Archive of Vol. XVII No. 7, July 16-31, 2007
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Registered with the Reg. No. TN/PMG (CCR) /814/06-08 Registrar of Newspapers Licence to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. WPP 506/06-08 Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI INSIDE Short N Snappy Way forward for CMDA MADRAS Chennais like that! A wedding remembered Madras Week ahead Vol. XVII No. 07 MUSINGS July 16-31, 2007 Turbulence ahead in the murky waters of the Adyar Creek? (by A Staff Reporter) atters in the Adyar Creek Matters took a sudden turn Can you please stop honking Marea once again appear to last month when the Govern- now? We are inside our compound! be heading for a confrontation ment requested the Court to between the Government and permit the recognition of the Sound sense environmentalists. TNUIFL as the agency for the A traffic signal. To recap, the conversion of development of the Park and The digital clock changes shape the wetland area had been chal- that it must also be allowed to every second. lenged by the Consumer Action select the consultants respon- 40 seconds 30 seconds Group (CAG) in the Court dur- sible for the work. It also re- then, 25 seconds (seconds, ing the building of the quested that the TNUIFL be al- mind you) to go. Ambedkar Memorial and, in lowed to reconstruct any build- And the horns begin to blare. 2000, the High Court had ing within the Adyar Creek and Loud, intrusive and senseless. directed the State Government Estuary. The CAG has ques- These horn-blowers seem to to preserve the wetland. On think that if they dont raise December 22, 2003 the State (Continued on page 2) A part of the Adyar Creek. hell, the drivers up ahead will Government handed over 58 drift into deep, poetic slum- acres of this wetland to the ber. Traffic signals are per- citys Corporation to develop an fect, right? To park and think eco park modelled on Tezo- long, beautiful thoughts? Northward Ho! zomac of Mexico. The budget The noise-obsessed are obvi- ously VVIPs in a great hurry, for creating the park, Rs. 60 for whom concepts like cour- crore, was passed in 2005. New development planned in tesy, queues, and signals are In 2006, the Tamil Nadu Ur- akin to dust. ban Infrastructure Financial a long-forgotten part of Chennai They should consider helicop- Services Limited (TNUIFL) ters then, or really large car- was appointed the co- fter rapid, completely (By A Special ever, expected that the accom- rier pigeons. ordinating agency and an Adyar Achaotic and somewhat un- Correspondent) modation that will come up Agreed, there are tense mo- Poonga Trust was set up in No- planned development in other here will be for the lower to ments when a warning blast vember 2006 with the Chief parts of the city, resulting in cially for those who commute to middle income groups, with the helps avoid unpleasantness. Secretary as the Chairman, and But most vehicle-users have skyrocketing land costs, it is the city on a daily basis. target segment being the blue Secretaries of Highways, For- now the turn of North Chennai. THIRDLY, with the ring collar workers of the industrial a Have Horn, Will Use ests, Fisheries, Municipal Ad- philosophy unique unto Reports speak of two massive road planned to run very close belt. Plots of 1800 to 2400 sq. themselves. ministration & Water Supply, investments in land by property to these areas, commuting by feet, which can accommodate How else do you explain horns and Finance as members. Ironi- developers in Gummidipoondi, other modes will also be easier. houses of 750 sq. ft, are ex- going on on empty roads? Or cally, many of the members of Minjur and surrounding areas. In addition, there is a National pected to sell at Rs. 15 to 20 insistent cacophony when the Trust were those who had Parcels of land in Tiruvotriyur Highway very close by. lakh. the vehicle ahead has obvi- appeared for the Government and Manali are also reportedly LASTLY, North Chennai With large-scale develop- ously slowed, or halted, for a when the CAG had challenged being looked at. has gained attention with major ment like this, it is expected that good reason? Or someone its actions in Court. CAG was The logic behind these projects being announced, in- North Chennai will soon be- who honks at you when you not made part of the body. The moves is that there are a num- cluding the Ennore SEZ, come attractive to multiplexes are nowhere near his vehicle, Trust brought in consultants ber of pluses in looking at resi- Ennore Port expansion, and an and malls. It must be remem- and are, actually, proceeding from Auroville as advisers. in a different direction? dential development in these India-Singapore