Registered with the Reg. No. TN/CH(C)/374/12-14 Registrar of Newspapers Licenced to post without prepayment for India under R.N.I. 53640/91 Licence No. TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-506/12-14 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 • Cancer care institute • Air terminal facilities • Testimonials that speak • Versatile cricketer Vol. XXIII No. 7 MUSINGS July 16-31, 2013 Yet another Cooum clean-up! t is just a couple of months name of resettlement they sently, around 30% of the city’s Isince we reported on a would be displaced to far away raw sewage gets into the Cooum detailed exercise that was colonies, completely removed river. Cynics aver that this is the planned to clean the city’s river from the places where they earn reason for the river having any of sorrow. Even then we had their livelihood. The study is water at all. But when you con- apologised for expressing a expected to be tabled before the sider that around 100 million sense of déjà vu, and now we are Government in a couple of litres of sewage makes its way not certain as to what is to be months after which work is ex- into the river in a year, the en- said. But plans are afoot once pected to begin. vironmental impact is stagger- more, for yet another attempt, ing. Some 340 drains connect It cannot be forgotten that this time with Spanish techni- no project has thus far cal help. It makes you wonder succeeded in cleaning the river. as to what happened to the The first attempt was in the (Continued on page 4) “It’s wise to look before you leap, especially at this time of water scarcity!” earlier plan and/or whether this 1970s, when boating was new exercise is part of the same planned on the Cooum. Some scheme. of the piers and jetties built for The new team has done a this can still be seen along the detailed study and presented its river. This was abandoned T. Nagar multi-level findings at a public discussion when there was a change of organised by the Chennai River government. Since then there Restoration Trust a couple of have been several programmes weeks ago. It ran along the and schemes, all of which have parking lot revived, again! expected lines that anyone come to nought despite crores he State Government has per. The Broadway lot, pro- that the entire facility be under- Tyet again resurrected the posed to be constructed at the ground, below Panagal Park, G by idea of having a multi-level present bus terminus (which in with exits on GN Chetty, The Editor parking lot adjacent to Panagal turn is on the erstwhile Madras Doraiswamy and Venkata- Park. This is perhaps the fourth United Club ground), was an- narayana Roads. But the Cor- or fifth time that this plan is nounced four times only to poration has shied away from being mooted. Each time it has have had no bids for the tender. this, citing implementation familiar with the river restora- of rupees having been spent on been hailed as a solution for the It has even now not been given difficulties. While this may be a tion knows – steps needed to so-called improvements which congestion that continues to up; it has been merely put on tough solution to implement, it keep water flowing during off- somehow never appeared to plague the surroundings and hold thanks to the Metrorail probably was the best, for it season, prevention of untreated have had the desired result. In each time it has failed on just project taking over quite a bit would have allowed for smooth sewage from being let into the addition to these schemes, one count – no contractor has of space meant for the facility. flow of surface traffic. The idea river, ensuring solid wastes are there have been several smaller ever bid for the tender each has already been successfully not directly disposed off into it, grants for periodic desilting of time it has been floated. Will it executed in New Delhi’s Palika and resettlement of slums that the waterways. These have be any different now? G by A Staff Reporter Bazaar, in the heart of exist along the river. been for shorter stretches and The Corporation of Chennai Connaught Circus. their effect, on completion, has Those who attended the has repeatedly toyed with the The Flower Bazaar parking lot, The present modified plan, been negligible. Almost Rs. 2 consultation trashed the study idea of multi-level parking fa- which was meant for two- which calls for an over-the- crore is spent each year on these as elitist as it focussed princi- cilities at several locations in wheelers, has also remained on ground facility, has received the exercises. pally on beautification, which the city – namely Wallace Gar- paper for want of takers. Given State Government’s approval. included building of cycle tracks In 2001, a Rs. 1200 crore dens (Nungambakkam), Broad- this background, what is the The Corporation hopes to call and parks, along with upmarket City River Conservation way, Flower Bazaar and Panagal guarantee of success for the T. for bids and select an approved housing on space that is now Project was sanctioned by the Park. Of these, barring the first Nagar plan? contractor in six months. The occupied by shanties. Some Central Government. Rs. 750 one, none has moved beyond On paper at least, the idea plan will take 18 to 24 months were of the view that the study crore out of that was spent on the proposal stage. The sole ex- looks good. The Rs. 25 crore to implement. All this is did not take into account the building sewage treatment ception, which is nearing facility will be on Bhashyam provided a contractor expresses problems of the slum dwellers. plants for the CMWSSB. At the completion, probably owes its Road, adjacent to Panagal Park, interest. Reluctance to partici- It also skirted around the issue end of it, raw effluents were success to the persistent push of on land that is already being pate in such bids mainly stems of wastes being let into the river found to be still pouring into the a nearby private hospital that used for parking vehicles. It will from doubts about commercial by Government agencies. river. It was admitted later that desperately needs this facility to be on 1600 sq m of land, with viability, possible delays in Among those who were present the scheme had failed to take decongest the surroundings. space for 500 cars and 900 two- execution and the likely were representatives from the into account the needs of city’s The others have had a wheelers. The consulting slums who feared that in the exploding population. Pre- chequered history even on pa- agency had initially suggested (Continued on page 7) CMYK 2 MADRAS MUSINGS July 16-31, 2013 Path of industrialisation Exasperation at Egmore he Man from Madras wheelchair would be sent as the number of traffic lights fter a couple of years’ stint in teaching, I began my career in T Musings can hear you all soon as the previous hirer had that are on the blink. There is Ajournalism in 1962. Through these 50 years, I have witnessed groan “Oh, no, not another returned it. And how long one near where MMM lives phenomenal changes in the growth of corporate entities. There Egmore story.” But let MMM would that take, asked MMM. which for over four months has been innovative and special support by the governments at the assure you that once you have The voice had no answer. After has literally been blinking. Centre and the State level to promote enterprises and encourage read it your knotted and com- some hesitation it replied that The ailment began with the entrepreneurship. Development institutions at the State level, like bined locks will part and stand the entire station had one various lights blinking rapidly the Madras Industrial Investment Corporation (today, Tamil Nadu on end like quills on a fretful solitary wheelchair and it was all the time. Then they began Industrial Investment Corporation), and Industrial Finance porpentine, as the Bard said. anybody’s guess as to when it to flicker at the edges. Some- That by the way is something would be returned to the book- one then attended to them af- Corporation of India (IFCI), Industrial Development Bank of India that will never happen to ing office. There were, added ter which they ceased blinking (IDBI) and the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of MMM, for what with working the voice most helpfully, ten together but blinked in proper India (ICICI) at the national level provided liberal term loans and for the Chief on a permanent trains arriving in that one hour sequence. equity support. basis, he (meaning MMM and and so the wheelchair was in A few days later, it was no- Days were also different with political leaders passionate about not the Chief) is challenged in great demand. It could not ticed by those who look at traf- development and known for their integrity. Leaders like Rajaji, the matter of hair. have been more sought after fic lights at all (and yes, that Kamaraj, C. Subramaniam and R. Venkataraman (RV) were But to get back to Egmore. had it been a minister’s chair. foolish fraternity, though imbibed with these qualities in a rich measure.