QChennai: Shipping Crew’s Fatigue Triggers Ennore Oil Spill & More
A daily lowdown of top stories from Chennai.
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1. Report Pegs Ennore Oil Spill at 251 Tonnes
The final quantity of oil spill from the collision of two ships at Ennore in January has been pegged at 251.46 tonnes. The two ships involved in the accident, Dawn Kanchipuram and BW Maple, have been held responsible for the accident on various counts, according to a investigation report by the Directorate General of Shipping.
The report added that since the Dawn, Kancheepuram crew had initially estimated only two tonnes of oil leakage, they had conveyed the same to other parties, who considered it to be a small spill and “deployed their oil spill combat resources accordingly and not to their maximum capacity.” Primary among the causes of the collision were human error and fatigue among the crew of BW Maple, with the rest hours of the crew at “near violation” the previous day before the accident, leading to them losing situational awareness.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Quint Mime: Questions That Bother Us About the Ennore Oil Spill
2. Taxi Driver 'Kidnaps' Son for Ransom, Arrested
A taxi driver, who enacted a kidnap drama for ransom, by ‘abducting’ his own son and demanding money from his wife and father, was arrested and remanded in judicial custody. Ayanavaram police said the accused, P Ravikumar, was married to Tamil Ilakiya. Ravikumar used to take their three-year-old son to school every day. On Tuesday, Ravikumar left with the boy in the morning. At noon, he called his father Paramasivam and Tamil Ilakiya and told them that the child had been kidnapped. He said one of the kidnappers had called him and demanded a ransom of ₹5 lakh.
Paramasivam and Ilakiya rushed to a pawn broker’s shop, pledged some jewellery and, with the money, met Ravikumar in Kolathur. Ravikumar asked them not to follow him since the kidnappers had demanded he come alone.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Chennai Now Part of 'Creative Cities Network'
Chennai has been included in the list of UNESCO's Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today hailed the inclusion of the Tamil Nadu capital which is steeped in multi-layered history.
"They join a network at the frontline of UNESCO's efforts to foster innovation and creativity as key drivers for a more sustainable and inclusive urban development. This network attracts growing interest from local authorities," the world body said in a statement. Some of the other cities included along with Chennai are Alba (Italy) for gastronomy, Almaty (Kazakhstan) for music and Auckland (New Zealand) for music, according to UNESCO.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
4. No Danger of Breach at Madurantakam Tank: Officials
The Madurantakam tank, the third largest in terms of water holding capacity in Kancheepuram district, reportedly reached full tank capacity late on Tuesday. Officials, however, assured the people that there was no danger of breach, as rain had reduced.
According to official sources, the 2,400-acre spread tank received good inflow in the last fortnight when its main feeder, River Kilyar started recording good precipitation in its catchment areas of Vandavasi, Punnai, Kizhkodungalur and Ulundhai in Tiruvannamalai district. The inflow — which was recorded at 1,000 to 1,500 cusecs — came down to around 250 cusecs from Tuesday morning.
(Source: The Hindu)
Also Read: Chennai Rains: Showers Across TN to Slowly Recede in Coming Days
5. No Action Taken After Seizure of Banned Notes
In May, the Chennai city police, during a midnight operation, raided the house of a businessman in Kodambakkam and seized bundles of currency notes valued at ₹45 crore concealed in the house. Police personnel found them to be demonetised currency. Since then, the currency notes have been lying idle in trunk boxes at the Kodambakkam police station. No Central agency has come forward either to prosecute or proceed against the businessman.
A huge amount of demonetised currencies were seized in Shenoy Nagar, Anna Nagar and Koyambedu as well. But none of the Central agencies or law-enforcing authorities in the State have proceeded against the accused so far, in spite of the enactment of a special law to prevent hoarding of demonetised currency.
(Source: The Hindu)
6. Chennai Second Airport Site to Be Named by December 31
The state government plans to finalise a location for a second airport for Chennai by 31 December. Sources said two alternative locations were being considered after the plan for an airport at Sriperumbudur was dropped because of high land acquisition cost. The government now, it is learned, would like a location where there is minimal need to displace people but yet is not too far from the city.
While the government had earlier said a site near Madurantakam in Kancheepuram district and a site near Gummidipoondi were being considered, a private investor with a land bank also is pushing for the site for development of an airport.
(Source: Times Of India)
7. Russian Firm Seeks Tie-Ups with TN Automotive Companies
NAMI, the Russian State Scientific Research Center, is scouting for potential joint ventures and joint research with Indian firms in the automotive space.
Over the next few days, the delegation will be meeting auto and auto component companies in Tamil Nadu, including Sundaram Fasteners Limited and TVS Motor Company Limited. More than 15 companies are expected to meet this team. “We do a lot of research on alternative energy and fuels for engines from across the globe. We can help Indian firms in this field and there are possibilities for a wide range of collaborations here,” Mikhail Zlenko, head of the engine department said.
(Source: The Hindu)