Min: Sale of fish at Kasimedu harbour restricted to 5 hours

Min: Sale of fish at Kasimedu harbour restricted to 5 hours

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  22.07.2020

Fish sale at Kasimedu harbour will be restricted to five hours, from 3am to 8am, said fisheries minister D Jayakumar on Tuesday. This curb is among a 14-point charter issued to prevent crowding at the fishing harbour.

The area is already off limits to the general public and is meant only for vendors. Yet, a huge crowd was seen at the market last Saturday, forcing the administration to take action.

According to the charter issued by Jayakumar, only 70 mechanised boats can set sail for fishing on a given day and the catch from only 50 boats will be allowed for sale at the harbour.

Only vehicles of wholesale traders will be allowed into the market and around 600 small-time fish traders will be allowed. These small and medium-level fish vendors will be allowed in four groups of 150 each and only after one group finishes purchase will the next be permitted, said an official release.

Only those with the right identity cards and tokens will be allowed inside the harbour and boats that venture into the sea are required to record their departure and arrival time along with particulars of the boat with the fisheries department.

Boats arriving after 8am will not be allowed to sell their catch on that particular day. Their catch will be slotted for sale only the next day, according to the new regulations. Boat owners and mechanics will be required to carry out repair work on their boats only after sale ends at 8am.

Zonal authorities with the city corporation said they have held a meeting with fishermen committee representatives and the market management committee is also at work. With markets shut on Sunday, Saturdays see huge crowds, officials said.

Fish can be sold at the harbour only from 3am to 8am as per a 14-point charter released by fisheries minister D Jayakumar

A month after recovery, Covid-19 pain persists

A month after recovery, Covid-19 pain persists

Many Report Weight Loss, Backache

Siddharth.Prabhakar@timesgroup.com

Chennai:  22.07.2020

Several people in the city are showing health issues like fatigue, loss of smell and taste and weight loss more than a month after recovering from Covid-19. Some also report pain in the lower back or joints.

TOI spoke to 13 patients for an informal survey about their health a month after recovery. While a majority of them did not have co-morbidities, almost all were above 40 years of age and from different walks of life. The sole woman among the 13 reported throat pain after speaking for a while and said there was a drop in her haemoglobin count.

None of them has been followed up by government doctors or public health department officials or Greater Chennai Corporation.

Director of public health Selvavinayagam told TOI a long-term survey would soon begin on this topic.

Triplicane resident S Sadagopan, 62, who recovered 20 days ago, said he had weight loss and fatigue while going to work, but did not have breathing problems. Muthukumar, 57, a senior journalist who recovered a month ago, said he had lost 8kg and was yet to get back his sense of smell and taste completely. “But I don’t have any joint pain or breathing issues.”

The woman said she suffered giddiness and that she hydrated herself many times a day.

While 40-year-old Abdul Hameed said he had lingering pain in the legs and had reduced driving, a railway official said he lost 5 kilos after recovery, but had regained it due to a better diet. “I have no breathing problems or joint pain,” the 57-year-old, who is diabetic, said.

A 42-year-old man said he had lost around 20kg, but had regained only around 5kg. “I’m not able to walk much and my strength has reduced.”

Dr J Amalorpavanathan, a retired government official, said a lung function study of recovered patients should be carried out. “Impact of viral infection remains for a week, but this is a new disease for which we don’t have data. All we know is that lung capacity is compromised. Many are also reporting mental confusion apart from tiredness and lethargy,” he said.

Boy, 15, slips, falls to death from 5th floor at Mannady

Boy, 15, slips, falls to death from 5th floor at Mannady

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:  22.07.2020

A 15-year-old boy fell from the fifth floor of an under construction building at Mannady and died on Tuesday evening, police said.

Police have identified the boy as Z Riaz.

They said Riaz would help his father Zakir sell tea as the latter lost his job of a car driver due to the lockdown.

Around 4.30pm on Tuesday, Riaz came to supply tea to workers involved in the construction of a six-storey building on Aranmanaikaran Street at Mannady.

When he was going down the stairs from the fifth floor, he slipped and fell into the space meant for elevator. He died on the spot. On information, the Esplanade police recovered his body and sent it for postmortem. A case has been registered and further investigation is on.

