Civic

New health and wellness centres to be launched in Chennai Around 140 health and wellness centres will be opened in different zones of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in June. They will function from 8 am to 12 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm. According to the officials of the civic body, the urban primary health centres will be linked to the health and wellness centres in Chennai. Prior to the opening of the centres, 140 staff nurses, 140 medical officers, 140 health inspectors and 140 support staff have been appointed. GCC hopes to see a footfall of…

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Mumbai's slum residents will be able to buy a house for Rs 2.5 lakh The Maharashtra government will provide housing to slum dwellers residing in Mumbai who live in hutments built before January 1, 2011. They will be charged a sum of Rs 2.5 lakh in return. A government resolution (GR) regarding this was issued on May 25th. According to the existing laws, individuals residing in slums built until January 1, 2000, are legally protected and cannot be evicted without being provided a free tenement. Slums exist because the city is unable to produce adequate housing that working people can…

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Underpass flooded due to dry leaves, wind The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) admitted its lack of safety audit for underpasses in heavy rain areas. A 23-year-old IT engineer, Batalu Bhanurekha, had passed away after the car she was traveling in had entered the underpass at K R Circle. A BBMP report, drafted by B S Prahlad, Chief Engineer of Road Infrastructure, said the flooding was due to a combination of gushing winds, abundance of dry leaves and heavy rainfall. In just one hour, the rainfall, measuring 24.7 mm, led to neck-deep waterlogging. The dry leaves and branches obstructed the…

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CMRL launches WhatsApp e-ticket service in Chennai On March 17, the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) launched the service to book e-tickets through WhatsApp in Chennai. According to the news reports, the commuters, have to send a message saying 'Hi' to the number 8300086000. Commuters will then find a provision to choose the origin and destination stations, following which they will be directed to the payment gateway. The commuters will also get a discount of 20% while booking tickets through WhatsApp. As soon as the payment is done, a QR code ticket will be generated and sent to them. One…

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Mumbai faces flood risks due to illegal dumping of debris along Mithi river Several hundred trucks of debris have been deposited and remain uncleared along the east bank of Mumbai's Mithi River. This has increased the chances of flooding coming monsoon in case of heavy rains. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) officials believe that if the debris is not cleared soon, it will slide into the river and obstruct its flow. BMC's stormwater department has sought information from ward offices to stop the debris dumping. The K/E ward has informed the department that the dumping is outside its limits. Meanwhile, the…

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Siddu, DKS to take joint charge The Congress finally announced its Chief Ministerial and Deputy Chief Ministerial candidates in Karnataka on May 18th, leading Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar to tweet: “We are united to safeguard the interest of the people of Karnataka”. To 75-year-old Siddaramaiah, leader of the Congress Legislature Party, it is a dream come true for getting the second term after a gap of five years. He will be sworn-in as the 24th Chief Minister. Congress is also likely to induct 10 to 12 ministers along with him at the Kanteerva Stadium in May 20th. Both leaders…

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The Urban Revamp Design Challenge – conceived by Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC) and Sensing Local, under the Sustainable Mobility Network, in partnership with the Institute of Urban Designers India (IUDI), Curiosity Alliance Foundation, and Kasturi Nagar Residents Welfare Association – is back in 2023. They are inviting proposals for reimagining two newly-identified public spaces in Bengaluru: CV Raman Nagar (Ward 117) and Padarayanapura (Ward 168). This initiative aims to blend technical expertise with citizen participation to transform certain parts of the city. About the second and first editions A common scenario experienced by rapidly urbanising Indian cities today…

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After a steady reduction from 2017 to 2020, the city witnessed an increase in waste collection from 5500 Metric Tonnes per day (MTD) in 2020-21 to 6300 MTD in 2021-22, says a report released by Praja Foundation. The highest contributor is wet (food) waste which comprises 73% of the total garbage collected at the landfills. The report on the status of civic issues in Mumbai, highlighted challenges in solid waste management, sewerage and water bodies. Moreover, due to the deteriorating sanitisation facilities, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) failed the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 5-Star Rating of 'Garbage Free Cities' in…

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NGO accuses Greater Chennai Corporation of corruption Arappor Iyakkam, an anti-corruption NGO, has alleged that a decision by the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to build a community hall instead of renovating a Corporation Middle School in Ward 114 Chepauk involved corruption. The school in Ward 114 was supposed to undergo repairs and renovation, according to parents and teachers. Therefore the students were shifted to a nearby GCC school which did not have enough space to accommodate more students. The stakeholders believed that the arrangement would be temporary and the students will be shifted to their school when the work on…

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Coastal road to open in phases from November The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may open Mumbai's coastal road in phases starting from November this year. However, the project may take another six months to complete after works for the approved revised design, aimed at increasing the gap between two pillars near Worli Koliwada, are pending. Officials state that these delays have resulted in an additional cost of Rs 650 crore. In 2016, fisherfolk from Worli Koliwada raised objections to the short distance between the pillars of the coastal road, citing difficulties in the navigation of fishing boats. After years of…

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