Saravanan's Blogs

Sell plastic waste to Corporation at Rs 20 a kg

2012-02-03T15:03:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Feb 2, 2012:
Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Sell-plastic-waste-to-Corporation-at-Rs-20-a-kg/359229.html

CHENNAI: The trash in your kitchen has now acquired value. To encash it, all you need to do is segregate the plastic waste at home and sell it to the Chennai Corporation for as much as Rs 20 a kg. They want it for relaying the battered roads in the city.

According to Ripon Building sources, the Corporation has already initiated the process to fix norms to procure plastic of low microns from the public for use with bitumen while relaying roads. That will kill two birds with one stone: your neighbourhood will be free of non-biodegradable waste and the roads will be able to withstand the wear and tear. It will also put some money in your pocket.
To complete road-relaying, the civic body estimated that it would need 800 tonnes of waste plastic and launched a special drive last month to collect it at its 200 ward offices. Yet, it has been able to collect only 110 tonnes so far.
“We have about 10,000... staff and if they collect one kilo of such plastic, the civic body would be able to get 10 tonnes of plastic waste everyday,” said a senior Ripon Building official.

To create awareness about the drive, the civic body has planned to rope in school children and residents’ welfare associations. As CM J Jayalalithaa is keen on improving the quality of the city roads, Commissioner PWC Davidar had issued an instruction not to relay roads without the plastic mix.

Koraikuppam fishermen want houses near sea

2012-01-30T15:31:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Jan 30, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/koraikuppam-fishermen-want-houses-near-sea/358200.html

CHENNAI: More than 130 families of fishermen, living in Tsunami-battered houses in Koraikuppam, a coastal hamlet near Pulicat in Ponneri Taluk limits, have appealed to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to construct new houses for them on nearby high ground.

Though an non-government organisation had constructed about 100 houses for these families post-tsunami, they remain unoccupied for over four years, as they are located far away from the shoreline and are hence unsuitable for carrying out their traditional fishing activities.

“When the authorities were finalising an area amidst agricultural lands for the new houses, we objected to the location as fishermen cannot live in interior land as it is natural for us to live by the sea,” Raji Chettiyar, village head of the fishing hamlet, told Express.

However, the officials, gave scant regard to our livelihood options, completed the housing project in a hurry, Raji added.

As the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government failed to hear the grievances of the fishermen despite numerous pleas, the villages has written to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa hoping for her intervention.

Speaking to Express, K Bharathi, president of South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association (SIFWA) who wrote the letter to the Chief Minister on behalf of the affected, said: “The fishermen families, who are feeling cheated with the attitude of the previous DMK government despite representing the issue time and again, hopes for a kind-hearted intervention from Chief Minister Amma.”

The tsunami-affected have suggested a new location to the State government, a higher ground (vacant land belonging to the Revenue Department) along the shore in Koraikuppam fishing hamlet.

CHENNAI CORPORATION: No more bickering during Corpn Council meets: Mayor

2012-01-28T11:17:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Jan 28, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/no-more-bickering-during-corp-meets-mayor/357586.html

CHENNAI: Taking strong exception to the repeated brawls breaking out inside the Corporation during council meetings between DMK and AIADMK members, Mayor S Duraisamy ordered the ruling party members to adhere to the decorum of the House or face eviction.

Reprimanding a group of AIADMK members, who began a verbal duel with the opposition DMK members, Duraisamy said, “When a Mayor calls for normalcy inside the House, all the members, even if they are from the ruling party, have to obey it. If you (AIADMK members) denounce the order, I will not hesitate to order eviction to bring order to the Council.”
The issue was triggered by the Open Space Reservation (OSR) violations by the DMK head office, Anna Arivalayam.

Irked with the attitude shown by a group of AIADMK councillors, Duraisamy further added, “Actions such as entering into a brawl or using unparliamentary words against the opposition DMK councillors would only defame the reputation of Amma (Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa) and I don’t want any such embarrassment to the Puratchi Thalaivi, especially from the Chennai Corporation Council proceedings.”

He went on to chide the councillors, many of whom were women, “If you want to prove your muscle power, go outside (The Ripon Buildings)and prove wherever you want. This historic Council Hall is a place for healthy discussions and this tradition should be honoured at any cost,” he said firmly.

It may be noted that the Mayor had, in last month’s council meet, also taken umbrage to the fact that AIADMK councillors were provoking DMK councillors to stage walkouts for no valid reason. “The House has a decorum which elected members should give due reverence to. We should only witness heated debates - fist-fights are not good for a healthy democracy,” Duraisamy advised the members, in closing.

CM nod sought for action against ex-Mayor

2012-01-28T11:11:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express on Jan 28, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/cm-nod-sought-for-action-against-ex-mayor/357708.html

CHENNAI: The AIADMK-led Chennai Corporation council on Friday sought the nod of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to initiate legal action against former Mayor M Subramanian for allegedly misusing his post.

Announcing the decision to the House during the monthly Council meet, Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy, who was responding to a query raised by a AIADMK councillor G Kandhan (Ward-172), said, “Former Mayor Subramanian, with vested interests, widened the Riverview Road that runs along the Adyar River in Kotturpuram, to promote a real estate firm owned by a relative of a former DMK transport minister K N Nehru.”

As promised in last month’s Council meet, Duraisamy submitted a report on the irregularities committed by the then mayor Subramanian to benefit the former chief minister M Karunanidhi and former minister Nehru.

While submitting the report in the House, Duraisamy said, “Preliminary reports have confirmed that the then mayor had violated Corporation rules and misused his authority to benefit a few frontline DMK leaders.”

The road, which was hardly 15 feet wide, was widened to about 60 feet without the required permission from the PWD, which possesses the land for the purpose of mitigating flood water from the Adyar River during monsoon seasons, he said.

“During the probe for real facts behind the road widening issue, it has clearly emerged that the then Mayor Subramanian clandestinely misused his official position and bent the civic body’s rules to suit the realtor close to former minister Nehru,” Duraisamy charged.

Kodungaiyur Garbage issue: Mayor promises action

2012-01-28T11:07:00.000+05:30

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/kodungaiyur-garbage-issue-mayor-promises-action/357695.html

CHENNAI: Highlighting the problem faced by residents of north Chennai because of garbage dumping at Kodungaiyur yard, Perambur MLA A Soundararajan on Friday appealed to Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy to redress the issue immediately.

Addressing councillors during the monthly Council meet here at Ripon Building, Soundararajan said, “People living in and around Kodungaiyur are suffocating due to the stench emanating from the yard where there is indiscriminate dumping of garbage. An immediate solution would help them.”

While promising a permanent solution to the issue within a year, Duraisamy said that the dumping activities at Kodungaiyur were on even before the arrival of residential areas near it.

