Lift at Nungambakkam foot overbridge soon

The Chennai Corporation is expected to throw open to the public the lift to the foot over bridge (FOB) on Nungambakkam High Road in a
fortnight, according to commissioner Rajesh Lakhoni.

The FOB, costing an estimated Rs 65 lakh, will help pedestrians cross the busy road without problem. It came up in 2001 from the MPLAD funds of the late Murasoli Maran but saw poor patronage. Reason: The steps were very steep and beggars and alcoholics had made it their home.

Said Lakhoni: "Our aim is to help elderly citizens take the lift and move onto the other side easily." The civil works that began a few months ago are nearing completion and lift cars will be installed on either side of the FOB soon.

The lift's concrete chamber, costing Rs 17 lakh, is approximately 6.2 m high. A maximum of 12 persons can travel at a time in each of the lift cars. Corporation staff, according to the plan, will operate the cars for one month before leaving it to the public to operate on their own. "In case of power failure or other defects, people need not panic. The automated system has been built in such a way that it will reach the nearest exit mode at once," said Lakhoni.

The continuous flow of traffic on Nungambakkam High Road, home to numerous establishments, compelled the local body to provide a lift to the FOB there. Based on the success rate, the corporation plans to provide a lift to its proposed project on Taluk Office Road in Saidapet. "It is dangerous to drive a car on this stretch, it is a good idea that the corporation has thought about pedestrian safety finally," said businessman G Kalyan Kumar.

A few months ago, the traffic police sent a wish-list to the corporation seeking FOBs in such places as Saidapet, Teynampet, DMS, Chamiers Road, Chindadripet, Wallajah Road and Spencers on Anna Salai, near the Chennai Central railway station and at the Nelson Manickam Road-Poonamallee High Road junction.
-source from TIMES OF INDIA

JUSCO bags water distribution contract in Chennai

The Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company Limited (JUSCO), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Tata Steel, has bagged a contract for remodelling water distribution network in Chennai.

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has awarded the contract, worth Rs 18.37 crore, for remodelling the water distribution network, the head of corporate communications, JUSCO, Rajesh Rajan, said here on Thursday.

As per the 18-month contract, JUSCO would undertake surveying water mains condition, renewal of 42,000 house service connection and various other works.

The project, slated to begin by the month-end, is spread across 38 divisions in five zones - Anna Nagar, Perambur, T Nagar, Chetpet and New Avadi Road.

The contract would have to be executed by September 2010.

Regarding the funding pattern, Rajan said 35 per cent would come from the Union Ministry of Urban Development, while the Tamil Nadu government would share 15 per cent under JNURM.

The rest 50 per cent would be borne by Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board.

Last year, JUSCO secured the contract for India's largest water supply operation and management (O & M) project worth Rs 162 crore in Mysore, Karnataka.
-source from THE HINDU

Civic body plans big for Chennai

The Council meeting of the Chennai Corporation on Tuesday discussed a wide range of issues and projects, which, if implemented in a proper way, would make the city a model for other Corporations.

The civic body announced that the ban on plastics on the Marina Beach, as announced in its budget for this fiscal, would come into force from 15 August.
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Speaking to reporters, Mayor M Subramanian said that beach beautification work was almost over and the civil works completed. The greening work is under way.

The Council also adopted a resolution requesting the Collector to transfer a portion of government land on Queen Mary’s College campus for setting up a bus bay and a splay at the junction of Dr Radhakrishnan Salai and Kamarajar Salai.

He said that the Corporation planned to float tenders calling for artists to paint walls of government property on Kamarajar Salai and Anna Salai, where it had banned posters and banners.

Stating that digital banners could be put up with the permission of the civic body and police for three days before and two days after any function, the Mayor said if the persons concerned did not remove the banners on their own, the Corporation and police would take steps to do so.

The civic body would issue a show cause notice to private conservancy agency Neel Metal Fanalca (NMF), asking it why its contract should not be terminated, following complaints about the performance of the agency, the Mayor said.
The Council meeting approved the cost estimates for construction of two bridges over the Otteri Nullah and one across the Captain Cotton Canal.

The bridge over the Nullah at Narasimha Nagar - M S Nagar (Zone 3) will come up at an estimated cost of Rs.2.37 crore, while the facility in Zone 5, ward 67 linking A-Block and B-Block will cost Rs.2.52 crore.The proposed facility across the Captain Cotton Canal (Zones 1 and 3) will connect Krishnamurthi Nagar and M K B Nagar, at an estimated cost of Rs.3.97 crore.

On the issue of traffic pile ups at the junction of Harrington Road and Spurtank Road, Subramanian said that the civic body would consider construction of a flyover at the junction. The proposed bridge would come up in an east-north alignment.

