Registered with the Registrar of Newspapers for India under R.N.I 53640/91

Vol. XXV No. 24, April 1-15, 2016

Archives: Vol. XXV No. 24, April 1-15, 2016

30
1535

25 years & still going strong

(By The Editor)

our-first-issueOur first issue, April 16-30, 1991.

Time for us to pat ourselves on the back. Madras that is Chennai turned 375 a couple of years ago. Fort St. George attained that venerable age last year. We don’t know how old Mylapore, Tiruvallikeni and Tiruvottriyur are. We do know that the High Court of Madras turned 150 in 2012, the Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry is 180 this year and that the Corporation of Madras completed 325 in 2013. Compared to all that, we are small fry, but when we look below our masthead and discover Madras Musings has completed 25 years, we do feel a particular sense of satisfaction and happiness.

This landmark would not have been possible without the support of all you readers. Your encouragement, feedback, contributions by way of stories, ideas and donations is what has kept us buoyed up all these years. At the same time, we thank our principal sponsors, Chennai Heritage – that dedicated band of corporate houses that has seen value in what we are doing and has generously kept us financially solvent. On this occasion, we also look back with happiness on the day when N. Sankar of the Sanmar Group stepped in just as the going appeared to be tough and promised to get us enough sponsors to ensure our continuity.

Where would we be without our dedicated band of writers, photographers, cartoonists, researchers and heritage enthusiasts, all of whom saw Madras Musings as the perfect medium for their thoughts, findings and expression? And what about Pace Systems, now Mot Juste, that does our layouts and maintains our website or for that matter Lokavani Southern Printers who initiated Madras Musings and has printed it since inception? And we cannot forget Broadgate Technical Services, which handles our accounts and mailing lists.

Over the years we have highlighted several issues concerning our city’s heritage, both built and natural. We cannot claim to have made much of an impact on the Government, which continues to remain oblivious of the need to protect these. But we do know that we have influenced thousands of residents of Chennai and made them espouse these causes. How else can we explain the overwhelming number of Facebook groups dedicated to Chennai’s heritage, the number of heritage walks that are happening all the time, and the number of articles that appear in the daily media? Just twenty years back little of this existed. And thanks to our columns, several forgotten personalities of our city have been brought to light and their contributions remembered.

1538

Waiting for the link, Metro and MRTS

by A Special Correspondent

At long last those in control of our public transport systems appear to be waking up to the possibilities. Five years after it was proposed by the Tamil Nadu State Government, the Indian Railways has given an in-principle nod to the merger of its Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) with Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL). This, as and when it takes place, will mean greater connectivity and optimal utilisation of both systems of public transport, thereby taking pressure off the roads that are at present choked by private vehicles. However, all of this may take quite a while before becoming reality.

The MRTS, originally planned to link Beach Station, Velacheri, St Thomas’ Mount, Villivakkam and Ennore, was conceptualised in the 1970s. Work however did not begin till 1984 and proceeded thereafter at a leisurely pace till 2007 with much escalation of cost in between. Today, it runs between Velacheri and Beach Stations, the fate of the extension to St Thomas Mount being uncertain owing to land acquisition issues and the rest of it abandoned owing to the Metro Rail project. When planned it was estimated to carry 6 lakh passengers a day but at present handles around 1 lakh chiefly because of several deficiencies in its execution – the most important being the lack of last mile connectivity with other forms of transport. It is also an environmental disaster, for it effectively occupies much of the bed of the Buckingham Canal within the city, thereby cutting off all chances of that water body being revived. It however, enjoys the distinction of being India’s first elevated rail network.

1540

Know your Fort better

by Sriram V

A last and lingering look

wellesley-houseThe state Wellesley House is in today.

Stepping out of Fort Museum into the sunshine and humidity that our city is known for, we return to the 21st Century. Our tour of the Fort is done and it is time to go home. We walk back through the narrow pedestrian bridge over the moat on to the steps and the  main road, where a pedestrian signal light, the only one working in the whole of the city, helps you to cross the road to the parking lot.

1543

Open space reservation

What you need to know about:

Samoogam, Samudhayam, Aanmeegam are the three main concerns in life for S. Srinivasan of Kottivakkam. He is a retired Gazetted Officer from the Madras High Court. He started independent practice from 2011. He does free legal counselling services for needy people and also conducts free medical camps for the economically weaker section. He talks to M. Rajini and R. Sumathi, and enlightens readers on OSR, the rights of residents in a colony, and the norms to fight against encroachment.

1552

More lakes than thought of

by Sudha Umashanker

Lakes of Madras – 4

Our last trip in search of the lakes of Chennai, took us to Madipakkam eri in Iyyappan Nagar, right in the middle of a residential area bordered by Karthikeyapuram Third Street/Erikkarai Street on the other side. The water has the usual suspects – mineral water bottles ( they are really the bane of our environment) and plastic carry bags – floating it That said, there is a decent walkway and park benches courtesy the Lions Club of Madipakkam.

Stay Updated