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Vol. XXXIV No. 14, November 1-15, 2024
Archives: Vol. XXXIV No. 14, November 1-15, 2024
Much ado over a day’s rain
-- by Sriram V.
Last month saw a major scare which, fortunately for the city, was mild in its real impact. We are referring to the Great Depression that was threatening the coast and therefore also promising to bring heavy rain. While the deluge did not happen, and everyone heaved a sigh of relief it also exposed as to how ill-prepared we were as a city to face such a possibility. It is high time that the administration realizes that there is more to environmental challenges than just crisis management. There are long term measures that need to be in place and in these we seem to be woefully inadequate.
Chennai has of late become a city where the monsoon is more feared than looked forward to. People conveniently forget that ours is a metropolis that depends on rainfall for its water supply and that there is no purpose served in wishing the annual monsoon away. And yet that seems to be the most popular reaction. Accompanying this is a full-fledged fear psychosis – hoarding of food items, parking of vehicles at elevated places including flyovers, declaring mass holidays, and posting panic messages on social media.
The city administration too is not very different. Declaring school holidays and requesting organizations to consider working from home for their staff have become matters of routine. Gone are the days when the mayor or the commissioner was the person who would make all announcements as regards monsoon preparedness and crisis management measures. This is now seen as an opportunity for making political hay. Those in power convert it into a photo opportunity – the most important functionaries in government standing anxiously looking at computer screens while newspapers report on them having made a survey and an intense study of all that is required to prepare ourselves for the monsoons. Ironically the opposition too makes it a photo opportunity. They make sure that every pothole and every puddle is made a massive issue out of. While this is not entirely wrong it also exposes a lack of maturity in sifting and identifying what are major issues.
Monsoon watch: Fishers open letter underlines urgent need to clear floodwater blockage
-- by Varsha V.
Last month, the fishers of Kattukuppam, Ennore published an open letter (“a warning and a plea”) to the State government warning of near-certain flooding and inundation in the city due to obstructions in the Kosasthalaiyar river and Ennore backwaters. Addressed to Thiru Ramachandran (Minister, Revenue and Disaster Management) and Tmt. P. Amudha IAS (Principal Secretary, Revenue and Disaster Management Department), the missive pointed out that the heavy industrialisation of Ennore and Manali has severely impacted the wetlands – the tail end of the Kosasthalaiyar as well as the tidal backwaters all the way upto Pulicat are acutely silted and blocked at multiple points. The reasons are many, poor management having exacerbated the wetlands’ condition over the years. The letter expressed
Heritage Watch: A Ferry Service in the 1990s
A recent heritage walk in Kotturpuram brought forth several hidden treasures. For further details see article “From Kottur to Kotturpuram – adding to the city’s kaleidoscopic heritage”. Featured here are steps leading down to the river Adyar at the end of what was known as Ferry Road.
The name, now meaningless, commemorates a time when boat services were available on the river. And that was not so long ago. Old-time residents recall that ferries were available on the river till the 1990s. From their description it would seem that this was more a punting service for they remember that a man would use a pole to steer the boat across the river.
From Kottur to Kotturpuram – adding to the city’s kaleidoscopic heritage
-- by Sriram V.
In my quest for new locations where I could conduct heritage walks, outside the beaten track of the old city that is, I organised one at Kotturpuram on Saturday, October 24. It was well attended, including among others the local ward councillor and some of his associates. More importantly, it helped throw light on the rich past of what to most people is a modern, upmarket, housing district. As is usual in such explorations, I learnt a lot more than what I set out with.
The walk began
Every day in the park
-- by Prof. Dr. Jyotirmay Biswas, Director of Uveitis & Ocular Pathology, Department, Sankara Nethralaya
I don’t know who created Jeeva Park, nor when it was built. But one thing’s for sure: it’s a charming little piece of heaven near our home, well-known and beloved by many. I’ve been coming to this park for at least 20 years now. Right in the heart of the park stands a majestic banyan tree, which has become a bit of a legend itself. Beneath its sprawling branches rests a black stone idol of Lord Ganesha.
Every single morning, without fail, a devoted ritual takes place. Ganesha gets pampered with a milk bath,
