writingonblog uncensored: A smart app to know your Chennai airport

writingonblog uncensored: A smart app to know your Chennai airport: Chennai: Air passengers in Chennai now  can avail of a mobile  application which would  provide details about the  airport infrastructur...

‘Human error’ damages airport glass pane

Chennai:

The glass pane of Chennai Airport broke again but this time it was due to carelessness of a mobile food trolley operator.

An airport official told express that the incident happened when Travel Food Service trolley operator was crossing the Central Industrial Security Force frisking zone area in the airport when he lost balance of the trolley.

“The trolley hit the glass particle and caused damage. It was a human error. We have confiscated the pass of the trolley operator,” said the airport official.

No one was injured in the incident, the official said.

writingonblog uncensored: A smart app to know your Chennai airport

writingonblog uncensored: A smart app to know your Chennai airport: Chennai: Air passengers in Chennai now  can avail of a mobile  application which would  provide details about the  airport infrastructur...

A smart app to know your Chennai airport

Chennai:

Air passengers in Chennai now can avail of a mobile application which would provide details about the airport infrastructure, rule and guidelines.

The mobile application which is being released by Airport Authority of India is available on three platforms --- Android, iOS and Windows.

Airport Authority of India director Deepak Shastri said that initially, they had started with Android application but then moved to two other platforms

The application is useful for the passengers who are visiting the airport for the first time. Using this application the passengers can easily locate the retail outlet, rest room facility and other facilities those are available in the airport campus, Shastri added.

He said the mobile application was launched for the benefit of Chennai Airport passengers, visitors, vendors and other stake holders. 

He said that users can also gain information about rules and guidelines regarding the usage of the facility, event updates, gallery notifications, contact details and most importantly concerned department details in case of any concern. 

The application has a real-time complaint management facility, where the passengers or visitors can notify any issues or inconvenience faced in the airport premises and can also upload relevant picture to keep the airport authorities informed about it.

The app will also provide Information about the parking facility, charges for using various facilities of the Airport including the Gate Information. 

The Android app can be downloaded from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brokenglass.aai&hl=en , Windows users can download it from https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/store/apps/aai-chennai/9nblggh5q4jw  and Apple iOS users from 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/airports-authority-of-india/id1086591127?ls=1&mt=8.

The Version 2.0 is expected to be launched shortly with advanced real-time features, Shastri added.

How Brussels Terror blast victim's relatives came to terms with reality?

Caption: Parents of Raghavendra at Chennai Airport



 C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The DNA test of of Raghavendran Ganeshan, an Infosys employee, who was killed while travelling in a coach of Brussels metro may have tested positive by the Belgium officials, but his close relatives still had doubts about its veracity.

It was only when the body arrived in Chennai that a cousin brother who still doubted his death opened the coffin to see if he could recognise some part of the mortal remains, which was totally charred during the blast.

“We still doubted the DNA test which was conducted on Friday. The test was termed positive only on Monday,” said a close relative.

“Once the coffin was opened. We found his face was not damaged due to the impact of explosion and his identity was confirmed,” said the grieving relative Sridhar.

Earlier, it was a long ordeal for the parents of Raghavendran Ganeshan as they arrived with the mortal remains of their son at Chennai Airport.

The parents were inconsolable as relatives and friends poured in the airport to receive and console them as they arrived from tJet Airways Abu Dhabi flight which landed at the airport at 1.50pm, much before its scheduled time of arrival..

“The flight landed much earlier than expected,” said a relative. The parents boarded the flight on Monday night, he added.

The journey may have been tiring for the parents who had been struggling to get information about their son for the last one week. 

They looked tired as they entered into a waiting vehicle. The mother was dressed in green saree while the father wore a T Shirt.

They hardly noticed the media persons waiting in the airport as they were battling their tears and coming to terms with the loss of their son.

“Let us settle down. We are not in a mood to talk,” said a relative, dressed in white while standing away from the glare of media persons.

