Civic

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…

Longtime locals of Bandra west tell stories of a peaceful, sleepy suburb it once was. However, over the last couple of decades, they have seen a real estate boom transform the skyline into towering buildings, where once beautiful cottages stood. The same narrow roads accommodate thrice as many apartment blocks, causing a spike in population density, without any upgrade to the infrastructure. At the end of what used to be called Cemetery Lane, now Khadeshwari Marg, are two cemeteries facing each other. The lane is just off Hill Road, famous for shopping and eateries. Decades ago, this lane ended at…

Funding for second phase of Chennai City Partnership plan The second phase of the Chennai City Partnership will receive funding of 350 million dollars from the World Bank. The second phase will reportedly focus on improving Digital Chennai for e-mobility and smart parking solutions and implementing projects to improve bus and suburban rail services. Further, parking, e-mobility and transport hubs will also be developed in various parts of the city under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. In a recently held meeting, the officials also discussed the projects to create climate-resilient public infrastructure. Notably, as part of the first phase…

Mumbai-Goa highway to be ready before Ganesh Utsav One lane of the Mumbai-Goa highway will be ready before Ganesh Utsav, chief minister Ekanth Shinde has said. The Mumbai-Goa highway has been in the works for a long time. Thousands of people travel from Mumbai to Konkan for the festival. If it becomes functional by then, this journey will be much better for the travellers. "Our public works department minister Ravindra Chavan is on a visit to ensure the work is started though the highway comes under the National Highway Authority of India. Preparations have been completed. Before the Ganesh festival…

BBMP governance issues The government has set a two-month deadline for ward delimitation. Even the previous government reduced the number of wards from 243 to 225. However, senior Ministers are now debating whether civic polls should be organised at the end of this year. As there is no clarity over restructuring the city’s governance structure, the worry is that the civic polls may push reforms to the background. Meanwhile, on the Working Contractors' Association complaint that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has held up its bills, the Governor, Thaawarchand Gehlot, summoned BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath. The contractors said…

As Chennai’s IT corridor grew and expanded, the need for housing around the new offices was felt. Large residential apartment complexes came up in various parts where these offices were concentrated. One such area is Perumbakkam, where many IT professionals, among others, have come to reside in recent years. While this could be seen as a huge sign of progress for the city, the civic amenities that are present in these localities leave a lot to be desired. The residents battle irregular water supply, improper sewage system, lack of adequate pedestrian infrastructure, rising crimes and most of all, bad roads.…

On the morning of July 29, after continuous overnight rainfall, Prashant Pawar, and his neighbours heard a loud noise along with tremors, which felt like an earthquake. Everyone rushed outside to find the upper floor of a ground+1 storey house adjacent to their residence had collapsed, sending debris crashing down. The upper floor was occupied by a couple, while a family with two children lived on the lower floor. The family from the lower floor managed to escape but Priya Raj, was at home and sustained a head injury and was bleeding profusely. Prashant jumped into the wreckage to help…

Vehicles to be fined for illegal parking The Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) will be imposing fines on vehicles found to have been parked illegally. The traffic police have been instructed to photograph the vehicles and issue a challan to the owners. This move has been put in place as many vehicles have been parked in no-parking zones, affecting traffic flow. All arterial roads in the city have been declared no parking zones and vehicles parked here will be fined. Those found guilty of illegal parking can pay the fine imposed online or through e-seva centres across the city.  First-time…

BEST bus drivers protest again Contractual bus drivers of Mumbai BEST service went on a strike again. The reason was once again various issues related to their salaries - delays, lesser amount compared to staffers. The strike affected the commute severely as only one-third buses were on the road. According to the BEST spokesperson, 500 private bus operators and employees of Daga Group stopped work and protested. “We shifted the buses from other routes and tried to salvage the situation in the best possible way,” said a BEST spokesperson. The BEST has decided to levy fines of ₹5,000 per bus…