Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/15-17 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/15-17 Publication: 15th & 28th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI INSIDE • Short ‘N’ Snappy • Vintage cars of Madras • Madras Week musings • Madras Week events • A jolly evening Vol. XXVI No. 9 MUSINGS August 16-31, 2016 Metrorail to spread further... t long last there are plans stations. The second will con- Ato expand the Chennai nect the same end points but on Metrorail Limited (CMRL) net- a western alignment, via areas work to make it a public trans- such as Villivakkam, Anna port system that will cover a Nagar, Ramapuram, Nandam- large section of the city. It is bakkam, St Thomas Mount and reliably learnt that even as onwards. This will span 44.6 km Phase 1 of the Metro is nearing and 42 stations. A smaller third completion, work is underfoot corridor will be on a east west on surveying the rest of axis, connecting Lighthouse at Chennai for a second and more the Beach to the mofussil bus ambitious phase. This is being station at Koyambedu. This will have 17 stations and span 15.7 km. G by The Editor Much of these corridors is planned to be underground. Therein lies the rub. The cur- undertaken by RITES (formerly rent phase has a mix of tracks Rail India Technical and Eco- nomic Services) Limited and (Continued on page 2) will soon be submitted to the State Government. This is to the good, but speedy action in implementation will hold the key to making it an effective ...but several questions remain solution. Phase 1 of CMRL, which will t is heartening to note that section of our Metro rail the eventual success or failure addition, acquiring of any land connect Washermanpet to Ithe present regime in our appeared remote. The tracks of the Metro service depends owned by the State for the Chennai Airport via two State has taken up the task of and rolling stock had been on effective and speedy Metro is to be free of cost while corridors, is present becoming getting on with the completion tested and waited for months execution of the remaining if any space belonging to the operational in phases. It has and enlargement of the city’s on end before the flagging off portions. It would be wise to Centre is to be taken over, suffered a number of delays be- Metro rail network in right ear- actually took place amidst recall here that the much older compensation at market rates cause of land acquisition, ven- nest. This contrast with the much fanfare. It was then said MRTS is still a relatively poor has to be paid. This the State dor defaults, prolonged neglect complete lack of interest it dis- that the party in power was performer, chiefly because of Government feels will skew its owing to change of party in played towards the project for not so keen on seeing the great delays in its execution debt. Likewise, all escalation in power, and technical issues. unknown reasons five years ago. project come to fruition chiefly leading to cost escalations and cost of executions and the After much cost escalation due The present sense of urgency because the idea of a Metro also because of very poor last burden of any exchange rate to these reasons, the entire line augurs well and may mean that service for Chennai was that mile connectivity’. fluctuations are to be borne by is expected to be fully opera- we will have an operational of a political rival that had the State Government. Cash tional by 2017. It is in the light system sooner than we think. previously been in office. Now, It would also appear that the losses in operations are also to of this track record that the At the same time, the project is however, sentiments appear to State Government is having be the State’s burden. next phase is to be viewed. likely to run into some rough have done an about turn. The some concerns regarding the On the other hand, as and Phase 2 is envisaged in three weather, chiefly because the ongoing Assembly session liability it faces on account of when Chennai Metrorail makes corridors. The first, will be from principal stakeholders, namely witnessed heated exchanges the Metro rail. It has demanded a profit, the Centre will be Madhavaram Milk Colony in the Centre and State, are hav- between the two principal that the Memorandum of entitled to a dividend. More- the north to SIPCOT in Sho- ing some differences of opinion parties, each one claiming Understanding on the Metro over, the railways have retained linganallur, via an eastern align- on accountability and conseq- credit for the Metro rail. While rail signed in 2011 between the surface rights on all land they ment, traversing Perambur, uent cost apportionment. we applaud this eagerness, we State and the Centre needs a have leased to Metro Rail for Otteri, Purasawalkam, Chetpet, would like to sound a word of relook on certain clauses. The underground work. The lease, Nungambakkam and then on- A few years ago, the very caution – the currently operat- first of these concerns land which is for 35 years, is at wards via south Chennai. This likelihood of the powers-that- ional section is a mere fraction acquisition. This is present to be market value. The State has will span 44.3 km and have 45 be inaugurating the first of what has been planned and borne entirely by the State. In (Continued on page 2) CMYK Burying Caesar, musically 2 MADRAS MUSINGS August 16-31, 2016 INTACH Convenors urge focus The problems of permission he Man from Madras these were men who did not that he loves. For that matter, on natural heritage T Musings is forever being answer phone calls from mere so does MMM. Years ago, the chivvied around by the Chief mortals of Madras who Chief once told MMM that amil Nadu Chapter’s Convenors’ Workshop was held recently to conduct some heritage walk thought they could fix appoint- each of these events was a or the other. Every time he, the ments. learning experience and while Tfor Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Nagercoil, Salem, Chief, finds MMM taking a So, that was that. MMM re- he, the Chief, did not know Thanjavur, Nilgris and Kodaikanal participants. It was stressed short breather between assign- turned to office, got a letter what the audiences got out of that greater emphasis needs to be placed on documenting bio-di- ments, his (meaning the ready and then sent one of his it, he, the Chief, came away a versity and natural heritage in all cities and towns. Chief’s) eyes hood over and he minions to the temple on a wiser man. MMM has always (the Chief again), makes a pro- working day. Miracle of looked upon many of these Convenors were suggested to seek broad-based membership to nouncement to as why does miracles, the EO was present events as grist for this overcome the general apathy and neglect towards heritage issues not MMM conduct a… and deigned to accept the let- column’s mill and so has rarely at both local government and societal levels. Natural heritage and The consequence of all this is ter. He would, he said, mull turned down any opportunity biodiversity is degrading at a rapid rate due to development activi- that MMM is forever hunting over the matter and send a re- as well. ties and patronage extended to building lobbies. around for walking spaces with ply. Buoyed by this, MMM an- Of late, the learnings have heritage in their vicinity. Dur- nounced the walk and was got richer. MMM spoke at an Armed with an inventory, local administration/municipalities ing one of his searchers he soon flooded with registrations event where everyone ap- can be pressurised to notify such listings through Government came across a temple in the from enthusiastic participants. plauded except one gentleman Grazettes. outskirts that briefly shot to MMM began planning the who maintained a stony si- fame when a great 18th/19th event with gusto, but at the lence. At the end of the event Chapters could also, it was suggested, adopt a nearby village century composer visited it back of his mind there was al- he came up to MMM and said which has heritage potential in order to involve common citizens and endowed it with five delec- ways this doubt – what if no that while he enjoyed the pre- in heritage related activities. table songs. This being that permission came? What if sentation, he did not agree great personage’s 250th birth MMM took a large group only with MMM’s story on how the Capacity building courses for local PWD engineers and anniversary year, MMM de- to find the temple doors firmly Marina Beach got his name. Municipal level workers could be conducted by each Chapter at cided to do a walk there. On shut on his face? What would MMM in his defence said he their level with the help of IHA Division. visiting the place MMM dis- people think? Would he not had picked up the details from covered that it was really a become a hissing and a by- the Chief’s well-known book. thing of beauty. The road lead- word? All the while, in the To which the man clucked ing to the temple was flanked meantimes, the day of the tour rather impatiently in a fashion METRORAIL on either side by rows of 19th kept nearing, and no sign of the that implied that the Chief did TO SPREAD SHORT ’N’ SNAPPY century structures.