However, the most difficult task was to get the customs clearance. It took nearly 45 minutes. 

writingonblog uncensored: Think Twice before buying plots in panchayat appr...

writingonblog uncensored: Think Twice before buying plots in panchayat appr...: C Shivakumar Chennai: Think twice if you are buying  a plot which has only the  approval of village panchayat! Buyers of plots b...

Think Twice before buying plots in panchayat approved layout

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Think twice if you are buying a plot which has only the approval of village panchayat!

Buyers of plots being sold by a developer in Kannivakkam Village in Perumattunallur panchayat in Chengalpet were caught unaware when a layout which had the approval of panchayat was termed illegal by the state housing department as it did not get approval from the Town and Country Planning department.

The 8.03 acres of layout approved from the panchayat was being sold as plots measuring 600 square feet each to individuals. The buyers had purchased the vacant lands in Site Number 156/IC, 1B, 1A2, 1A4 and 1A9 situated in in Kannivakkam Village 

They then entered into a contract with the developer to put up construction measuring 745 square feet of floor area in the plot purchased. But then trouble arose when an individual questioned the construction in the land and moved the High court seeking compensation of Rs 1.9 crore towards sale of property.

The housing department intervened after Madras High Court issued notice to Director of Town and Country Planning to dispose the case in two weeks, said sources in Directorate of Town and Country Planning.

It was learnt during the investigation that the layout approval was not obtained from the Town and Country Planning department. Besides, the layout is not designed as per the norms prescribed in Tamil Nadu Panchayats Building Rules, 1997. 

“The local panchayat has no jurisdiction or authority to issue such layout approval without the consultation with DTCP. Such being the case, the building plan approval in such layout on various plots is irregular,” said a DTCP official.

The DTCP source told Express that the developer has gone on appeal to the government which has been rejected. “We have issued a Stop Work notice under section 56 and 57 of Tamil Nadu Town and country Planning act. The panchayat has set up a board cautioning buyers not to buy plots,” said the official.

The buyers are cautioned that without the approval of DTCP, any layout which has only the approval of panchayat is unauthorised, he said

writingonblog uncensored: New UMTA Act to regulate urban transport in the co...

writingonblog uncensored: New UMTA Act to regulate urban transport in the co...: C Shivakumar Chennai: The Union government is  planning to regulate the  urban transportation across  the country by bringing in  Un...

New UMTA Act to regulate urban transport in the country

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The Union government is planning to regulate the urban transportation across the country by bringing in Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority Act 2016 and a draft bill is being prepared in this regard.

While Chennai already has a Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority under the Act passed in the state assembly, it has yet to be notified and experts feel that once the Central Act comes into force, it would be mandatory on the part of the state to implement it.

Interestingly, the Ministry of Urban Development has conducted a national workshop recently to help familiarise the transport and urban development department secretaries of all states on the new draft UMTA Bill (generic) 2016.

This also comes when a blueprint on the proposed structure of Trichy Unified Metropolitan Transport authority is being prepared by consultant Deloitte Tohmatsu, which is also helping the Union government with finer details on the proposed new bill.

Interestingly, it was National Urban Transport Policy which suggested the formation of UMTA in million plus cities. Chennai was the first city in the state to have Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority Act in 2010. The salient features of CUMTA include monitoring the implementation of various traffic and transportation measures including promoting the cause of public mass passenger transport systems and regulating their operations besides implementation of traffic and transportation infrastructure in the Chennai Metropolitan Area. 

But the Act has yet to be notified. This has resulted in the delay of integration of all mass passenger transport modes by means of various measures including routing and scheduling, operating feeder services and combined or common ticketing to facilitate seamless commuting options to the public.

Raj Cherubal of City Connect says that the Central act may work wonders for Chennai as it would make it mandatory for the states to implement it.

The focus of this act is also to bring the waterways into the ambit of UMTA as it stresses on the need to have a official of Port Trust as well as inland Waterways in UMTA. The act also proposes a member from the Union Ministry of urban development in UMTA under the proposed Act.

The new bill’s focus focuses on having comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) and this would bring the far flung areas of the city under UMTA’s ambit. Currently, Chennai lacks a Comprehensive Mobility Plan.