However, Soundararajan immediately intervened and asserted that facts have to be recorded correctly in the House and the fact is that the dumping activities (at Kodungaiyur) had began in 1982 only while residential colonies in the area were in existence since 1972.

Reacting to the MLA’s rebuttal, Duraisamy assured Soundararajan that Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has more concerns for the Kodungaiyur people than him and the issue would be redressed accordingly. He also invited the MLA to attend the next Council meeting, where garbage-related issues would be debated thoroughly. The MLA also raised the issue of frequent burning of garbage inside the yard and the Mayor quickly promised to look into it.

Chennai Corporation to push to retrieve DMK land

2012-01-28T11:04:00.000+05:30

Source: http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/chennai-corporation-to-push-to-retrieve-dmk-land/357692.html

CHENNAI: Terming the Chennai Corporation’s latest move as a ‘final act’ to retrieve open space reservation (OSR) land from the DMK headquarters — Anna Arivalayam — Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy on Friday urged the State to pass a notification to reclaim the land that was illegally encroached by the DMK for decades.

While replying to a question by AIADMK’s 117th Ward Councillor P Arumugam, Duraisamy informed the Council that the DMK Trust, which maintains the land, has not issued any gift deed for the 1,893 sqm OSR land to CMDA yet.

Irked over the AIADMK councillors raking up the issue again, DMK’s floor leader Subash Chandra Bose objected to the discussion and asked the Mayor to focus on public welfare issues that required the Council’s immediate attention. After Bose’s observation, a heated exchange ensued between AIADMK and DMK members. Condemning the unfriendly gesture of the AIADMK members inside the Hall and for giving undue importance to the land issue in every Council meet, DMK members staged a walkout.

Later, the Mayor said the Council is waging its final battle to retrieve the land from Anna Arivalayam.

Recalling the history of the dispute, he said, “The DMK Trust, which got a conditional exemption for maintaining the OSR land after promising to develop an orphanage inside its plot, hasn’t constructed any orphanage.”

Lankan refugees knock CM’s door

2012-01-26T13:49:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on January 26, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/lankan-refugees-knock-cm%E2%80%99s-door/357077.html

CHENNAI: Seeking Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s intervention for their immediate release, 29 Sri Lankan Tamil inmates now lodged in Chengalpet Special Detention Camp have began their indefinite hunger strike pressing their demand to allow them to live with their family members in normal refugee camps.

According to information trickling out of the camp, 29 inmates have began their indefinite fast since Tuesday morning demanding the government to allow them to live with their families in other refugee camps.

It is learnt that the fast was an outcome of government’s repeated betrayals on their promise to shift inmates from the special detention camp in Chengalpet to other normal camps.

Those on fast include Krishnalingam, Vikramasingam, Selvam, Sudhakaran, Jagan and Kannan, who were detained at the special camp for more than 18 months now, in connection with petty cases. After completing legal formalities and interrogation, the government used to release Lankan inmates from the camp in groups every three months.

When these 29 Lankan inmates sat for a token fast in the first week this month, higher officials from the Q Branch met them and promised to release a batch of them around Pongal.

However, it did not happen as promised, and the inmates launched a fresh fasting agitation on Tuesday. Besides sending appeals to all top official involved in manning the Special Detention Camp, the inmates also sent a detailed appeal to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to consider their plea with a kind heart.

‘Pullout of US troops will pose threat to Asia'

2012-01-25T17:42:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on January 25, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98Pullout-of-US-troops-will-pose-threat-to-Asia/356750.html

CHENNAI: Sounding a warning for the entire Asian region of expected increase in the activities of terrorist groups, Major General NS Jamwal, Chief of Staff, HQ ATNKK Area, on Tuesday said that the US force pullout from Afghanistan will not be in the interest of the region.

Addressing the students of the Defence and Strategic Studies Department, University of Madras, during a seminar on “Conflict and Migration in South Asia,” here, Maj Gen Jamwal said, “As the US has planned to move out its forces from Afghanistan and even started the process, I do not know how it is going to unfold. But the way things are there as we see it, it’s not going to be in the interest of the region.”

He was referring to the activities of different terrorist groups out of Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas, which would likely record a surge in the aftermath of US’ departure from the Afghan region.

Jamwal said: “Pakistan has a major stake as far as Afghanistan is concerned. But I am sure that the US will take care of its long-term interests in the region by acting against these groups, who have been attacking the US from there, through adequate measures.”

Though the situation in Afghanistan remained volatile, the presence of US forces has worked as a stabilising factor, he added.

Revealing that wars in future would be shorter with the advent of technology in the field, Jamwal said, “Wars in future are going to be politically-motivated. There will be a political master and his/her’s objective has to be achieved.”

Ripon building will stand tall by year-end

2012-01-25T12:30:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on January 25, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Ripon-building-will-stand-tall-by-year-end/356694.html

CHENNAI: Although restoration works at the historic Ripon Building, fondly known as White House, has missed its revised deadline, it is progressing in full swing.

According to official sources, the restoration of Ripon Building is progressing well and would be completed by the end of 2012.

Standing majestically on the Poonamallee High Road as a seat of the Chennai Corporation for decades, the architectural splendour was built by Loganatha Mudaliar between 1909 and 1913. Earl of Minto, the then Viceroy and Governor General of India, laid the foundation on December 12, 1909.

A mix of Gothic, Ionic, Neo-classical and Corinthian architectural styles, Ripon Building is 252-feet long and 126-feet wide. Its tower is 132-foot tall and features a clock which is eight feet in diameter.

In October 2009, the then Mayor of the Chennai Corporation M Subramanian launched the restoration work after getting grants of Rs 8 crore under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme.

Though Subramanian had then fixed an 18-month deadline (April 2011) for completion of the restoration, it missed the deadline as the work moved at snail’s space.

However, Subramanian took special interest in the restoration of the historic structure. The Corporation authorities then formed a three-member panel to monitor the progress of the project.

After repeated delays in meeting the deadline in the past, officials now say that the restoration of historic structure is progressing well and will be completed by December this year.

Ripon Building will celebrate its centenary year in 2013 and the Chennai Corporation is expected to host a variety of programmes to mark the feat.

The statue of Lord Ripon, Viceroy (1880 to 1884) after whom the building has been named, stands at the entrance. Ripon Building was built at a cost of Rs 7.5 lakh.

TAMIL NADU: Soon, pet dogs to have microchip tags

2012-01-24T14:12:00.000+05:30

PIC SOURCE:http://www.microchipfordogs.info/

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Jan 24, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/soon-pet-dogs-to-have-microchip-tags/356343.html

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Veterinary Sciences and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS) is set to launch a project to implant microchips in all pet dogs visiting its Madras Veterinary College campus for treatment from April 1.

Speaking to Express on the sidelines of a free vaccination camp for animals at the MVC on Monday, Dr S Prathaban, director of clinics in TANUVAS said, “Clinical trials on pet dogs have already been completed and installation of microchips (through injection) would begin from April 1.”

