writingonblog uncensored: Land use laws key to health, well-being of Indians...

writingonblog uncensored: Land use laws key to health, well-being of Indians...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Radical changes are required in the India’s laws pertaining to built-in environments, roads and transport syst...

Land use laws key to health, well-being of Indians, says Lancet

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

Radical changes are required in the India’s laws pertaining to built-in environments, roads and transport systems including public transport for active living and physical activity in daily living, according to Lancet Obesity Commission Report- India perspective.

The report by Dr Shifalika Goenka – Commissioner on the Lancet Obesity Commission states that built environment and land use laws have a profound impact on health and wellbeing and need urgent attention in India.

“This should become a mandatory requirement

through legislation. Health considerations should become the basis of thinking of laws related to road design, pavements and pedestrian pathways, urban design and built  environment, green areas available to the public, agriculture zoning, land use and built up- area including FSI,” the report adds.

This comes after Lancet Commission, a three-year project by 43 experts from a broad range of expertise from 14 countries, stated that powerful vested interests, misplaced economic incentives are major drivers of joint pandemics of obesity, undernutrition and climate change.

Terming the global interplay of obesity, undernutrition and climate change as ‘The Global; Syndemic’, Lancet Commission says that it is driven by food and agriculture policies, transportation, urban design and land use systems that promote overconsumption and inequalities.

Calling for establishing of Framework Convention on Food Systems similar to global conventions for tobacco control and climate change to restrict influence of food industry in policy making, the report by the commission states that supporting active transportation through infrastructure, taxes and subsidy shifts and social marketing strategies will lead to increased physical activity and less sedentary time, with an impact on obesity prevention, cheaper transport access to healthy food and employment, potentially reducing poverty and undernutrition and lower green house gas emissions from transportation.

The report calls for fostering active transportation through contextually relevant interventions towards pedestrian, safety and comfort should become a mandatory requirement across

Departments in India.

“Pedestrian prioritization over motorised transport which ensures safety from accidents is urgently required. Some of the India specific measures urgently required are -- wide pedestrian paths, preferably as wide as the width of the road on either side are required. These should be well maintained and free of encroachments. The width of the motor-carriageways (roads for motorized

transport) should not exceed 2 car lanes on each side,” the report stated.

“Anything more than two car lanes within a city or town, is threatening to pedestrians and also becomes difficult to cross on foot,” the report added.

The report also states that worksite and buildings construction should make stairwells as the centre in planning rather than escalators. “Attention to the quality of the staircases and possible sites of

physical activity, making buildings disabled friendly is an understood mandate which synchronizes with ours,” the report added. The report also suggested encouragement of indigenous drinks with large scale training for hygiene and use of “potable water” with regular quality checks is required.

Factfile:

--- 38pc of the children under 5 are stunted (too short for their age an indicator of chronic undernutrition); 21% are wasted (too thin for their height; acute under nutrition); and 36% are underweight and 58% are anaemic.

--- The prevalence of diabetes has increased in every state since 1990 to 2016. The number of people with diabetes in India increased from 26·0 million in 1990 to 65 in 2016. The most important

risk factor for diabetes is overweight to which 36% of the diabetes related burden could be attributed. --- The prevalence of overweight in adults in India increased from 9pc in 1990 to 20·4% in 2016

--- 650m Indians will be affected by climate change leading to high heat and precipitation which is going to have a major dent on agriculture, production, and overall productivity and heat related morbidity.

--- In the absence of a major climate mitigation, nearly 148 million Indians will be living in

these severe hotspots in 2050

writingonblog uncensored: Power of Attorney for immovable property executed ...

writingonblog uncensored: Power of Attorney for immovable property executed ...: CHENNAI: Any Power of Attorney relating to immovable property executed outside India does not require compulsory registration, acc...

Power of Attorney for immovable property executed outside India does not require compulsory registration

CHENNAI:

Any Power of Attorney relating to immovable property executed outside India does not require compulsory registration, according to Inspector general of Registration J Kumaragurubaran.

However, any further document presented consequently based on such unregistered power of attorney executed outside India can be accepted for registration, Kumaragurubaran.

This clarification by the Inspector General of Registration comes after there has been confusion among the registering officers in registering movable and immovable properties.

Kumaragurubaran also clarified that if one or more individuals are granting power of attorney relating to immovable property (other than those executed outside India) to one or more persons, then registration becomes compulsory on or after December 1, 2012 as provided in Tamil Nadu Act 29 of 2012.

