Tamil Nadu News Papers

Corporation to dig borewells to manage water crisis

Friday, 10 March 2017 12:05

The Hindu 10.03.2017

Corporation to dig borewells to manage water crisis

Rs. 33.36 crore sanctioned as part of drought management scheme

With falling water level in Vaigai dam, which has been hovering around 23 feet and 25 feet (against the maximum level of 71 ft) and low rainfall prediction by weathermen, Madurai Corporation has taken a series of steps to manage the drinking water crisis.

Keeping in mind the need to supply water to all areas for the next 60 days, a sum of Rs. 33.36 crore has been sanctioned as part of drought management scheme. In the first phase, Rs. 10.50 crore has been sanctioned to dig borewells in as many as 125 locations in zone 2 and zone 4 each. Technical sanction has also been given in this connection.At Melakkal, the Corporation maintains infiltration galleries through which water is being taken for distribution to different wards of the city. In addition to the existing three wells, two more are to be dug up at a cost of about Rs. 40 lakh.

Cremation yard

The Corporation has approved, with certain conditions, an appeal from the North Indian community members for establishing an exclusive space for them for cremation of bodies at Thathaneri burial ground.

A decision to this effect was taken at a special meeting chaired by Commissioner Sandeep Nanduri recently. According to the officials, who were part of the meeting, the authorities had received a representation seeking a space in the burial ground where the North Indian community people had offered to construct a compound wall, a shed and dig a borewell at an estimated cost of Rs. 30 lakh.

The meeting also decided to slightly expand the road leading to the Collectorate from Gandhi Memorial Museum as there were lots of people visiting the Poonga Murugan Temple now, the officials said.

With Chitirai festival approaching, the Corporation had earmarked about Rs. 75 lakh from general fund for arrangements to be made by Health and Engineering wings. With the funds, additional conservancy workers would be deployed in and around the temple, drinking water lines established, andtemporary public toilets constructed.

The Corporation had also planned to procure sanitary napkin incinerators for use by students studying in six Corporation schools. The machines would be installed soon at a cost of Rs. 1.77 lakh, they said.

Where garbage woes pile on

Friday, 10 March 2017 11:54

The Hindu 10.03.2017

Where garbage woes pile on

Looming danger:Garbage dumped at an enclosure on Thanthoni Amman Koil Street in Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar is a health risk, say residents.V. Ganesan

Irregular clearing of trash and sewer blocks have affected quality of life

Residents of ward 67 are angry over repeated instances of sewer blocks and garbage accumulation in many places. The ward comprises areas such as Peravallur, Agaram, GKM Colony Main Road and Thanthoni Amman Koil Street.

E. Balaji, who runs a shop on Thanthoni Amman Koil Street, said garbage dumped at a site on the street is regularly cleared, leading to foul stench and unhygienic conditions. “The mosquito menace has become worse in this area owing to this problem. I close my shop by 7 p.m. It is really frustrating when such problems affect your routine life,” he added.

Devi Velayutham, another resident of the area, said she was forced to keep the windows of her house shut throughout the year because of the stench and mosquitoes. “It becomes extremely suffocating during summer. Despite keeping the windows closed, the mosquito menace is still quite bad. I don’t even let my children play anywhere close to the dumping site fearing they will develop some disease,” she added.

Ill-maintained park

A portion of the park on Thanthoni Amman Koil Street is in a poor state and desperately needs maintenance, he added. “Earlier, my son would go there to play but not any more. The place looks haunted. While a portion of the park is well-maintained, the other is in disrepair with the play equipment for children all rusted,” Mr. Balaji said.

Another issue that residents face is the constant blocking of sewer lines in some streets. S. Shantha, a resident of Kannabiran Street, said, “Sewer blocks occur at least three or four times every month. Filing a complaint and getting it fixed each time is very exhausting. This is not how it is supposed to function.”

A few streets are not very well maintained. K. Thangammal, a resident of GKM. Colony 10th Street, said “The road has not been laid for years now. Also, there is a small pond close to the street which stinks and is a breeding site for mosquitoes and flies. Residents fall sick regularly.” Even the GKM Colony Main Road hasn’t been spruced up for quite a while now.

Officials of the Chennai Corporation said they would soon take up work to relay roads that have been left out. “Garbage never gets accumulated here. Source segregation is done and it is removed every day,” an official claimed.

Model Roads project: Corporation begins work on D.B. Road

Tuesday, 07 March 2017 11:34

The Hindu 07.03.2017

Model Roads project: Corporation begins work on D.B. Road

Coimbatore Corporation and ITDP have started the Model Roads project work on D.B. Road in the city.M. PeriasamyM_PERIASAMY

Telephone lines and power cables to go underground

Coimbatore Corporation and the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) have commenced the Model Roads Project work a few days ago at the southern end of the D.B. Road in R.S. Puram.

According to sources, the two agencies have begun the work near the Corporation’s water tank on a 50-metre stretch, where they would be studying the alignment of the utility lines and the passage of power cables and telephone lines in the area. Thereafter, they would provide ducts to conceal the cables and lines, cover the road, then take up pedestrian pathway development. The work on the median would be the last.

The Corporation is executing the Model Roads project on 1.80 km stretch of D.B. Road and 1.20 km of T.V. Swamy Road. The telephone and power cables would go underground, the pedestrian pathway would be of uniform width and height so that pedestrians could seamlessly walk from one end to another and the carriage way too would be of uniform width.

As part of the project, the two agencies would also work to remodel road junctions so that the turning radius is uniform and bus movement is not hindered. The Corporation along with ITDP is also taking up the project on M.K. Palayam Road, Race Course and Sanganoor Road.

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