“Installation of microchips would help the varsity to digitise the medical records of the canines and it would also provide valuable data of pets and different diseases,” Prathaban said.

According to university sources, data like age of the dog, its vaccination history, infections suffered earlier and other diagnosis provided to the animal will be stored in the microchip and it would be read using a normal barcode reader.

The chips would help veterinarians trace the dog’s medical history with ease. Besides, finding the owner of the pet (in case the pet goes missing) by reading the chip could prove very useful. This data stored in the chip could be used against those who abandon their pet dogs. Though private canine clubs charge about Rs 250 to instal a microchip, TANUVAS will charge very nominal rates.

The move would also help in reducing the number of rabies cases and also reduce the incidence of zoonotic diseases transmitted from animals to humans.

CHENNAI PORT: ‘EMRIP will be ready by June next’

2012-01-24T13:59:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Jan 24, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/%E2%80%98emrip-will-be-ready-by-june-next%E2%80%99/356344.html

CHENNAI: Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Monday assured the media that the Rs 600 crore Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project (EMRIP) would be completed by June 2013, which was originally scheduled to be completed by Dec 2012.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the progress of the two connectivity projects — Elevated Expressway from Chennai Port to Maduravoyal and Ennore Manali Road Improvement Project — aimed at improving the evacuation of road-bound cargo to and from Chennai Port, along with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways C P Joshi at the port’s headquarters here, Vasan said, “While the EMRIP would be completed by June next year, the elevated expressway project is progressing well.”

Reacting to a question about the diminishing future of the Chennai Port in the face of repeated delays, Vas-an said, “Chennai Port has a bright future and you (media) will be there to report its prosperity.”
The minister during a foundation laying ceremony for EMRIP in Jan 2011 at Thiruvotriyur, had promised that the project would be completed within two years (Dec 2012).

Earlier, Vasan and Joshi reviewed the initiative taken by Chennai Port to improve its road and rail infrastructure so that there is a free flow of traffic inside the port. The issues of congestion inside the port and along the city roads leading to Chennai Port were discussed.

The ministers assured that approvals required for quick release of funds will be given due priority.

BUSINESS LINE REPORT ON DAM: ‘Half of (Mullaperiyar) dam may give way within 12 minutes of break'

2012-01-24T13:30:00.001+05:30

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/article2823154.ece

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, JAN. 22:

A ‘break' of the ageing dam at tremor-prone Mullaperiyar would send out flood waters rising up to 9.4 metres just below the reservoir, 12.41 metres a little further down at Vallakkadavu and 8.5 metres at Idukki.

According to the first part of a report commissioned by the State Government, experts at IIT-Roorkee have said that as much as half of the century-old structure would give way within 12 minutes of the dam-break.

FLOOD SITUATION

The ensuing flood situation would send the water levels rising to a height of 886 metres above sea level (asl) 50 metres downstream in the Periyar river; 854 metres asl at Vallakkadavu, the nearest human settlement; and 767.26 asl metres at the Idukki dam.

If the dam-break were to occur at the maximum water level of 136 ft at Mullaperiyar, it will cause the water level at the much larger Idukki reservoir situated 36 km away to rise by 20.85 metres.

Flood water from the Mullaperiyar dam would reach Vallakkadavu within 26 minutes; Vandiperiyar in 31 minutes; and Idukki dam within 128 minutes.

The State Government had asked the dam-break analysis to be conducted along a string of dams Mullaperiyar, Idukki, Cheruthoni, Kulamavu, Lower Periyar and Bhuthathankettu.

FIRST PART

Contiguous regions bounded by the Periyar as it empties several hundred km through the midlands into the Arabian Sea too were brought under the focus of the study.

IIT-Roorkee has submitted only the first part of the detailed report pertaining to an area extending from Mullaperiyar to the Idukki reservoir. The second part of the report is expected to be submitted before May.

Usually a dam-break occurs when the dam overflows either due to flooding heavy rains, weak structural conditions, or due to earthquakes and landslips triggering strong waves which apply immense pressure against the dam wall.

A dam-break along the upstream of the main river could have a cascading impact on the structures downstream, the IIT report said.

SIMULATION MODULES

Intensity and impact of a dam-break could be reduced if preventive steps are initiated, taking into consideration the quantity and force of the water expected to rush down, the density of population along the flood path and probable damage to life and property.

The report suggested that hydro-dynamics stimulation modules be set up for the purpose. This will help analyse the flood hydro graph, the expected water levels in various places and the likely flow path in downstream.

The dam-break analysis was carried out using one-dimensional hydro dynamic modelling. The HEC- RAS version 4.1.0 developed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission of the US was used for the purpose.

Breach guide lines provided by the Energy Regulatory Commission and the American Bureau of Reclamation were also consulted in the matter.

vinson@thehindu.co.in

Coast Guard shows off skills at sea

2012-01-23T15:54:00.000+05:30

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/coast-guard-shows-off-skills-at-sea/356007.html

CHENNAI: In a colourful exercise, the Coast Guard (CG) personnel demonstrated their skills in search and rescue and coastal security operations in the sea, off the Chennai’s coastline, as part of the 35th founding day celebrations of the coastal security force on Sunday.

In consonance with its tag line ‘We Protect’, personnel onboard CG ships Sagar, Sarang, Vishwast, Vajra, Sarojini Naidu and Interceptor Boats C-151, C-146 and Hovercraft-151, 183 along with Chetak helicopters demonstrated their capabilities in anti-piracy and poaching activities as well as saving lives.

Scenes of swiftly rescuing a survivor on high seas from a helicopter and dropping a life raft were fascinatingly recreated. Chasing and apprehending pirates and precise target firing by dornier maritime surveillance aircraft were gripping. Firing from heavy machine guns on Sarang, fleet manoeuvres and fire fighting techniques mesmerised onlookers. The ships and aircraft carried out a ‘smart steam past and fly past’, saluting their regional commander, Inspector General Satya Prakash Sharma.

Speaking to reporters on board Sarang, Sharma said the exercise had the twin objectives of sensitising the common man to the role of CG besides providing an opportunity to families of sailors of the force to see what their loved ones did.

Boat race and more

On other activities as part of anniversary celebrations, Sharma said a boat race would be held for fishermen on the Marina on February 6 and 7 to connect with fishermen, whose protection is a key objective for the coastal security force. A motorcycle rally on Sunday started from Kanyakumari and would reach Chennai on February 1. The rally would cover all coastal villages to increase awareness of the CG.

A joint exercise would be held along with the Japanese Coast Guard, “Settsu,” on January 29 in seas off Chennai. Chief of Indian CG, vice admiral MP Muralidharan, and head of Japanese CG would participate.

