Civic

Food Safety Department collects food samples in Chennai To curb the use of food colouring agents that have harmful chemicals in them, the Food Safety Department in Chennai has been conducting inspections in various food stalls and eateries around the city. In the last two days, the department has taken samples of food that may contain non-permitted food colour, from 200 eateries and sent them for analysis. Almost a month ago, the sale of cotton candy in the city was banned after food safety officials found the presence of Rhodamine-B, an industrial-grade dye in the candies. According to officials, their…

Ways to manage water To tackle the water crisis , the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has banned using potable water to clean vehicles, gardening, construction, fountains, swimming pools and entertainment other than drinking water in cinema halls and malls. It imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 for violators. It is now mandatory to take prior approval ahead of drilling borewells in the city's limits, as over 3,000 borewells have dried up. The transport department has been asked to impound private water tankers. The water shortage has hit citizens in various ways. Many reverse osmosis (RO) drinking water plants…

Pod taxis to run in BKC Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA)  has recently given the go-ahead to introduce a pod taxi service between Bandra and Kurla. The route will go via the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and will be 8.8 km long. A pod taxi is a driverless vehicle, which can accommodate five to six people. The pods are suspended 8 to 10 metres over the ground from an overhead rail. Their movement is powered by electricity. They descend at designated stops to let the passengers out and take in new ones. The taxis will stop at 38 stops…

Voter awareness campaign begins in Chennai There are 39.01 lakh voters in Chennai. However, there is an urban apathy during elections in Parliamentary constituencies in the city, leading to low voter turnout. In a bid to increase electoral participation, especially among first-time voters, the government is planning to conduct various awareness programmes. As part of it, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Satyabrata flagged off three vehicles in Ripon Buildings to create awareness in the city’s three Parliamentary constituencies. The vehicles will carry electronic voting machines (EVMs) and voter-verified paper audit trails (VVPATs). Similarly, 'Pedal for Vote Cyclothon' was also flagged off…

Water woes worsen Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) sources said that the “water input” for the city has fallen by 50%. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar explained that 6,997 of 16,781 borewells are dry. The water crisis is due to low monsoons in September last year, which led to a drought in 195 taluks. Later, the number went up to 216 of the 236 taluks, including Mandya and Mysuru districts, the source of Bengaluru's water. Areas under Mahadevapura zone, including Kadugodi, Byrathi, Hoodi, Whitefield, Varthur, Marathahalli, Bellandur and AECS Layout, are some of the worst affected. Other places facing…

Budget focuses on SWD development under Singara Chennai 2.0 The Greater Chennai Corporation's budget for 2024-25 has allocated ₹1,321 crore for constructing stormwater drains in the Kosasthalaiyar and Kovalam basins as part of the Singara Chennai 2.0 initiative. Mayor of Chennai R Priya presented the budget on Wednesday which focused on various schemes and programmes including road development, infrastructure, education, health and solid waste management. For relaying of roads around the city, ₹390 crore has been allocated under the Nagarpura Salai Mempattu Thittam (NSMT) and Singara Chennai 2.0 schemes. Many initiatives for school children were also announced. These include setting…

Roll on/Roll off services between Vasai and Bhayandar Mumbai's water ways are expanding, albeit slowly. A new RoRo boat service started between Vasai and Bhayander from 20th February. The ferry service which covers 1.89 nautical miles or 3.50 kilometres has been started on a pilot basis. It will take 15 minutes to cover the distance one-way and will accommodate 100 passengers and 33 vehicles in a single journey. The name RoRo comes from the term roll on/roll off which means that vehicles can also be ferried across in the boat. Suvarnadurg Shipping and Marine Services Private Limited will be running…

Water crisis in summer looms The city faces a potential water crisis this summer due to drought. Many areas have irregular supply and low-pressure flow. In Hebbal, Banaswadi and JC Nagar, there has been a decline in water frequency, with the once-in-two-days Cauvery water supply reduced to once every five days. At Munireddy Palya, there are complaints of erratic supply patterns and short supply hours. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) denied it, but residents suspect that the agency is rationing water to preempt a summer crisis. Weak Southwest monsoon rains, reduced levels in the Cauvery basin reservoirs…

Obstructing pedestrians and commuters is an offence under Section 201 of the Motor Vehicles Act. Though the laws are spelt out, neither the local administration nor enforcement agencies have taken measures to implement the laws against illegal parking on roads and wrongful occupation of footpaths, in the interest of the public in Chennai.   Footpaths are usurped by restaurants, commercial establishments and street vendors to serve vested interests. Illegal parking on footpaths is rampant across our city and beyond. The local officials themselves seem to be ignorant of the rule of law, and claim that the footpath is owned by…

Pink Squad looks into the safety of women travelling in Chennai Metro Rail The Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) conducted a survey last year on the safety of women passengers in metro trains. The majority of the 12,000 women who took part in the survey opined that they felt safe travelling in the metro trains. However, they have concerns over male passengers occupying the seats in women's coaches. In a bid to address this issue and to further improve the safety of women passengers, CMRL has recruited around 25 women, who are trained in martial arts, to patrol on the…