Latest news with #ChennaiCorporation
The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Residents seek measures to expedite road cuts for resolving civic problems
: Owing to frequent disruption of power supply in zones such as Sholinganallur, where roads are being dug up for laying underground drainage network, residents have demanded faster processing of requests for road cuts to prevent a delay in restoration of services. V. Parthiban, general secretary of the Confederation of Residents' Welfare Associations, Sholinganallur, demands that civic agencies find a solution to prevent such delay in road cuts. Around 50% of the civic issues that require road cuts in various zones of the Chennai Corporation are related to electricity, water, and sewage, according to data complied by the GCC. Though a large number of service departments, more than 20 in number, carry out road cuts for resolving civic issues and implementing infrastructure projects, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board alone accounts for around 25% of them, and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB), more than 25%. Residents have urged the civic agencies to develop a system to expedite road cuts. 'When there is disruption of power or water supply, we request officials to give permission for road cuts instantly, without any delay,' they say. A. Francis, president of the Federation of Thoraipakkam Residents' Welfare Associations, said work on digging a cement concrete road, which was laid only a few months ago, is under way. 'The residents want the dug-up roads to be restored immediately. But this has not always been the case. There has been a delay in the restoration of the new road after the sewer network was built. We request that a new system be formed for improved coordination between all the line agencies,' he said. AIADMK councillor J. John said, in the past, the AIADMK government had initiated work to build sewer network in close proximity to all houses so that sewer connection could be established without digging up roads. 'The scheme to provide connection to all houses should be strengthened, similar to that of the previous regime,' he said. DMK councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said residents had demanded permission for road cut along Anna Nagar Second Avenue to resolve a sewage-related civic issue in the area. Following an overwhelming demand from residents in various parts of the city, the Chennai Corporation has proposed to expedite the work, and introduce a seamless system for granting permission for road cuts. An official said the new system would be implemented in one or two days, and the guidelines issued shortly. 'We have decided to expedite approvals for pending road cuts across the city. The online system will be altered. Under the new system, the residents will be able to raise claim charges after applying for Metrowater connection. Additionally, the No Objection Certificate from the traffic police can be obtained online,' another official said. At a meeting attended by more than 20 service departments on Tuesday, GCC officials decided to take measures to resolve issues with the departments. On the CMWSSB work under way in zones such as Manali, Madhavaram, Sholinganallur, and Perungudi, an official said they would expedite the road cut and restoration work.
NDTV
2 days ago
- Health
- NDTV
Chennai Auto Driver Injured After Being Bitten By Rottweilers, Owner Arrested
Chennai: An auto-rickshaw driver was bitten by two Rottweilers in Chennai while waiting near the Washermanpet area. The dogs, reportedly being walked by a minor boy, suddenly charged at the unsuspecting man, causing serious injuries. According to senior police officials, the owner of the dogs, identified as Mahendran, has been arrested and will be remanded. "We are investigating the circumstances under which the attack took place," a senior police officer told NDTV. Preliminary investigations revealed that although the dogs were vaccinated, they were not registered with the Chennai Corporation as required. Authorities confirmed that the Rottweilers have been taken to the city pound pending further examination. The injured auto driver is currently undergoing treatment at a government hospital. His wife has filed a formal complaint with the local police. The use of a minor to control the dogs has raised further legal and ethical questions. This incident comes nearly a year after a similar attack in which a young girl was mauled by two Rottweilers at a public park in the city. In response to the recurring threat, the Chennai Corporation had announced plans to enforce stricter regulations, including mandatory muzzling of ferocious breeds like Rottweilers in public areas. But this has not been adopted yet.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Chennai Corporation forms technical committee to audit CMRL sites to reduce the risk of flooding this monsoon in all zones
: Owing to the rise in civic issues caused by blocked stormwater drains near Metrorail construction sites, Chennai Corporation has formed a committee to audit the proposed interventions of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), and submit a report for further action to prevent flooding this monsoon. The civic agency is planning to take steps to divert stormwater, and implement pumping mechanisms to mitigate inundation, ahead of the onset of Northeast monsoon this year. The committee is expected to begin inspection of sites where residents have called for interventions to reduce the risk of flooding. Residents have demanded that measures be taken to prevent flooding near sites of underground metro stations in Purasawalkam, Sembium, Pattalam, Otteri, Mylapore, Adyar and Indira Nagar. Residents of areas such as Sterling Road, Gemini flyover, and Kodambakkam have also flagged the risk of flooding this monsoon. Last year, residents of more than 21 localities complained about blocked stormwater drains because of CMRL work. The risk of inundation at junctions such as Porur has also been high. Residents have also demanded interventions to resolve civic issues in the Alapakkam-Porur stretch of Metrorail. Even though work on constructing the elevated Metrorail stretch has had minimum impact on flood preparedness, experts have called for an alternative to the inadequate culverts to drain stormwater from the western part of Rajiv Gandhi Salai to Buckingham Canal. They have also stressed the need for sumps, shutter and pumping arrangements along Rajiv Gandhi Salai to prevent flooding. According to the order issued by Corporation Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran, the technical audit committee will consist of five members — Gandhimathinathan, Consultant, CRA; Balaji Narasimhan, Professor, IIT-Madras; T. Livingstone Eliazer, Chief General Manager (CGM), CMRL; Palanivel, Chief Engineer-CGM, Tamil Nadu Road Development Company; and S. Rajeswari, Chief Engineer (General), Greater Chennai Corporation.