Sense of belonging draws spouses to ships

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Sense-of-belonging-draws-spouses-to-ships/356006.html

CHENNAI: When a woman, in her early fifties gently patted the imposing Coast Guard ship Sarang as she disembarked after a day at sea, it reminded one of Maximus in the film Gladiator, who runs his fingers through through the wheat grown on his fields.

Little wonder, wives of officers of the Coast Guard have a strong sense of belonging and love towards the ship in which their spouses spend a good part of their lives. Something like this cannot be normally expected from families of employees of other sectors.

“This is my ship. My husband (Gurupdesh Singh) commanded this majestic vessel (Sarang) before his elevation as Chief of Staff,” declared Amrita Singh with a tinge of excitement.

Anandi Dinakaran, whose better half had been a commandant of ships, including the recently decommissioned Kittur Chennamma, said sea and vessels had always been a thing of joy for them, an extended “member” of the family.

“I love and respect ships. When we come on board, we understand the difficult job, a member of the armed forces does at sea.”

If this is what the spouses feel, how do those who actually work feel?

Says Sanjay Aryavir, Commanding officer of CG Squardon 848 (choppers): “The sea is our revered work place and I have saved many lives as part of my duty. However, we could do little to save lives in the recent Pulicat tragedy despite our best efforts. Incidents like these affect us.”

Thiruvotriyur High Road widening work begins

2012-01-23T15:36:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan
Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Jan 22, 2012:
Source:http://expressbuzz.com/biography/thiruvotriyur-high-road-widening-work-begins/355721.html
CHENNAI: Finally, works for widening Thiruvotriyur High Road, one of the two-decades-old demands of the local residents, gained momentum on Saturday after the authorities began pulling down structures that obstructed the widening process.

Despite five bhumipoojas in the last five years and the then local MLA K P P Samy’s one-year ‘deadline’ to residents on completing the project (in 2009), the widening of the road connecting Chennai city with the northern suburbs has been at snail’s pace.
When the project was first planned in 2006, the highways department proposed to convert the entire five-km stretch (from Toll Gate to Ernavur bridge) as a 66 ft four-lane road with median, box culverts, side-drains and seepage pipes at an estimated cost of Rs 11.50 crore.
When the AIADMK won the seat in the recent Assembly election, its elected MLA K Kuppan promised the local residents to initiate the road widening work.
Walking the talk, Kuppan organised a review meeting with the local officials and also succeeded in making the State Highways Minister Palanichamy visit the road for re-starting the stalled widening works.
Due to the inordinate delay in land acquisition for the road widening works, the project cost has escalated to Rs 30 crore from the 2006 projection of Rs 11.5 crore.
On Saturday afternoon, State Highways authorities, using heavy machineries started pulling down the structures that were marked for demolition years ago for the widening project. The encroachment removal drive along the T H Road would continue on Sunday. Official sources said road laying work would begin soon.
The widening of the Thiruvotriyur High Road is a long pending demand of Thiruvotriyur, Ernavur, Kathivakkam and Ennore residents. Traffic snarls are very common in the area as the road is narrow.

வரலாற்றுத் துரோகங்கள் மூலம் தமிழீழ மண்ணில் மீண்டும் ஒரு போர்க்களத்தை உருவாக்காதீர்கள்!

2012-01-20T20:29:00.000+05:30

"வரலாற்றுத் துரோகங்கள் மூலம் தமிழீழ மண்ணில் மீண்டும் ஒரு போர்க்களத்தை உருவாக்காதீர்கள்!"

Source:http://www.pathivu.com/news/19775/57//d,article_full.aspx

சிறிலங்கா அரச தரப்புடன் சுமார் ஒரு வருட காலம் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு நடாத்திவந்த மூடுமந்திரப் பேச்சுவார்த்தையின் இலக்கு தற்போது புரிய ஆரம்பித்துள்ளது.

தரவே மாட்டேன் என்ற அடம்பிடித்தலுடன் மகிந்த ராஜதானிகளது இறுக்கத்தைக் கலைத்து, அவற்றைப் பெற்றுவிட்டோம் என்ற இறுமாப்புடன் தமிழீழத்திற்கு மாற்றீடாக மாகாணசபையை ஏற்றுக்கொள்ளும் திட்டத்துடன் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு நகர்வதாகவே புலப்படுகின்றது. அதாவது, கடந்த மூப்பது வருடங்களுக்கும் மேலாகத் தமிழ் மக்களால் முற்றாக நிராகரிக்கப்பட்ட பரிபூரண சிங்கள மேலாதிக்கம் கொண்ட மாகாணசபையினை ஏற்றுக்கொள்வதனூடாக தமிழீழ மக்களது தமிழீழ இலட்சியத்தையும், அதற்கான விடுதலைப் புலிகளது அர்ப்பணிப்புக்களையும், உயிர்த் தியாகங்களையும் அதனுள் புதைத்துவிடும் வகையிலான தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் எல்லைக் கோடுகள் வெளியே தெரிய ஆரம்பித்துள்ளன.

தற்போது, தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு தெரிவித்துவரும் கருத்துக்களின்படியும், இந்திய வெளிவிவகார அமைச்சர் எஸ்.எம். கிருஷ்ணா அவர்களிடம் விடுத்த வேண்டுகோளின்படியும் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் அதி உச்ச இலக்கு பொலிஸ், காணி உரிமைகள் கொண்ட மாகாணசபை மட்டுமே. அந்த உச்ச இலக்குடன், அவற்றைத் தரமாட்டோம் என்கின்ற சிங்கள தேசியவாதத்துடன் சில விட்டுக்கொடுப்பு சமரசங்களும் ஏற்படலாம். இது, நீ அடிப்பது போல் அடி, நான் அழுவது போல் அழுகின்றேன் என்பதற்கு ஒப்பான இழுபறி மட்டுமே. இப்போது இதையும் விட்டுவிட்டால், எப்போதும் எதுவும் கிடைக்கப்போவதில்லை என்ற சப்பைக்கட்டுக்குள் தமிழீழ மக்களது அவலங்கள் புதைக்கப்பட்டு, சிங்கள தேசத்தின் ஆட்சியாளர்கள் மீதான போர்க் குற்ற விசாரணைகளும் நீர்த்துப் போய்விடும்.

முள்ளிவாய்க்காலின் பின்னர், விடுதலைப் புலிகளின் பின்னே அணிவகுத்து நின்ற புலம்பெயர் தமிழர்கள் தங்களது ஜனநாயக முறைமைப் போராட்டத்தினூடாகத் தமிழீழ மக்களுக்கான நீதிக்காகத் தொடர்ந்தும் போராடி வருகின்றார்கள். அந்த நீதி தமிழீழ மக்களுக்கு மறுக்கப்படுமானால், அவர்களது கோபம் நிச்சயம் இன்னொரு போர்க் களத்தைப் பிரசவிக்கும். அதைத்தான் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் மாகாணசபைக்கான கோரிக்கைகள் தமிழீழ மண்ணில் உருவாக்கப்போகின்றது.

