Pallavaram municipality struggles to handle waste

Pallavaram municipality struggles to handle waste

Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.02.2021 

Officials representing the Pallavaram municipality have informedtheNationalGreen Tribunal(NGT) that disposing waste accumulated at the local waste transfer station on Thoraipakkam Radial Road will take longer as there is no dumping site nearby and installation of incinerators is pending. Admitting the submissions made by the municipality, the tribunal during a recent hearing observed that it was the responsibility of the Chengalpet district collector and local body to ensure that unscientific disposal of waste doesn’t create public health issues. If not, the district collector will be compelled to appear before the tribunal, it said.

The issue of dumping solid waste at the station in Ganapathipuram and roads around was first brought to light by TOI in a report dated September 24, 2020. As complaints from the public went unattended, NGT southern zone took suo motu cognizance of the issue and constituted a joint-committee to look into it.

Due to the fault of the concessionaire, the NGT had in January 2021directed the Pallavaram municipality not to dispose the accumulated waste at Vengadamangalam solid waste management facility. According to official data, around 17,340tonnesof solidwastewas accumulated on the station premises, of which the municipality submitted it has cleared13,371tonnes. Sothelocalbody approached Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), which later permitted the municipality to dispose of waste at the Perungudi dump yard and subsequently at Kodungaiyur. But private trucks that were engaged to dispose waste to Kodungaiyur, 55km away from Ganapathipuram, were able to clear only 40 tonnes of waste a day because they could make only four trips a day.

But the problem is that the daily waste collected from houses and shops in Pallavaram is adding to the pile. At present, of the104 tonnes daily waste gathered at Ganapathipuram, 30 tonnes are processed at micro-compost centres and the remaining 60-70 tonnes get accumulated at other end. So, clearing 100% accumulated waste would be possible only when the two incinerators proposed at the Vengadamangalam facility are ready, the municipality contended.

GARBAGE MOUNTAIN: Waste piling up at the Pallavaram dump yard has been spilling on to 200ft Radial Road

Work on sewers for Anakaputhur, Pammal to begin

Work on sewers for Anakaputhur, Pammal to begin

Oppili.P@timesgroup.com

Chennai:13.02.2021 

Residents of Pammal and Anakaputhur municipalities will soon get underground sewage connections. Metrowater has been handed over construction of the system after the Chennai River Restoration Trust (CRRT) said sewage from both the localities was draining into the Adyar river and proposed the system that would also help in the ongoing ecological restoration of the river. Construction is expected to begin in about 10 days and is scheduled to be completed in 18 months.

Sources in the municipal administration department said the two localities together accounted for more than 26,000 households from where untreated sewage was flowing into the Adyar, contributing largely towards polluting the river.

Under the plan for areas falling within Pammal municipality, sewage carrying pipelines will be laid for a distance of 100km and 4,100 manholes will be dug up on the roads. About 19,000 households will benefit from the network in the area that will have four pumping stations and one relay pumping station, an official said.

In Anakaputhur, the network of pipes will be 58km long and will include more than 2,200 manholes. While 7,630 households will get sewage connections, four pumping stations and an equal number of relay pumping stations will be set up.

Sewage collected from the two localities will be pumped to an integrated plant which will come up under Anakaputhur municipal limits and which will have the capacity to treat 30MLD of sewage, he said.

The system, once complete, will not only help the Adyar become cleaner, it is also expected to help improve the groundwater table in the region, the official said.

Of the ₹226.8 crore that the project is estimated to cost, the Anakuputhur arm will get ₹15.65 crore from the CRRT and ₹78.80 crore from the Tamil Nadu Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TUFIDCO), while the Pammal portion will get ₹27.82 crore from CRRT and ₹104.53 crore from TUFIDCO, he added.

TTD to conduct bhoomi pooja for new temple

TTD to conduct bhoomi pooja for new temple

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2021 

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) will conduct a bhoomi pooja or groundbreaking ceremony of a Sri Padmavati Ammavaru temple at GN Chetty Road in T Nagar on Saturday.

