Civic

Chennai suburbs to see basic street rate reduction The Greater Chennai Corporation council passed a resolution to reduce the basic street rate (BSR) component of property tax calculation for some suburban areas of Chennai. The BSR component will now be equal to or less than that of the core areas. Previously, the BSR component of the suburban areas was higher than some of the core areas, prompting protests by residents.  Residents of Alandur, Valsaravakkam, Ambattur, Thiruvottiyur and Madhavaram saw high BSR after the latest round of property tax revision whereby the rates were set higher than Nungambakkam and T Nagar.…

Ormes Road resident Dr Muralidharan was in for a rude shock when he tried to leave his home to attend to a medical emergency. The area outside his home had been dug up by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, leaving him no way to get his vehicle out quickly. Road digging in the locality that lasted for weeks had resulted in roads not being repaired and relaid. This has been the reality of many residents across Chennai as works by various agencies for stormwater drains, underground cables, water and sewage pipelines are being laid, relaid or repaired.  Road digging issues…

COVID cases rise in Mumbai Concerns over rising COVID cases in the state were raised at the cabinet meeting on May 26th. On May 25th, the number of positive cases in the state was at 2,175, from 618 cases on April 15th. A large portion of the rise is due to Mumbai, exactly 67.27%. Despite lower numbers than last year, and the city removing the mask mandate in April, the government is now urging citizens to maintain masking.  "We removed the restriction of wearing masks on April 2 and within a span of 15 days the cases have gone up. If cases continue…

BBMP gives more powers to zonal commissioners The BBMP on Wednesday issued a notification, signed by Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath, delegating more administrative and financial powers to its zonal commissioners. Zonal Commissioners had been appointed to BBMP's eight zones in April 2021 for better coordination during the pandemic. But they have had little control over administrative and financial matters. The departments of revenue, health, town planning, solid waste management, education, road infrastructure, horticulture, forest, animal husbandry and projects will be headed by their respective chiefs. But all other departments will henceforth be decentralised and will work under the zones. Housing…

Pillion riders fined for not wearing helmet in Chennai Around 2000 pillion riders were fined by the Chennai Traffic Police for failure to wear helmets. The Police issues a statement mandating helmets for pillions starting Monday, May 23. The east zone saw the highest number of bookings at 844. The city traffic police aim to continue checks until 100% compliance of pillion riders wearing helmets is achieved. Those without helmets were fined Rs 100 and issued challans.  The high number of fatalities from road accidents among pillion riders has been a key factor in the stringent implementation of this rule.…

An increase in Floor Space Index along metro and transport corridors in Chennai could well see an accelerated increase in the number of high rises in the city and a boom in real estate prices. The city is expected to see more horizontal and vertical growth in the coming years. Any construction in the city must have planning permits and building plan approval failing which it would be deemed illegal. Here is a handy guide on all you need to know about obtaining the requisite permissions and approvals in Chennai for various categories of construction. Authority for approval of building plan…

Two migrant laborers drown Two migrant contractual labourers who were working for a BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) project near Bangalore University, drowned during heavy rains on Tuesday. The incident occurred when water from a drain flooded an underground pipeline they were working in. They had gone 20 feet inside the pipe for welding work. A probe is underway. Locals said that the roads were dug up for more than a year and no safety equipment or signboards were used. Source: Indian Express Read More: Bengaluru’s Labour Stands present a highly exploitative and informal hiring market Heavy rains…

Pre-monsoon showers to hit Mumbai next week After a gruelling few weeks of a heatwave, Mumbaikars can expect cooler temperatures post-May 21st. According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), rain and thunderstorms are expected in parts of Maharashtra, including South Maharashtra, Konkan, Marathwada, and Vidarbha.  “The exact date of the onset of the monsoon over Maharashtra can be predicted after the onset of the monsoon over the Kerala mainland. Until then, a variety of factors may influence or disturb the monsoon equatorial flow,” said an official from IMD's Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai. Monsoon is expected to hit Kerala by…

T Nagar Skywalk to be inaugurated in June A skywalk connecting Mambalam Railway Station to T Nagar Bus Stand will be inaugurated in June after a delay of one year. The project costing Rs 27 crore began in December 2020, and was supposed to be completed in 15 months. However, due to pending dues from contractors, the COVID-19 pandemic, and various design related interventions, the project was delayed.  The project comes under the Smart Cities Plan, and aims to reduce the congestion in Usman Road and Ranganathan Street, which sees a high footfall of more than 5000 passengers who use…

Neighbourhood parks of Chennai and the play areas in them see much activity in the summer. The schools are on a break and residents seek reprieve from the heat in some green cover. With the frequent lockdowns in the past few years, visiting the local park and play areas had become a rarity. But with the first signs of normalcy, the number of residents looking to spend time in parks for leisure is on the rise again. However, not all parks and play areas get the necessary amount of upkeep. Many smaller parks have faced much neglect, with the residents…