சிங்களப் படைகளது கொடூரங்களையும், தமிழினப் படுகொலைகளையும், பாலியல் கொடூரங்களையும் பார்த்து வளர்ந்துவரும் இன்னொரு சந்ததியிடம் தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு தமிழீழ விடுதலைக்காக மீண்டும் ஆயுதம் ஏந்திப் போராடும் கட்டாயத்தைக் கையளிக்கப் போகின்றது. தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் தற்போதைய இலக்கு அதனையே எமக்கு உணர்த்துகின்றது.

தமிழீழ விடுதலைப் போரும், அதற்கான காரணங்களும் முள்ளிவாய்க்காலுடன் முடிவுக்கு வந்துவிட்டதான சிங்கள தேசத்தின் கற்பிதமும், இதற்குமேல் எதையும் கேட்க முடியாது என்ற தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பின் காய்ந்துபோன சிந்தனைகளும் ஈழத் தமிழர்கள் அமைதி வழிக்குத் திரும்புவதற்குப் போதுமானதாக அமையாது. இலங்கைத் தீவில் மீண்டும் அமைதி திரும்ப வேண்டுமானால் தமிழீழ மக்களுக்கான நியாயங்கள் வழங்கப்பட வேண்டும். அவர்களுக்கு நீதி கிடைக்க வேண்டும். அவர்களது கௌரவம் மீள் நிறுத்தப்பட வேண்டும். அவர்களது அச்சங்கள் அகற்றப்பட வேண்டும். அது மட்டுமே இலங்கைத் தீவை இன்னொரு அழிவிலிருந்து மீட்கும்.

சிங்கள தேசியவாதத்தைத் திருப்திப்படுத்தும்விதமான எந்தத் தீர்வும் தமிழ் மக்களது சிந்தனையில் மாற்றங்களை உருவாக்காது. அக்கினியாய் கொதிக்கும் அவர்கள் மனங்களில் அமைதியை உருவாக்காது. இப்போது வேண்டுமானால், 10 தமிழர்களுக்கு ஒரு சிங்களப் படையினைவைத்துப் போலியான அமைதித் தோற்றத்தை உருவாக்க முடியும். அது எத்தனை காலத்திற்குத் தாக்குப் பிடிக்கப் போகின்றது?
முதலில், தமிழ்த் தேசியக் கூட்டமைப்பு தனது பலத்தை நம்ப வேண்டும். எதிரியின் பிரமாண்டம் இலங்கைத் தீவுக்குள் மட்டுமே என்பதைப் புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். தமிழீழ மக்களது விடுதலைக்கான போர்க் களம் ஒன்று இலங்கைத் தீவுக்கு வெளியே எரிமலைக் கொதிப்புடன் உள்ளதைப் புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும். அதன் பலத்தையும், அனைத்துலக தளத்தில் அதன் காத்திரமான வகிபாகத்தையும் உணர்ந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

முத்துக்குமாரன் மூட்டிய தீ இப்போதும் அனல் குறையாமல் தாய்த் தமிழகத்தைப் பற்றிப் படர்ந்து வருகின்றது. செங்கொடியின் ஈகமும், சிங்களத் தமிழன் நடேசன் மீதான தமிழ்த் தேசியவாதிகளின் தாக்குதலும் சாதாரணமான சம்பவங்கள் அல்ல. தமிழக மக்களின் கோபம் ஆட்சியை மாற்றியதுடன் அடங்கிவிடவில்லை என்பதைப் புரிந்து கொள்ள வேண்டும்.

ஈழத்து மக்களது பாதிச் சொந்தங்கள் புலத்தில் வேரூன்றி நிற்பதும் தமிழீழ விடுதலைக்கான பெரும் பலம் என்பதைப் பொய்யாக்கிவிட முடியாது. சிங்கள தேசத்தால் தொட முடியாத ஒன்று திரண்ட தமிழ்த் தேசிய சக்தி இப்போதும் சீறிப் பாயத் தயாராகவே உள்ளது. முள்ளிவாய்க்காலின் பெருந்துயர் வழங்கிய சோர்விலிருந்தும், தடுமாற்றங்களிலிருந்தும் விடுபட்டு வரும் புலம்பெயர் தமிழ்த் தேசிய தளங்களது பேரெழுச்சி சிங்கள ஆட்சியாளர்களுக்குப் பெரும் பீதியைக் கிளப்புவதை அண்மைய கொழும்புச் செய்திகள் உணர்த்துகின்றன.

அதற்கும் மேலாக, தமிழீழ விடுதலைக்காக எந்த விலையைச் செலுத்தவும் தயாரான தமிழர்கள் உலகம் முழுவதும் காத்திருக்கின்றார்கள். இதற்குப் பின்னரும் எதற்காக அடிபணிதல் அரசியல்? வரலாற்றுத் துரோகங்கள் மூலம் தமிழீழ மண்ணில் மீண்டும் ஒரு போர்க்களத்தை உருவாக்காதீர்கள்!
- இசைப்பிரியா

Associated Press opens Pyongyang bureau

2012-01-18T22:13:00.000+05:30

Source: http://www.northkoreatech.org/2012/01/17/ap-opens-pyongyang-bureau/

The Associated Press has opened a news bureau in Pyongyang making it the first western news agency to have a reporter and photographer based in the North Korean capital.

The bureau represents a coup for the AP over the competition, but its close cooperation with the state-run Korean Central News Agency, necessitated to realize the deal, brings with it questions over editorial independence.

AP President Tom Curley and KCNA President Kim Pyong Ho officially opened the bureau in Pyongyang on Monday. It came six months after the two met in New York and signed a basic agreement towards the office.

The bureau will be housed inside KCNA’s headquarters and will be permanently staffed by two North Koreans: reporter Pak Won Il and photographer Kim Kwang Hyon.

