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Public Health / Sanitation

Sewage on GST Road in Pallavaram, a stagnating problem

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The Times of India 13.07.2009

 

Sewage on GST Road in Pallavaram, a stagnating problem

 
More than a month after the State Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance of the stagnation of sewage and effluents on GrandSouthern Trunk (GST) Road in Pallavaram, the problem remains, posing a grave risk to local residents and motorists alike.

On May 25, the full bench of the Commission headed by its chairperson, Justice A S Venkatachalmoorthy, had asked the managing director of the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which currently executes the underground drainage work of Pallavaram municipality, and others, including the managing director of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Kancheepuram collector, to enquire into the matter and send a report to the commission within four weeks. Since then, apart from using sand to to arrest the overflow of sewage on to the road unsuccessfully little effort has been taken to tackle the problem.

The consequences of this delay are being borne by residents, shop-keepers and motorists daily wading through the stagnated sewage. With nearly half of the road in the area dug up to lay underground electric cables and dump accumulated sand from the pits, pedestrians have been forced to walk on the centre of the road.

GST Road, which is also a national highway (NH 45), is an extremely busy road that is used by hundreds of state-run buses and other heavy vehicles. "A few minor accidents and traffic congestions have became routine at this particular point every day. It has become really difficult to continue our business in such an environment," said K Sentil kumar, a shopkeeper.

"Some of us have been losing casual customers who avoid our shops becaus of stagnated sewage in front of our shops. The situation has worsened in the last 15 days. The engineers first dug a long channel for laying underground cables and then abandoned it saying the plan was wrong. Now, they are digging at a spot adjacent to the earlier one. The delay in the completion of the work, compounded by bad planning, is affecting our daily livelihood," said another shopkeeper.

Residents are not against development works. Rather, they are against the inordinate delay in completing them. Besides, the ongoing work on the Road Over Bridge (ROB) by the State Highways Department has resulted in a stretch of nearly 500 metres becoming slushy and a proving risky for the motorists. "Many state agencies such Chennai Metrowater, Highways Department and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board are engaged in their respective projects along this stretch resulting in traffic congestion at this spot. The local body Pallavaram municipality which is incharge of maintaining the stretch remains a mere spectator. The municipality should clean up the drainage channel so that the sewage does not overflow on to the road. It should ensure a stench-free environment,"said S Gopalan, a resident.

 

 

'New plan to clean Coovum getting ready'

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The New Indian Express 10.07.2009

'New plan to clean Coovum getting ready'



CHENNAI: The project report for cleaning Coovum river is getting ready, PWD Minister Durai Murugan told the State Assembly on Thursday.

Replying to a query by AIADMK member R Sekar Babu, the Minister said the Central government had approved a mega plan for cleaning up Buckingham canal at a cost of Rs.1,447 crore. For the first phase, Rs.633 crore had been sanctioned and the work on desilting the canals in North Chennai areas was already underway. Precautionary measures to prevent flooding during rainy seasons were also being taken.

Apart from this, a plan for repairing waterways in the city had been submitted to the World Bank and the bank had advised the State government to take up the cleaning of Coovum river as a separate project. Following this, a Special Officer has been appointed for preparing the plan for cleaning Coovum.

Stating that a river akin to Coovum was cleaned up in America and a team of experts would visit the place to know the techniques applied there, Durai Murugan said the State government was paying special attention for cleaning Coovum.

over the years

1967

A clean Cooum project at a cost of Rs 118 lakh was launched by the then Chief Minister C N Annadurai

1973

Chief Minister M Karunanidhi launches pleasure boat services

1976

P Sivalingam Committee recommends projects worth Rs 22 crore to improve the waterways of Chennai

1991

Seven Trent, a consultancy firm, was commissioned to look at ways to improve the water courses in the city

1994

A study by Mott MacDonald proposed projects worth Rs 34.8 crore for improving the Cooum

1998

River improvement project launched; Rs 19 crore earmarked for improving the quality of Cooum water

2000

Chennai City River Conservation Project launched with an outlay of Rs 720 crore

2008

World Bank aid to clean the river would be sought, announces the State Govt

History

Cooum River is one of the two rivers running through Chennai, the other being the Adyar River. It originates from a place called Koovam in Tiruvalluvar district

It is one of the shortest river draining into the Bay of Bengal with a length of only 65 km

The name Cooum is derived from Tamil literature from the word coovalan, meaning a person who is proficient in the science of hydrology. However, there are other definitions as well. One of them says the name is derived from the Sanskrit word koopam meaning spring or well Cooum is no longer a fresh water source. It looks like just another big sewerage, collecting surpluses of 75 small tanks in its course.

