Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
Towns and Cities

99 celebrities to take part in global warming awareness campaign

Tuesday, 08 September 2009 01:00 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu 08.09.2009

99 celebrities to take part in global warming awareness campaign

Staff Reporter

— Photo: K.Pichumani

Beneficiaries with the free colour TVs distributed at a function in Pudupet on Monday.

CHENNAI: A total of 99 celebrities in the city will take part in an event to be organised at Ripon Building here on Wednesday to mark the 99999 campaign for creating awareness on global warming.

“We will switch off lights in 2,000 buildings under the control of the Corporation, including Ripon Building, and 1,500 parks on Wednesday,” Mayor M. Subramanian said on Monday.

He urged residents to switch off lights for nine minutes from 9 p.m. on Wednesday as part of the campaign.

Various associations, including the All India Bank Employees’ Association, have extended support for the event. General secretary of AIBEA C.H. Venkatachalam said: “Our members have been requested to switch off lights for nine minutes on Wednesday.”

Similarly, many schools have asked the students to actively participate in the campaign. CEO of Velammal Group of Schools M.V.M. Velmurugan said: “More than 50,000 students of our institutions have been asked to support the campaign.”

Founder of Exnora M.B.Nirmal said the campaign would be a tool for better awareness on global warming in the city.

Colour TVs distributed

At another function organised by the Chennai Corporation, to distribute free colour television sets, Minister of Information Parithi Illamvazhuthi said 3.38 lakh television sets have been distributed in the city so far. On Monday, 17,519 colour TVs were distributed in Egmore Assembly constituency, in Pudupet.

Speaking at the function, the Mayor said the construction of 192 housing units of the TNSCB quarters in K.P. Nagar of Pulianthope would be completed in a year at a cost of Rs.6 crore.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 08 September 2009 01:07
 

Erode crematorium bags ISO certification

Monday, 07 September 2009 00:43 administrator
Print PDF

The Hindu 07.09.2009

Erode crematorium bags ISO certification

Karthik Madhavan

Photo: Special Arrangement

Recognition: The modern crematorium developed by the Erode Corporation in association with Aathma Trust. —

ERODE: The Erode Corporation has added yet another feather to its cap by securing ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification for the recently inaugurated modern crematorium.

On Tuesday, officials from Quest International Certification handed over the two certificates to Corporation Commissioner B. Balachandran.

The Corporation spent over Rs. 1 lakh for the certificates. Mr. Balachandran told The Hindu that the certification had made the civic body the “only one” in the country to bag both ISO 9001 and 14001 for a crematorium.

The Corporation developed the crematorium under the public-private partnership model in association with Aathma Trust at a cost of over Rs.3 crore. It opened the facility in November 2008.

The Commissioner said the crematorium operated on a build-operate-transfer model, with the Aathma Trust running the show at present.

It charged Rs.1,300 to cremate a body, including Rs.500 on transport.

Revenue

Since the inauguration, the crematorium has handled 1,325 bodies. He also said that the Corporation got 20 per cent of the revenue and in another 25 years, it would take possession of the facility.

After the certification, the Corporation had set its sight on bagging another ISO certification, this time for the Erode Corporation bus stand. Mr. Balachandran said the civic body was working on improving hygiene.

It was also engaged in installing a first-aid room, fire extinguisher, complaint box, identification boards, and so on.

Last Updated on Monday, 07 September 2009 00:45
 

Now, parking meters in city

Friday, 04 September 2009 06:49 administrator
Print PDF

The New Indian Express 04.09.2009

Now, parking meters in city



G Saravanan

CHENNAI: The city’s newest parking control measure - parking meters - have been installed in one of the city’s oldest areas, Mylapore, and will soon be extended to other areas.

With this Chennai has become the third city in the country after Bangalore and Hyderabad to introduce parking meters.

In an attempt to regulate vehicle parking in the city’s designated parking lots, Chennai Corporation has started installing parking meters for four-wheelers on a trial basis at three congested commercial locations.

According to corporation sources, four solar-powered parking meters have been installed in the North Mada Street near Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, which is one of the heavily used parking lots in the city.

Another 13 such meters will be installed at parking lots in Pondy Bazaar and on CSIR Road in Taramani where many IT parks are located and four-wheelers are parking roundthe- clock. Mayor M Subramanian will inaugurate these facilities in the coming days.

A private firm will operate these parking meters and collect Rs 5 per hour.

An attendant will conveniently tender change to the vehicle owners since the automated machines will accept only Rs 5 coins.

The corporation had already identified 12 commercial locations in the city to install such parking meters in due course of time.

The success of these meters and feedback on the ones that are currently being installed will help the corporation evolve a comprehensive policy to streamline its parking lots in the city’s commercial zones.

To operate these meters, a car driver has to drop a Rs 5 coin into the meter and obtain a slip on which the entry time will be printed.

The permit has to be displayed prominently on the car’s dashboard so that the parking attendant can view it.

Last Updated on Friday, 04 September 2009 07:02
 
More Articles...


Page 251 of 275