AP didn’t provide details of the background of the two and declined to say if they were on the payroll of AP or KCNA.
Regardless of their employment status, they were almost certainly trained in the North Korean media-slash-propaganda machine with books such as “The Great Teacher of Journalists” — a heavy tome filled with advice to journalists by Kim Jong Il. Their appointment would have been approved by North Korean authorities.
The two have already contributed to AP’s coverage over the last few weeks on the death of Kim Jong Il.
Pak was credited as providing details for several AP stories on the funeral, including “Thousands Gather In Snow To Mourn Kim Jong Il.” Kim Kwang Hyon is believed to be the photographer responsible for several unattributed photographs issued by AP of the funeral.
Video footage of the office released by KCNA shows pictures of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il hanging on the wall above some desks. A TV hangs on the wall and there also appears to be a refrigerator and microwave oven.
It’s this closeness with KCNA that has AP walking a delicate editorial line.
AP is based on a traditional of independent reporting, and KCNA is anything but independent. Its Japan-based website describes the agency as speaking “for the Workers’ Party of Korea and the DPRK government,” and its daily output is heavy with glorification of its leader and threats against South Korea and the U.S.
But when it comes to North Korea, KCNA is the only game in town.
North Korea has remained one of the few places in the world that has remained almost totally impenetrable to foreign journalists. Visits are strictly supervised and controlled, and information flow in and out of the country is just a trickle. This was demonstrated vividly in December when governments and media organizations were apparently unaware that anything was amiss in the days before the death of Kim Jong Il was announced.
Getting coverage from Pyongyang, albeit with assistance from the government’s news agency, is probably better than nothing.
The real payoff will come in the regular reporting trips by AP staffers that form part of the deal. Korea Bureau Chief Jean Lee and Chief Asia Photographer David Guttenfelder will oversee the bureau and are likely to continue visiting the country.
It also gives AP a leg up on competitors such as Reuters and AFP when major news breaks in Pyongyang, such as the recent death of Kim Jong Il.

Jarawa Dance Video ARMY PERSONNEL INVOLVED

2012-01-17T15:17:00.000+05:30

Source:http://lightofandamans.blogspot.com/2012/01/cover-story-jarawa-dance-video-army.html

By Zubair Ahmed

The Jarawa dance video, which created hue and cry in the international and national media and forced the Government of India and Andaman and Nicobar Administration to order a probe, was actually shot by a group of army personnel.

In an independent investigation by LOA, it has come to the fore that police and ground staff of Andaman Aadim Janjathi Vikas Samithi (AAJVS) were not aware as the video was shot after the last convoy left Middle Strait.

Contrary to the statements released to the media by the Administration, the video was shot three years back on 6th November 2008, in which two vehicles - a truck and a gypsy belonging to army were involved.

In a release, S B Deol, DGP had said that the video was 10 years old and there were no cop in the video. He had also pointed out that a man with camouflaged uniform was visible in the media.

However, he did not mention anyrole of defence personnel.

LOA has identified the Jarawa women and girls featuring in the video, which was shot at a place about 8 kms from Jirkatang, known as Chowdhary Gumai. There were six Jarawa women including a pregnant lady, who was shown fully naked. Thadul (16 years) daughter of Thadang, Ecnchobecha (14) d/o Thadang, Cheddatokula (35) wife of Whaydom and Aninja (13) d/o Whaydom featured in the video. Enepowaiele (21) w/o Mahe was 7-8 months pregnant when the video was shot. She gave birth to a baby girl Wane on 6 February 2009.

The army personnel traveling in a military truck had waited for the last convoy to pass from Middle Strait and with special permission traveled on the road. It has also come to light that Jarawas mostly belonging to Tirur sector has a Chadda (Jarawa Hut) very close to the place.

Jarawas, still a nomadic community travel from Tirur to Kadamtala and back frequently. They use the temporary chaddas on the way.

The Jarawas in Kadamtala and Middle Strait were able to identify the Jarawa women featuring in the video and the place where it took place.

Enepowaiele, the pregnant woman in the video, who is 24 years now has confirmed to a reliable source about the incident and involvement of army personnel.

However, this does not vindicate the police force present at Middle Strait who allowed the military truck to pass after the last convoy had departed from Middle Strait. The thumb rule is not to allow anybody except AAJVS, Police and Forest personnel dealing with the protection and welfare of Jarawas of specific territorial jurisdiction. This raises a serious question how army personnel, who were on a tour to Baratang could stop inside the Reserve and shoot the video exploiting the vulnerability of a tribe who are at crossroads, unaware of the dangers it poses to their life and culture.

The story about the video published by The Guardian/Observer, London was later picked by the national media and highlighted the plight of the Jarawas.

Soon after the expose by news channels, Shakti Sinha, Chief Secretary, ANI Admn had rebutted the episode saying that over the past decade, the population of the Jarawas has increased for the first time since they first came into contact with the outside world 150 years ago. He also said that a Tribal Reserve has been increased from 847 sq kms to 1028 sq kms.

Speaking to a news channel, Prof Shekhar Singh said that the Lieutenant Governor and the Administration should be put on dock on the issue of contempt of court as the Administration has kept the Andaman Trunk Road open even after the Supreme Court's Order of May 2002.

The issue has also created a ruckus among the politicians and the settler communities who blamed foul play in the timing of the video saying that it was intentionally done to close Andaman Trunk Road, which they claim to be a lifeline.

TAMIL NADU: Eight Lankan refugees arrested

2012-01-07T14:03:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on January 7, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/tn-eight-lankan-refugees-arrested/350803.html

CHENNAI: Eight Lankan Tamil refugees, who landed at Jegathapattinam coast in Pudukottai district on a fishing boat, were arrested and later remanded in judicial custody by a local court.

The refugees, including three girl children — aged one, seven and nine — landed on Thursday morning.

According to sources, they were from Pungudu Island near Jaffna in Northern Sri Lanka. They had sailed into Indian territory for safety.

The refugees were Thirukumaran, his wife Rathimalar, their daug-hters Rathika and Nivetha, Nitharsan, his wife Marysusanne, their one-year-old daughter Nitharsana and Jesudasan.

While the males were sent to the Tiruchy Central Prison, Judicial Magistrate T Pannerselvam directed the police to lodge the two girl children of Thirukumaran in a juvenile camp in Tiruchy.

The magistrate allowed Nitharsana, one-year-old daughter of Nitharsan, to stay with her mother at the Tiruchy Women’s Prison until further orders.

The arrest and subsequent remand evoked sharp reactions from the pro-Tamil groups. “I strongly condemn the act as it goes against the principle of natural justice and must be termed inhuman. They should have been sent to a refugee camp instead,” said Seeman, leader of Naam Thamilar Party. Other Tamil organisations, including the Katchatheevu Retrieval Movement, echoed Seeman.

While the police produced the refugees before the Aranthangi court on Friday, charging them under the Passport Act, a group of advocates prayed for a direction to send them to a refugee camp. Ten lawyers from Naam Thamilar Party moved different bail petitions for the refugees. However, the court remanded them and postponed their bail hearing to Tuesday.

CHENNAI: Activist receives threat calls, seeks protection

2012-01-06T13:47:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Jan 5, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Activist-receives-threat-calls-seeks-protection/350091.html

CHENNAI: City-based social activist ‘Injambakkam’ H Sekar, who has waged a legal battle against influential politicians and land sharks for usurping the beach front in Injambakkam, is having sleepless nights over anonymous threatening calls.

