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Vol. XXXII No. 6, July 1-15, 2022

Archives: Vol. XXXII No. 6, July 1-15, 2022

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Chennai’s trees deserve better care

-- by Shobha Menon

World-over, accepted standards directing the management of roadside greenery include guidelines around the preferred species or shapes of trees grown. These primarily refer to the design of space created and managed by humans. When it comes to an already mature ecosystem of trees or a green patch that is integral to its surrounding natural landscape, these standards are understandably more stringent in their sensitivity to preserving existing environs. The question arises – how are we addressing this in the gracious city of ­Madras that is Chennai?

Over the last 15 years, Chennai has seen an indiscriminate felling of mature trees, little to no health supervision of our greenery as well as rampant tree abuse, including nailing boards onto tree trunks and winding cables and lights around them – this, even as NGOs working in tree conservation have been reiterating that the city needs a periodic tree census and a continued health management system for mature trees. The latest blow to Chennai’s gentle giants is an exercise by the Greater Chennai Corporation that is steadily uglifying trees all across the city in the name of care.

We’ve been watching with growing horror as workers paint large and beautiful old trees – even ancient magizhams, iluppais and maavilangams – in garish shades of alternating green and yellow bands which cover a large part of the trees’ height. Well, almost, as the pictures below reveal.

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Storm water drainage works gather momentum as rainy days loom ahead

-- by A Special Correspondent

The recent spate of rains left multiple localities inundated, bringing to the fore once again the subject of the city’s stormwater drainage systems. When Mayor R. Priya assumed charge earlier this year, it was reported that the Corporation’s primary focus would be the expediting of storm water drainage

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Lost Landmarks of Chennai

Madras in 1759 – II

Last fortnight we published the first section of this extract, taken from the Grand Gazetter (sic) of Exeter. That was on the White Town, or Fort St George. The second and concluding part deals with old Black Town,

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Research and collaboration at VHS

(Continued from last fortnight)

Our Series on Prof. Krishnamoorthy Srinivas, his Life and his Work – V.

Early Research

A PL480 grant toward Rehabilitation Measures for Developmental Disabilities in Children was awarded to Dr. Srinivas at Durgabai Deshmukh Hospital and Andhra Mahila Sabha, a charitable registered NGO organisation. This institution

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Growth Plans for the State

-- by Unnikrishnan A.R., Managing Director, Saint-Gobain India ­Private Limited

By 2030, Tamil Nadu, plans to emerge a trillion-dollar economy and will become the richest state in India. At that value, she would be five times the India of 1991 and as big as India in 2007. Two areas, namely Infrastructure and MSME, are central to this giant leap forward.

Infrastructure

Examples of infrastructure include transportation,

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