Urban News

The Hindu 06.01.2010

‘Underground drainage a mirage’

R. Arivanantham

KRISHNAGIRI: The Rs. 32.15-crore underground drainage scheme to be implemented under the Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project III is a mirage, residents of Krishnagiri town lament.

The Government had issued an order on September 1, 2006 to begin phase I of the project covering 16 wards at a cost of Rs. 18.24 crore. Later on the proposal was revised to cover the entire 33 wards in the town at an estimated cost of Rs. 32.15 crore. The annual maintenance cost was estimated to be Rs. 71.33 lakh.

Official sources said the revised estimate had been sent to the Commissioner of Municipal Administration for his sanction. The sources told The Hindu that 0.92 acres of land in survey number 7/1 in D. Agraharam, 0.51 acres in survey number 475 in Agasipalli village and 0.84 acres in Agaram Eri in Devasmudram village were acquired for a pumping station and were handed over to the Tamilnadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD).

The project will be implemented in a two-package system - collection of sewage as package I, pumping station and two sewage treatment plants under package II.

Officials said tender for the package I was rejected for the fourth time because of the cost quoted by bidders, which was 51 per cent higher than the tender cost of Rs. 15.97 crore, to lay pipelines for about 45.045 km. They also said normally excess rate of up to 30 to 35 per cent was allowed. Because of this TWAD Board has to call for tender for the collection system for the fifth time and finalise award of the contract. A final decision in this regard will be taken at the board meeting soon, the officials said.

Under the package II, tender was finalised on November 9 for commissioning of sewage treatment plants with a capacity of 9 mld. The contract would be awarded in January and work would begin soon. The deadline for completion of the project is 18 months from the date of awarding the contract.

The Hindu 06.01.2010

Corporation to collect blood samples from homes

R. Sujatha

CHENNAI: A scheme to collect blood samples from the doorsteps of residents and deliver the test results free of cost is to be launched after Pongal by the Chennai Corporation.

The investigation will be done at diagnostic laboratories run by the civic body at a nominal cost. The Corporation’s helpline number is 1913.

The scheme, announced in the 2009-10 Budget of the Corporation, is aimed to help women who find it difficult to go out during morning hours due to household chores.

“One person will be appointed for the purpose of collecting samples in each of the 10 zones. Depending on the need we will depute more people,” Corporation Commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni told The Hindu. The civic body has proposed to outsource the job of collection and delivery.

The Corporation runs six diagnostic laboratories. “The cost for the tests [at Corporation laboratories] is about 40 to 50 per cent lower than the market rate,” Mr. Lakhoni said. The tests are open to all residents in the Chennai Corporation limits.

An ECG costs Rs.40, an ultrasound Rs.150 and an X-ray Rs.50. Random testing for blood glucose costs Rs.15 and pre-prandial and postprandial test Rs.30.

A lipid profile test is provided for Rs.60 and a liver function test for Rs.100. The scheme would also benefit those who need blood glucose monitor tests.