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Tamil Nadu News Papers

Mosquito density up in urban areas

Tuesday, 24 November 2009 05:22
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The Hindu 24.11.2009

Mosquito density up in urban areas

Ramya Kannan

CHENNAI: The bad news is that the density of mosquitoes, primarily in urban and peri-urban areas in the State, has gone up, in a comparative analysis over the last six months. According to the classic 10 man hour density test, there has been a steady build-up over the last six months in Tamil Nadu.

However, the good news is that these mosquitoes are mostly ‘nuisance’ mosquitoes, unlikely to cause major vector-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and chikungunya. “This is because when we say the density of adult mosquitoes is up, we mean the Culex variety. In fact, the density of the malaria causing Anopheles mosquito is actually less than normal for the season,” S. Elango, Director of Public Health, told The-Hindu.

Some of the Chennai Corporation wards, the areas under the Corporation of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruvannamalai, Madurai Corporation zones, Theni and the municipal corporation area of Tuticorin are the places where the 10 man hours test has shown an increase. “It is by no means an alarming increase, but a gradual build-up over a period of six months,” Dr. Elango added.

Public health officials, however, caution that public should take adequate precautions to avoid infestation.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 05:24
 

Sewer gratings to be made mandatory

Tuesday, 24 November 2009 05:15
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The Hindu 24.11.2009

Sewer gratings to be made mandatory

K. Lakshmi

For all multi-storeyed and special buildings

 

320 multi-storeyed buildings were asked to install under pilot project seven months ago

Special buildings, which have three floors, have been included

CHENNAI: Chennai Metrowater is planning to make it mandatory for all multi-storeyed and special buildings to install sewer gratings, as a measure to prevent sewer blocks. The gratings would filter the solid waste let out from the buildings.

Metrowater officials said about 320 multi-storeyed buildings were asked to install such iron gratings to prevent solid waste from entering the sewer mains under a pilot project about seven months ago. Two large complexes were identified in each of the 160 depots of the water agency for the project.

Following a 20 per cent reduction in the complaints about sewer blocks after the project was launched, it has been decided to make the gratings mandatory in all other buildings. The Metrowater depot engineers would meet representatives of large buildings in their limits regarding the project, an official said. Special buildings, which have three floors, have been included in the project. The process to identify such buildings is under way.

Metrowater also proposes to purchase three sewage suction machines to suck in silt and small particles from the sewer pipeline. Each machine would cost Rs.25 lakh. The water agency also plans to carry out periodical flushing of the sewer network to bring down incidence of sewer blocks or overflow, the official said.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 05:19
 

Municipality to procure hand-held billing machines

Tuesday, 24 November 2009 04:42
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The Hindu 24.11.2009

Municipality to procure hand-held billing machines

K.Lakshmi

For property tax collection on a pilot basis

— Photo: V.Ganesan

A Madhavaram Municipality official checks out a hand-held billing machine to be used in property tax collection.

CHENNAI: The Madhavaram Municipality will soon introduce the system of using hand-held billing machines for property tax collection on a pilot basis.

The local body recently floated tenders to procure four such machines.

Officials of the municipality said the system is being launched for the first time at Madhavaram among the local bodies across the State. Use of the machines would mean that the residents need not travel to the property tax collection centres to pay the levy as the bill collectors would visit their houses.

Once the door number and street name is fed in to the device, the tax amount due would appear on the screen. Consumers would also be issued the receipt on the spot, the officials said.

The municipality would spend Rs.2.4 lakh on procuring the machines.

GPRS-enabled

A senior official of the Municipality said as the machines are GPRS-enabled, the details about the transactions would be updated immediately at the municipality office.

There are about 15,000 assesses in the municipality.

Collection centres will continue

The bill collection centres of the local body would continue to function even after the launch of the new system. The hand-held billing machines are expected to be put to use next month.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 24 November 2009 04:46
 
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