With the callers threatening to “bump him off” for pursuing the beach encroachment case in the Madras High Court, Sekar, for the past few months, preferred to stay away from his native fishing hamlet during nights, fearing his safety.

With the case against the beachfront encroachments progressing in the High Court, Sekar began receiving threat calls on his mobile phone since August last, to withdraw the case immediately .

Besides calls over phone, unknown persons also began frequenting Sekar’s residence at Injambakkam to ‘advise’ him to remain silent in the case.

As the ‘threat’ from these quarters kept increasing, Sekar, in September last, sent telegrams to the Chief Justice of Madras High Court and top police officials seeking security.

When contacted, Neelangarai Inspector Devaraj admitted that Sekar had informed them about the threatening calls.

“Based on Sekar’s information, we conducted enquiries with the suspected persons who could have threatened him. We are providing him adequate security,” he added.

Sekar’s woes began after he secured successive court judgements for the removal of encroachments by the influential persons in Injambakkam. However, despite Madras High Court orders in 1997 and 2007, no action was taken by the Kanchipuram district administration following which Sekar filed a petition in 2008 and sought a fresh order.

Acting on Sekar’s plea, the High Court in November 2008 passed an interim order asking the Kanchipuram District Collector to file a detailed report after removing the encroachment from beachfront.

“Despite the order, no action had been taken by the district administration to remove encroachments,” Sekar told Express.

After Express published a report about the authorities’ inaction in June 2009, local officials visited the area. But again nothing happened, Sekar added.

Meanwhile, the Neelangarai police in October filed a case against Sekar for ‘immoral activities’ at Injambakkam fishing hamlet after a group of women registered a complaint.

When Sekar sought details of the complaint, the police declined to provide any details forcing him to obtain the copy of the complaint using the RTI Act. “I see the complaint as a ploy by influential people (against whom I waged the legal battle) to get me arrested in a false case,” Sekar said.

CHENNAI: Drifted S Korean vessel back in earlier location

2012-01-03T15:36:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on January 3, 2012:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Drifted-S-Korean-vessel-back-in-earlier-location/349416.html

CHENNAI: The Chennai Port Trust (ChPT) management on Monday successfully moved a drifted South Korean- flagged vessel to its earlier location.
M K Sinha, Deputy Conservator of ChPT, told Express, “After a two-day operation, two tugs belonging to the Port Trust management on Monday evening restored the vessel (OSM Arena) in to its original location inside the port area.”
It may be noted that the detained vessel OSM Arena, anchored off the Chennai Port with a 14-member crew for the past 22 months following a Kolkata High Court order, drifted towards the shore near INS Adyar in the wee hours of Friday due to gusty wind and rough seas.

According to sources, the vessel is now anchored 3.5 nautical miles from shoreline.
Union Shipping Minister G K Vasan on Sunday made a surprise visit to the port and along with top officials of the ChPT, including its chairman Atulya Misra monitored the operation from a small boat. For the last three days, the drifted vessel has become a tourist attraction for many and people were thronging Marina to get a view of the cargo vessel.
As rough sea condition improved on Saturday, the port management began an operation to restore the drifted vessel back to its original location. Sources said, 14 Burmese crew on board the vessel are in sound health and no damage has occurred to the vessel.

116-year-old Mullaperiyar dam is as good as new

2012-01-02T17:57:00.000+05:30

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/article2764198.ece

A. MOHANAKRISHNAN

It could be said that every citizen of India, can justifiably take pride in possessing a rare structure in Mullaperiyar Dam, the very first created in the country, perhaps in the world, for trans-basin diversion of water for beneficial use, towards the end of the 19th century, still continuing to serve with its benefits undiminished, through continuous surveillance, maintenance and management by the Tamil Nadu government.

The credit for the concept, design and construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam should go mainly to two British Engineers Major Ryves, the District Engineer of Madurai District, who gave a practical form in 1862 for diversion of Periyar waters to benefit the drought-prone areas of the then Madurai and Ramanathapuram districts and Colonel J. Pennycuick, who not only made a report with detailed estimates for the Mullaperiyar Dam in 1882 but also ventured against all odds in the most inhospitable dense forest, struggling with single-minded devotion for a good cause and completed the structure in 1895.

Just to the west of the Vaigai river basin in Tamil Nadu, on the other side of the Western Ghat ridges, lies the Periyar basin in the Kerala State. The river Periyar, as the name implies, is the one which drains the largest catchment among the west-flowing rivers of the Kerala state.

The river Periyar rises in the Sivagiri peak of the Western Ghats in the Quilon district, 80 km south of Devikulam, at an elevation of about 2,400 m and traverses through the stiff cliffs and dense forests for about 186 km, where the tributary Mullaiyar joins on the right at about an elevation of 850 m. The river then turns west, cuts through the hills in a deep narrow gorge at about 11 km below Mullaiyar junction. It is this narrow gorge in sound hard rock that gave an excellent formation that was chosen by Col. Pennycuick to construct the Mullaperiyar gravity masonry dam. The river Periyar runs through 232 km traversing the taluks of Peermedu and Devikulam and parts of Ernakulam district before draining into the well-known Vembanad lake.

The Madras government entered into correspondences with the erstwhile Travancore government in possession of the territory where the dam was to be built from 1862. The Travancore government, which originally showed interest in launching the Mullaperiyar dam project as a joint project, later pulled out of the joint project suggestions and, by a letter dated October 24, 1873 to the British Resident, offered to accept a sum of Rs. 75,000/- per year from 1882 as lease rent for the site of the reservoir, which was later surveyed to extend over 8,000 acres, and agreed to demise the entire water to be stored therein in favour of the government of Madras. The Lease Deed of 1886, to take retrospective effect from January 1, 1886 between the governments of Travancore and Madras, was finally signed on October 29, 1886 for lease of land for the project works for diversion of the waters to then Madras Presidency.

The argument put forth by the present government of Kerala that the British Government got the inter-state agreement signed exercising their supremacy falls flat with the recorded evidence.

Among the materials of construction, Stone, the principal constituent of the dam, was locally available to be quarried as was the sand in the river. But lime and surki for the mortar, designed as three parts of sand, two of lime and one of surki, had to be transported through dense forests besides several construction equipment, and other materials from the temporary camp at Thekkadi, 13 km off, on the other side of the Ghat.

Five different methods of conveyance were considered, all expensive and difficult to organise including a ropeway across the valley and that which was convenient at the time was adopted.

It should be specifically mentioned that throughout this decade of construction, great effort was taken to ensure the quality of the materials used and the building of the structures through tests, checks and supervision.

As cement had not made its advent in India when the project had been designed and executed, lime surki mortar was used with the lime having been burnt to specification in kiln at site and well ground by a battery of bullock-drawn circular mills and surki being ground to the fineness required by crushers. We are now able to see the result in the dam structure retaining water up to 152 ft. above the river bed for more than a century, with minimum seepage well below the limits prescribed, in spite of the fact that no drilling and grouting was done for consolidation and no drainage gallery was formed in the body of the dam, since both these were unknown practices at that period of time.

