Cases rise marginally in south, officials wary

Cases rise marginally in south, officials wary

Sukshma.R@timesgroup.com

Madurai:29.11.2020

Even as Covid-19 cases across the state were on the decline during the past month, a marginal rise in the number of fresh cases in the southern region for the past few days has raised concerns of a possible spike. Health officials are vigilant and asserted that the daily Covid-19 testing will be kept as high as possible.

Active cases in the southern districts is on the rise again. On Saturday, the region had 1,075 active cases. By November 15, daily fresh cases were 150 on an average. However, since Tuesday, the daily cases have been above 150 consistently. On Thursday, when fresh infections reached 184, more than 50% of the cases were from Madurai, Dindigul and Virudhunagar.

“Except for the few days during Diwali, Covid-19 testing has not dropped. In Madurai, around 2,500-3,000 are tested daily. That is why we are able to identify even around 30 cases,” said a district health official. In Virudhunagar and Dindigul, health officials said around 1,000-1,500 samples are being tested for Covid-19 daily. “That’s a lot when we have cases as few as 20-30 a day,” said an official from Virudhunagar. Health officials said some cases are also due to people travelling between districts and states for Diwali. The official added that measures are being taken to test all those coming from other states.

No helmet, no fuel from next week

NEWS DIGEST

29.11.2020

No helmet, no fuel from next week

Refilling stations in the city will not dispense fuel to bike riders if they fail to wear helmets from next week, says the city traffic police. The petrol bunk owners have been asked to erect a poster in front of the fuel stations that two-wheelers without a helmet will not be provided petrol. The initiative is likely to come into effect from next week.

Boy, 11, fishing in canal drowns: M ukesh, an 11-yearold Class V student, drowned in Nalla canal at Kodungaiyur on Friday while fishing. Police said Mukesh had come to his grandmother’s house in the area. After fire and rescue services personnel fished him out, he was sent to the government general hospital where he was declared dead

Cop warns hotel manager at gunpoint, suspended: A 50-year-old police constable has been placed under suspension for allegedly threatening a restaurant manager at gunpoint in Villivakkam. Vincent of Secretariat Colony police weas personal security officer to All India Hindu Satya Sena national president Vasanthkumar. On November 24, he accompanied Vasanthkumar to a restaurant in Villivakkam and allegedly shared his phone number with a few women staff. On November 26, he reportedly received a call from one of the women who claimed the manager sexually harassed her. Vincent went there and pulled out his revolver to threaten the manager, police said.

DVAC raid recovers ₹4.9L from sub-registrar office: DVAC (special investigation cell) officers and inspection cell officers on Friday seized ₹77,000 from the Alandur sub-registrar’s office at Nanganallur and accumulated bribe money of ₹4.9lakh from the sub-registrar’s house. The check was carried out based on a tip.

Trains from Chennai to Vijayawada daily: Southern Railway will operate daily trains between Chennai and Vijayawada from December 1. Vijaywada-MGR Chennai Central super fast special (02711) will leave Vijayawada at 6.10am from December 1. In the return direction MGR Chennai Central–Vijayawada daily superfast special (02712) will leave at 2.10pm.

Annual IIT-M alumni meet from Dec 1to 6: IIT Madras Alumni Association (IITMAA) has converted its annual global conference into an online event due to the pandemic. Sangam 2020, the conference, will be held from December 1 to 6.

Two multi-level car parks at airport to be ready by April 2021, says AAI ‘2K Cars Can Be Parked, 80% Work Over So Far’

Two multi-level car parks at airport to be ready by April 2021, says AAI

‘2K Cars Can Be Parked, 80% Work Over So Far’

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:29.11.2020

The two multi-level car parks at Chennai airport will be ready by April 2021, with about 80% of the work completed so far, an Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said.

Construction, which began in March last year, is progressing fast to meet the April deadline, the official added.

The initial plan was to have two towers, flanking the airport metro station, but it was later revised to add a hotel and a mall.

With the old terminal building — which had a transit lodging facility — pulled down to build a new terminal, AAI decided to set up a hotel in one of the parking blocks.

Many airports abroad have hotels on campus or nearby, said an official, adding that a hotel would benefit transit passengers and business travellers.