The bhoomi pooja will be performed by Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi of Sri Kachi Kamakoti Peetam. The ceremony will begin at 8.42am. The Shankaracharya will also hand over cows and calves to eight temples in Tamil Nadu at 7.15am. The cows will be offered to the temples under the TTD’s flagship programme ‘Gudiko Gomatha,’ which is aimed at safeguarding indigenous cow breeds across the country.

This is the fourth shrine built by the TTD in the state. The temples were previously built in T Nagar, Kanyakumari and Vellore. The foundation stone to build the fifth temple in the state, at Ulundurpet, will be laid soon.

2-year imprisonment for former vehicle inspector for taking bribe

2-year imprisonment for former vehicle inspector for taking bribe

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2021 

Twelve years after a motor vehicle inspector was caught red-handed while taking bribe by DVAC officials, a special court for cases dealing with the Prevention of Corruption Act found him guilty and sentenced him to two-year rigorous imprisonment. The official took ₹1,200 from an autorickshaw driver to release his original RC book.

According to the prosecution, on June 2, 2009, a load-auto owner who was taking his vehicle to a mechanic to get it repaired to avail a fitness certificate was stopped by the accused official, R Chinnakannu who was attached to RTO, Chennai (north). He verified and returned all documents except the original RC book. The prosecution stated that the official had demanded a bribe of ₹1,200 to return the docuemnt and to not register any case against the vehicle owner.

A week later, when the vehicle owner approached the official, he reiterated the demanded. Later, DVAC sleuths caught him accepting the bribe.

The final report was filed before the court in August 2010. In response, the counsel for the accused denied the charges and pleaded not guilty after which the trial commenced.

The counsel for the accused argued that the vehicle owner had only paid the road tax amount and that the police forced the official to take the money kept on the table and keep it in his pocket and the accused official never demanded any bribe from the vehicle owner.

After perusing the submissions from both sides, J Omprakash, special judge, special court for cases under prevention of corruption act held that the prosecution has proved with enough evidence that the official had accepted bribe and sentenced the official for two-year rigorous imprisonment.

Shame if advocates refuse to vacate rented premises: HC

Shame if advocates refuse to vacate rented premises: HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2021 

Censuring an advocate for refusing to vacate a rented property, the Madras high court has said some advocates are now-a-days looked upon as ‘rowdies and third rated criminals’ (due to their activities).

“It is very saddening to note that it is a shame on the part of an advocate to refuse to vacate the premises, when a landlord requires it. Advocates are referred to as gentlemen in the Preamble to Chapter-II of the Bar Council of India Rules under Section 49(1)

(c) of the Act read with the proviso thereto,” Justice S Vaidyanathan said.

The court made the observation on a plea moved by advocate V K Kumaresan seeking to set aside an ex parte order passed against him in favour of his landlord P Jayaseelan.

“This court as early as on February 19, 2020 directed the petitioner to vacate the premises within two weeks. It is very unfortunate that the petitioner took one long year to comply with the said order. However, this court is of the view that the approach adopted by the petitioner in a clandestine manner to defeat the orders of this court, is clear abuse of process of the court,” the judge said.

Under the pretext that a review application has been filed, this matter was dragged on by the petitioner to deceive the court and the landlord, the judge added. The court then asked the bar council to take action against the petitioner and proceed further for the misconduct on the complaint.

“Registry is directed to send a copy of this order to Madras High Court Advocates Association, Madras Bar Association and Women Lawyers' Association to inform their members that they should not defend a dishonest tenant, who happens to be a deceitful advocate, like the petitioner herein, who is not a gentleman, in order to safeguard the reputation of this profession, the court said.

Anna univ can’t have 2 M Tech courses this year, AICTE tells HC

Anna univ can’t have 2 M Tech courses this year, AICTE tells HC

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:13.02.2021 

The two Centresponsored M Tech courses for which admissions were cancelled by Anna University over quota-related controversy cannot be offered this year as the cut-off date set by the Supreme Court is over, AICTE told the Madras high court on Friday.