A CMP aims at integrating land-use and transport planning. Since land-use planning influences travel patterns, CMP should scrutinize the land-use patterns from the perspective of developing urban transport. 

Shreya Gadepalli, the Regional Director of the Institute for Transportation and Development (ITDP), said that the new UMTA act by the Union Government is a welcome move but the question is how well it will be implemented by the States. 

"For an UMTA to be effective, it must be empowered to make decisions based on goals set in the Strategic Mobility Plan of the city. All urban transport funding should be routed through it and spent equitably, focusing on sustainable modes of transport," she added. 

Unified Transport Agencies across the world:

1. STIF (Transport Syndicate of the Ile de France) is a unified transport authority accountable for transportation

of the whole region of Paris on all modes of ground transport. 

2. Transport for London (TfL) is an integrated transport authority accountable for London’s transport system.

TfL is responsible for planning and operations of transport facilities in the city that involves more than 24 million

commuters every day. 

3. TransLink Vancouver is the regional transportation authority of Metro Vancouver. It is responsible for regional

transit, cycling, commuting options and installation Intelligent Transportation System programs. 

4. The Land Transport Authority of Singapore (LTA) is the authority responsible for land transport development

and regulation in Singapore. 

Why is UMTA needed:

--- Urban transport is governed by multiple laws

--Various laws at central, state and city level affect urban transport directly or indirectly

--- Multiple laws leads to creation of multiple agencies

-- Multiple agencies play various roles in planning, implementation, operation, management & regulation of urban transport

---Each agency performs its own urban transport initiatives with no or very little coordination–some time agenda are conflicting

- Fragmented distribution of power to control various aspects of urban transport activities creates a structural overlap

-- No single legislation covers needs of urban transport comprehensively

---ØNo single agency responsible for urban transport functions–there is structural gap

--- No common platform to plan urban transport in a comprehensive manner

Multiple laws in Tamil nadu

1. Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles (Special Provisions) Act, 1992

2.Tamil Nadu Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989

3.Tamil Nadu Traffic Control Act, 1938

4.Tamil Nadu Highways Act, 2001

5.Tamil Nadu State Housing Board Act, 1961

6.Tamil Nadu Acquisition of Land for Industrial Purpose Act, 1997

7.Tamil Nadu Canals and Public Ferries Act, 1890

8.Tamil Nadu Hackney Carriage Act, 1911

9.Tamil Nadu Industrial Township Area Development Authority Act, 1997

10.Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Development Act, 2012

How UMTA Act is beneficial

--- Facilitates coordination among central,state and city level agencies

-- Enables integrated public transport planning

--- Eliminates overlapping functions

---- Fills the gap in the urban transport services

Chennai airport allows entry of visitors

Chennai:

The clamp on entry of visitors into Chennai airport has been relaxed on Saturday.

The ban on entry of visitors was announced immediately after the attack on Brussels airport on March 22.

While initially the security alert was for couple of days, it was further extended following a series of hoax calls which resulted in diverting a Jet Airways flight mid-air, which was on its way to Chennai besides grounding of Indigo airlines flight scheduled from Chennai to New Delhi. 

A total of 16 aircraft across the country were grounded and it created unnecessary panic among the people.

Airport authorities are concerned that that there has been no breakthrough on finding out how the hoax calls emanated from the city..

“They cyber crime cell has to find out who created such a panic as all the calls turned out to be hoax. We haven’t yet heard of who is the prankster behind such calls. A total of 3,200 lives were at stake,” said a airport source.

A phone call to Indigo Airline’s call centre in Chennai on last Wednesday triggered a security scare grounding 11 flights of Indigo Airlines. Similarly, on March 22. Similarly, five Jet Airways flights from Delhi had received bomb threats, barely hours after the explosions at Brussels airport.

writingonblog uncensored: Director of manpower supply firm held for service ...

writingonblog uncensored: Director of manpower supply firm held for service ...: Chennai: A director of a manpower supply company in Alandur was arrested after the company evaded service tax worth Rs 5 crore by commit...

Director of manpower supply firm held for service tax evasion

Chennai:

A director of a manpower supply company in Alandur was arrested after the company evaded service tax worth Rs 5 crore by committing irregularities.