economic zone bered that North Chennai has Environmentalists have all areas. for investors from Singapore. already got a rich selection of Those vehicles with those along questioned how only 58 cheerful Sound Horn mes- FIRSTLY, property prices In a reversal of logic to the schools and, so, education, sages on their behinds cer- acres of the Creek could be re- are still relatively low and, Hosur experiment, where an in- which is an important deciding tainly have a mass following. stored without linking such res- therefore, it is possible to pur- dustrial township was set up factor when it comes to choice of If only various car manufactur- toration with the preservation chase land at around Rs. 35 to close to Bangalore so that housing, is already taken care of. ers would take horn use in of the entire riverine system. Rs. 40 lakh an acre in Gummidi- people living in that city could Experts on environment and this country into account, In 2007/8, an increased bud- poondi, and around Rs. 1.5 commute easily to work, the some city planners, however, with a little thought and co- get, of Rs. 100 crore, was passed crore an acre near Minjur in developers here feel that the view all this as a mixed blessing. operation between them, the for the work. The same amount North Chennai. Compare this proximity to Andhra Pradeshs They feel that it is not correct vehicles could create grand was allocated the previous year with prices which are ten times Tada, where Special Economic to refer to the recent plans of symphonies on the roads. as well and it is not clear as to these values in other parts of the Zones and industrial projects developers as North Chennai - And we shall have music wher- how much of it was spent and are coming up, would make resi- ever we go. city. based projects. The very defini- on what activities concerning SECONDLY, this area is dential properties in North Ranjitha Ashok the eco-park. well connected by rail, espe- Chennai attractive. It is, how- (Continued on page 2) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS July 16-31, 2007 Turbulence ahead? (Continued from page 1) vagueness of the definition that Celebrations – the TNEB way is causing concern. tioned these moves of the aking a cue from the tures. Then it claimed that it searching questions about par- Government. Madras Musings learns that TNUIFL is very keen to put TStates political leadership, was unable to find any agency ents, children, marriages etc at The TNUIFL is a financial the Tamil Nadu Electricity keen on taking up the demoli- the first meeting itself. Yet an- into action what it feels are the Board decided to celebrate its tion. This, as The Man from other problem is lack of aware- and largely facilitating organi- right steps to develop the area. sation. What are its capabilities golden jubilee according to cur- Madras Musings once noted, in ness of such products as de- The consultant from Auroville, rent norms. Huge synthetic a city where there are enter- odorants and breath freshen- in developing an ecological whose initial mandate was to park? The earlier understanding banners stretched across prises that are advertising ers. There is also the problem come up with a master plan for hastily erected casuarina scaf- themselves as experts in bring- of bringing in heavily spiced was that the Chennai Corpora- development which could then foldings came up outside every ing down buildings within 48 food for lunch which, in a tion would be doing this work. be defined in a bid for tender TNEB office in Madras that is hours! The latest excuse, how- closed office, leaves behind a It is not clear as to what has from interested parties, has Chennai. The Man from Ma- ever, takes the cake. Appar- lingering smell. A lot of train- brought about this attempt to been asked to demonstrate dras Musings noticed that these ently, all these buildings are ing time is spent in handling transfer its mandate to the steps by means of planting of obstructed sidewalks, blocked now fully occupied and so it has these issues. If Indians over- TNUIFL. traffic lights, and tilted alarm- become difficult to demolish come these habits, said the saplings, laying of electricity ingly on to the roads just as them! speaker, they would have come Secondly, the terms of refer- lines, building accommodation political party banners do. What was the CMDA doing a long way. But do we want to? ence regarding the reconstruc- for workers who will develop There were photographs of when building permissions Is a rasam in Madras not worth tion of any building in the area the park, and fencing off the leaders and a line or two on were applied for, when permis- more than a ravioli in New are very vague.