Civic

More air quality monitors to be set up in Chennai To check the air pollution levels in the city more efficiently, five more Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), budgeted at Rs 7.08 crores are likely to be set up across the city. Four stations would be placed in industrial and residential areas, while one would be at the seat of the civic body at Ripon Building. A decision on the locations will be arrived at by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). The Fifteenth Finance Commission has released Rs 91 crores for the city under the National Clean Air…

Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease on the rise in Navi Mumbai Out of about 100 cases in the OPDs across Navi Mumbai, 50 are of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). A sudden rise in cases in the city has concerned officials since HFMD cases could be confused with monkeypox, chickenpox and measles.  “The blisters look similar to those seen during chickenpox. So, it is important to sensitise the parents, general practitioners as well as school authorities about the difference in these blisters that could be largely HFMD. We do not have any monkeypox cases yet. Measles is also not found. Chickenpox,…

No BWSSB Cauvery supply for 110 villages Residents of 110 villages in the city's periphery said that although they paid the charges in 2019, they have still not received Cauvery water connections from the BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board). Three years ago, their roads were in a bad shape as the BWSSB had cut them to fix water pipes, but they had been told that the roadwork would be speedily restored if they took water connections. Residents complained that they had paid up to Rs 50,000, yet they were not told about any developments, nor can they see…

Viral infections engulf Mumbai This monsoon, severe bouts of illnesses have gripped the city. While COVID cases have dropped, there is an increase in cases of swine flu. Authorities have decided to reduce the prices of swine flu tests - currently standing at Rs 2500-3500. “It costs around ₹2,500 for the swine flu throat swab. For those who are not undergoing the test, we are clinically diagnosing with upper respiratory tract infection and high fever. The fever subsides as soon as we start the anti-viral (Oseltamivir),” said Dr Shekhar Shirvaikar, a family physician from Goregaon. Source: Hindustan Times Environmentalists oppose…

International Chess Olympiad inaugurated in Chennai The 44th International Chess Olympiad was inaugurated in Chennai by PM Modi, in the presence of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin. . The Olympiad is scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 10 at Poonjeri Village in Mamallapuram. A five-tier security arrangement was made in view of the PM' visit, with the Greater Chennai Police also deploying 22,000 police personnel. The Olympiad was handed over to PM Modi and CM Stalin by five-time world chess champion, Viswanathan Anand. The Olympiad is being held in India for the first time. There has been…

Given Bengaluru's building boom, the city has a vast number of Residents Welfare Associations (RWA). But few RWA members are aware of the complex laws and rules that have to be complied with for transfer of ownership of the building complex from the builder to the RWA. The process of financial, legal, operational and other technical issues regarding the handover can be a long and tedious process.  On June 25th, ADDA, an Apartment Society Management & Accounting Software, in collaboration with Citizen Matters and the Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), organised an event consisting of two panel discussions and sessions on…

Rise in post-COVID brain disorders Post-COVID-19, there has been a rise in reports of brain disorders, such as Guillain-Barre syndrome, Bell’s palsy, insomnia and other behavioural and cognitive issues, said Bengaluru-based neurologists. Neurological complications affecting the brain seem to be the second most common effect. The SARS-CoV-2 virus could affect the lungs and the brain and lead to many complications, including severe headaches, epilepsy or arterial strokes due to altered clotting mechanisms and cerebral venous strokes, peripheral neuropathy, Bell’s palsy, and Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). On July 22nd, World Brain Day, this year's theme is “brain health for all”. As part…

GCC plans pedestrian plazas on KNK Road and MC Road Khader Nawaz Khan Road (KNK Road) in Nungambakkam and MC Road in Old Washermanpet are slated to become the sites for the next two pedestrian plazas after Pondy Bazaar under the Mega Street Project. The civic body has drawn plans to revamp MC Road into an open mall and parking space. No vehicles will be allowed to pass through the road. However, there will be a path for cyclists. The pedestrian plazas on MC Road and KNK Road would be implemented at a cost of Rs 23 crore and Rs…

Maharashtra government lifts stay on construction of Metro car shed On July 21st, the new Maharashtra government announced the lifting of the stay on the construction of the Mumbai Metro-3 car shed at the controversial site in the Aarey Colony, a day after Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, at a meeting with the Consul General of Japan in Mumbai Fukahori Yasukata, assured him that Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)-funded projects would be fast-tracked. The Metro-3 car shed is one of them. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had ordered a stay on the car shed construction in the Aarey Colony on…

When the railway pedestrian subway at Perambur Loco Works was opened to the public we as residents were hopeful of it solving many issues. The size of the subway was also impressive and the fact that the work had been completed despite the pandemic was commendable. However, two years down the line, there have been many persistent issues around the subway that makes the experience of commuters quite an unhappy one. Broken tiles and inundation bother subway users Over the past year, pedestrians have raised complaints over the subway being inundated and not fit for use during rains. The subway gets…