Civic

In a press meet held on July 8th, TN CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami hinted that a further extension of the lockdown which is set to end at the end of the month is unlikely. The chief minister said, “Extending lockdown will cause economic slowdown thereby putting onus on the public to adhere to safety norms to prevent the spread of COVID-19.” He further emphasised the need for self-regulation among the general public even as the state continued to clock a high number of cases daily.  The fact however is that the premise of self-regulation by the public assumes that all…

COVID-19: Covaxin administered to two volunteers in city; vendors to be tested on a regular basis Chennai recorded 1,299 fresh COVID-19 cases on July 24th. There were 1,110 recoveries and 22 deaths.  Infographic summary of COVID-19 cases in Chennai as on July 25. Pic: GCC/Twitter Phase-I human trial of the indigenously developed vaccine for COVID-19 - Covaxin - began at SRM Medical College and Hospital in Chennai last week. The hospital is one of the 12 institutions authorised to carry out the trial. The vaccine was administered to two volunteers. Phase -1 trial would analyse the safety of the vaccine…

Over 33,000 trees to be felled for PRR The BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) admits that the construction of the eight-lane PRR (Peripheral Ring Road) would require the felling of 33,838 trees. For about four years, BDA had argued that only 200 trees would be cut, based on an erroneous Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report. The NGT (National Green Tribunal) rejected the report based on a submission by the Horticulture and Forest Department. Meanwhile, an EIA draft report estimates that 3,541 trees will be affected by the metro link between KR Puram and Kempegowda International Airport (KIA). The report says that…

Dharavi, often termed Asia's largest slum cluster occupies 525 acres of prime land in the heard of Mumbai. Photo: YUVA When you walk the streets of Dharavi today, it’s hard to imagine that its crooked but solid houses, informal but sophisticated business networks and heterogenous but distinct culture have been built over the remnants of a Koli fishing village. At the end of the nineteenth century, when industries like leather, waste-recycling, etc. were deemed too hazardous for colonial South Bombay, the peri-urban, swamp land which was home to the Koli fishing community became the saving grace for the displaced industries.…

Manjunath Prasad has been appointed as BBMP Commissioner. Pic Credit: KPLCL Manjunath Prasad back as BBMP Commissioner On Saturday, state government removed B H Anil Kumar from the post of BBMP Commissioner, and appointed N Manjunath Prasad instead. Manjunath Prasad has served as BBMP Commissioner previously. He has proposed divisional management of COVID-19 instead of the current practice of zonal management. As per the plan, a KAS official would be in charge of each of the 27 divisions in the city, with control rooms and adequate resources. They would also be tasked with ramping up ambulances and manpower. Source: The…

India's indigenous vaccine gets nod for human trials AIIMS Ethics Committee has given a go-ahead to India's indigenous vaccine, COVAXIN, for conducting human trials. In Stage I, the vaccine will be tested on 375 volunteers, of which 100 will be from AIIMS - Delhi, one of the twelve sites shortlisted by ICMR for conducting Stage I and Stage II human trials of COVAXIN. Volunteers with good health, no co-morbidities and no COVID-19 history, aged more than 18 years and less than 55 years will only be eligible for the clinical trials, as per the guidelines of AIIMS Ethics Committee. The…

With Chennai becoming Tamil Nadu’s COVID-19 epicentre, the city’s local economy has taken a hard hit. Many businesses are shutting down due to a multitude of reasons varying from reduced demand among citizens to unavailability of labour following the reverse migration to villages.    But as with most clouds, there is a silver lining here too. While most businesses are staring at an uncertain future, the pandemic has opened up a plethora of opportunities for disinfection service providers. The number of advertisements circulating in social media is testimony to it.  Exploring new avenues According to the Ministry of Health and Family…

COVID-19: Antibody testing for frontline workers, COVID-19 test for all inmates of IMH On July 17th, Chennai recorded 1,329 fresh COVID-19 cases taking the total to 83,377. There were 1,329 recoveries and 36 deaths. A total of 14,923 patients are under treatment in the city’s various hospitals and COVID Care Centers. It is to be noted that 65,748 patients have recovered from the disease.  Zone-wise growth rate of new cases under the limits of Greater Chennai Corporation, for the last 7 days till July 17. Pic: GCC/Twitter The Greater Chennai Corporation has begun antibody testing for the frontline workers including…

Several cities to undergo lockdown as infection spreads AS the COVID-19 graph continues to rise exponentially in India, several cities are reimposing lockdowns to contain the spread. The Karnataka Government has announced a complete lockdown for Bengaluru from July 14th to July 22nd, as total cases stood at 16,862 with 229 deaths. Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation areas will witness a ten-day lockdown in two phases from July 14th. The decision was taken by the administration with the objective of breaking the chain of transmission and boosting the critical health care infrastructure. Several areas from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region…

COVID-19: New plasma bank and night shelter on the cards Chennai recorded 1,205 fresh COVID-19 cases on July 10th. There were 2,869 recoveries and 27 deaths. A total of 18,616 patients are under treatment in the city's various hospitals and COVID Care Centers. Infographic summary of COVID-19 cases in Chennai as on July 10. Pic: GCC/Twitter The state government has announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) will soon get India’s second plasma bank. The facility will be established at a cost of Rs 2 crore.  As Chennai witnesses a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases, the…