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Tamil Nadu News Papers

Corporation Council passes 56 resolutions at meeting

Tuesday, 01 December 2009 02:32
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The Hindu 01.12.2009

Corporation Council passes 56 resolutions at meeting

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: A total of 56 resolutions, including one for receiving a loan of Rs.150 crore from the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund for development of stormwater drains in the city, were adopted at a Chennai Corporation Council meeting on Monday.

Other resolutions included those approving construction of a four-lane bridge connecting Rajiv Gandhi Salai and Indira Nagar. The bridge with a 15.3-m carriageway and two 2.25-m-wide footpaths would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.3.18 crore.

The Council also passed a resolution approving payment of Rs.13.95 crore as compensation to the owners of the over 28 grounds acquired for the Ganesapuram flyover project. A resolution on convening the executive committee meeting of the all-India Mayors’ conference was also adopted. Councillor of Ward 16 S.Meena stressed the need for increasing the number of days of computer training for the councillors. She said groundwater in Royapuram and Harbour were becoming unfit for use. She urged the civic body to use the water from the stormwater drains for recharging the groundwater table. Measures for mosquito control had to be more effective, she said.

Councillor of Ward 134 Sathyamurthy said the Corporation should ban plastics. Verification of rainwater harvesting structures in all buildings has to be taken up, he added. The repair work on damaged roads has to be completed at the earliest, he said.

Replying to a query of a councillor, Mayor M. Subramanian said a total of 2,160 dogs had been captured last month for sterilisation.

The tender for construction of a 2.4-km-long canal connecting Virugambakkam canal and Cooum River under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission scheme would be floated shortly, he said. Bids from contractors for construction of stormwater drains in Valluvar Kottam High Road and Sterling Road would also be invited soon, he said.

The council congratulated the Mayor on the successful intervention by the civic body for providing civic amenities for persons with disability. Chennai Corporation is set to receive an award from the President for its services to persons with disability.

The council resolution also stressed the need for emulation of the Singapore model in cleaning of the Cooum River. Opposition leader Saidai P.Ravi said the parks in the city should have adequate lighting. Solar energy could be tapped for the purpose, he said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 01 December 2009 02:33
 

Tough norms for water guzzling units

Monday, 30 November 2009 05:37
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The New Indian Express 30.11.2009

Tough norms for water guzzling units

Sharadha Narayanan

CHENNAI: Want to set up an industrial unit in the city that could be a ground water guzzler? Better be prepared to set up artificial recharge structures on your premises to avoid surface water runoff. If you don’t, you will not get the licence to run your unit. It is not enough if you merely set up structures for roof water harvesting. The idea is to harvest every drop of rain water that falls on your premises.

Before you set up a water intensive unit, you need to enter into an agreement with the State Ground and Surface Water Resources Data Centre for permission to use ground water. The permission will be granted only if the artificial recharge structures for surface water are in place.

Speaking to Express, an official source from the department confirmed the new procedure. In the past, though it was mandatory for such industries to build water harvesting structures, there was no clear provision on the surface water; the norms were specific to rooftop harvesting alone. As a result, a substantial quantity of surface water was wasted.

This year alone, 17 water-intensive industries, such as distilleries and packaged water industries, sought certification from the centre.

“These units need a ground water availability certificate. Before issuing it, we check the ground water aquifer to find out if it has enough volume to meet the industry’s demands. If we are satisfied with the availability, the executive engineer of the Ground Water Division enters into an agreement with the industry, specifying the norms for groundwater usage and inspection. From now on, the agreement can be drawn up only after the artificial recharge structures are constructed,” explained the official.

However, the new norm does not apply to existing water intensive units.

Last Updated on Monday, 30 November 2009 05:40
 

Flouting every norm, parking lot flourishes

Monday, 30 November 2009 02:21
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Deccan Chronicle 30.11.2009

Flouting every norm, parking lot flourishes

November 30th, 2009
By Our Correspondent
Tags: Marina beautification, Parking lot for IT companies

Chennai
Nov. 29: The Chennai corporation and the city police have driven away weekend cricketers from the Marina in the name of beautifying it but have turned a blind eye to a local slum lord flattening huge stretch of the beach with truckloads of earth and creating a lucrative parking lot for IT companies at Pattinapakkam close to the state police headquarters.

“It’s a huge scandal, a blatant violation of the coastal zone regulations, which is happening right under the nose of the DGP office,” says environmentalist Nityanand. But private operator Guru of the nearby Srinivasapuram fishing hamlet insists there is nothing wrong since the Rs 750 a month that he collects for each bus in the ‘parking lot’ goes towards celebrating the Adi festival of the local Thulukanathamman temple.

Guru had brought several truckloads of earth to fill the beach and used bulldozers to flatten a large patch of parking space where buses of IT companies and private engineering colleges are parked overnight. The mass parking lot is barely ten metres from the sea.

When DC reporters, under the guise of travel car operators, met Mr Guru to enquire his ‘rates’, he said, “We charge Rs 25 per day for each bus. Safety is assured in this parking lot that belongs to the temple.

Nobody will come to question us.” Asked about the blatant violation of CRZ and environment, city corporation commissioner Lakhoni said he was not aware of the crime and would order “immediate” investigation.

Last Updated on Monday, 30 November 2009 02:27
 
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