He also said if the power of attorney granted in respect of movable property then registration is optional and if it is granted for immovable property before December 1, 2012 then the registration is also optional.

Similarly, there is no bar for a power of attorney being registered outside the state of Tamil Nadu if the principal happens to reside ordinarily in a place which is situated in a state other than Tamil Nadu. “The power of attorney registered with registrar or sub-registrar of other states in India, within whose jurisdiction the principal ordinarily resides can be used for execution and registration of further documents in Tamil Nadu for properties situated in the state,” he said. However, compliance of provisions contained under registration Act need to be insisted, he added.

However, the registering officer in such cases should keep registration of further document pending and verify the genuineness and subsistence of power of attorney with concerned authorities.

Meanwhile, the power of attorney executed outside India and not having property details will not be accepted for registration. He also clarified that a power agent can’t appoint a sub-agent for registration of document relating to immovable property and as such any document presented by sun-power agent can’t be accepted for registration.

writingonblog uncensored: Chief administration officer of Koyambedu market t...

writingonblog uncensored: Chief administration officer of Koyambedu market t...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:  The Chief Administrative officer of Market Management Committee S Rajendran has been transferred on Wednesday af...

Chief administration officer of Koyambedu market transferred abruptly

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: 

The Chief Administrative officer of Market Management Committee S Rajendran has been transferred on Wednesday after a section of traders complained against him to Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam.

While the orders were passed on January 23, he has been relieved of his charges on Saturday with member secretary of Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority holding the additional.

It is learnt that S Govindarajan, special District Revenue Officer (Land Acquisition), Chennai-Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor, Salerm is likely to take over as new District Revenue officer and Chief Administrative officer of Koyambedu Market from next month.

The transfer of Rajendran has been hailed by a section of traders in Koyambedu who have put up posters hailing the decision of Deputy Chief Minister O Paneerselvam. A trader on anonymity said that his high-handed activities during checks have made him unpopular in the market.

However, another section of traders hailed him for his crackdown on encroachments in Koyambedu market.

It is learnt that the move by Rajendran in taking away the land of a private corporate house near the bio-methanation plant has been one of the prime reason for his transfer.

CMDA has allotted a land, acquired by it in the 1980s from Tamil Nadu Housing Board for vermin-compost, separation of garbage for the bio-methanation plant as well as banana stem process but it could hardly be put into use due to a court battle over the rights of the land. It is learnt that then officials at Market Management Committee allegedly failed to initiate action as a result the land titular rights already got shifted from various persons.

Interestingly, during Pongal much to the surprise of traders and residents, the land had a government banner claiming that it belonged to Biomethanation Plant and government buses were stationed on it. Within 24 hours, the banners got removed and the private party sealed the premises.

Market sources claim this could be one of the action which could have cost Rajendran his job. When Express tried to contact Rajendran, he did not respond.

writingonblog uncensored: CPCB directs TAW Tannery to close operations

writingonblog uncensored: CPCB directs TAW Tannery to close operations: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: T Abdul Wahid Tanneries (TAW), one of the largest exporters of leather to America and Europe, is under the sc...

CPCB directs TAW Tannery to close operations

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

T Abdul Wahid Tanneries (TAW), one of the largest exporters of leather to America and Europe, is under the scanner of Central Pollution Control Board after its tannery in Solur Village in Ambur has been directed to be shut down for non-compliance of norms.

The unit has been directed to close all manufacturing activities with immediate effect and the operations could be re-started only after getting written permission from CPCB.

Central Pollution Control Board took the action after a team of scientists from CPCB's Regional directorate in Bengaluru found that the tannery, which is engaged in processing of semi-finished leather so as to produce finished leather, did not have consent from Tamil Pollution Control Board to operate after the earlier consent to Operate expired on March 31, 2018.

The inspection report had stated that the unit has applied for renewal of consent on April 2018. The report also found that the online contionious monitoring system with respect to flow meters is yet to be activated and connectivity to CPCB server is yet to be established.

It has also directed TAW to construct adequate shelter for storing dust collected from the bag filters of the plant and to dispose it to authorised agents and maintain record on the same. The report also wanted TAW to restudy the water circulation system adopted in the spray drier and minimise sudden load to Effluent Treatment Plant.

It is learnt that CPCB has directed the chairman of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited to disconnect the power supply of TAW with immediate effect. It has also written to the state pollution control board to ensure compliance of CPCB directive.