The boy was going down the stairs from the 5th floor when he slipped and fell into the space meant for elevator. He died on the spot

BCom – most sought after among courses

BCom – most sought after among courses

TIMES NEWS NETWORK  22.07.2020

Like the past few years, city colleges are receiving more applications for BCom compared to other degree programmes for 2020-21.

Some top colleges have received 20 times more applications against the sanctioned strength for BCom indicating the tough competition. The applications can increase in the coming days. Some courses like BBA, basic sciences like BSc Chemistry, BSc Physics and BSc Psychology also attract more applications compared to the previous year.

Ethiraj College for Women has received around 15,000 applications so far.

“There is a big rush towards commerce stream. We have received 20 times more applications against our sanctioned strength. There is a renewed interest in basic sciences too,” said S Kothai, principal of the college. “In the first few days, the number of applications for BSc physics and chemistry is higher compared to last year,” she added.

Stella Maris College got 18,000 applications so far. “There is this usual craze for commerce and among the science courses, psychology received the highest number of applications. Post-Covid, many students want to study psychology to become counsellors,” said Rosy Joseph, principal of Stella Maris College.

Among the arts courses, the college received more applications for BA English literature. Loyola College received nearly 10,000 applications in just four days. “We have received more applications for BCom, BBA and BSc Visual Communication,” Thomas Amirtham, principal of the college said.

College, Candidate’s Marks Decide Rates; Trying To Act Against Middlemen, Say Institutions

College, Candidate’s Marks Decide Rates; Trying To Act Against Middlemen, Say Institutions

Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com  22.07.2020

In the current Covid-triggered uncertainty, with educational campuses off limits to students and parents, a network of middlemen is targeting those desperate for admission in top arts and science colleges. Promising seats in any college, these ‘agents’ demand anything from ₹80,000 to ₹5 lakh for a BCom seat, the most sought after, with an advance of ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 for the ‘booking’.

Following reports of a message about such a group doing the rounds on WhatsApp, TOI called the number mentioned. The man who answered said he was working for a consultancy and wanted details of the caller’s Class XII marks. “Due to the heavy competition, managements have increased donations this year. For a BCom seat in Loyola College, you may have to spend up to ₹5 lakh and those like Madras Christian College (MCC) and DG Vaishnav College, it may touch ₹3.5 lakh. The higher the marks are, the lower the donation will be,” he said. A seat at Ethiraj College for Women, he said, would cost ₹2 lakh.

It’s very simple, the agent said. “Before the college reopens, we will call you to the college. You have to pay the donation and fees to get admission. We have our people in colleges and have done several admissions previously.”

But, most city institutions say they don’t accept donation/capitation fee, with one institution even putting out a warning in its prospectus. “We do not collect any capitation fee for admission. But, brokers collect money in our college name. We are trying to prevent it,” said Loyola College principal Thomas Amirtham.

The college, he said, had automated the entire process, with aspirants ranked according to the details fed. Based on the roster system, the selection list is released for 50% of seats. “Every year, we fine-tune admission process to not provide space for middlemen or agents.”

It is a very serious menace, said R Ganesan, principal of DG Vaishnav College, adding that these people cash in on the students’ fear, given the present crisis. “Many may get admission in the normal process. But, agents project as if they got the seats with their influence. Students and parents need to be careful,” he said, adding that they had complained to police against such people.

A faculty member of Ethiraj College said they were monitoring social media for any such ‘information’ about the institution and added they had lodged a complaint last year in this connection.

Madras Christian College detected a group of such agents in Pallavaram and is planning to lodge a complaint with the cyber crime police. “We don’t collect donations or encourage any third party in our admission process,” said principal P Wilson.

Guru Nanak College principal MG Ragunathan said parents or students wanting to know about admission to a particular course can always contact the college. “They need not approach unknown persons,” he said. The college plans to release the rank list for all applicants to ensure transparency. Some colleges have deputed experts to monitor middlemen on social media including WhatsApp and Facebook.

Many may get admission in the normal process. But, agents project as if they got the seats with their influence

R Ganesan | PRINCIPAL, DG VAISHNAV COLLEGE

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