The deadline for completing admissions to M Tech biotechnology and M Tech computational biology courses expired on December 31, 2020, AICTE told the court, adding: “It is practically impossible to commence the courses this academic year.”

The All India Council of Technical Education’s submission has come after Tamil Nadu government mooted creation of nine more supernumerary seats to offset the difference between Tamil Nadu’s 69% reservation policy, and the Centre’s 49.5% ceiling. Tamil Nadu, however, said it would not be able to offer ₹12,000 to ₹12,500 monthly stipend to these nine students.

The case relates to a petition filed by an M Tech aspirant who wanted admissions to the course to be resumed this year.

It all started when Anna University made an announcement that it was constrained to cancel admission for the two sponsored courses as the Centre was insisting on following its 49.5% reservation policy.

On Friday, when the plea came up for further hearing, Justice P Pugalendhi wondered whether approval of AICTE is required since the courses were not technical/ engineering. To this, counsel for the Centre said no other authority has powers to approve the courses except the AICTE.

Recording the submissions, the court suggested that either the state or the university could approach the apex court and seek extension. “Since both the university and state are willing to conduct the courses one of you can approach the Supreme Court for remedy,” the judge suggested.

There are about 45 sponsored seats in these two MTech courses, and till last year the Centre used to directly fill them. This year, however, the admission job was handed over to the university.

The Madras high court suggested that since Anna University and the state are willing to conduct the M Tech courses one of them can approach the Supreme Court for remedy

ஏற்காட்டில் கடும் பனிப்பொழிவு- வாட்டி வதைக்கும் குளிரால் மக்கள் தவிப்பு

ஏற்காட்டில் கடும் பனிப்பொழிவு- வாட்டி வதைக்கும் குளிரால் மக்கள் தவிப்பு

பதிவு: பிப்ரவரி 10, 2021 14:52 IST

ஏழைகளின் ஊட்டி என்றழைக்கப்படும் ஏற்காட்டில் கடந்த சில நாட்களாக அதிக அளவில் பனிப்பொழிவு உள்ளது. இதனால் 11 மணி வரை குளிர் வாட்டி வதைக்கிறது.

சேலம்:

சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் கடந்த சில நாட்களாக வெயிலின் தாக்கம் படிப்படியாக அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. இதனால் பொதுமக்கள் மதிய நேரங்களில் வெளியில் நடமாட முடியாமல் அவதிப்பட்டு வருகிறார்கள்.

அதே நேரத்தில் அதிகாலை நேரங்களில் வழக்கத்தை விட கூடுதலாக பனிப்பொழிவு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இதனால் கடந்த சில நாட்களாக குளிரும் வாட்டி வதைக்கிறது. இதனால் வாகன ஓட்டிகள் மற்றும் பொதுமக்கள் காலை நேரங்களில் வெளியில் செல்ல முடியாமல் அவதிப்பட்டு வருகிறார்கள்.

ஏழைகளின் ஊட்டி என்றழைக்கப்படும் ஏற்காட்டில் கடந்த சில நாட்களாக அதிக அளவில் பனிப்பொழிவு உள்ளது. இதனால் 11 மணி வரை குளிர் வாட்டி வதைக்கிறது. மலைப்பாதையில் பனி மூட்டம் அதிகமாக உள்ளதால் வாகன ஓட்டிகள் முகப்பு விளக்குகளை போட்ட படியே செல்கின்றனர். 10 மணி வரை பொது மக்கள் வெளியே வரமுடியால் தவித்து வருகிறார்கள்.

பள்ளி, கல்லூரிகள் திறக்கப்பட்டுள்ளதால் ஏற்காட்டிற்கு சுற்றுலா பயணிகளின் வருகை மிகவும் குறைந்துள்ளது. ஏற்காடு மான் பூங்கா, அண்ணா பூங்கா, படகு குழாம், சேர்வராயன் கோவில், பக்கோடா பாயிண்ட், லேடீஸ் சீட், ஜென்ஸ் சீட் உள்பட அனைத்து பகுதிகளும் வெறிச்சோடி காணப்படுகிறது.