The entire two-tower complex will come up across 4.25 acres at a cost of ₹250 crore and can accommodate a minimum of 2,000 cars. The tower on the west will have six parking levels, including the basement, a hotel spread across 2,749sqm and food and beverage retail stores across 4,804.85sqm. The one on the east will have seven parking levels, a multiplex spread across 3,717.61sqm and a mall spread over 14,030sqm and three levels.

With domestic passenger traffic picking up and an integrated terminal almost ready, the towers will help accommodate all the cars and prevent traffic congestion inside the campus. The airport at present handles close to 190 flights and around 21,000 passengers a day.

Passengers after parking their cars in the towers can access the terminals without having to leave the building. A link bridge will connect the parking block with the elevated tube that runs before the terminals. Most of the buildings have been constructed and work will soon be taken up to link them to the terminals. The existing parking lot on the ground proved inconvenient as passengers have to cross the road in front of the terminal to access it.

“The multi-level car parks with its hotels and malls will help convert the area into a commercial zone and will enhance the airport’s non-aeronautical revenue,” an official said.

NEARING COMPLETION: Work is under way at the multi-level car parking facility at the airport

‘Work-from-home’ life increases Indians’ workday by 32 minutes

‘Work-from-home’ life increases Indians’ workday by 32 minutes

Himanshi.Dhawan@timesgroup.com

29.11.2020

As if hurried lunches and endless video meetings were not proof enough, a new study shows that the workfrom-home day for Indians got much longer during the pandemic.

A survey of 65 countries by workplace software developer Atlassian found that people across the world were starting remote work earlier and logging off much later. Israelis added 47 minutes to their average workday while Indians spent 32 minutes more at work in April and May as compared to the beginning of the year, as did Australians and Americans.

While work from home (WFH) has taken away long commutes, it hasn’t really added to metime as much as people had imagined.

‘Over half of respondents find it harder now to maintain work-life boundaries’

Hyderabad-based IT professional Puneet Srivastav, who always enjoyed flexi-timing, says earlier WFH was a euphemism for ‘work for home’ and used as an opportunity to finish chores, or squeeze in a doctor or school visit. Srivastav says, “Now I am chained to the desk. We are always supposed to be available for meetings.”

The study also indicates that while working remotely people finished higher amounts in the mornings and evenings while productivity dipped during the afternoon.

This could indicate employees were taking advantage of the extra flexibility of WFH but that it could be encroaching on what would have previously been free time. This shows how boundaries between home and office blurred during the pandemic.

The study noted, “Even those without caregiving responsibilities reported struggling to delineate between work time and personal time, and were prone to working long hours without pausing for a break. Over half of respondents said it’s harder now to maintain work-life boundaries than before the pandemic, and 23% reported thinking about work during their off-hours more than they used to.”

As is the case with a west Delhi-based corporate executive who calls WFH “work full hours”. She logs in a 12-hour day and after a break for dinner files a daily report till 2 am.

“There is no break from work like commute time or the small tea breaks we had in office. Our family — all working or studying from home — has resorted to readymade chapatis and packaged food because no one has no time to cook,” she says.

The study also indicates that while working remotely people finished higher amounts in the mornings and evenings while productivity dipped during the afternoon

New Andaman Sea weather system to bring heavy rain to southern TN

Rainfall Likely In Northern Districts Too From Dec 1

U.Tejonmayam@timesgroup.com

Chennai:29.11.2020

Less than a week after very severe cyclonic storm Nivar made landfall near Marakkanam dumping vast amounts of rain, another weather system is on its way to the TN coast.

Weathermen said a low pressure area has formed over south Andaman Sea and is likely to move towards south Tamil Nadu after intensifying into a depression, bringing widespread rainfall from December 1. Extremely heavy rainfall can be expected in some parts of southern districts of TN, which have recorded a deficit so far since October 1, while northern districts, including Chennai, may receive heavy spells of rain. In its bulletin, IMD said the low pressure area has formed over south Andaman sea and adjoining areas of southeast Bay of Bengal and east equatorial Indian Ocean on Saturday. “It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and reach south Tamil Nadu coast on December 2,” the agency said.

