Civic

CMWSSB cracks down on illegal connections The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has begun to clamp down on unauthorised sewage and water connections in the city. The move comes on the heels of an order by the Madras High Court.  As part of the drive,  the CMWSSB has identified a total of 1597 illegal water and sewage connections. Manali and Madhavaram have the highest number of illegal connections as per data from the CMWSSB. The illegal connections have been disconnected with more drives across the city’s 200 wards planned.  The crackdown covers properties that have secured water…

BEST to start Ac double-decker e-buses on the BKC route  Commute may just get a little easier for citizens working at the business district of BKC. The double-decker AC e-buses are set to start ferrying passengers at the Bandra Kurla complex from next month. A total of 10 buses will bring some respite to the busy, corporate hub of BKC. The area sees a daily footfall of more than two and a half lakh citizens. Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) has been trying hard for the last five months to provide buses on this route but the process has…

Hits, misses after 100 days For only this month of September, electricity bills by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) will get dearer by Rs 1.15 per unit, due to the revision by Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment (FPPCA). However, the beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi scheme will be covered by the government. On August 30th, the Gruha Lakshmi guarantee scheme, which will provide financial aid of Rs 2,000 to women heads of families in the state, was launched. This key pre-poll promise will benefit 1.1 crore women. Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi said that the party will launch the Gruha Lakshmi…

MRTS operations on one line suspended temporarily MRTS services between Beach - Chintadripet will be suspended for a period of seven months. The suspension will be in effect from August 27. The Southern Railways has undertaken the decision to pause services in order to carry out work on the fourth line between Beach - Egmore. For the duration of the suspension, the trains from Beach - Velachery will run from Chintadripet - Velachery. The number of services along the line will drop from 122 to 80. Commuters can expect trains at a duration of 15 to 20 minutes. In order…

Citizens' hunger strike makes BMC act After protesting for months, Chandivali citizens got some positive response as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation finally floated a tender for the incomplete 90-feet road. The residents have been complaining for a long time that the 90 feet road needs to be completed. The area around the road is congested and the two alternate routes Chandivali farm road and DP 9 road, are choked and full of potholes. The 90-feet road in Chandivali is used for parking instead of commute. Such incomplete projects lead to worsening of traffic and pollution in the area. Pic: CCWA…

City soars with ISRO A new video of Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 Rover ramping down from the Lander to the Lunar surface, as well as a photo of the moon’s surface, were released on August 24th. Hundreds of Bengalurians celebrated ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 completion of soft landing on the moon's south pole. There were jubilant screenings and scientific commentaries at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Indian Institute of Astrophysics campus, Century Club at Ambedkar Veedhi and Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM). A special screening at the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Park in ISRO Layout had many former…

A few months ago, the usually bumpy 4th Main Road in Thiruvanmiyur became completely unnavigable. The road turned much worse than its usual state thanks to the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (CMWSSB) apparent quest to dig up most roads in the city. Metro water workers removed the entire central section of the road, leaving two narrow strips on either side, seemingly only for very thin men on bicycles to pass. Road cut work had left a missing strip at the center of the road in Thiruvanmiyur. Pic: Ramiah Ariya Of these, the left-hand strip had at least…

Telemedicine services launched at RGGGH Chennai’s largest government hospital, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, has rolled out telemedicine services for various specialities. The consultations will take place between Monday to Saturday. The departments that are covered include paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, dermatology, surgery, general medicine and geriatrics. The teleconsultation service will be available from 9 am to 12 noon. The service can be availed by those who are over 18 years of age. The departments will operate on staggered timings each day for six days of the week. The service has been launched with a view to help elderly…

Eighteen deaths in a day at public hospital Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital (CSMH) located at Kalwa saw an unprecedented death toll in a span of mere 24 hours with 18 patients losing their life due to various reasons. Nearly 70% of the deaths that occurred were above the age group of 50 years. Of the 18 deceased, 10 were women and eight men. The relatives of patients claimed lack of attention and shortage of staff as the cause of death. The opposition demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. “This is an unfortunate incident and we have taken it very…

Rs 3,400-cr plan for lakes In his 77th Independence Day speech at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised a Rs 3,400-crore action plan to preserve and revive lakes and invest Rs 1.4 lakh crore every year to achieve a 15 % to 16 % growth rate. He said that the plan to revive lakes and waterbodies is being drawn up to ensure that pure drinking water is supplied to urban areas. However, ecologists were sceptical. Ram Prasad from Friends of Lakes said that it is only an announcement, just like those of earlier governments. He suggested…