The Hindu              02.09.2013

GPS street lamps light up GST Road in Tambaram

Street lamps fitted with global positioning system (GPS) now illuminate parts of Grand Southern Trunk Road in Tambaram.

The GPS facility will help staff at a dedicated control room monitor the lamps on the stretch and watch out for damaged ones. The 246 street lamps, installed on the median of GST Road, were recently dedicated by Tambaram MLA and Animal Husbandry Minister T.K.M. Chinnayya.

The lamps also consume less energy. Municipal chairman M. Karikalan said that the new metal halide lamps consume only 210 watts of power as opposed to the earlier sodium vapour lamps, which consume 250 watts.

The lamps were installed on a 3.75-m-long stretch between Tambaram Sanatorium and Irumbuliyur.

The control room has been set up at the municipality.

Municipal commissioner S. Sivasubramanian, said that a number of tests to check lux (to determine level of illumination), luminosity, road and traffic patterns among others were done before the system was implemented.

While the State government sanctioned Rs. 50 lakh, the municipality spent the remaining Rs. 1.5 crore from its general funds. The lights will automatically turn on at 6 p.m. and switch off at 5.30 a.m. and will dim between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., when traffic is likely to be light, resulting in the further saving of power. The contractor who installed the new posts will maintain them for a year.

The metal lamp posts are made of galvanised iron, unlike conventional posts which only have a galvanised iron coating.

The new posts can withstand strong winds and even absorb shocks in the event of minor collisions, unlike the earlier ones that would bend or give way under such circumstances, officials said.

The Hindu              31.08.2013

Tirupur to get modular toilets in public places

Staff Reporter

The Corporation council meeting held here on Friday resolved to set up modular toilets at select 14 places at an estimated outlay of Rs 3.5 crore.

Mayor Visalakshi Apukutty said these toilets would be coming up in wards 3,6,18, 21, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, 52 and 53 under ‘Namma toilet’ scheme.

Corporation Commissioner K. R. Selvaraj said each toilet complex would have five to six seats and would function as community toilets.

The administration plans to obtain grants from the State Government to offset the capital expenditure for the project.

During the meeting, councillors representing CPI, CPI (M) and DMK staged walk out in protest against the move to privatise solid waste management (SWM) project in select 30 wards out of the total 60 wards.

They pointed out that the handing over of the SWM project would only increase the cost of garbage collection.

“The present method of collecting garbage through various women Self Help Groups has been effective. Why then, the need to privatise the project?” they wondered.

For the opposition councillors, there was surprise support from the ruling party too.

S. R. Jayakumar of AIADMK said that he could not morally accept the concept of privatising the said SWM project for 30 wards.

K. Marappan of CPI (M) asked why there was a huge delay in filling the vacancies of two councillor posts caused by the death of the incumbents last year.

“The rule clearly asks to conduct by-elections within six months to fill the vacancies,” he pointed out.

S. Ravichandran of CPI expressed dissatisfaction over the inadequate medical infrastructure and manpower in the Corporation-run maternity hospital near Bungalow stop. “It does not even have X-ray,” he said.

Some other major complaints raised by councillors include mosquito menace, poor laying of black top surfaces on the roads which comes off in quick time and lack of adequate drainage.

Deputy Mayor S Gunasekaran was present in the meeting.

To improve hygiene Modular toilets will come up at 14 places in Tirupur at an estimated outlay of Rs. 3.5 crore To come up in wards 3,6,18, 21, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, 52 and 53 under ‘Namma toilet’ scheme Each toilet complex will have five to six seats and will function as community toilets.