G Ravindranath, commissioner of service tax said that the company, which supplies manpower to various manufacturing and service industries, has been evading to pay the service tax collected since 2012 to the exchequer and used it in furtherance of its business.

Not only that, it floated dummy entities as its sub contractors and created fake invoices to fraudulently avail input tax credit.

It is learnt that the company has been given several opportunities to comply after the case was investigated by Survey, Intelligence and research (SIR) wing of the department but it did not comply.

The director was produced before the additional chief metropolitan magistrate, Economic Offences Court, Egmore, and remanded to judicial custody till April 6. “The offence is grave and it carries a jail term up to seven years,” said Ravindranath.

He also warned the tax defaulters, who have been dodging the summons, that his department is initiating legal proceedings in all cases of deliberate and willful disobedience. “It constitues an offence that carries a jail term of six months,’ he said.

For voluntary tax compliance levels as well as for all service tax related queries, the tax payer service centre (TSC) in Anna Nagar can be contacted at 26142850, 26142851 and 26142852.

writingonblog uncensored: Coastguard to rebase ships to enhance coastal secu...

writingonblog uncensored: Coastguard to rebase ships to enhance coastal secu...: Chennai: Indian Coast Guard has started measures to enhance coastal security of new coast guard stations and has sent in a fleet of six ...

Coastguard to rebase ships to enhance coastal security of Andamans

Chennai:

Indian Coast Guard has started measures to enhance coastal security of new coast guard stations and has sent in a fleet of six interceptor boats along with Indian Coast Guard Ship Rajkamal to be rebased to Andaman and Nicobar Region.

The rebasing plan is aimed towards effective optimization of coast Guard Assets towards safeguarding the maritime border of nation.

The fleet was given a traditional farewell at Chennai Port Trust Harbour as army band played the farewell tune. Deputy Inspector General MA Thalha, chief of staff, Coast Guard Region (East) along with senior officials bade the Commanding Officers and men of the rebased ships adieu.

Newly commissioned ICGS Arnvesh has already joined the Eastern Coast guard fleet as part of replacement. 

The Ships set course for Andaman Nicobar at 1130 hrs. The Coast Guard Interceptor boats are being escorted by Advance Offshore Patrol Vessel Sagar to Port of Blair for safe passage. 

A Coastguard official told Express that the idea is to have a uniform coastguard cover across the peninsula of India.

writingonblog uncensored: Brussels terror attack...90 minutes in Chennai and...

writingonblog uncensored: Brussels terror attack...90 minutes in Chennai and...: Chennai: It was a spur of the moment  decision after Chennai  Airport director Deepak  Shastri was informed of a  bomb threat to the Che...

Brussels terror attack...90 minutes in Chennai and a hoax call, recalls AAI director

Chennai:

It was a spur of the moment decision after Chennai Airport director Deepak Shastri was informed of a bomb threat to the Chennai-bound Jet Airways aircraft from New Delhi.

The aircraft was 90 minutes short of landing in Chennai (5.50pm arrival) when Bureau of Civil Aviation informed me about a bomb threat in the aircraft, says Shastri.

“Immediately a meeting was called and I did not want to risk the lives of about 170 plus passengers who were to land in Chennai. My concern was the passengers,” said the former defence officer.

While Chennai Airport had a isolation bay where such aircraft land. But Shastri did not want to take the risk.

“I still had 90 minutes,” said Shastri who took the decision to send back the aircraft mid-air to Nagpur airport.

“The nearest airport was Nagpur. I informed the pilot about the bomb threat and asked him to divert the aircraft to Nagpur,” he said.

“It could have been a hoax but I did not want to take chances,” Shastri said. The flight was taken to isolation bay in Nagpur where it underwent checks.

“It is part of the drill. The whole process takes three hours. All baggage undergoes check,” he said

The flight is likely to return to Chennai airport in the next three hours once all the processes gets over, he said.

