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Public Health / Sanitation

Much-awaited drainage scheme works take off

Tuesday, 22 September 2009 01:01 administrator
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The Hindu 22.09.2009

Much-awaited drainage scheme works take off

 

Special Correspondent

510 km of main lines will be laid in first phase

Photo: K. Ananthan

TAKE OFF: Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy (second from left) launches works for the under ground drainage Scheme in Coimbatore on Monday. Mayor R.Venkatachalam (third left), Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra(fourth left) and Deputy Mayor N.Karthik (left) are in the picture. –

COIMBATORE: The much-awaited works to lay sewage lines for the Rs.377-crore underground drainage scheme took off in the city on Monday after a delay of 10 years.

The Corporation also made it clear that the public would have to brace for some inconvenience as roads would have to be dug to lay the lines. But, the best of efforts would be made to reduce the inconvenience.

Rural Industries Minister Pongalur N. Palanisamy launched the works to lay the pipes and construct sewage chambers in the presence of Mayor R. Venkatachalam, Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra, Deputy Mayor N. Karthik and councillors and officials of the civic body.

The Commissioner said that the works begun on Monday were for six of the eight zones for which the sewers scheme was being implemented. The cost of these works was estimated at Rs.191 crore.

In the phase just begun, the contractor would lay 510 km of main lines, out of the total 635 km under the scheme. Another 680 km of lines for house connections (from the main lines) would also be laid. This phase would cover 53 out of the total 72 wards in the city.

“Out of the total 30 months for the project implementation, two have already elapsed. The aim is to complete the project within the time-frame,” Mr. Mishra said.

“The scheme is important from the point of view of hygiene as people in many areas are connecting their toilet lines to the storm water drains,” he said.

Appeal

The Commissioner requested the public to show some patience during the implementation period.

“This is a kind of project that will cause inconvenience, but will provide a permanent solution to the present problems in sewage disposal,” he said.

The Corporation would have a sub-plan to minimise inconvenience to the people. “We will involve residents’ welfare associations, councillors and the contractor in every area covered under the scheme to devise ways to avoid problems. They can decide on which area should be taken up first so that vehicle and pedestrian movement is not affected,” Mr. Mishra said. Discussions would be held with the traffic police also on digging roads without impeding traffic flow.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 22 September 2009 01:02
 

Coast Guard clears waste from beaches

Sunday, 20 September 2009 05:09 administrator
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The Hindu 20.09.2009

Coast Guard clears waste from beaches

 

Madurai Bureau

A large number of students participate

—Photo: N. Rajesh

CLEAN DRIVE: Volunteers clearing waste from new port beach in Tuticorin on Saturday.

Tuticorin: Coast Guard personnel here launched a beach cleaning campaign to highlight the importance of “clean coast and clean sea” on the occasion of International Coastal Clean up Day on Saturday.

Personnel from various organisations such as the marine police, municipal corporation, naval and army wing of NCC cadets from various schools and colleges participated in the cleaning drive.

Many volunteers

A large number of students from Tuticorin Port Trust School, St. Mary’s College, Kamaraj College, Dr. Sivanthi Aditanar College, Tiruchendur, VOC College, Vikasa School, Fisheries Department, TPT, Central Industrial Security Force, GoMBRT, BSNL Tuticorin and others cleaned the beach near the administrative building of Port Guest House.

Speaking to The Hindu, Commandant Udhal Singh, Indian Coast Guard Station, Tuticorin, who flagged off the drive, said that the volunteers picked up waste and non bio degradable materials along the coast which motivated the local populace about the necessity for a clean and litter free environment.

He said that people must desist from dropping litter on the beach to protect the environment from pollution.

Around 400 volunteers participated in the clean campaign.

Ramanathapuram

Around 400 persons from the Coast Guard, Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve Trust, Forest, Fisheries, Eco Development Committees and others took part in a similar exercise at Rameswaram.

The campaign was inaugurated at Agnitheerthakadarkarai by Commandant D.S. Saini, Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Station, Mandapam. K. Balasubramanian, District Revenue Officer, flagged off the operation at Ariyaman beach near Ucipuli. Commandants A.K. Mudgal, Venu Madhav, Tamta Y. Dutta and others participated.

They cleared all types of waste, including cloths, plastic bags and cups and other non degradable items from the beaches.

Mr. Saini said that more than 2,000 kg of waste materials were removed from the beaches.

A similar campaign was carried out in Chennai also.

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 September 2009 05:11
 

Tonnes of garbage cleared from beaches

Sunday, 20 September 2009 04:58 administrator
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The Hindu 20.09.2009

Tonnes of garbage cleared from beaches

 

City Bureau

32 colleges in the city participated in the massive cleaning drive

— Photo: M. Karunakaran

Doing their bit: Volunteers representing various organisations spruced up Chennai’s beaches on Saturday as part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day.

CHENNAI: The city’s beaches have been rendered spic and span now thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who turned up on Saturday morning to clear them of garbage.

As part of the International Coastal Cleanup Day observed by the Indian Coast Guard Region (East), Indian Maritime Foundation, volunteers from schools, colleges, corporates, Marine Police, Central Industrial Security Force and the Indian Air Force cleaned up 79-km of coastal stretches in and around Chennai. Member of Parliament Kanimozhi and Mayor M. Subramanian inaugurated the cleaning drive.

Armed with long rods and garbage bags, the volunteers started the massive drive at 7 a.m. and continued to gather piles of waste till 10 a.m. On the Thiruvanmiyur, Elliot’s and Marina beaches, thousands of volunteers managed to gather six tonnes of garbage. A Coast Guard helicopter doing regular sorties encouraged the volunteers to keep going.

Kapil Kumar Kaushik, an IAF personnel, who picked garbage at the Thiruvanmiyur beach, said he was surprised to find so many glass bottles, plastic bottles, cups and wrappers strewn on the sand.

He said there were few dustbins available on the beach here and that could be a reason why the public littered the beaches. Other volunteers at the Marina and Elliot’s beaches observed that the vendors who sold edible items at the beach had to be sensitised not to throw waste.

K. R. Srinivasan, coordinator for the Indian Maritime Foundation, said much of the waste gathered from the beaches was plastic, which is a major pollutant of coastal areas.

“There is need to popularise the use of bio-degradable materials that do not pollute the environment,” he said.

Volunteers at Thiruvanmiyur beach had been encouraged to use a recently invented bio-degradable plastic with enzymes in it, which could decompose in a matter of months, he added.

“We will study the nature of waste collected from the beach and analyse as to how we can eliminate it,” he said.

D. Sudarsanam, professor of Loyola College who mobilised students for the event, said nearly 32 colleges in the city had participated in the drive, and all the waste collected from the beaches would be handed over to the Chennai Corporation for appropriate disposal.

Organisers agreed that the campaign has been getting better over the years, as at least 10 more organisations were part of the event this year.

However, some like Sunand Simon, representing NCC Navy from Loyola College, felt that besides creating buzz among institutions more could be done to involve morning walkers’ and those residing around the beach. Other organisations that participated in the drive include Tree Foundation,

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme and United Nations Environment Programme.

A press release from Indian Maritime Foundation said a total of 4,760 persons participated in the programme as part of which about 19 tonnes of waste were collected from the coastal stretch from Ennore to Kalpakkam.

Last Updated on Sunday, 20 September 2009 04:59
 
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