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Vol. XXXIV No. 16, December 1-15, 2024
Archives: Vol. XXXIV No. 16, December 1-15, 2024
WRD proposes flood alleviation measures — But much of the problem is man-made
-- by Sriram V.
The Water Resources Department (WRD) has in the past one week come up with some flood-alleviation measures for the city. At long last, the schemes have taken into account the direction of flow of flood waters and also identified certain areas that are chronically prone to flooding during the rains. These schemes, if implemented well, will bring welcome relief to the city. But, it should be noted that much of the present problems of flooding are purely manmade and so there is no guarantee that even after these corrective measures in place further wilful tampering with nature will not occur. Unless and until we put an end to encroachment and usurping of public spaces, as also unplanned development, these challenges will continue.
The WRD scheme identifies south and west Chennai as being chronically prone to flooding. It plans to build canals at all these places, which will become channels to drain floodwaters to the nearest river/waterway and from there to the sea. Thus at Ambattur it plans a 5km channel to drain water to the Cooum. Similarly, a 6km channel will do the needful at Velachery, draining into the Buckingham Canal. It
Velachery Lake encroachment: Residents deserve a fair resolution
-- by Varsha V.
Following a directive from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Water Resources Department (WRD) has begun a survey of the Velachery Lake encroachments. According to the WRD, rainwater runoff from the Guindy National Park and IIT Madras flows into the lake before reaching the sea; but the lake has shrunk from 265 acres to a mere 55, thus affecting its capacity to hold water.
Heritage Watch: Once Upon a Bank Building
Philip Thornton put up on Facebook last week this photograph of the Agra Bank building which stood at the intersection of Armenian Street and Esplanade. Our OLD, published here with permission from Philip, is taken at an unusual angle, facing east, with Anderson’s Church to the rear of the building.
A Second World Chess Champion from Madras?
– by Manuel Aaron
The possibility that Madras, now known as Chennai, is likely to produce India’s second World Chess Champion in the next few weeks would come as a surprise to some. But it should not be, if one considers the two hundred year long association of Chess with Madras revealed through the journalistic work of Howard Staunton of England in mid 19th Century. Even before the arrival of the English in India, and before Indian chess activities were published in newspapers and Chess journals in England and Europe, Chess, probably with native Indian chess rules, had flourished in Madras and what is now Tamil Nadu.
From Judge to Justice
(Continued from last fortnight)
The Memoirs of Justice Natarajan, Part II
My elevation in February 1973 from being Chief Presidency Magistrate to Judge of the High Court of Madras was welcomed by the members of the Bar and the judiciary, but even greater was the welcome by the Thondai Mandala Saiva Vellalar community, from which I was the first person to be elevated to the High Court. From all over the State, my community warmly congratulated me on my elevation. A big felicitation party was jointly arranged for Sarojini Varadappan and me at Hotel Ashoka, Egmore,
