighth month of its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, with no foreseeable end, states and urban local bodies are severely cash strapped. A situation, which has been exacerbated by the Central government issuing various orders during and after the lockdown on policy issues strictly within the domain of states, such as prohibiting the sale of alcohol, restricting inter-state and intra-state movement, and withholding the GST compensation that each state government is entitled to. According to a report in the Bloomberg Quint, many states’ share in the Central Goods and Service Taxes constitutes an average of only 16-30%. The burden of raising remaining…

A storm water drain project to be executed in areas along the East Coast Road has hit roadblocks with residents from several localities registering their protest. The residents reason that the areas where the drains are set to be laid did not see significant flooding during events such as the tsunami in 2004 or the floods of 2016 due to the sandy nature of the soil, making the drains redundant. The 270-crore project is funded by the German development bank KfW and was mapped to cover the areas between Kottivakkam and Uthandi. But the work on the project has stalled…

A couple of days back, we had written about the areas in Chennai that are particularly prone to flooding and have even been identified by the Greater Chennai Corporation as 'vulnerable' in a list that they prepared in 2018. But it has been two years since then, and the city continues to be under threat of increased instances of intense rainfall, as highlighted by several studies and research. What is the civic body doing to prevent inundation? As part of flood mitigation measures, the GCC is constructing an integrated stormwater drain (SWD) network in the Kosasthalaiyar Basin in North Chennai…