Interestingly, Chennai airport has been kept on alert after the Brussels attack. “After the Brussels attack, there is a special alert which bans the entry of visitors to airport for two days. It will be reviewed on Wednesday evening and if the threat persists it will be extended further,” added Shastri.

writingonblog uncensored: Hotter Summer Likely to Hit Chennai's Water Resour...

writingonblog uncensored: Hotter Summer Likely to Hit Chennai's Water Resour...: C Shivakumar Chennai  The water crisis that dogged  the city for more than two  years due to failure of  monsoons may be over but  w...

Chennai Metro's Underground stretch trial run next month

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Chennai Metro is likely to conduct the trial run in the underground stretch from Koyambedu to Shenoy Nagar next month.

The trial run will happen positively next month in the 5km underground stretch till Shenoy Nagar where trials are being conducted using the inspection wagon, according to a Metro Rail official.

The source told Express their aim is to have the trial run till Nehru Park but refused the confirm whether Nerhu Park will be part of the trial run next month.

Interestingly, Chennai Metro rail is planning for the inauguration of the elevated stretch between Little Mount to Airport as well as Koyambedu to Nehru Park at the same time.

“If all goes well, we will have inauguration at the same time,” said sources.

It was earlier planned to include Chennai Egmore but then there are some issues involved with signalling, said the source.

Currently, tunneling work is progressing between Chennai Egmore to Chennai Central.

Meanwhile, there is good news for Chennaites. The Second Avenue road linking Anna Nagar Roundtana to Thirumangalam would be spruced up and the barricades will be removed. “We have already removed the barricades in Thirumangalam. 

By the end of next month all the barricades in second Avenue will be removed providing much relief to the motorists, the official said.

Meanwhile, 85 per cent of work on the underground stations is completed. “There are still some minor works that needs to be attended,” said the Metro rail source

writingonblog uncensored: Hotter Summer Likely to Hit Chennai's Water Resour...

writingonblog uncensored: Hotter Summer Likely to Hit Chennai's Water Resour...: C Shivakumar Chennai  The water crisis that dogged  the city for more than two  years due to failure of  monsoons may be over but  w...

Hotter Summer Likely to Hit Chennai's Water Resources Hard

C Shivakumar

Chennai 

The water crisis that dogged the city for more than two years due to failure of monsoons may be over but water managers are worried over the huge evaporation loss due to the soaring temperature.

A Water resources Department official said that the city has nearly 7tmc feet of water in its four reservoirs which could last for the next five months. Interestingly, last year during the same time, the city had only 2.7tmc feet of water.

“Usually, the city requires one TMC feet of water per month. But taking into evaporation losses, the water in the reservoirs could last till the next five months,” said a senior water resource department official.

Usually, the evaporation loss is calculated at 20 per cent but with the hot summer, the calculation is now at 30 per cent. Taking into account the evaporation loss, the water in the reservoir could last for the next five months, said the official.

Interestingly, Chennai Metro water which had cut down its supply for the last two years has now started supplying 830 MLD of water. Prior to the heavy rains in December, the city was getting only 535MLD of water.

Meanwhile, Water Resources Department officials have written letters to their counterparts in andhra Pradesh to supply Krishna Water. “We are holding discussion with the officials. But their reservoirs have nearly dried up. We are pinning our hopes on rains which is expected in the month of June,” said the official.

Poondi             1953 mcft

Cholavaram           288mcft

Red Hills             2449mcft 

Chemabrambakam      2529mcft

Total               7210 mcft

writingonblog uncensored: Bomb threat to Indigo emanated from Chennai Call C...

writingonblog uncensored: Bomb threat to Indigo emanated from Chennai Call C...: Chennai: A phone call to Indigo Airline's call centre in Chennai triggered a security scare as 11 flights of Indigo, including one...

Bomb threat to Indigo emanated from Chennai Call Centre

Chennai:

A phone call to Indigo Airline's call centre in Chennai triggered a security scare as 11 flights of Indigo, including one in Chennai, were grounded.

An anonymous call from a caller identified as Smith triggered the scare when he said 11 flights of Indigo were facing bomb threat from a woman flyer.

Soon after the call was made, the Bomb Threat Assessment Committees (BTAC) at different airports swung into action. The planes, which were mentioned by the caller, were isolated and subject to vigorous checks.

