The Hindu              19.12.2013

Fibre wrap to protect old buildings from earthquakes

Chennai Corporation will use fibre wrap technology to fortify its old civic structures, including buildings and bridges, against earthquakes.

The fortification techniques have been initiated in the wake of the city being upgraded to seismic zone III a few years ago. Work on Kodambakkam Bridge and Ripon Buildings has already started. Other major old buildings that are weak will be identified for fibre wrapping shortly.

“Over 1500 sq m of fibre wrap is being used for strengthening columns of the ground floor of Ripon Buildings. This will strengthen the columns that are likely to be damaged during seismic events,” said an official of Chennai Corporation.

“The fibre wrap being used now is blue in colour, and is capable of withstanding extremes of temperature. It is also cheaper than other available technologies. The fibre wrap is wound around the columns and the original material (lime mortar or cement) will then be packed on top of it.

Workers at Ripon Buildings are using safety goggles, chemical resistant gloves and particle masks during the restoration project, funded by Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. Other old buildings and bridges will be restored in a similar manner as part of disaster preparedness of the Chennai Corporation.

The civic body has also done fibre wrapping on the columns Kodambakkam bridge as part of restoration of the 50-year-old structure. The restoration would include spraying of anti-corrosion material and grouting. A few years ago, an expert study conducted on the 623-metre-long and 12.8-metre-wide structure concluded that it had weakened.

Every year, the Chennai Corporation prepares a list of weak structures as part of disaster preparedness and also draws plans to evacuate people near the structure in case of calamity. Some of the Corporation’s office, residential and commercial buildings too have been declared weak.

The Times of India         18.12.2013

Chennai Corporation launches crackdown on shops selling unhygienic meat

CHENNAI: Inspections conducted by the Chennai Corporation's officials on Sunday found that several meat shops in the city are selling unstamped meat to the customers, posing severe health problems.

A corporation team, comprising zonal officers, veterinarians, conservancy officers and health inspectors, conducted raids in 37 meat shops in areas like Villivakkam, Ayanavaram, Thirumangalam and Anna Nagar and seized 270kg of unhygienic meat. The confiscated meat was later destroyed at the Velangadu burial ground.

A senior official in the health department said action would be initiated against those who sold unhygienic meat in the city. "The meat being sold for consumption should come from any of the three corporation slaughterhouses -- in Perambur, Saidapet and Villivakkam -- where the animal is medically examined and approved for consumption," the officer said.

"After slaughtering, the animals are stamped with a seal, which is a foolproof way of letting people know that the meat is safe for consumption. The roadside shops which are selling unstamped meat is unfit for consumption and may cause health problems," the official added.

Sources say animals continue to be butchered in almost all the areas in the city, mainly in the slums in an unhygienic way. But the irony is that the civic body's slaughterhouses are also functioning in the same condition. A recent TOI report had described how butchers work in the Perambur slaughterhouse: The stand barefoot in ankle-deep water mixed with urine, faeces and animal blood.

A modernized abattoir on the same premises, which was completed in November 2011 at an estimated Rs 48 crore, is yet to be opened because of opposition from V Neelakandan, the AIADMK MLA of the Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar constituency.

The corporation has also been conducting a series of raids to prevent smuggling and sale of rotten meat in the city. Several tonnes of rotten meat have been seized in the recent past from trains coming from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.