Private weather forecasters said the system is likely to cross the Gulf of Mannar and Comorin Area before moving into the Arabian Sea.

Centre constitutes eight-member team, 10,000 hectares of crop damaged in TN

The Centre has constituted an eight-member interministerial team, led by home ministry joint secretary Ashutosh Agnihotri, to assess the damage caused by cyclone Nivar in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. TN government has estimated that around 9,687 hectares of agricultural and horticultural crop had been damaged by the storm, including 5,950 hectares of fullygrown paddy crop in Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Chengalpet and Tiruvannamalai districts. While six people died due to wall collapse, falling of trees and heavy rain in Chennai, Tiruvarur, and Villupuram, seven people were injured. According to the latest TN estimate, 605 houses, including 2,313, were damaged, and 264 cattle and 5,107 poultry died. P 10

‘At most, system may become a deep depression near TN coast’

Weather bloggers said it may turn into a weak cyclone over theArabian Sea far awayfrom the Indian coast before moving towards Somalia or Oman.

IMD forecast “heavy to very heavy rain at a few places with isolated extremely heavy spellsover southTN andsouth Kerala on December 2 and isolated heavy to very heavy rain over these regions on December 1and 3. Over north TN, Puducherry, Mahe and Karaikal and north Kerala, heavy to very heavy rain islikely from December 1to3”.

On November 30, Gulf of Mannar region could experience increased wind speeds of 45-55kmph gusting to 65 kmph and by December 1, it could 65-75kmph gusting to 85kmph along and off south TN coast and 50-60kmph gusting to 70kmph along and off north TN, Puducherry and Kerala coast, Comorin area and Gulf of Mannar. By December 2, wind could increase to 70-80kmph gusting to 90kmph along and off south TN and Kerala coasts, Comorin area and Gulf of Mannar. North TN and Puducherry coast as well as north Kerala coast could see winds at 55-65kmph gusting to 75kmph.

Weather blogger Pradeep John said Chennai will receive convective rain from wind convergence caused by the system pulling the easterliesintotheland asit nearsthe TN coast and from the cloud bands around it. “South, southwest and delta regions, including Kanyakumari, Ramanathapuram and Tenkasi which have recorded a deficit so far this season, will receive very heavy spells...,” he said.

Weather watchers said the system could, at the most, intensify into a deep depression when it is near the TN coast. But a global climate phenomena like Madden-Julian Oscillation, an eastward moving disturbance of clouds, rainfall, winds and pressure which is now in the Indian Ocean, and a warm sea surface temperature will add strength to it.

Though there was an upwelling of the sea when Cyclone Nivar crossed, Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist, Skymet Weather, said the sea surface temperatures are warmer at 28-29 deg C. “But thissystem willbefast moving and won’t spend much time over the sea to intensify. Any system requires to travel at least five to six days over the sea to gather moisture and strengthen into a cyclonic storm,” he said. Further, climate studies have shown that many weather systems that originated from the Andaman Sea had goneon tointensify into cyclonic storms.

Soon after this system nears TN, forecasters, said another system may form over the same region of south Andaman Sea by December 8/9. So far, global weather models show that this system may intensify into a cyclonic storm, compact and strong, and is likely to move closer to Ch

Now learn about trains, sitting inside one

Now learn about trains, sitting inside one

With schools closed since March due to Covid-19, the headmaster hit upon a novel idea to keep students engaged when they return.

Published: 28th November 2020 04:47 AM 

Library and classrooms at Government High School in Lekkanapatti, Pudukkottai, have been painted to resemble a train | Express

By Sowmya Mani

Express News Service

PUDUKKOTTAI: Students of the government school in Lekkanaopatti will have a pleasant surprise when classes resume. With schools closed since March due to Covid-19, the headmaster hit upon a novel idea to keep students engaged when they return.

While children are not required to come to school, teachers and headmasters have to visit schools regularly. Instead of whiling away time, S Antony, the headmaster, decided to do something productive for the benefit of students. With the help of drawing teacher Rajendran and another teacher Rajakumar, he transformed three classrooms into a train. The trio painted the walls between July and October and Antony foot the bill of Rs 15,000. 