 

Waxed apples seized from top RETAILERS IN TAMBARAM

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Source : The Times of India Date : 08.07.2009

Waxed apples seized from top RETAILERS IN TAMBARAM

Nearly 700 Kg Seized On Tuesday From Branded Outlets By Food Inspectors Of The Municipality

D Madhavan | TNN

Chennai: And you thought fruits and vegetables were safe for consumption if you bought them from the swanky retail outlets.


On Tuesday, health inspectors of Tambaram municipality seized nearly 700 kg of wax-coated apples from some of these retail outlets and supermarkets. This was the second seizure in the past two days. On Monday, a similar raid was carried out by municipal health inspectors who seized and destroyed nearly one tonne of wax-coated apples.


While on Monday, the apples were seized from street vendors along Shanmugam Road near the Tambaram bus stand, Tuesdays seizure was made from supermarkets and retail outlets such as Reliance Fresh, Spencers and More in Tambaram. As many as eight such outlets and supermarkets were raided on Tuesday and health inspectors found almost the entire stock of apples to be coated with wax. It is a known fact that wax-coated apples pose a serious health hazard. But even branded outlets and super markets sell them these days. Such raids would act as an deterrent , a health official of the Tambaram municipality told TOI.


In fact, Tambaram municipal chairman E Mani had a tough time explaining to shopkeepers who had come to the municipality office on Tuesday demanding that such seizures be stopped as they affected their livelihood that their apples were wax-coated and posed a serious health risk.
A coat of wax increases the shelf-life of apples, which perish within three-four days and cause huge losses to the shopkeepers, to about 15 days. Such apples are usually dipped in wax and dried and then shined before being put up for sale.


On their part, supermarkets and retail outlets deny that they sell hazardous wax-coated apples. The staff of these outlets argue that the apples in their outlets are imported, especially from Washington (such apples have Washington stickers pasted on them). We dont buy apples from the local market. These apples are imported from Washington and they have labels pasted on them, says S Chandrasekar , manager of a branded outlet whose apples were seized by health inspectors on Tuesday.


However, health inspectors of the local body say none of the apples seized from these outlets and supermarkets imported. Rather, they are grown in India and waxed and bought from the wholesale market in Koyambedu. If apples sold in these outlets are imported and genuine , then why did they not raise objections when we raided them asked a health inspector .


Consumption of the wax-polished apples could cause health problems, especially in children below 10 years of age. In the short run, they can cause stomach pain, vomiting and headache. In the long term, accumulation of wax in the stomach might cause cancer.

How To Spot Adulteration




Item: COFFEE POWDER




Adulterant:


Ground tamarind seed, date seed

Home test:


Sprinkle coffee on filter paper and add sodium carbonate. If paper turns red, the coffee is not pure.

Harmful effects:


Digestive problems

Item: CHILLI POWDER




Adulterant:


Artificial colours

Home test:


Sprinkle the powder in a glass of water. The artificial agents descend down the glass as coloured streaks

Harmful effects:


Causes cancer

Item: TURMERIC POWDER




Adulterant:


Non-permitted colourants like metanil yellow.

Home test:


To a little of the sample add a drop of hydrochloric acid and dilute it with water. If the powder turns red, it is adulterated

Harmful effects:


Causes cancer

Item: HONEY;




Adulterant:


Sugar and water

Home test:


A cotton wick dipped in honey will burn. If adulterated, it wont

Harmful effects:


If the water is impure, it can bring water-borne diseases that cause vomiting and diarrhoea



Item: APPLE



Adulterant:


Wax

How to identify:


Gently scratch the skin of the apple: if it is coated, the wax will come out. Waxed apples have an extra shine, which is enhanced when you rub it. But you cant tell from the taste or smell. Wax is used to preserve the apples for up to 15 days: normal apples perish in 3-5 days

Harmful effects:


Apart from causing stomach pain, vomiting and headache, wax accumulating in the intestines over a period of time can cause cancer.


Item: TEA DUST



Adulterant:


Cashew husk, synthetic dye

Home test:


Sprinkle tea powder on a wet filter paper. If it turns red, the tea is adulterated

Harmful effects:


Causes cancer, digestive disorders


Item: BLACK PEPPER



Adulterant:


Papaya seed

Home test:


Smell the pepper. If they have papaya seed, the odour will be repulsive

Harmful effects:


Digestive disorders


Item: MUSTARD SEED ;



Adulterant:


Argemone seed

Home test:


Examine with a magnifying glass

Harmful effects:


Epidemic dropsy, eye and skin problems




Item: BENGAL GRAM/ RED GRAM



Adulterant:


Kesari dal

Home test:


Examine with magnifying glass. Kesari is wedgeshaped , while other dals are round

Harmful effects:


Lathyrism, a kind of paralysis


PRIZE CATCH: Health inspectors with the seized apples
 
 


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