Archive of Vol. XVII No. 8, August 1-15, 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 SMP needs more MADRAS Madras perspectives THE Ad Man of Madras Madras Week dates Vol. XVII No. 08 MUSINGS August 1-15, 2007 Is a new stadium really needed? (By A Special Correspondent) he Tamil Nadu Cricket Association has announced that a new Tstadium will be built in the vicinity of Chennai in time for Oops...these are the new shiny World Cup 2011. The State Government, in response to the tiles I was telling you about! TNCAs request, has agreed to give 50 acres of land at Karunguzhipallam village on the Old Mahabalipuram Road on Whoops! lease for 30 years. Appearance matters. The question that begs an answer is whether the city really needs An unavoidable fact, unfortu- a third stadium. The old Corporation Stadium, now the Nehru Sta- The restored DGP building on the Marina. nately. dium, hosted Test matches be- And this applies to the inani- tween 1956 and 1965. The mate world as well, which ex- Chepauk grounds on which the Police buildings between plains the abundance of MA Chidambaram Stadium manufactured beauty these was built has a hoary history days. Buildings are grander; going back 150 years and more. the old look and the new clothes prettier; and even the If the new cricket stadium smallest rooms in the house t must be accepted that the place. Government House, one expected that the new one will now compete with land- comes up, the fate of the MAC IPolice in Chennai offers a of the oldest buildings in the be ready in three years. While scaped gardens for sheer Stadium can only be bleaker wide spectrum when it comes to city and the residence of all this is a case of an old building beauty and opulence. than it is. Fortunately the its buildings. Some are old and Governors of Madras Presi- making way for a new one, with- So, can floors be far behind? Nehru Stadium now prefers historic structures, others are dency till Independence, had out any investigation into An Eastern palace? A rich football and certainly gets big- relatively new. But develop- served as an MLAs hostel for whether the older structure re- senators villa? Or something ger crowds than Ranji matches. ments of the past decade only go some time and they left it ally needs to be done away with that cries out for a couple of Chennai has not really been to show that there is no consis- looking like a derelict. The and proper investigation Flamenco dancers? on the international cricket cir- building was cleaned up by the You can re-create them all right tency in policy when it comes to would show that it could be in- cuit in the past few years. And retaining old buildings or going Police and then further restored tegrated with any new structure here in Chennai. it is the international match At a cost, though. in for new ones. when some of its departments the DGP Campus on the Ma- Especially when beauty over- that really brings in crowds. The cause celebré was, of decided to stay put in these rina will get a new building in shadows a practical consider- Gone are the days when Ranji course, the proposed demolition handsome surroundings after the old style! The additional ation the slip-factor. matches brought in spectators of the Director General of Po- the Headquarters returned to 1.73 lakh sq.ft of space on the Everyone knows over-smooth in thousands. Today, such tour- lice Building on the Marina to the Marina. The building, un- Marina will be built on the same tiles in bathrooms are a bad naments are largely played to make way for a ten-storeyed fortunately, is now slated to be lines as the older building, as idea. But what about air- empty stands. And how many structure. At the instance of pulled down to make way for had been promised. ports? Thats a high-rush area international Tests or one- INTACH-Tamil Nadu, this was the new Assembly Buildings. The Deputy Commissioner people whooshing about, dayers have we hosted in the prevented in 1996 by an order of Traffic building is also slated dragging luggage, lugging recent past? kids, brandishing tickets (and of the Court and Chief Minister by The Editor to make way for the new once passports). Negotiating slip- Both the existing stadiums of M. Karunanidhi had it restored, again without integration being pery tiles is the last thing they the city sport a deserted look for to the great satisfaction of con- But we hope a Chief Minister investigated. need. the most part of a couple of years servationists. The Police then who saved one police building The Police, we feel, need to Supermarkets. Tired home- at a time and cost the earth in gave an assurance to not only will save this one too. re-think what they are doing. makers have neither the time terms of maintenance. The new restore the edifice but also build Besides all this, in 2005 came Rather than announcing ad hoc nor energy to watch their stadium, it is being claimed, will all future structures in the cam- the demolition of old police sta- demolitions and constructions, feet. In most cases, they cant be state-of-the-art and ultra pus in the same style as the main tions at locations such as what is needed is a comprehen- even find them, submerged modern. Why can the same Vepery, Flower Bazaar, Anna as they are behind large plas- building. Subsequently, exten- sive plan of how much land is thing not be done for the MAC sions were done in the same Salai and other places, many of needed for a reasonable span of tic bags. Stadium rather than incurring As for hospitals. Now, why style and Madras Musings now them over a century old. These time. Once this is done, a study would you put glossy tiles for the cost of an entirely new con- welcomes the news that a new were replaced with new build- of the existing structures and the the sick and infirm to negoti- struction? The second claim has construction on the campus of ings and this year five more po- space they have within them ate? Is that like: You already been that the new stadium will one of the most beautiful land- lice stations are expected to be which can be freed for use needs have one problem, so get be weatherproof and matches marks of the city will be built to modernised. to be identified. It is only after some more free? will, therefore, not be washed its west and duplicate it. The latest historic building this that plans should be made Nasty. out. Considering that washed- A direct beneficiary of the threatened is the Police for pulling down buildings, put- Seriously, may we request those out matches have rather been events during the threat to the Commissioners Office on the ting up new ones or integrating in the trade to please con- frequent in the last couple of DGP building and its restora- eponymous road. The new both. Unfortunately such detail- sider usage over appearance years, this may appear a good in certain places? tion was Government House in building will be ten storeys tall ed planning is unknown in Gov- Keep the profile of the user in idea. But if matches are planned, Government Estate to which and will have a built up space of ernment circles and what we see mind, people. or misplanned, plumb in the the Headquarters were moved 1.72 lakh sq.ft. Tenders are to today is the loss of historic struc- middle of the rainy season, what when the restoration of the be shortly called for the demoli- tures with no thought on whe- Ranjitha Ashok (Continued on page 5) Marina building was taking tion of the old building and it is ther they can be put to good use. CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS August 1-15, 2007 l The third part of a series of articles on the pluses and minuses of the draft Second Master Plan for Chennai. Not-so-becoming passenger behaviour he train that The Man from another professor who had left medical test was waived consid- TMadras Musings had to the university under not par- ering their age. However, Much still travel by was the Pallavan Ex- ticularly edifying circum- within a week, the friend re- press which, as any regular rail- stances, which led to his room ceived a letter with a whole lot way user will tell you, comes being sealed. The seal was of forms explaining in detail the into Egmore as Vaigai Express. thereafter broken to allow the tests to be taken, covering ev- to be done in The same rake is used and at new professor, leading to all erything from glandular botts Egmore the toilets and the kinds of complications. In the to telangiectasis and also offer- compartments need to be meanwhile, bad blood contin- ing a variety of clinics where cleaned by the staff in record ues between the professor who the test could be taken. draft SMP time before the entraining pas- ought to have vacated but did The friend, all agitated, sengers get in.