Articles by News Desk

GCC to work with NGOs for stray dog census The Greater Chennai Corporation is planning to work with various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to carry out the census of stray dogs in Chennai. The census will be part of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme that will ensure that all strays in the city are sterilised. A comprehensive policy for the census, vaccination and sterilisation of strays will also be evolved by the civic body.  The meeting of the civic body officials also flagged the issue of the city having only two NGOs which have been authorised to carry out sterilisations.…

Four-year degrees at non-autonomous colleges Starting from the academic year 2024-25, 812 non-autonomous colleges affiliated with the University of Mumbai will offer four-year degree courses such as BA, BSc, and BCom. The academic council of the University of Mumbai decided to introduce it in alignment with the guidelines of the New Education Policy (NEP). It is aimed at providing innovative and career-focused educational pathways. The undergraduate degree course will offer multiple entry and exit points, with options for certification, diploma, and basic Bachelor's degrees. Previously, the University of Mumbai had already implemented this four-year degree system in the majority of…

City had highest number of deaths from speeding in 2022 In 2022, the city recorded the highest number of deaths due to speeding of vehicles compared to other cities with a population of more than a million. According to the 'Road accidents in India - 2022', by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the IT city reported 711 deaths due to speeding, followed by Jaipur with 683 deaths and Delhi with 648 deaths. However, the highest number of accidents due to speeding was reported by Indore (4,338) followed by Bengaluru (3,528). There was a rise in road accidents in…

Kasimedu fishing harbour to be modernised Funds worth Rs 98 crore have been sanctioned by the union government for the modernisation of the Kasimedu fishing harbour. The total cost of the modernisation project is Rs 127 crore. The remaining funds will be contributed by the Fishing Harbour Management Committee (FHMG). The project is expected to be carried out in six phases, with the deadline in 2025. Work on the first phase will begin shortly. Plans for the upgrade include the construction of a fish handling complex, boar repair facility, cold storage facility, improved drinking water facilities and proper waste management. …

BMC takes steps to tackle rising air pollution As air pollution in the city worsens by the day, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has introduced new measures. The BMC has recently imposed a ban on the open burning of garbage. In a press conference, Guardian minister, Deepak Kesarkar, said that the BMC had issued notices to 6,000 construction sites, instructing them to install fogging machines and sprinklers to control air pollution. He also informed that the BMC is in the process of implementing waste segregation procedures at its two landfills in Deonar and Kanjurmarg, focusing on the extraction of pollutants…

Heavy metals in vegetables cross safe limits There is a high concentration of heavy metals in vegetables as farmers use wastewater to grow them, according to researchers from the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), through a one-year study led by N Hema. Researchers tested 400 samples of 10 vegetables (brinjal, tomato, capsicum, beans, carrot, green chilly, onion, potato, spinach and coriander) and found contamination above the limits set by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The vegetables were from 20 stores, including five high-end supermarkets, five local markets, “organic stores” and Hopcoms. While the maximum permissible limit for…

122 trees to be cut for underground tunnels The State Board of Wildlife approved a proposal to cut 122 trees at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park to build underground tunnels. These tunnels will connect Borivali and Thane in Mumbai. The project is a pet project of the chief minister Eknath Shinde and will require drilling 27 holes for which explosives will be used. The decision was taken at a meeting of the board chaired by forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Monday and was kept under wraps. The project has faced severe criticism from environmentalists. A government document said the underground…

New biogas plants to be operational next year Chennai will get more biogas plants across various zones by February 2024. The plants will be established at the direction of the Greater Chennai Corporation. Currently, there are two biogas plants operational at Chetpet and Madhavaram. These plants generate 6 tonnes of biogas per day through the processing of waste. New biogas plants are expected to come up in Manali, Shollinganallur and Koyambedu. These plants will have a processing capacity of 500, 200 and 200 tonnes of waste respectively. Around 30% of the city’s waste is expected to be processed by all…

Probe into fire accidents Mudpipe Cafe, a hookah bar, where a fire broke out on October 18th, was being run illegally as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had given permission only for food catering, said Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara. He added that as the BBMP had failed to verify the business, action would be initiated against the owner and officials.   Mudpipe Cafe is on the fourth floor of the KDP building in Koramangala. The fire force came within five minutes, but Prem Kumar, 29, a chef from Nepal, jumped from the fourth floor and was rushed to…

Stale meat found in Chennai eateries In a crackdown by the officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) around 400 kgs of meat was confiscated from restaurants and eateries. The inspection was carried out in and around the Koyambedu area on push-carts and eateries. Officials found a range of violations such as improper storage of food, stale food, and rotten meat such as mutton, chicken, beef, pork and fish being used to make food. The inspection follow on the heels of multiple reports of illness for patrons due to the poor quality of food being served…