Civic

Hits, misses after 100 days For only this month of September, electricity bills by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) will get dearer by Rs 1.15 per unit, due to the revision by Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment (FPPCA). However, the beneficiaries of the Gruha Jyothi scheme will be covered by the government. On August 30th, the Gruha Lakshmi guarantee scheme, which will provide financial aid of Rs 2,000 to women heads of families in the state, was launched. This key pre-poll promise will benefit 1.1 crore women. Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi said that the party will launch the Gruha Lakshmi…

MRTS operations on one line suspended temporarily MRTS services between Beach - Chintadripet will be suspended for a period of seven months. The suspension will be in effect from August 27. The Southern Railways has undertaken the decision to pause services in order to carry out work on the fourth line between Beach - Egmore. For the duration of the suspension, the trains from Beach - Velachery will run from Chintadripet - Velachery. The number of services along the line will drop from 122 to 80. Commuters can expect trains at a duration of 15 to 20 minutes. In order…

Citizens' hunger strike makes BMC act After protesting for months, Chandivali citizens got some positive response as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation finally floated a tender for the incomplete 90-feet road. The residents have been complaining for a long time that the 90 feet road needs to be completed. The area around the road is congested and the two alternate routes Chandivali farm road and DP 9 road, are choked and full of potholes. The 90-feet road in Chandivali is used for parking instead of commute. Such incomplete projects lead to worsening of traffic and pollution in the area. Pic: CCWA…

City soars with ISRO A new video of Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 Rover ramping down from the Lander to the Lunar surface, as well as a photo of the moon’s surface, were released on August 24th. Hundreds of Bengalurians celebrated ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 completion of soft landing on the moon's south pole. There were jubilant screenings and scientific commentaries at the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Indian Institute of Astrophysics campus, Century Club at Ambedkar Veedhi and Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM). A special screening at the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Park in ISRO Layout had many former…

A few months ago, the usually bumpy 4th Main Road in Thiruvanmiyur became completely unnavigable. The road turned much worse than its usual state thanks to the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (CMWSSB) apparent quest to dig up most roads in the city. Metro water workers removed the entire central section of the road, leaving two narrow strips on either side, seemingly only for very thin men on bicycles to pass. Road cut work had left a missing strip at the center of the road in Thiruvanmiyur. Pic: Ramiah Ariya Of these, the left-hand strip had at least…

Telemedicine services launched at RGGGH Chennai’s largest government hospital, the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, has rolled out telemedicine services for various specialities. The consultations will take place between Monday to Saturday. The departments that are covered include paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, dermatology, surgery, general medicine and geriatrics. The teleconsultation service will be available from 9 am to 12 noon. The service can be availed by those who are over 18 years of age. The departments will operate on staggered timings each day for six days of the week. The service has been launched with a view to help elderly…

Eighteen deaths in a day at public hospital Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital (CSMH) located at Kalwa saw an unprecedented death toll in a span of mere 24 hours with 18 patients losing their life due to various reasons. Nearly 70% of the deaths that occurred were above the age group of 50 years. Of the 18 deceased, 10 were women and eight men. The relatives of patients claimed lack of attention and shortage of staff as the cause of death. The opposition demanded a thorough investigation into the incident. “This is an unfortunate incident and we have taken it very…

Rs 3,400-cr plan for lakes In his 77th Independence Day speech at the Field Marshal Manekshaw Parade Ground, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah promised a Rs 3,400-crore action plan to preserve and revive lakes and invest Rs 1.4 lakh crore every year to achieve a 15 % to 16 % growth rate. He said that the plan to revive lakes and waterbodies is being drawn up to ensure that pure drinking water is supplied to urban areas. However, ecologists were sceptical. Ram Prasad from Friends of Lakes said that it is only an announcement, just like those of earlier governments. He suggested…

Longtime locals of Bandra west tell stories of a peaceful, sleepy suburb it once was. However, over the last couple of decades, they have seen a real estate boom transform the skyline into towering buildings, where once beautiful cottages stood. The same narrow roads accommodate thrice as many apartment blocks, causing a spike in population density, without any upgrade to the infrastructure. At the end of what used to be called Cemetery Lane, now Khadeshwari Marg, are two cemeteries facing each other. The lane is just off Hill Road, famous for shopping and eateries. Decades ago, this lane ended at…

Funding for second phase of Chennai City Partnership plan The second phase of the Chennai City Partnership will receive funding of 350 million dollars from the World Bank. The second phase will reportedly focus on improving Digital Chennai for e-mobility and smart parking solutions and implementing projects to improve bus and suburban rail services. Further, parking, e-mobility and transport hubs will also be developed in various parts of the city under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model. In a recently held meeting, the officials also discussed the projects to create climate-resilient public infrastructure. Notably, as part of the first phase…