1. Meteorological Department to Install Weather Monitors at Schools, ASI Sites
In an attempt to improve weather forecasts and reach out to people, the Meteorological Department will tie up with a few Kendriya Vidyalaya schools and the Archaeological Survey of India to install automatic weather stations across Tamil Nadu.
At present, the department has a network of 39 automatic weather stations and nearly 75 automatic rain gauges. In an effort to create a denser observation network and and spread awareness about weather, the India Meteorological Department has chalked out two projects under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Department officials said a denser network to collect weather data, including temperature level and rainfall, would help quantify rainfall in a particular area and enable forecasts for a specific region.
(Source: The Hindu)
2. Chennai Lakes Brimming With Water and Untreated Sewage
Though some lakes, ponds and temple tanks in the city are brimming, there is a feeling among residents and activists that the challenge is removing encroachments, plugging sewage flow and desilting the water bodies. Some major lakes that are full are at Porur, Retteri, Chitlapakkam, Madambakkam, Pallavaram, Keelkattai, Thiruneermalai, Medavakkam and Avadi.
Sunil Jayaraman of Chitlapakkam Rising, a social-welfare group, said the lakes have to be desilted at least by 2020 to enable people reap the benefits. Pallavaram resident and civic activist David Manohar said Pallavaram lake is home to 99 per cent sewage from the locality. “The bunds have not been raised nor sewage been cleared. Last year itself, the municipality had to do this during summer,’’ he said.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
3. Chennai’s National Art Gallery to Be Open to the Public in 3 Months
The restoration and conservation work of the National Art Gallery at the Egmore Museum is complete, and work is currently underway to set up the frames, boxes and lighting for the artefacts that will be on on display. The renovation of the gallery was carried out at a cost of ₹11 crore by the Public Works Department under the guidance of the Heritage Committee, with experts from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The National Art Gallery will have around 200 unique displays and will be a stand-out feature of the Egmore Museum, officials said. “We have paintings of Ravi Varma, sandalwood artefacts, ivory objects, miniature artefacts, Tanjore paintings, Rajput paintings and traditional paintings from across the country. Most of these are unique artefacts and also have aesthetic value,” another official said.
(Source: The Hindu)
4. CMRL to Take over Pending Work of MRTS Phase II Extension?
The Chennai Metro Rail is mulling taking up pending work on the 1.5-km stretch of Mass Rapid Transit System from Velachery to St Thomas Mount. Even with the talks to acquire MRTS underway, the CMRL has asked the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), presently the custodian of the land, to put forth conditions before handing over the land to Southern Railway, which was initially undertaking the MRTS project.
The MRTS section has a potential capacity of transporting 425,000 passengers a day. The 15-km alignment covers several significant landmarks of the city and currently has 18 stations.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
5. Three Drown Off Besant Nagar Beach, One Rescued
Two ITI students are feared to have drowned off the Besant Nagar beach on Monday morning, while another boy has been rescued and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital. According to police, four students studying in an ITI at Kodambakkam went for a swim at Besant Nagar on Monday morning.
“In a few minutes, three students -- Lokesh, 17, Sarveshvaran, 18, and Akash, 18, went missing. The fourth guy who was on the shore immediately alerted the local fishermen who rescued Lokesh and rushed him to a private hospital where he is undergoing treatment,” said a police officer. Shastri Nagar police have registered a case. Police have launched a search for missing students.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
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