Civic

Corporation website for vaccine slots In a bid to boost the vaccination campaign, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has rolled out a website for Chennaiites to book vaccination slots. People may choose one of the centres in the zone they belong to and pick a time slot for their jab.  The website has also clarified that this does not bypass the CoWin booking. The site is only to secure slots in the vaccination centre. A separate CoWin booking will be done in the vaccination centre by the officials. Besides the website, residents can also register by dialling 044-4612 2300 or…

Adani group to run upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport Despite increasing concerns over Adani's companies, the Maharashtra cabinet approved a proposal on June 23 transferring the ownership of the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) constructing the Navi Mumbai international airport to Adani Airport Holdings. The Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) had a change in ownership. GVK Airports Developers Ltd, which had a 50.5 per cent share, has been taken over by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, it said. That same day, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone share price fell by over 2% over reports of a Nordic investor turning away…

Genome sequencing for Delta Plus variant A 57-year-old from Nandini Layout tested positive for the Delta variant of coronavirus. He is the primary contact of his 86-year-old father, who was infected with the variant earlier this month. No additional cases of the variant have been reported from Bengaluru so far. BBMP has decided to start genome sequencing to ascertain if the Delta Plus variant of COVID is present in the city. Samples from 5% of COVID patients would be sent for genome sequencing. BBMP officials will also keep a close watch on wards with a higher positivity rate. The government…

Sweeping changes at the helm of affairs in government brings with it sweeping changes in ground realities as well. In the mid-nineties, even though the IT revolution was already well underway, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, then called Madras, did not sport a presentable or attractive enough look for a capital city. In fact, it was way behind other state capitals and metro cities in terms of the first impression it made. Soon after their victory in the May 1996 elections, then CM M Karunanidhi renamed the city as Chennai and initiated a host of projects under the umbrella…

Twitter pulled up by Parliamentary panel Global social media giant Twitter has been engaged in a deadlock with the government over the new IT rules for the past few months. Summoned by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology headed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the panel has asked Twitter for a written reply to a set of questions. The microblogging site has been dragging its feet in complying with the provisions of the new IT rules. Standing committee members made it clear to Twitter that the law of the land is supreme. Representational image from Pixabay Twitter, on its…

For opaqueness and unsolved mysteries, no other government project comes close to the Central Vista Redevelopment Project (CV) currently underway. The strong push, particularly from the prime minister, for timely completion of the new parliament building before his second term expires, is resulting in brazen violation of building laws as mentioned in the Delhi Master Plan (MPD). The over Rs 20,000 crore project will witness the construction of a triangular-shaped new parliament, new residences for the prime minister and vice-president, a new central secretariat building and demolition of existing buildings along Rajpath. These include some which are just 10 years…

Corporation adopts a multipronged strategy to combat COVID With the possibility of a third wave of COVID-19 being predicted, the Greater Chennai Corporation plans to scale up the number of ICU beds and keep them ready at community health centres across the city. This move comes after a series of meetings held with experts and epidemiologists.  The corporation plans to increase the number of available ICU beds in phases. In the first phase, a minimum of 15 hospitals attached to the civic body will get ICU beds. The expert team also suggested the genomic surveillance of COVID-19 samples for containing…

Property tax rates to spike 14% If a proposal by the Assessor and Collector Department (ACD) is approved by BMC, Mumbai’s property owners will have to pay higher taxes this year. The rate revision had been scheduled for 2020 but the civic body decided to delay it in lieu of the pandemic. The head of ACD told Indian Express that the revision will be implemented for ready reckoner rates which help to assess the true market value of properties. BMC officials have stated that this revision will not impact owners with properties up to 500 square feet and hotels registered…

6,316 trees to be axed to revive lake Residents and activists are angered by the Karnataka Forest Department seeking public consultation to cut 6,316 trees. The trees are to be felled so as to rejuvenate the Singanayakanahalli lake, as part of the Hebbal-Nagawara valley project. Forest department officials say most of these trees are Jaali Mara (Prosopis Juliflora), but activists say there are Acacia and Pongame oil trees (Honge Mara) trees too. And that the habitat houses peacocks that belong to Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, along with foxes, snakes, birds and other animals. Activists point out…

95% seropositivity even after vaccines, reveals new study As per a new pan India level study, 515 healthcare workers showed 95% seropositivity after taking two doses of Covishield or Covaxin, indicating that both vaccines are effective and safe. The study also said formation of antibodies are high even after the first dose. Done in 22 cities across 13 states, the study found that 95% sero prevalence was triggered after 21 to 36 days of the second dose. It covered 305 male and 210 female participants out of which 425 were administered two doses of Covishield and 90 received Covaxin. The…