Civic

Over 90% of suburban rail stations yet to get CCTV The shocking incident of another young woman hacked in the suburban station of Chetpet has turned the focus on security in many of the stations.  Following a similar incident in Nungambakkam station in 2016 where a woman techie was stabbed to death, the Railways had hurriedly installed a closed circuit televion (CCTV) camera  at the station. Railways sources have said that out of the 136 stations identified for CCTV coverage in 2011, only 8 have had them installed, while the work on the other stations have slowed down. Chetpet incidentally…

Transport Department against carpool platforms The Transport Department has warned against the use of private cars for carpooling. The warning was in response to the launch of the carpooling service rPool by the online bus ticketing platform redBus. Using the rPool platform, car owners can offer rides in their private cars, and in turn get reward points that they can redeem at a fuel station or Amazon Pay. The service would also benefit passengers since the fares are lower than that of autorickshaws and cabs, claims the platform. However, Transport Department officials say there is no legal provision to allow…

A fleet of trucks carrying fruits, vegetables and flowers arrive at 1 am at the Koyambedu Market. Within a few minutes, daily wage labourers unload these commodities and carry it to the respective shops in the market. One can see customers flocking the market as early as 4 am, to get the best of the goods at a wholesale price. Business flourishes till 10 am, after which it is somewhat dull till 2 pm. Towards the afternoon, customers from far away places such as Perungalathur reach the flower market, to strike the best deal with the wholesale vendors. By evening,…

At a time when Chennai must make pressing choices for environmental conservation, some residents have set heartening examples to be emulated. In recognition of their efforts, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) have conferred them with Green Awards. The awards were presented by the Chief Minister to five Resident Welfare Associations in the city for their pioneering efforts in waste management, water and energy conservation and greening. The winners Sabari Terrace Sabari Terrace Apartment Owners Association was one of the five victorious RWAs. The residents here have a successful model of waste segregation, composting and rainwater harvesting. Harsha Koda,…

Take a drive from Dehradun’s iconic Forest Research Institute (FRI) towards the city centre, the Clock Tower, and you will observe a clogged, toxic and dead Bindal river. Much of the uncollected waste from the city finds its way here. Next to the river are almost 30,000 slum dwellings harbouring a population of 1.25 lakh people. It is also a home to around 100 to 150 waste picker families. Apart from Bindal, large numbers of waste picker families live in the slums of Kanwali, Lakkhibagh, Premnagar and Kargi. Enter Bindal slum and one can see many homeless children carrying waste…

Schools ask students to bring their own water From residences to hotels, Chennai has been gasping for water supply. The looming water crisis has put schools, hostels and mansions in a fix. Some of the schools in Chennai have asked students to bring their own water to manage the water situation. Parents are worried that this will add to the burden of already heavy school bags. According to official data, students in around 907 government funded schools depend on piped water supply and never carried water bottles in the past. Meanwhile, Chennaites hope for some respite as the neighbouring state…

  BBMP plans property tax hike BBMP may hike property tax rates anywhere between 15 to 30 percent this financial year. This plan comes soon after a power tariff hike and a proposed water tariff hike in the city. S P Hemalatha, Chairperson of the BBMP Standing Committee on Taxation and Finance, said that the last property tax revision was three years back, in 2016. She said that BBMP was facing a fund deficit of over Rs 1200 crore, and hence they decided to hike property tax which was the Palike's main revenue source. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations…

The midday sun reflects sharply off the shiny red surface of the brand new bus that is on its way from Koyambedu to Kelambakkam. The new-look bus is part of the 300-strong addition to the MTC’s fleet in a phased manner. Half of the new buses commissioned that are operational now traverse the routes in the Old Mahabalipuram Road stretch that is not yet connected by the suburban train network or the metro rail and relies heavily on buses for connectivity. “The new buses were very necessary. The upgrade has made the rides more comfortable. This was long overdue as…

25 schools in Chennai and suburbs unrecognized Over 5900 schools in the state including 25 schools in Chennai and Tiruvallur districts are being run without No-Objection-Certificate (NOC) and recognition of the school education department. The department had asked all private schools to upload details of recognition on the EMIS portal, and according to the details received, 5902 schools in the state have not renewed the recognition. Parents have been advised to look up the school education department website to know the recognition status. Source: New Indian Express City to get 500 mld till November despite the impending water crisis The…

Work begins on Vellara Jn-Pottery Town Metro line Work on the 5.63-km underground Metro stretch from Vellara Junction to Pottery Town began on May 30th. L&T had been awarded the project, worth Rs 2628 crore, to build the tunnel and stations along this stretch. The company has 42 months to complete the project. The stretch is part of the Gottigere-Nagavara line of Metro. The iconic Fatima Bakery and Hotel Tom's, as well as a portion of the All Saints Church, will be demolished for the project in spite of protests by citizens. Work on the stretch is expected to worsen…