Built on floodplains, Mudichur pays the price for unregulated ‘development’

Built on floodplains, Mudichur pays the price for unregulated ‘development’

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

28.11.2020

Whenever it rains, Mudichur in the southern suburbs goes under water. The worst case was during the 2015 floods, when the Adyar overflowed with water from Chembarambakkam. But the effects of cyclone Nivar too saw residential colonies in Mudichur and adjoining Varadarajapuram inundated. While scores of residents moved to the first floors of their houses, 85 families had to be shifted to safer areas from their homes.

The residents are paying the price for unregulated development. Their lesson: If you build houses on floodplains and farmland, water will get into your homes.

Two decades ago, before realtors encroached into Mudichur and Varadharajapuram, the area had vast tracts of agriculture land, which were also the flood plains of river Adayar. The topography is such that the entire area is converted into a seasonal lake during the rainy season. The water recedes in a week. Construction mushroomed over 20 years, hampering free flow of water and shrinking the flood plains. The result: New residential colonies in Mudichur and Varadarajapuram were under 14 feet of water during the 2015 deluge. Things aren’t much better now.

D Vijayan, a native of Varadharajapuram, said “I grew up watching such floods, though the difference was then farmland was submerged. Later, residential complexes came up, but the floods continue.”

“Streets in layouts in the vicinity of Adyar River channel including Amudham Nagar were the worst hit. You can still find water filled uninhabited housing plots,” a revenue department official said.

Attempts by the government after 2015 to arrest the floods have proved futile. This year, steps taken to channel excess water discharged from the Chembarambakkam reservoir to seven lakes in Chengalpet district so that residential areas around Tambaram are not submerged have failed. The plan was to divert excess water from Chembarambakkam to lakes including Nandivaram, Nanmangalam, Perumbakkam and New Tambaram. It didn’t work, given the topography.

K P Subramanian, former professor of urban engineering at Anna University, said land use planning must be improved and construction activity should be regulated to prevent such “manmade disasters”.

City varsities plan to renovate British era buildings, approach PWD for assistance

City varsities plan to renovate British era buildings, approach PWD for assistance

Yogesh.Kabirdoss@timesgroup.com

Chennai:28.11.2020

Two iconic British era buildings at the Oriental Research Institute (attached to the University of Madras) on Kamarajar Salai and Madras Veterinary College (attached to Tanuvas) in Vepery may be renovated. The universities have approached the Public Works Department (PWD) for assistance to restore the structures.

While the Madras Veterinary College on Vepery High Road is a century-old structure built in 1904, the Oriental Research Institute was constructed in 1935. The two-storey veterinary college with Madras terrace roofing has elaborate stone trimmings over pointed arches and terracotta infill panels of animal figures in the central bay. The Indo-Saracenic styled structure was established over an area of 28,000 square feet.

The Oriental Research Institute, popularly known as Marina campus of the University of Madras, has eight wide pillars at the entrance. The building, spread over one acre, had been functioning as an examination hall for 50 years before housing various departments since 1977. At present, the Marina campus has eight departments for multiple Indian and foreign languages, and three centres.

According to PWD sources, it would take Rs 4.5 crore and Rs 3.5 crore to renovate Oriental Research Institute and Madras Veterinary College. “We have sent the estimates to the universities for approval,” a PWD official said. The educational institutions will have to foot the bill.

University of Madras is planning to execute the renovation in a phased manner due to limited funds. It has sought the PWD to split the renovation into three phases.

Tanuvas vice-chancellor Dr C Balachandran said estimation has been sought from the PWD. “We are yet to finalise the renovation,” he said.

STANDING TALL: Madras Veterinary College (left) and the Oriental Research Institute

SC: No 50% quota in super-specialty course for govt docs

SC: No 50% quota in super-specialty course for govt docs

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:28.11.2020

There will be no 50% reservation for government doctors in super-specialty medical courses this year, as the Supreme Court on Friday ordered completion of the counselling for 2020-21 without providing the quota.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao, Hemant Gupta and Ajay Rastogi passed the order without expressing any opinion on the validity of the order passed by the TN government providing the reservation from the current academic year. The bench, which heard the submissions of senior counsel Dushhyant Dave, C S Vaidyanathan and P Wilson, also made it clear that this order would be operative only for the current academic year.

The orders were passed on a special leave petition moved in the court by private doctors Prerit Sharma and others challenging the order of a division bench of the Kerala high court providing 40% reservation for in-service candidates.

