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 • Velachery, Mylapore floods • An agricultural first • Centre of Culture • Remembering Milkha Singh Vol. XXVII No. 15 MUSINGS November 16-31, 2017 Metro Rail endangers symbol of our City (By The Editor) t is now finally out in the open. The cracks on the façade of IRipon Building are so wide that you can make them out as you go Mylapore Times photographer Madhan Kumar spotted these sparrows off the beach of Foreshore Estate where local along the road. Up until now the Metro Rail, which is conducting residents say a good number of sparrows descend on the area every day, to feed. In times when sparrows are rarely seen in excavations below the building, has claimed it has nothing to do the City, the sight of so many sparrows makes good news. with the fissures, but it may not be able to escape the reality for much longer. It is high time that this body, no matter how impor- tant its work is for the future of the city, is made to realise that development as an agenda is highly commendable but it cannot be Government goes on green drive, at the cost of just about everything else. The Corporation of Greater Chennai, which should be the most unveils draft Forest Policy vociferous among the protesters, has chosen to keep quiet. That is quite surprising, for, after all, would you keep silent if your home overnment goes on green – Technological support, While the draft policy has was coming apart owing to a neighbour digging beneath your prop- erty? It also shows what sense of ownership the higher officials of Gdrive, unveils draft Forest research and development nothing specific about protec- the civic body have for their premises. Ditto the Councillors who Policy. The draft State Forest for scientific forest manage- tion of water bodies in urban did not turn a hair when a plaster from the ceiling of the Council Policy has been formulated by ment areas, it notes that the natural Chamber began falling owing to the drilling. All that has been done the Tamil Nadu Government – Forest extension for tree resources are threatened by is that monitors have been placed at various places in the premises with 16 thrust areas. The cover augmentation, various factors like fire, illicit to check on whether the fissures are widening. Reports on the find- following are the main outreach and conservation grazing, encroachment, illicit ings from these are allegedly being filed, but as to whether any objectives of the draft policy: education for wild life felling of trees, ganja cultiva- action was ever contemplated is unknown. IIT Madras is appar- – Environmental and management support tion, and wildlife poaching. En- ently a recipient of this data, but as to what it does with it is also a ecological stability – Forestry for rural energy croachments inside the re- secret. What is out in the open are the cracks. One of them is even – Biodiversity, wildlife and security served forests will be removed now climbing up all the way to the top to the bell tower. When this genetic resource conserva- – Eco-tourism for supporting and no encroachment in the tower falls, we will have the satisfaction of knowing that the moni- tion conservation forest will be regularised, the tors had already predicted it. – Rehabilitation and restora- draft policy clearly states. Ripon Building has been the recipient of Rs. 23 crore for a com- tion of degraded forests The State will look for the plete restoration exercise. This is public money. The entire activity – Coastal ecosystem conserva- G by A Special was almost complete when Metro Rail began digging in the vicinity, willing participation of local tion and management Correspondent people living near open forest bringing the repair work to a halt. The allotted money, it is under- – Forest protection for stood, has been more or less fully spent though with what final result land (with crown density less resource management and than 40 per cent) in re-affores- is a mystery. But it is money that we as taxpayers have contributed augmentation – Human resource develop- to. It is a good indication of the way the Government works. tation and protection through – Sustainable forest manage- ment for forest management However, for the first time there are indications that the lower village forest committees levels of officialdom in the Corporation are getting alarmed. After ment – Climate change mitigation (VFCs). Steps will be taken to all, they are the people who are working in the premises through- – Enhancement of tree cover The primary objective will increase the representation of out the day. A newspaper report dated November 12th has an offi- outside forests for livelihood be conservation of dense forest women in VFCs and increase cial, under condition of anonymity, demanding that the data being security areas covering approximately the number of committees tracked by the monitors be made public. We welcome this stance, – Water augmentation 8,676 sq. km. through strict en- headed by women. as this is exactly what we have been demanding ever since the first through forest conservation forcement of forest laws. To cracks were noticed in the building. The cosy world of official and integrated watershed manage these forests, the For- For the first time, the Gov- secrecy has to be done away with. management est Department plans to con- ernment has decided to provide Chennai Metro Rail has caused untold damage to the city’s heri- – Upliftment of forest- vert the exotic plantations into adequate facilities, including tage. The list of buildings demolished to make way for it and those dependent women and natural forests, both through weapons, communication endangered by it is long. Public reaction to such wanton careless- ensuring significant role for natural and artificial regenera- equipment and vehicles for for- ness has been muted, but now, with the symbol of the city’s civic them in forest management tion, with indigenous species est protection staff to discharge body (Ripon Building features on the Corporation’s coat of arms – Tribal development to that will sustain a pollinator their duties effectively. Special and therefore is part of the city’s emblem) being affected, it is hoped ensure economic prosperity population of birds, bees, but- forces engaged in anti-poaching that the voices of protest will rise in volume. and ecological stability terflies, etc. will be well-trained and armed. CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS November 16-30, 2017 Velachery Creative City and all that hat would your reaction for rather long. And during our city we surrendered at once. floods more, Wbe if someone compli- ‘temporary’ stay here, we have MMM uses the word ‘briefly’ mented you on something that fostered the arts and, in because we still have a month you have truly worked on? particular, music, and in this and more of the monsoons to go recovers faster Thank them with all the hap- MMM includes classical, folk, and we appear to have no strat- piness that you feel for praise cinema, theatre and liturgical, egy in mind beyond that you richly deserve? Or, if for a long time. True, the capitulation. you were shy, turn a bright December Music Festival may The schools were asked to than Mylapore cerise and shuffle your feet and be catering to a miniscule but close, and they remained mumble “Thanks awfully” or high-profile section of society, closed for almost a week. The some such thing feeling all but it cannot be denied that it children were absolutely de- bucked up inside? Sadly that has been going on for ninety lighted and, had they the eligi- hen Chennai flooded in end-2015, newly developed areas does not appear to be the long years and almost entirely bility to vote, MMM is quite Wsuch as Velachery flooded more than older parts of the city Chennai way. Here the reac- funded by private means at sure that this Government such as Mylapore. That was natural, since Velachery is among the tion appears to be one of “Oh, that. Surely that is something would be repeatedly ushered localities that developed after the late 1990s in the southern axis why were we credited with to be proud of. Sure, there are into power. Of course, for that radiating out of the city. It was built on a complex of low-lying anything?” followed by a round several aspects that need matter, all political parties of wetlands, and water flowed and accumulated there. denial of any achievement. improvement but that that is our State can lay equal claim Perhaps it is a way to ward off no reason to decry a great tag for popularity on this count for Since the water stayed in these areas for a long time, the physical the evil eye. when it is given. none of them has in any way impact of the flood was higher in these areas. Water drained out of The Man from Madras If at all any section of worked towards preparing us Mylapore faster. Despite that, in terms of social and economic Musings on the other hand re- Chennai society rejoiced at the for rains. Their sole talents lie dimensions of the recovery, Velachery was not far behind joices. The city he loves and tag, it was the political class, in declaring holidays for Mylapore.