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Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/18-20 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/18-20 Publication: 1st & 16th of every month Rs. 5 per copy (Annual Subscription: Rs. 100/-) INSIDE Short ‘N’ Snappy The College of College Road Chennai’s oldest sabha Gandhi’s Chennai visits Kilvidi Seshachari www.madrasmusings.com WE CARE FOR MADRAS THAT IS CHENNAI Vol. XXIX No. 15 November 16-30, 2019 Let’s waste water once more he year 2019 promises to water crisis that has gripped water scarcity and godmen Our OLD is the cover picture of the Madras Journal of Literature Tbe one in which Chennai the city since 2017 will ease also have moved on. Of course and Science, dated July to Dec 1847. Could the building featured in it will receive adequate rains. This quite a bit this year. This is of these do not have much of an be the College of Fort St. George? Our NEW is a picture of a structure is one of those quinquennial course a welcome development impact beyond spreading some with similar architectural features that still stands in the same campus occurrences that does much and Chennai can congratulate awareness at best. But what but which is much smaller in scale. For more details read The College to restore faith in the future itself on its serendipitous for- is worrying is that people who of College Road (p 4) of our metropolis. For the rest tune. The sad part is that with are affected by water shortages of the time we are quite happy the pressure easing, all action have also begun putting off to lament loudly about the on conserving water has more implementation of rainwater shortage of water and indulge in doomsday predictions. There is however very little concrete by The Editor action as far as conservation of water is concerned. In fact it becomes even less in years when the rains are plentiful, which or less ceased. The first of the harvesting schemes purely on is when we ought to be saving signs that this is no longer a the assumption that water will every drop that falls. hot topic likely to get media once again be available in plen- For the first time since 2014, attention is when rainwater ty post the monsoon. Chennai has registered a sur- harvesting and conservation The Government too has plus of 30 per cent in the rain- cease to be the subject of sem- gone on to focus on other mat- a few months ago has also van- votes. It is no wonder that there fall received till the month of inars hosted by fringe elements ters. With the withdrawal of the ished. Emergency measures for was not a ripple in the media, September. With the northeast and social climbers. Hollywood water train from Jolarpet, the water not being needed means both social and otherwise, when monsoon predicted to be nor- stars too have stopped express- most striking reminder that we these will not garner publicity the Government admitted that mal, it is expected that the ing concern over Chennai’s were brought to our knees just and so will not translate into (Continued on page 2) Revamp deep-sea fishing scheme to provide relief for fishermen delivery time needed by boat wean away, within two years, a Readers may remember that we Sri Lankan authorities for trans- its design, even at the outset, had published a two-part article gressing fishing rights. did not address the situational yards to meet such a large order. substantial number of families regarding TN’s deep-sea fishing The Central and State Gov- needs of target beneficiaries. The scheme, by its current de- from fishing in doubtful waters. scheme earlier, in Madras Musings ernments extended a total of With two years having gone sign, has not taken this crucial Cost overrun, slow rate of de- Vol. XXVIII, Nos. 10 & 11. This 70 per cent capital subsidy (50 by since the launch, our doubts factor into consideration. livery of vessels and the absence is a follow-up article to monitor the per cent from the former and over the scheme’s ability to So far, only 600 applications of assured buyers for the catch scheme’s progress. – The Editor 20 per cent from the latter) meet its objectives are proving have been received. Of this, are three major obstacles which towards the cost of vessels then to be real. Considering that 65 have signed the tri-partite need to be addressed. estimated at Rs. 80 lakhs each. the livelihood and safety of agreements involving the boat Price escalations and the t has been two years since The beneficiary was required to builder, the Fisheries Depart- lack of provision for the cost the Central and Tamil Nadu ment and the beneficiary. Only of fishing nets have taken the I provide 10 per cent of the cost governments launched a deep- by A Special 16 of this 65 have commenced outlay per vessel from Rs. 80 to – Rs. 8 lakhs – and the balance Correspondent sea fishing project as a jointly was loaned by banks. The total operations. At this pace, there 100 lakhs. Having come so far, funded arrangement. The proj- outlay was Rs. 1,600 crores, of is little hope of the fishermen’s it seems necessary to increase ect provided a major capital which Rs. 1,120 crores was to be thousands of our fisher families problem ever being solved. the capital subsidy to cover the subsidy to replace 2000 boats subsidised by the governments. are involved, speedy implemen- Some amount of major re- higher outlay. By increasing with modern vessels for deep- The scheme holds promise tation, say, within 2-3 years, has vamping must be done without the capital subsidy, only 1,600 sea fishing, thereby obviating of lucrative earnings through become a matter of high urgen- delay to salvage the situation replacements would be possible the dependence on trawling in better technology and deep-sea cy. Even the 2-3-year span is too and regain hope. A review of within the original outlay of Sri Lankan territorial waters fishing, which is more sustain- long to bear. To replace 2,000 the operational aspects of the Rs. 1,600 crores, as against the and offering hope of saving our able. It was liberal in terms boats over three years is a nearly new scheme would serve to planned 2,000. This is still a fishermen from being jailed by of funding and subsidies but impossible task, considering the identify the changes needed to (Continued on page 2) 2 MADRAS MUSINGS November 1-15, 2019 Let’s waste water once more Long before Twitter (Continued from page 1) our varied experiences of flood, the new reservoir and the fifth cyclone and drought between was Thiruvalluvar for the city, slated for comple- 2015 and 2019. or The Man from Madras evidence about the man and time in keeping them together. tion in October this year, will If this is the way we are to FMusings, this great Tamil- are shouting their opinions. MMM could only pity all of ian was the original Twittera- There is an old adage in legal them – kids, whose parents operate only up to 30 per cent administer our storage and tus (if that is the singular for circles that when the facts who must have got up at an of its capacity, chiefly owing usage of water, we are not likely Twitterati). Imagine being able are against you, present the unearthly hour and also the to some civil works that have to progress much. Having rec- to compose 1330 couplets and law; when the law is against teachers, who too must have become hugely delayed. The ognised that we have a problem, cover in them practically all you, present the facts; when stirred with the lark. But of Thervoy Kandigai- Kannankot- it is necessary for everyone aspects of life! And write them both are against you, shout the college students there tai Reservoir, planned to have a from the citizen to the Gov- in such a way that he remains loudly and thump the table. was no sign. The authorities capacity of 1,000 million cubic ernment to arrive at a solution, relevant for all time to come! MMM leaves you to identify suggested that MMM had feet of water, will be able to take implement it and move on to What more do we need to which of the three routes are better wait till they, the college in just 1/3rd of that volume. other things thereafter. But the know about him to celebrate being taken by both contes- students landed up. And so, him? In any other country, tants in this quixotic battle. everyone waited. After half This means that that we are present attitude of wallowing in the work would have been an hour, there being no signs misery when there is shortage There is, however, much not much better as compared the hero leaving its author to at stake for both parties. For of the students and the school to what we were in 2015 when of water and then wasting it in shine in its light, or looking at the saffron lot, laying claim marms getting restless, MMM it comes to our ability to store times of plenty is nothing more it in another way, remain in to the Thiruvalluvar legacy wandered off to check on a rainwater.