It was also pointed out that the TN government has also passed a GO providing for the quota from the current academic year. When the plea came up for hearing, Dushyant Dave for the petitioners said it is settled law that there cannot be reservation of any kind in admission to super-specialty courses.

He said the information bulletin had made clear to candidates that there shall be no reservation for admission to super specialty courses. “Rules of the game cannot be changed midstream and no reservation can be provided for this academic year as the procedure for selections for admission to super-specialty courses commenced a long time back,” he added.

Supporting the state, senior counsel P Wilson said it was incumbent on the part of the National Medical Commission and the Centre to implement the law laid down by the court by providing for reservation for inservice doctors in super specialty courses.

Representing Tamil Nadu, senior advocate CS Vaidhyanathan said there are 369 seats in super specialty courses in the state and that around 70% of doctors who are trained in the state do not serve in the state. “While huge amounts are expended on each doctor for their training in the super specialty courses the people of the state do not get benefit of their services,” he said. The in-service doctors have an obligation to serve the state till the date of retirement, he added.

Counselling for MBBS, BDS to resume on Monday

Counselling for MBBS and BDS admission in Tamil Nadu will resume on Monday. It was postponed after the first day in view of Cyclone Nivar.

Counselling will be held for general rank students from 362 to 751. Students from rank 752 to 1,203 have been called for counselling the next day. The selection committee has released the schedule till Thursday, where 5,441 students have been called.

The counselling will open with 2,440 seats, including 557 seats in the open category in government colleges, and 1,060 seats in self-financing colleges.

Anna univ faculty ask guv to stop probe against VC

Anna univ faculty ask guv to stop probe against VC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:28.11.2020

Faculty members of Anna University sent a representation to Tamil Nadu governor Banwarilal Purohit opposing setting up of an inquiry committee against vice-chancellor M K Surappa.

They urged the governor to direct the state government to withdraw the order constituting the inquiry commission.

The state government formed an inquiry committee headed by retired judge P Kalaiyarasan to probe the complaints of financial irregularities and abuse of power by Surappa.

“The faculty members of Anna University refute charges made by the government of Tamil Nadu against Anna University V-C Surappa and condemn it as a false allegation and certainly baseless. Forming an inquiry commission, not only spoils the integrity of the individual but also the reputation of a higher learning institution,” they said in the petition.

Kerala: Medical regulatory body recommends CBI probe against quacks over forgery

Kerala: Medical regulatory body recommends CBI probe against quacks over forgery

India

Vivek Karindalam

Updated Nov 15, 2020 | 18:53 IST

The medical regulatory body recommends CBI probe against quacks that had defrauded with fake medical certificates and managed to employ as medical practitioners.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Saxena has put his axe also upon the all too powerful lobby that is involved in clandestinely getting recognition to medical colleges and increasing medical seats in institutions on payment of huge amounts

Mr. Saxena has placed a 300 page report before the SC containing recommendations of stern action against erring officials and those quack doctors who have been practising modern medicine with fake degrees

Among the quack doctors who are preceded against, one each is from Odisha and West Bengal and another is from Kerala, sources in Delhi said

Ernakulam: In a move to identify the ‘fraudsters’ and those who have faked their medical certificates, a newly formed medical regulatory body has recommended CBI probe against a section of officials of the Medical Council of India (MCI) who had conspired to procure registrations for quack medical professionals who were possessing fake medical degrees.

As per a senior official in the MCI, a cartel itself was operative within MCI which was assisting in securing permanent registration to people with fake medical degrees from abroad.

“As per our departmental level probe, we could make out that such degrees were awarded to people who had fake degrees from abroad. For the purpose, even the FMGE results were doctored by these people”, said a former member of the MCI who did not wish to reveal his identity.

Sources within the MCI reveal that for securing permanent registrations, an amount ranging from Rs 25 lakhs to Rs 1 crore was demanded by the officials.

The Supreme Court appointed Sri Alok Saxena, a 1989 batch IPS officer from UP cadre as the Chief Vigilance Officer of MCI. Since his appointment as CVO, Mr Saxena keenly investigated all the cases relating to corruption within MCI and recommended action in over 30 files that were pending enquiry for the past more than 5 years.

Among various actions taken by Saxena, he has recommended CBI probe against some officials of the MCI who had conspired to procure registration for some quack doctors who were possessing fake medical degrees.

As per Saxena’s report, these officials had committed extensive irregularities within the system like forging of records to interpolate the names of unqualified fraudsters in the register of medical practitioners.

Eight cases are already registered by CBI against MCI officials in offences involving corruption, forgery and fraud.

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