Good morning, Chennai!
☁️ Today’s weather: Partly cloudy with a possibility of some rain.
🧐 Did you know? The DMK’s first mayor of the city was AP Arasu. It was the beginning of the party’s rise to power in 1967.
💧 Keeping track of rainwater harvesting
Ahead of the monsoon, there’s minimal monitoring of whether residences and buildings follow rainwater harvesting rules.
What’s it about? As the northeast monsoon approaches, the Metrowater department has begun awareness drives on rainwater harvesting. Per the 2003 Tamil Nadu Municipal Laws (Second Amendment) Act and a 2018 Madras High Court ruling, rainwater harvesting should be mandatory across the city. However, it’s unclear if this will actually happen.
- There isn’t going to be any door-to-door monitoring or checks to see if rainwater harvesting facilities are installed. The last audit was done in 2021 by the Metrowater department. Only 7.9 lakh of the 17 lakh buildings were reviewed.
- The Chennai Corporation hasn’t taken any action against violators. They say it’s up to the Metrowater department to identify them and recommend fines.
Who’s the authority? The Metrowater department doesn’t have the power to suspend water supply or levy fines. They can only issue notices and repair rainwater harvesting systems. It seems both the Corporation and the Metrowater are passing the buck.
🛣️ Driving during the monsoon
With the upcoming monsoon, driving on the city’s roads can be a difficult proposition.
What’s it about? Chennai receives most of its rainfall during monsoon from October to December. This also poses challenges for civic infrastructure and motorists as roads often get inundated and flooded.
- The most dangerous scenario is surface water logging since it can conceal potholes. Fallen trees and power lines are additional challenges.
- While the Corporation is busy shoring up roads across the city, delays can lead to damaged roads. In places like Madipakkam and Manapakkam, delays have caused disruptions for daily commuters.
Government’s role: To prepare for the monsoon’s arrival, the government and civic authorities need to be proactive in pruning trees, clearing stormwater drains, and completing any continuing civic works.
🌊 Cooum neglected
A portion of the river’s boundaries aren’t demarcated as dumping of debris and new encroachments continue.
What’s the situation so far? The Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust has spent ₹500 crore to restore the Cooum River, but 45% of the river’s boundaries aren’t demarcated. The water resources and revenue departments have demarcated only 31.04 km.
- Several stretches of the river are tied up in court cases and resistance from local residents. In the demarcated places, the Corporation has yet to build boundary walls. Among the core areas is next to VR Mall, where debris is often dumped.
- In some places, the Corporation has begun constructing boundary walls, citing court cases for the delay. At the Adyar River, the Corporation has demarcated the entire 88 km stretch but encroachments in some areas haven’t yet been removed.
What’s gone wrong? One environmental scientist said the demarcated boundaries have been unevenly done without considering water flow. The boundary walls will be useless since the adjoining areas will flood.
⚕️ Stop the Bleed
Apollo Hospitals is looking to raise awareness of life-saving procedures through a new campaign.
What’s it about? To help raise awareness about trauma care, Apollo Hospitals has initiated the Stop the Bleed campaign. It’s a set of globally recognised techniques of life-saving procedures.
- A team of doctors had a live demonstration to mark World Trauma Day. The hospital has a team of doctors and first responders equipped to deal with emergencies.
- They’ve also invested in cutting-edge infrastructure and technology to deal with several trauma and poly-trauma cases. The 1066 ambulance service also forms a part of their emergency response efforts.
Raise awareness: Suneetha Reddy from Apollo Hospitals emphasised the importance of keeping up with developments in trauma care and upskilling hospital staff. The Stop the Bleed initiative is aimed at creating a trauma-responsive community.
📊 Today’s Poll
(Only subscribers can participate in the polls)
Should Ola and Uber’s fares be regulated?
- Ola and Uber fares should be regulated.
- Ola and Uber fares shouldn’t be regulated.
❓ Today’s Question
(Only subscribers can submit their answers)
What’s your favourite local radio station?
Reply to this email with your answers.
🗞️ In other news…
- The lack of pumping stations has resulted in frequent sewage stagnation at several locations.
- Parks in southern suburbs have stagnated water and are overrun with garbage due to poor maintenance.
- 80% of identified buildings are yet to be reassessed for property tax collection.
- Kalyana Sundaram Associates Trust honours those who work for the community with the ‘Champions of Chennai’ title.
- CMDA appoints consultants to prepare project reports to revitalise 10 lakes.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll:
- I wore teeth braces growing up: 12.5%
- I didn’t wear teeth braces growing up: 87.5% 🏆
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
What’s the best place in the city to get Korean food?
Suchi: “Haven’t tried Korean food yet.”
That’s it for today. Have a great day!