Airport Authority of India, Chennai, director Deepak Shastri confirmed that one Indigo flight was grounded following a bomb threat alert. However, he refused to provide any further details stating that it could scare passengers.

The threat was for flights emanating from major airports like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Srinagar, Vadodara, Guwahati, Goa and Kochi, Indigo airline sources said.

In a statement, IndiGo said its call centre at Chennai received a bomb threat call at 1113 hours and within minutes the security agencies were informed.

The Chennai flight which was departing for Mumbai was grounded, said Chennai airport sources

Address water inequity to realise 2030 sustainable development goals, says UN chief

Geneva:
UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon on Monday stressed on the need to address water inequity to realize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

The secretary general said that water as a sector generally does not receive the attention it deserves. 

"Water is central to human survival, the environment and the economy. All workers can be harmed by poor water and sanitation.  Of 2 million work-related deaths every year, nearly one-in-five are caused by poor quality drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene," he said.


People with the least access to water and sanitation often also lack access to health care and stable jobs.  This perpetuates the cycle of poverty. 

"I am especially concerned by gaps between cities and the countryside, men and women, and rich and poor.  The basic provision of adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services at home, at school and in the workplace enables a robust economy by contributing to a healthy and productive population and workforce," he said.

writingonblog uncensored: Demolish Chennai Airport’s secondary runway bridg...

writingonblog uncensored: Demolish Chennai Airport’s secondary runway bridg...: Chennai: The secondary runway bridge  of Chennai Airport is facing  the heat from the residents  who want it to be demolished  as it w...

Demolish Chennai Airport’s secondary runway bridge, residents tell PWD

Chennai:

The secondary runway bridge of Chennai Airport is facing the heat from the residents who want it to be demolished as it was allegedly built below the high flood level in violation of Ministry of Environment directive.

Marvel Riverview Country Owners Welfare Association secretary A Krishnamurthy has filed a complaint with the Public Works Department Secretary N S Palaniappan that the runway bridge should be demolished as Airport authority of India has deviated from the height of runway bridge in a major way. 

The total height of the bridge above mean sea level should have been 11.15 metre and the elevation of runway above mean sea level should have been 13.15 metres. But then the actual runway elevation as per Airport authority of India was only 10.20 metres.

“The deviation was 2.95 metres. This has affected the free flow of water thus forcing it to inundate Manapakkam village and the residents living in Marvel Riverview County.

Even the compound wall of the airport is too close to the edge of the river forcing the excess water to flow to the northern side of the river thus inundating the villages in the neighbourhood, the residents alleged.

Officials from Airport Authority of India and Public Works Department were not available for comment.

writingonblog uncensored: Eviction of slums in Ambattur sparks concern among...

writingonblog uncensored: Eviction of slums in Ambattur sparks concern among...: Chennai: A move by the revenue  department officials to  demolish slums on a poromboke  land in Lenin Nagar in  Ambattur have sparked fu...

Eviction of slums in Ambattur sparks concern among rights activists

Chennai:

A move by the revenue department officials to demolish slums on a poromboke land in Lenin Nagar in Ambattur have sparked furore among rights activists as it was done in the middle of the academic year that too when the model code of conduct was in force.

The move by revenue department officials to demolish couple of houses started at around 10am but was aborted in the midway when the lawyer for the people living the slums intervened and questioned the urgency for removing the slums..

Nearly 40 houses, which were being built in a small parcel of land were already demolished with only few standing out.

Independent researcher Vanessa Peter questioned the eviction process stating that the slum clearance board has to be involved in clearing the encroachments as the people have lived here for nearly 40 years.

“They can’t be made homeless. There are UN guidelines to follow. And where will all these people go. They will become homeless. Before demolishing their homes, they have to be provided with alternate housing. This is violation of their rights,” she said.

Rajesh said that they have even written a letter seeking for more time. Janardhan, the advocate for the slum dwellers said that the High court has never ordered for the demolition of houses. He alleged it is a contempt of court.

When Express contacted officials, they said that the process was carried as per the court direction.