The Hindu                 14.06.2013

Municipal building to come up at a cost of Rs. 3 crore

Special Correspondent

The project is slated for completion in a year.

The ground breaking ceremony for construction of a new municipal office building in Thuraiyur was held on Thursday.

Estimated to be built at a cost of Rs. 3 crore, the State has provided Rs. 2 crore. The first instalment of Rs. 1 crore has already been sanctioned for the project slated for completion in a year’s time.

The state-of-the-art 28,371 square feet building would come up at the new site along Perambalur road about a kilometre away from the main town.

The new building figures among the slew of projects launched by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa during her recent visit to Tiruchi.

AIADMK MLA Indira Gandhi, other party functionaries, and senior officials of the municipality took part in the ceremony.

Barring the conference room in the existing office complex that was constructed six years back, the space occupied by the old buildings could be utilised for expanding the adjoining bus stand, said N. Murali, Thuraiyur Municipal Chairman. The conference room could be modified into a marriage hall, he added.

Vehicular traffic could be decongested to a certain extent after construction of the bypass road. The bus stand was cramped for space since Chennai-bound buses from Namakkal and Karur districts pass via Thuraiyur, Mr. Murali said.

The Hindu               13.06.2013

Seven high-mast lamps to keep antisocials from Marina

Soon, night-time beachgoers at Marina can feel safer, as there will be fewer dim-lit spots.

This week, the Chennai Corporation will commission additional lights on the sands of the Marina, at a cost of Rs. 60 lakh. One high-mast lamp each will be installed at Ayothikuppam, the Kannagi statue, Nadukuppam service road, Nochikuppam and the Foreshore Estate area. Two high-mast lamps will be installed on the sands near the swimming pool.

The additional lighting is expected to prevent congregation of antisocial elements. The 3.1-km stretch of the Marina from the Triumph of Labour statue to the lighthouse has 24 high-mast lamps which were found to be inadequate. A number of beachgoers, put to hardship due to the inadequate illumination, had made representations, Corporation officials said.

Following requests from councillors, work on installing additional high-mast lamps had commenced recently.

The move to illuminate the sands is the latest in a series of initiatives to significantly improve the condition of the beach sands.

A writ petition pertaining to Marina beach a few months ago stated that the beach was in a pathetic and shabby condition. Also, foreign tourists were afraid of visiting the beach. Following a proposal to frame a scheme for hawkers and beach-users on the Marina that was mooted last year, the Corporation council also approved an estimate of Rs. 4.84 crore for the works that included installation of high mast lamps and police watch towers.

The makeover of Marina beach has been planned to prevent any adverse impact on the environment as well as on local hygiene and sanitation, said an official of the Corporation.

However, NGOS such as Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network have expressed concern over additional high mast lights on the sands.

“Marina is already full of mast lights. Every single hatchling will be attracted towards the light. During nesting of turtles the lights are normally switched off in many areas,” said Akila, a volunteer with Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network.

No progress in removing shops

The Corporation, to facilitate the restoration of the beach, also made a public announcement last year asking vendors on the sands to remove all illegal structures. But it has been unable to find a solution so far.

The civic body will submit its proposals for improving the condition of the beach to the Madras High Court this week.