Civic

Treatment for CoronaVirus only at Government hospitals The State Health Department has issued a directive that incidences of coronavirus will be treated only at Government hospitals and no private hospital should admit or offer treatment to patients with symptoms of the virus. The Department has said that this step is being taken to keep a strict vigilance and to avoid the potential risk of the suspected people being exposed to the general public. There are currently 1351 passengers from China who are under surveillance and they have been put on quarantine for 28 days. Source: The Times of India City…

Starting today, freedom fighter H S Doreswamy, aged 101 years, is to lead a satyagraha at the Town Hall from 11 am to 5 pm, for five days. The protest is against the central government's position on the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), along with other issues such as economic slowdown and price rise. Kavitha Reddy, one of the organisers, says Doreswamy had submitted the application to the police seeking permission for the protest, weeks ago. "We got a call from the local police station yesterday, and they collected all details of the protest." She says that the police didn't mention…

When the smart cities mission was launched in 2015, it held much promise for Chennai as it was one of 20 cities selected in the initial phase. Chennai was formally identified in January 2016 for a slew of projects that ranged from water conservation to pedestrianisation. While the city saw a slow start to these projects, ranking only 37 out of 87 cities when the smart cities were ranked in 2018. However, two years later, key projects such as the Pedestrian Plaza and rolling out of smart bikes have taken place. Expansion of these initiatives are in the pipeline now,…

Given that women are still unsafe in our public spaces, what options do they have if they are in danger? One option is Bengaluru City Police's Suraksha app. This app has been downloaded 1.5 lakh times since its launch in 2017. All you have to do is press the panic button on the app, which is directly linked to the police response team. Police say it'd take them only 7-9 minutes to reach your location. The police helpline Vanitha Sahaya Vani offers immediate intervention and rescue in cases of domestic violence and other forms of abuse. It also offers services…

Coronavirus testing centre to be established in the city With Kerala reporting the country’s first case of Novel Coronavirus (nCoV), Tamil Nadu is continuing its surveillance measures.  A Coronavirus testing centre will be established at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine, Guindy, in two days. Director of Public Health K Kolandaswamy said that this forms a part of the plan of the Union Health Ministry to set up 10 more Coronavirus testing facilities in the country. While screening measures are in place at the Chennai airport, the Chennai port has procured thermal scanners, personal protective equipment and N95 masks. The…

National Common Mobility Card in Metro from March The BMRCL (Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited) is installing AFC (Automatic Fare Collection) systems on trial basis at Baiyappanahalli, Mysuru Road and Majestic stations, to facilitate the central government’s ambitious ‘One Nation One Card’ policy. The National Common Mobility Card will enable people to use multiple modes of transport like Metro and BMTC buses, pay parking fees and toll, and purchase at retail stores. BMRCL Managing Director Ajay Seth said the facility will be available for commuters from Mysuru Road to Baiyappanahalli on Purple Line, by March end. The AFC systems are…

History says that the origins of the city of Madras lie in the north. But, for various reasons, North Chennai has remained one of the least developed regions in the city. Unmilled roads, lack of sewer connections and traffic congestion are among the many basic issues that plague the northern parts of the city.  “The problems faced in the city as a whole is generally aggravated in North Chennai. But there has been steady development,” said P Akash, IAS, Regional Deputy Commissioner (North) Chennai Corporation, in an exclusive interview with Citizen Matters Chennai.  Excerpts from the interview: What are the…

Corporation raids commercial units for plastic usage The corporation has seized over 11.6 tonnes of plastic bags, primarily from shops in Alandur, Adyar, Valasaravakkam and Kodambakkam. The civic body also collected ₹19.45 lakh as fine from the violators of the ban, in the 15 zones of the city. Raids were conducted in various locations, covering 20,423 commercial establishments. The civic body seized 72.76 tonnes of banned plastic from commercial units during the period from January 1 2019 to January 22 2020. Source: The Hindu Corporation to levy fee for garbage collection Residents, commercial establishments and event companies will have to…

KRDCL may axe thousands of trees The KRDCL (Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited) may soon axe 8,561 old, mature trees in the city outskirts. The trees are to be cut for widening six roads: the 20-km stretch from Hoskote/Budigere Cross to airport (1,758 trees), 15-km stretch from Nelamangala to  Madhure (869 trees), 23-km stretch from Madhure to Devanahalli road (1,593 trees), 33-km stretch from Bidadi to Jigani (184 trees), Bannerghatta to Anekal (520 trees), and the 39-km stretch from Anekal to Hoskote (3,637 trees). An expert committee set up to examine applications for tree felling said early this week, that…

Traffic diversions announced for Republic Day rehearsals Chennai traffic police have released a directive with the details of traffic diversion on certain routes between January 20th-23rd and on the 26th. Vehicular movement will be completely prohibited from Santhome church to the War Memorial on Kamarajar Salai from 6 am to 10 pm on all the above four days. Besides the change in the bus routes plying on these routes, the bus stand at Anna Square will be temporarily shifted near Walajah road guest house. Source: The News Minute Three bridges in North Chennai to be retrofitted Plans are underway to…