-source from NEWS TODAY

Hogenakkal project will see light of day in 2012: Stalin

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin today told the state Assembly the Rupees 1,334 crore Hogenakkal drinking water project, aimed at providing drinking water to the fluoride-affected Dharmapuri and Krishangiri districts, would be completed by 2012.
Replying to the debate on the demand for grants for Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, he said the project was going on right track and would be completed by 2012.
He said efforts would be made to complete the project ahead of schedule on the lines of the Ramanathapuram Drinking Water Project.
Mr Stalin said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had put the project on hold last year only to avoid any confusion or violence at that time as assembly elections were due in Karnataka. The project was now on track and was expected to be completed by 2012, he added.
The project involved providing quality drinking water to the people of Dharmpuri and Krishnagiri by drawing the Cauvery waters flowing through the Tamil Nadu side.
However, objections were raised by Karnataka and the project was temproarily put on hold by the Tamil Nadu government as Assembly polls were due in Karnataka last year.
Mr Stalin said he had personally visited Japan to secure financial assistance from the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation.
''Tenders for the first phase of the work have been issued and the work is scheduled to start in the next three or four months.
Steps would be taken to complete the project ahead of schedule.
Mr Stalin also announced that the state government would hike minimum wages for beneficiaries under the National Rural Employment
Guarantee Scheme(NREGS) from Rs 80 to Rs 100.
Necessary changes would be made in accordance with the Minimum Wages Act.
He said the present wage of Rs 80 was fixed four years back and the government would take steps to hike it to Rs 100.
He also announced that one lakh new women self-help groups (SHGs) would be formed in the next two years.

-source from NEWKERALA.COM

Eco-friendly bamboo resort set up at Mahabalipuram

An unique eco-friendly bamboo resort has been set up at Tamil Nadu's Mahabalipuram district to promote medical tourism.

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation has built the resort along with some private partners in order to attract foreign tourists for various Ayurvedic and medical treatments.

"This resort is made up of bamboo is particularly under medical tourism to tap foreigners to take all Ayurvedic and medical treatments," said Siva Ramakrishna, Physician And Managing Director of Ayurveda College.

The resort offers Ayurvedic treatment and rejuvenation therapy, including Ayurvedic pancha karma treatment, acupressure, yoga and meditation.

Apart from that guests can enjoy steam bath and swimming pool, they can also avail the exclusive bamboo restaurant.

"Previously we had about 35 cottages and now with some renovated cottage it has been raised to 75. We are already having swimming pool, -vegetarian, non -vegetarian, Chinese restaurant- and some exclusive facilities for our guests," said Ravi, Public Affairs Manager, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation.

The construction of cottages at Mahabalipuram had commenced about seven months ago and the work was completed within a month.

Depending upon the success, the concept would be introduced at the hill stations and other important destinations across the state.

-source from NEWKERALA.COM

E-governance to be implemented in TN ration shops

State-run Electronics Corp of Tamil Nadu Ltd (ELCOT) will soon cover around 28,000 public distribution shops in the state under its e-governance initiative, a top official said here today.

"Currently implemented in around 210 shops, the electronic billing project will be shortly extended to other outlets in the states," ELCOT chairman Santhosh Babu told reporters.

As per the system, the shop keeper will feed in the purchase details in the hand-held device and thereby convert the data to electronic format.(IANS)

-source from HEADLINE INDIA.COM

Chennai gets Black Cat commandos

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said the regional hubs of National Security Guards would raise the level of preparedness to meet terror attacks and respond with swift military action in any part of the country.

The security of the country was foremost in the mind of the Central government and the newly inaugurated NSG hubs in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata would create a sense of awareness on the need for citizens to be vigilant against terrorism, he said.

Speaking to media persons after the inauguration of Chennai hub of the NSG at Police Training School in Ashok Nagar, the Home Minister said the government has kept the deadline to operationalise the NSG hubs by 30 June. While the Mumbai hub came into being on Tuesday, the other NSG centres in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata were being inaugurated today by Chidambaram.

Chennai hub of NSG would cover the entire Tamilnadu and nearby areas in combating terror in coordination with the local police, he said. Consisting of 241 members of highly-trained and motivated force, the NSG would also train State police in meeting the security and contingency requirements.

Further, the Control Room of the State police would be used to step up coordination with the NSG hub in Chennai, the Minister said. The NSG commandos have the right to seize aircraft during their rescue missions and modern equipment including facilities like choppers would be provided to them.

He informed that depending on the funds allocated for the internal security in the forthcoming Budget, more steps would be taken up by the Home Ministry to combat terrorism.

Recalling the Centre has been working with State government for the last 6-7 months to set up regional hubs of NSG, he said in the next phase this facility would be extended other major cities. Besides, an Army special force in Jodhpur and BSF hub in Guwahati would come up shortly, he said. Under the Mega City Policing scheme, choppers would also be provided for the local police for maintaining security.

With headquarters at Manesar in Haryana, the NSG hubs would have a troop strength of 241 each, but in due course depending on the need the number would be raised, said Chidambaram. At present being accommodated at the Police Training School, the NSG would move to Nedungundram, a suburb in Kancheepuram district, once permanent structures were built by National Building Construction Company (NBCC). The State government has given 85 acres free of cost for building and other infrastructure to house the NSG team.

NSG director general N P S Aulakh expressed hope the elite force would be shifted to the new facility at Nedungundram by November 2009. Giving the opening address, he said after the Mumbai attacks a need was felt to create regional hubs of NSG to ensure a quicker response to tackle such threats in future. NSG hubs would help in achieving the operational efficiency in combating terrorism, he said.

However, Aulakh stressed on the need for a coordinated response by all state authorities and security agencies which was an important prerequisite to tackle the war on terror successfully. Deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin, State DGP K P Jain, senior police officers, MPs and MLAs were also present at the raising ceremony of the NSG hub in Chennai.

-source from NEWS TODAY