The Hindu
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Residents lament delay in identifying land to set up EV charging stations
: Residents have raised complaints about the delay in identifying government land for setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the city. Anna Nagar resident T. Selvaraj said they had met Chennai Corporation councillors and urged them to facilitate the identification of lands. 'Those in possession of electric vehicles are facing numerous problems because of the inadequate number of charging stations set up by private companies in the city. We have to drive long distances to get the vehicle charged. We will save time if the GCC sets up the facilities in each neighbourhood of every ward in all 15 zones,' he said, adding that they had asked the councillors to resolve the problem. Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Association president T.K. Shanmugam said EV charging stations had not been set up by private agencies in north Chennai. 'My electric vehicle slows down after a few kilometres. But there are no charging stations in our area. We have to cover long distances to access the facility in areas such as Madhavaram and Tondiarpet. Daily wage labourers save money by opting for electric vehicles. If the GCC sets up EV charging stations, poor residents of north Chennai will benefit from them,' he said. GCC councillor T.V. Shemmozhi said he held a meeting with GCC officials on Saturday in the presence of the MLA to discuss the installation of EV charging stations in Chennai Corporation parks. 'The officials have agreed to set up the facilities in parks such as Park,' he said. 'Residents want the charging stations to start functioning without any delay. When the private sector fails, they turn to the elected representatives to fulfill their needs,' he added. In the past few months, the Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) has been holding talks with agencies such as the GCC to set up EV charging stations in parks, parking lots, and playgrounds. However, officials have also pointed to the lack of income of fuel pump operators who have set up the stations in some areas of the city. TNGECL Managing Director Aneesh Sekhar said government lands at 15 locations have been identified in the city to set up the facility under the Public-Private Partnership model. 'Work on this revenue sharing model for charge point operators on government land is in the advanced stages. We have done the feasibility study. The final approval is yet to come. This is a quick win to set the ball rolling. We have also written to all local bodies and land-owning agencies to identify land for the operators. We have a long way to go,' he said.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
North Chennai residents form human chain demanding halt to waste-to-energy plan in Kodungaiyur
Jaya, a resident of Kodungaiyur, said, 'Locals here already suffer respiratory and skin infections due to the dumpyard and muddy roads. Now, if the Chennai Corporation's incinerator project is implemented, the emissions will affect us and the future generations here drastically.' She joined thousands of protesters in a signature campaign and human chain demonstration against the Greater Chennai Corporation's plan to build a waste-to-energy plant as part of an integrated waste management facility in Kodungaiyur's 75-acre Metrowater land near the existing dump yard in North Chennai. This was headed by the Federation of North Chennai Residents' Welfare Associations from Sivasakthi Amman temple in Ezhil Nagar of Kodungaiyur to the signal close to Dr. Ambedkar Government Arts College in Vyasarpadi on Sunday. Nearly 10,000 took part, including singer T.M. Krishna, members of NGO Poovulagin Nanbargal, GCC councillors R. Jayaraman and B. Vimala of Communist Party of India (Marxist), S. Jeevan and J. Dilli Babu of Indian National Congress (INC). Ram, a shopkeeper and a resident for 10 years in Kodungaiyur, said, 'People are also partly responsible. My parents have not followed waste segregation, so, I also did not. If segregation helps in scrapping the GCC's project, then segregation can be practiced. I will encourage my neighbours too. As a parent of two girls, I fear the Corporation's project may affect future generations' standard of life in Kodungaiyur.' T.K. Shanmugam, the president of the federation, said, 'The people are aware that the harmful gases released while burning waste would affect the lungs and cause respiratory issues. The residents near the Kodungaiyur dump yard are already facing skin problems. We firmly believe only a safe environment and water supply can help curb people's issues. Already, most of North Chennai is an industrial hub. Introducing an incinerator will further pollute air and waterbodies.' In a release, the federation said the incinerator plan would affect areas with over 3.5 lakh residents and several schools, colleges, hospitals and other public institutions. It added that environmental clearance had not been obtained, and public consultation was not sought, hence the Tamil Nadu government must abandon the plan.