T Abdul Wahid Tanneries is located strategically between Chennai and Bangalore and consists of Tannery 1 & 2. Tannery 1 is a well equipped tannery with state-of-the-art machinery procured from the best manufacturers. The product lines processed in here are goat skins, cow calf and cow hides, with processing facilities from beam house upto crusting. Equipped with a state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant (ETP) with a 2 stage reverse osmosis system and chrome recovery plant (CRP) the tannery focuses on the importance of environmental protection.

Tannery 2 is equipped with world class post tanning and finishing operations to cater to the requirements of top brands in the industry. A Research and development (R&D) division of the tannery plays a key role in continuously developing and catering to the ever changing trends of the fashion and leather industries. Officials from the company could not be contacted.

writingonblog uncensored: Rs 13.8 crore smart flood protection wall to prote...

writingonblog uncensored: Rs 13.8 crore smart flood protection wall to prote...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Chennai Corporation will be building a Rs 13.80 crore worth smart flood protection wall from Ambattur to a rai...

Rs 13.8 crore smart flood protection wall to protect Ambattur from flooding

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

Chennai Corporation will be building a Rs 13.80 crore worth smart flood protection wall from Ambattur to a railway portion in Korattur to prevent inundation in these areas.

The construction of the flood protection wall will help prevent flooding in the areas of Korattur, Pattravakam,  Ambattur and Ambattur SIDCO Industrial Estate.

This comes after Southern Railways has accorded permission for carrying out the construction of flood protection wall in the railway portion by Greater Chennai Corporation without any lease payment.

It is learnt that Chennai Corporation is thinking of introducing smart elements like placing of sensors which can detect the effluents if anything discharged by the industries situated in Ambattur that is polluting the Korattur lake.

It is learnt that the release of effluent by industries illegally has been a cause of concern for officials and residents. Sources say that the sensors will generate alarm if they trace any effluents and this will be passed on to the Integrated Command and Control Centre which will be connected to the wall.

As a result action could be taken against such industries through Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.

By construction of this flood protection wall, spreading of water to wide span covering Railway arch and adjoining area of 25 metres to 30 metres will be reduced to four metre by which the water flow can be streamlined, sources added.

This will result in preserving the eco system of the water body as well as flooding in Chennai city. Moreover, mosquito menace problem and other health hazards will be considerably reduced. This project is one of the Disaster Management component of Smart city Proposal.

Initially, the project was facing hurdles following a tussle between the state and Southern Railways over the construction of flood protection wall and canal and canal lining under World Bank funded Integrated Storm Water Drain scheme. It is learnt that 1200 metres length of Canal cannot be carried out due to objection by Southern railways as the land belongs to them.

Southern railways had insisted on making payment of Rs 29 crore for the construction of flood protection wall in the railway land portion as lease amount for a period of 30 years as per market value. However, the issue was resolved after talks with railway officials, sources added.

writingonblog uncensored: State Finance Commission asks TNSCB to work out al...

writingonblog uncensored: State Finance Commission asks TNSCB to work out al...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has been asked to work out alternative managerial models that can be attempted ...

State Finance Commission asks TNSCB to work out alternate models to ensure affordable home reach beneficiaries

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board has been asked to work out alternative managerial models that can be attempted to ensure affordable housing apartment blocks cater to truly deserving beneficiaries, according to Fifth State Finance Commission recommendations.

The recommendation which was put forth before the housing department also stressed that the apartments are well maintained and financially sustainable.

It also suggested that such models should be operationalised using Shelter Fund and Tamil Nadu Infrastructure Fund Management Corporation (TNIFMC).

Shelter fund was created by the state government in July 21, 2017 to fund the ambitious housing project for affordable homes for poor. The new draft housing policy has suggested that the fund could be directed towards creating land bank for priority sector lending under affordable housing.

The idea is to help the state pool funds for purchasing land and developing affordable housing projects for economic weaker section and low income group.

It has also suggested that Slkum Clearance Board should work out Public Private Partnership models which would enable the creation of affordable housing stock, both on ownership and rental models, where the government or government entities, including urban local bodies can participate through provision of land as their equity contribution.

It is learnt that the state government has sought an action taken report on the recommendations which could be deliberated during a high level committee meeting, sources said.

Independent policy researcher Vanessa Peter told Express that the recommendations are positive one but stressed on the need for a monitoring mechanism to ensure the affordable homes for poor and quality driven.

She also said that the finance commission should specifically mention what the alternative models are. “if it is a public private partnership model, it should be a transparent one and the role of private players should not supersede that of government, she added.

