Deccan Chronicle 21.12.2009

Marina ups beauty quotient

Dec. 20: If you love visiting the Marina beach for a morning walk or a late evening picnic just to enjoy the pleasant sea breeze, you can expect more hereafter. Chennai’s pride and the second longest beach in the world now boasts of picturesque viewing galleries, lawns, fountains and colourful lighting, with the city corporation unveiling its latest effort towards creating Singara Chennai on Sunday.

The civic body spent nearly Rs 26 crore to beautify the 3.10 km stretch of the beach between Napier Bridge and the Light House. On Sunday, chief minister M Karunanidhi officially invited the public to admire the Marina’s new look.

Among the various attractions of the face-lift are 14 viewing galleries, fountains, granite steps and a four-metre wide internal walkway lined with lush lawns and fancy fountains on either side.

The leaders’ statues have been fixed up with a high tech lighting system, making it a jazzy delight for families who lounge around there after dark. Apart from the frills, amenities like parking space, children’s play area and facilities for the physically challenged have also been taken care of. Apart from its trademark bajjis and sundal, the beach will offer the luxury of a food court.

The authorities have also banned cricket on the beach to avoid inconvenience to walkers and visitors. A blanket ban on the use of plastics has been levied, and the civic body has promised regular garbage clearance. With Chennaiites being a litter happy sort, it remains to be seen if the Marina manages to retain for long its newfound sheen.

The Hindu 21.12.2009

Drinking water leak detection van procured by corporation

Staff Reporter

Photo: A_Shaikmohideen

ALL CLEAR: The mobile drinking water leak detection van procured by Tirunelveli Corporation. —

TIRUNELVELI: The Corporation has procured a vehicle, costing about Rs. 14.95 lakh, to detect and repair leakage in drinking water pipelines.

Even as the residential areas in the peripheral regions within the corporation limits is steadily developing in the recent past, the quantum of drinking water being obtained from the infiltration wells sunk in the perennial Tamirabharani has not improved much.

The situation becomes worse whenever the civic body faces huge loss of water due to rupture in the age-old pipelines and subsequently, the supply of drinking water to the area concerned is affected severely for several days.

Consequently, the residents either come to the corporation office with empty pots in protest against the erratic supply of drinking water or stage road roko in their area itself with the councillor concerned leading the show.

To avoid such unpleasant situations to some extent in future, the corporation has purchased this vehicle equipped with modern gadgets can detect and repair leakages in the drinking water pipelines in the pumping stations, primary pipelines originating from the pumping stations, overhead and ground-level tanks and secondary distribution pipelines taking water to the consumers.

Moreover, the quantity of chlorine dissolved in the drinking water can be estimated. The equipment include microphone system with speaker, chloroscope, conductivity meter, pH meter, turbidity meter, vibrator and digital TDS. A skilled and an unskilled worker would be available to attend the problems.