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Tamil Nadu News Papers

Meeting discusses indoor stadium construction proposal

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 04:18
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The Hindu 19.01.2010

Meeting discusses indoor stadium construction proposal

Staff Reporter

Complex to come up under public-private partnership

. — Photo: M.Balaji .

MAKING A POINT: Tirupur District Collector C. Samayamoorthy (left) speaking at a meeting an Wednesday to plan the construction of a stadium. Minister for Highways M.P. Swaminathan (second left) and Tirupur Mayor K. Selvaraj (third left) are in the picture

Tirupur: Minister for Highways M. P. Saminathan convened a meeting of senior officials and representatives of various sports associations here recently to evolve plans to construct an indoor stadium complex in the city on public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Suggestion

It was proposed by the associations that the stadium coming up should be of international standards if it had to serve its real purpose.

The suggestion came in the wake of the prior plan conceptualised by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) to construct an indoor stadium at a cost of Rs. one crore on PPP mode.

Multiple sports

“Instead of a small indoor stadium at Rs. one crore, it will be a wise idea to built an international-standard stadium at a cost of Rs. five crore with facilities to conduct multiple sports disciplines and having huge seating capacity,” some of the sports association members pointed out.

Outdoor sports

The meeting also explored the possibilities of constructing a state-of-the-art stadium for outdoor sports in the future.

Collector C. Samayamoorthy, Mayor K. Selvaraj and District Revenue Officer K. V. Muralitharan tok part in the meeting.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 04:20
 

Small waterbodies in southern suburbs remain neglected

Tuesday, 19 January 2010 04:10
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The Hindu 19.01.2010

Small waterbodies in southern suburbs remain neglected

K.Manikandan

Plastic, garden and kitchen waste dumped on them

 

The ‘malaikuttai’ in Zamin Raayapettai in Chromepet is a waterbody that presents a pathetic sight

— Photo: A.Muralitharan

IN NEED OF ATTENTION: Small waterbodies such as ‘malaikuttai’ in Zamin Raayapettai could contribute significantly to the water table if maintained properly.

TAMBARAM: It is not just the huge and sprawling lakes in the southern suburbs of Chennai that are crying for attention from the State government agencies and urban and rural local bodies.

Even small waterbodies that could be of immense benefit in conserving precious rainwater have been completely ignored. In addition to the 300 lakes in Tambaram taluk, the southern suburbs are dotted with small tanks (‘kulam’) and ponds (‘kuttai’). While a few of them have been revived because of the intervention of environmentalists, most other small waterbodies of temples, those created in abandoned quarries and natural ponds nestled in the midst of residential localities remain neglected.

The ‘malaikuttai’ in Zamin Raayapettai in Chromepet, Pallavaram Municipality, for instance, is a waterbody that presents a pathetic sight. It has an expanse of less than one acre and residents said it was formed several years ago in an abandoned quarry site. The rocky surface ensured that perennial springs continuously fed the waterbody. Though it was not a direct source to draw water, it ensured that the water table in this part of Zamin Raayapettai was always maintained.

Today, a blanket of plastic, garden and kitchen waste, besides others forms of refuse, can be seen over the water surface. Even huge chunks of chopped-down trees have been dumped on the waterbody, making it a receptacle of filth.

Krishna Giri, a resident of Radha Nagar, complained that there was no positive response from the government agencies concerned. Citing reports and announcements that several hundred crore rupees were being spent on water supply improvement and cement concrete road-laying projects in the local bodies around Chennai, she wondered why a few lakh rupees could not be spent in protecting waterbodies such as the ‘malaikuttai.’

Pallavaram Municipal Chairman E.Karunanidhi said they were preparing a scheme for carrying out improvement works on the pond and they would begin by constructing a compound wall around it. There were also proposals to build a ground level service reservoir (underground sump) to store Palar drinking water when they expand the distribution system. However, a decision would be made later, Mr. Karunanidhi said, adding the municipal administration would protect the waterbody.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 04:17
 

Chennai beaches get cleaned in time for Ridley nesting season

Monday, 18 January 2010 10:36
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The Times of India 18.01.2010

Chennai beaches get cleaned in time for Ridley nesting season

TNN, 18 January 2010, 06:20am IST

CHENNAI: Ahead of the peak Olive Ridley turtle nesting season, students and volunteers came together on Sunday to clean up the beach from near the broken bridge behind the Theosophical Society to Neelankarai.

The clean-up drive was carried out by the Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN)to provide a safe nesting ground for the endangered turtles. February is the peak nesting season for Olive Ridley turtles which have been coming to the Chennai coast. Launching the drive, Nityanand Jayaraman, an volunteer of Reclaim Our Beaches (ROB) said over 50 youngsters will clean up the beachfront. Volunteers have been cleaning up and patrolling the 7-km stretch from from the Adyar river mouth to Neelankarai for three decades now.

"Students walk the stretch from December to April to locate nests and collect eggs, which are then safely relocated to the hatchery set up near the Adyar river mouth," said SSTCN coordinator Akhila.

"Thirty years ago, over 100 nests could be found in a one kilometre area. Now, there are about 10 nests," she said. Conservationists, however, are happy to an extent as the turtle population has remained stable over the past few years. This year began on a sad note with at least a dozen dead turtles were washed ashore affected by the oil slick along the ECR.

So far this year, the volunteers have found two nesting sites and have safely relocated 181 eggs to the hatchery.

"We measure the depth at which the nests are built and create the same depth in the hatchery for the hatchlings to emerge 45 days later," said I Karmegam, a fisherman turned volunteer. "The female turtles come back to the same spot for nesting when they reach adulthood," he said.

After hatching, the light-sensitive hatchlings strike out to the sea following the moonlight's reflection on the ocean surface. However, the mastlights along the ECR disorient hatchlings and many end up dying trapped in the garbage and plant-growth. To prevent this, the Chennai Corporation has been asked to switch off the mast lights during the nesting season.

Fishermen have also been asked to avoid using fishing gear and techniques which would harm the turtles. A massive drive will be conducted to clean the Elliot's beach on January 30. The message to the people: Keep the beach litter-free.
 
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