Red alert for Chennai, coastal dists; 2-day leave for schools and colleges

Red alert for Chennai, coastal dists; 2-day leave for schools and colleges

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:11.11.2021

The low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal may soon concentrate into a depression and bring widespread rainfall across Tamil Nadu for the next few days, the Meteorological department said on Tuesday, issuing red alert for Chennai and other coastal districts of the state.

The department has sounded red alert for Chennai on Thursday, and for one more day for the other coastal districts.

The government has declared holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpet, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai districts on Wednesday and Thursday.

While Nungambakkam received 11.1mm rainfall, airport recorded 1.9mm rain on Tuesday.

The weather system is likely to bring extremely heavy rainfall on Wednesday at isolated places over delta districts, Cuddalore, Villupuram, Pudukottai, Sivaganga, Ramanathapuram and Puducherry and Karaikal. On Thursday, extremely heavy rain may be recorded in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram, Chengelpettu, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai. “Rainfall will be mostly in the night. After November 11, rain will reduce significantly,” said IMD area cyclone warning centre director N Puviarasan. Many interior and western districts may also receive heavy to very heavy spells for two days.

Revenue and disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran on Tuesday said five people died in rain-related incidents in Theni, Trichy, Madurai and Chennai districts. At least 64 cattle deaths were reported across the state, and 538 huts and 129 houses were damaged.

In Chennai, 1,723 people have been moved to 22 relief centres and 147 more centres have been kept ready. More than 11.49 lakh food packets have been given away to people across the city.

Poondi, Puzhal, Cholavaram, and Chembarambakkam lakes have almost reached their full capacity.

“Steps have been taken to release surplus water taking into consideration the inflow and the safety of dams,” water resources minister Duraimurugan said.

Balagurusamy to head MKU V-C search panel

NEWS DIGEST

Balagurusamy to head MKU V-C search panel

11.011.2021

Anna University former vice-chancellor E Balagurusamy has been appointed as convenor of Madurai Kamaraj University vicechancellor search committee. Former vice-chancellor of Madurai Kamaraj University P Maruthamuthu and former vice-chancellor of Tamil University M Rajendran will be other members of the search committee. The university VC's post has been lying vacant after previous vicechancellor M Krishnan was appointed as vice-chancellor of Central University of Tamil Nadu in August. The search panel will recommend three names to governor R N Ravi.

‘COVID-19 victims entitled to a minimum of ₹50,000’

‘COVID-19 victims entitled to a minimum of ₹50,000’

HC says individual governments can also pay more than the minimum amount

10/11/2021

Legal Correspondent CHENNAI

The Madras High Court on Monday said the governments in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry are obligated, as per Supreme Court orders, to pay a minimum of ₹50,000 each to the familes of over 36,000 people who had died so far due to COVID-19 in the State as well as the Union Territory.

Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P.D. Audikesavalu said the minimum amount was fixed by the Supreme Court under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The individual governments, however, would be free to pay much more than the minimum amount.

The judges granted a week's time for the governments to disclose the amount of money, over and above ₹50,000, that they would be willing to pay from the State Disaster Relief Fund.

The court also wanted a mechanism to be in place o redress the grievances of the claimants quickly.

The interim orders were passed on a couple of public interest litigation petitions seeking adequate compensation to the victims. Counsel for one of the petitioners, Kabilan Manoharan, insisted that the legal heirs or the next of the kin of every person who had succumbed to COVID-19 must be paid ₹4 lakh.

Rain lets up, but woes of Chennai continue

Rain lets up, but woes of Chennai continue

HC cracks the whip over inundation

10/11/2021

Bounteous yield: Residents fishing in Korattur Lake that overflowed on Tuesday.M. VEDHANThe Hindu

Special CorrespondentCHENNAI

Chennai had some respite from the rain on Tuesday when inundation cleared up in a few areas. But people were stranded and in need of help at other places where the stagnant water was yet to be drained. Residents are approaching the next couple of days with fear as heavy rain has been forecast.