Factfile:

1.  Tamil Nadu has carried a demand assessment of 8.30 lakh houseless households in urban areas of the state under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana's four components

2.  Tamil Nadu will be building 2.66 lakh affordable homes for slum dwellers by partnering with private realty developers.

3.  Under this scheme, houses will be built for slum dwellers at an affordable rate by using the expertise of private developers.

4.  The state housing department will have to engage Third Party Quality Monitoring Agencies (TPQMA) to ensure quality of construction.

5.  It is learnt that Centre has asked the state to draw up quality monitoring and assurance plans involving third party agencies

writingonblog uncensored: Emirates introduces entertainment playlist syncing...

writingonblog uncensored: Emirates introduces entertainment playlist syncing...: CHENNAI: Emirates has introduced an innovative new function on its app to allow customers flying from Chennai to create bespoke playlist...

Emirates introduces entertainment playlist syncing ahead of travel

CHENNAI:

Emirates has introduced an innovative new function on its app to allow customers flying from Chennai to create bespoke playlists ahead of their flight and sync it to their seats once on board.

Customers can plan their trip more effectively and maximise their onboard experience by using the Emirates app to browse the expansive entertainment catalogue at any time. Keeping in mind the passion for music amongst Indians, this will only further intrigue the music lovers to plan more for musically enthralling journeys, an Emirates release  said.

Emirates’ inflight entertainment has reached a new milestone of over 4,000 channels of on-demand entertainment. The catalogue includes over 1,000 movies, more than any other airline, popular television box sets, tens of thousands of music tracks, podcasts and games.

The syncing capability is currently available on over 100 Emirates Boeing 777 aircraft travelling from all the nine cities, including Chennai,  in India and will be made available progressively across the entire fleet, including A380 aircraft in the coming months.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai ranked lowest when it comes to awareness o...

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai ranked lowest when it comes to awareness o...: C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI: If you met with an accident in Chennai, people will think twice of rushing you to hospital as the city is ranked...

Chennai ranked lowest when it comes to awareness on Good Samaritan Law

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:

If you met with an accident in Chennai, people will think twice of rushing you to hospital as the city is ranked lowest when it comes to the awareness of Good Samaritan Law enforced on March 30, 2016 after a Supreme Court intervention. 

As per the study conducted by SaveLIFE Foundation, Chennai fares poor when it comes to awareness of Good Samaritan Law. 

The study says only seven per cent in Chennai are aware about the law. The study ponts out that while the behavior of bystanders to facilitate care for crash victims increased in many cities after the passage of law, in Chennai the response was meager 5 per cent.

The study also stated that none of the police officials surveyed in Chennai were trained on GSL guidelines. The study also stated quoting 89.6 respondents that police police official did not call the ambulance immediately to help the road crash victim.

In 2012, SaveLIFE Foundation filed a Writ petition in Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution of India in public interest for the development of supportive legal framework for the protection of Good Samaritans, i.e., bystanders who render help to the injured persons or a person in distress on the road. 

The objective of the petition was to create an enabling legal framework for the comprehensive protection of Good Samaritans from ensuing legal and procedural hassles as it will help save victims of road accidents who die in the first 15 minutes due to serious cardiovascular or neurological injuries and can be saved by providing basic life support during the “Golden Hour.”

The study has been conducted in 11 cities across the country with a total sample size of 3667 respondents including Good Samaritans (who have helped road crash victims post 2016 Judgment), Police Officials, Hospital Administration, Medical Practitioners and Trial Court Lawyers.

Overall, the only 16 per cent people surveyed across the country were aware about the Good Samaritan Law in India. The awareness has been low among the other southern metros as well with Bengaluru having eight per cent awareness and Hyderabad 11 per cent. On the contrary, Indore had highest recall of the law followed by Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi. 

Factfile:

--- 74% bystanders are unlikely to assist a victim of serious injury irrespective of whether they are alone at the spot or in the presence of others.

---  88% of the bystanders who were unlikely to help a victim hesitated to do so as they believed that Good Samaritans

were subjected to legal hassles and mistreatment by Police.

---- 77% of those who were unwilling to help a victim felt that hospitals unnecessarily detained Good Samaritans and often

demanded money from them for treatment of victims.

---- 37% bystanders were unaware of where to take the victim for emergency trauma care.

---- 88% of those surveyed expressed the desire for a Law that could create a supportive environment to assist injured

victims