“We had planned to take the students on a trip to Rameswaram, but unfortunately the lockdown was imposed. Hence, when the students couldn’t go to the train, the train would come to them”, said Antony. The idea is to teach children about trains, as most of them have never travelled in one, he said.

Lekkanapatti is a remote village in Illupur and the school has 236 students from classes 6 to 10. Most of them are first generation learners from shepherd families. “A majority of the students has never stepped out of this town. I wanted to give them the experience of travelling by a train. With the help of our drawing teacher, we painted the classrooms. Everything that is present in a train is visible in the painting. We’ve marked coaches to teach students about emergency exit, unreserved coach, reserved coach, AC coach, non-AC coach,” said Antony. 

This is not Antony’s first. He has given shape to many ideas that would help the students better understand the real world. There is a big globe as you enter the school which helps students to learn about all countries in the world. There is an honesty store where students drop in a box the amount of what they purchase. There is a biometric attendance for all students.

The day after storm

The day after storm

Rail, road and air travel resume on Thursday. Chennai Port too opened gates to vehicular transport

Published: 27th November 2020 03:44 AM

A cyclist tries to avoid a fallen tree at Gopal Krishnan Street near Pondy Bazar on Thursday. While the cyclone didn’t cause severe damage to the city, it uprooted several trees;
By Express News Service

Rail, road and air travel resume on Thursday. Chennai Port too opened gates to vehicular transport, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam visited many areas in Chennai on Thursday and distributed aid, Rainwater entered postoperative wards on the ground floor of the old building in Chrompet GH

Rainwater enters Chrompet GH

Chennai: Rainwater entered Chrompet Government Hospital following continuous rain in the last two days. The hospital staff, along with PWD workers, managed to drain the water by noon on Thursday. Rainwater had entered postoperative wards on the ground floor of the old building. The building was an OP block and also had a medical store.

The hospital administration said all patients were shifted to the first floor as a precautionary measure and therefore, nobody was affected. The OP unit was also shifted to the new building. “Following continuous rain, water entered the hospital at midnight. But, we were prepared for it and acted on time,” a senior doctor said.

However, people living nearby and doctors said water entering the hospital is a perennial problem and the only solution would be razing down old building and constructing a new one to the height of GST Road. V Santhanam, a social activist in Pallavaram, said as the height of GST Road has now gone up, water enters hospital even after a mild rain. A senior doctor said a proposal has been sent to the government and new buildings will be constructed soon.

 

NDRF personnel rescue flood-affected people at Mudichur near Tambaram | DEBADATTA MALLICK, Ashwin Prasath

Nearly 267 trees uprooted in city
Chennai: Even as the cyclone spared the city from any severe damages, strong winds and heavy rains uprooted as many as 267 trees, which were later cleared by personnel of police, fire and rescue services and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Seven cars and three autorickshaws were damaged. Since Wednesday night the temporary control rooms in 12 police districts received over 87 distress calls. Near the Foreshore Estate, timely help by city police prevented a coconut tree from falling over a house. Meanwhile, city police commissioner, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, and other senior police officers visited the most-affected areas.

Flood alert for areas near Arani river

Chennai: Flood warnings were issued to the people living near the banks of Arani river in Tiruvallur district on Thursday. The river stretches across 60 km in Andhra and 65 km in TN. With Chittoor district receiving heavy rainfall, more water was being released to the Tamil Nadu side. “The check dams are receiving 7,400 cusecs. There are four check dams in Arani river. After all these get filled and if there is still heavy inflow, only then water will be released,” said a PWD official. Villages near Ponneri have also been alerted. Owing to this, culverts and road crossings were not allowed for vehicular crossing from 9:30 am to 6 pm.

Man electrocuted in Triplicane

Chennai: A 38-year-old daily wage labourer was electrocuted in Triplicane on Wednesday night when he tried to draw power to his house by connecting extra cables to overhead power lines attached to a streetlight. The deceased, who was allegedly drunk, has been identified as S Albert of Pallavan Salai. Police said, “It was raining around 10 pm and power supply had been disrupted in the area. In a bid to draw power to his house, Albert climbed the roof and tried connecting extra wire to a live wire attached to a streetlight which was on. He was electrocuted when he tried to cut the live wire using a wire cutter.”