The Madras High Court warned the Chennai Corporation that it would take up a suo motu public interest litigation petition on the travails of residents due to waterlogging, if the situation did not improve by Friday. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said action would be taken against the contractors implementing Smart City.

In the 24 hours till 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Chennai recorded 3.2 cm of rain. The weather office has issued a red alert in Chennai for Wednesday and Thursday as the low-pressure area that had formed on Monday is likely to turn into a depression.

The government announced a holiday for schools and colleges in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai on November 10 and 11. A holiday has been declared for schools and colleges in Pudukottai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Madurai, Dindigul and Virudhunagar districts on November 10. Schools in Tiruchi and Ramanathapuram will be closed on November 10. The toll in the rain has risen to five and over 500 huts have been damaged.

Public transport operated in reduced numbers due to poor patronage

Public transport operated in reduced numbers due to poor patronage

10/11/2021

Special Correspondent CHENNAI

Public transport in the city was operated with limited strength taking into consideration the reduced footfalls due to heavy rain. However commuters reaching the city from far flung western localities of Tiruttani and Arakkonam, had a tough time, because of the fewer train services.

The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has been operating reduced number of buses for the past two days. The MTC, which would normally operate nearly 3,250 buses on regular days, has been operating 2,200 to 2,500 buses in the past two days.

A senior official said since Sunday around 2,200 to 2,500 buses are being operated because of the announcement of holidays for schools and colleges and poor commuter population on several routes.

Buses are operated only based on the needs of particular routes.

Similarly, Chennai division of the Southern Railway, which started truncated operation of train services from Monday evening, operated Sunday schedule of train services on Tuesday also citing water stagnation and poor patronage.

The operation of reduced number of train services caused severe hardship to the working population travelling from the neighbouring districts of Tiruvallur and Vellore, as a large number of commuters depended on train services from Tiruttani and Arakkonam.

Social activist A. Roy Rozario, in a representation sent to the Chennai Divisional Railway Manager, highlighted the hardships faced by hundreds of commuters from Arakkonam, Tiruttani and Tiruvallur.

The Southern Railway on Tuesday has announced more stoppages for the fast line proceeding towards Arakkonam and Tiruttani effective from Friday.

Pvt edu institutions get property tax relief

Pvt edu institutions get property tax relief

Chandigarh: 09.11.2021

The Haryana government has decided to give exemption in property tax for one year to private educational institutions. Haryana urban local bodies minister Anil Vij said the state government had decided to give exemption to private educational institutions on the account of losses suffered by them during the Covid-19 period.

Vij said the private educational institutions in the state would get a relief of Rs 23.50 crore from the relaxation of one year. He said chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had given his approval to the decision.

The government educational had already been given similar exemption in property tax and the state would foot bill of Rs 10.35 crore for this. Thus, 8,986 educational institutions in 88 civic bodies of the state would get a relief of Rs 33.85 crore.

Haryana private schools association president Kulbhushan Sharma thanked the ULB minister. He, however, said that the schools should be given more exemptions. TNN

Sharma makes temple run to Tirupati

Sharma makes temple run to Tirupati

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Hyderabad: 09.11.2021

On a day the Rs 18,300-crore IPO by Paytm made its debut, its founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma made a temple run to Tirupati on Monday to seek the blessings of Lord Balaji.

The Paytm boss landed in Tirupati on Monday afternoon for a darshan of the lord of the seven hills. “Just met Sh Jawahar Reddy Executive Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (#TTD) in Tirupati as I have come here to seek blessing of God for all of @Paytm family,” Sharma tweeted after his visit to the abode of one of the richest gods in the world.

The Paytm IPO, which opened on Monday (November 8) and will close on November 10, aims to raise Rs 18,300 crore through a fresh issue of Rs 8,300 crore and an offer for sale of Rs 10,000 crore.