On May 29, 1970, the government of Madras signed two supplemental agreements with the government of Kerala, as successors in interest to the original Lease Deed of 1886. By one supplemental agreement, the annual lease rent was enhanced and the fishing rights in the Periyar lake was relinquished in favour of the government of Kerala. By another agreement which came into effect from November 13, 1954, the government of Madras would generate hydro power and pay to the government of Kerala for the electrical energy generated at Rs.12/- KW (kilo watt) year up to 350 million units and at Rs.18/- KW year beyond 350 million units. This will prove that the Mullaperiyar project has been beneficial to both Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

The safety of the dam is now being questioned, just because it is 116 years in age and a fear psychosis has been raised, which gives the impression it may burst any time. No gravity masonry dam will ever burst and no gravity dam has so far burst in any part of the world.

The dam is as good as a new dam after the strengthening measures devised by the Central Water Commission, the highest technical body in the government of India, have been carried out that too with the concurrence of the engineers of the Government of Kerala at every stage.

As one closely associated with this dam and the strengthening measures undertaken, I am pained to see the controversies being raised on its safety, in spite of the wise opinion given by several experts who have inspected the dam and the Supreme Court having accepted the opinion of the experts.

(A. Mohanakrishnan, who has been handling inter-state river water issues on behalf of the Tamil Nadu government, is advisor (water resources) to the government.)

Mullaiperiyar controversy: 'Safety will benefit Tamil Nadu'

2012-01-02T17:26:00.000+05:30

RAMASWAMY R. IYER

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article2766767.ece

Having read Durai Murugan's rejoinder (Dec. 31) to my article on the Mullaperiyar, or Mullaiperiyar, controversy (Dec. 29), I would have preferred to leave it to the readers to come to their own conclusions. However, as Mr. Murugan has specifically referred to me several times, replies to some points become unavoidable.

(1) “The waters are not exclusively Kerala's, but an inter-State resource governed by the principles of inter-State rivers.” Periyar is not an inter-State river. It is a Kerala river, partly diverted by human action to Tamil Nadu.

(2) ‘Rights': Tamil Nadu's rights in this case are not riparian rights as in the Cauvery case, but arise out of an agreement. Under the agreement, Travancore (now Kerala) had agreed to share its waters with Madras (now Tamil Nadu). This is somewhat unusual, as States are generally reluctant to share their waters with other States. One wishes that Mr. Murugan had expressed some appreciation of this fact.

(3) “Mullaiperiyar per se is not an emotive or political issue in Tamil Nadu”: It is difficult to accept that statement.

(4) If all talks so far have failed, both sides must accept responsibility. I can only say: please hold more talks. Agreement, not confrontation, is the only way to resolve the issue.

(5) I have not questioned the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court at all. I am only asking whether dam safety is a fit subject for judicial determination. If there are divergent expert opinions, can the Supreme Court uphold one opinion as right? That is not a rhetorical question, but one on which I am bewildered and would like to be enlightened.

(6) I respect the Central Water Commission, and I respect the experts who are members of the Empowered Committee. However, if, say, a group of experts from the IITs were to express a different view, what does one do? That is why I am suggesting a joint determination by the two governments with expert assistance.

(7) Political statements may have aggravated the fears of the people in Kerala, but I cannot agree that the fears are wholly imaginary or ‘manufactured.' (Incidentally, the government of India might say that the experts have pronounced Kudankulam safe and that the local people's fears are wholly imaginary: should one accept that?)

(8) The need for strengthening the dam: there is no disagreement on this between Mr. Murugan and myself. Mr. Murugan complains of the absence of cooperation on this matter by the Kerala government. I cannot comment on this because I do not know what Kerala has to say.

(9)The alleged unfairness of the 1886 agreement: The Kerala government may or may not have raised it officially, but the sense of grievance is indeed pervasive. Are there grounds for that feeling? I don't know, but consider the following: the unusual agreement of Travancore State to divert a part of one of its rivers to Madras Presidency; the leasing of 8,000 acres of its territory to that Presidency; an extraordinary lease of 999 years; and for all these concessions, a negligible quid pro quo. One can only say that the Maharaja must have been unwise or exceptionally generous or under pressure from the British government.

(10) “The latest slogan, ‘Water for Tamil Nadu, Safety for Kerala,' is just a deception”: Far from being a deception, it seems to me the only basis for a settlement of this issue. (By the way, “safety for Kerala” will also benefit Tamil Nadu: if, hypothetically speaking, the dam were to burst, waters will cease to flow to Tamil Nadu.)

(11) “Will not a strong earthquake pull down the Idukki dam?”: Possibly. What does this prove? Both Mullaperiyar and Idukki exist and all that one can do is to take adequate safety measures.

(12) “Another suggestion by Mr. Iyer that hurt me immensely is that Tamil Nadu should minimise…[its] dependence on the waters of the Mullaiperiyar dam.” As the 116-year-old dam may not last forever, I have suggested advance contingency planning. Why should this hurt anyone?

(13) “All those who want the dam to be decommissioned or its water level brought down to 120 feet should read the life history of Major John Pennycuick…” (a) I have not said “decommission the dam now”; I have only said that as the dam is nearing the end of its useful life, it will have to be gradually phased out over a period of time. (b) I have not made specific recommendations such as a water-level of 120 feet; I have said that the two governments should agree on a safe level, whatever it may be. (c) Pennycuick may have meant well and may have been deified, but that does not mean that the project was a good one. Incidentally, should all the credit for the diversion be given to Pennycuick and none to the Maharaja who agreed to it?

(14) Finally, if Mr. Murugan were to re-read my article with an open mind, he may find that it is not so bad after all. I took enormous pains to make it fair and balanced, and am deeply disappointed at Mr. Murugan's negative reading of it.

Unwarranted fears on Mullaiperiyar

2011-12-31T17:07:00.000+05:30

A view of Mullaperiyar Dam on Kerala-Tamil Nadu border at Kumily, near Idukki. File Photo: H. Vibhu
Source:http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article2761320.ece

There can be no question of Tamil Nadu giving up its rights over Mullaiperiyar. Its waters are not exclusively Kerala's, but an inter-State resource governed by the principles of inter-State rivers

BY DURAI MURUGAN

In the latest intensification of the Mullaiperiyar controversy, I see the media discourse not only tilted in favour of Kerala but also seeking to paint Tamil Nadu in a bad light — as an adamant State not concerned about the safety of the people in the neighbouring State.

The propaganda by Kerala, which was started way back in 1979 with an article in a Malayalam newspaper, has become so institutionalised now that I see independent experts and activists voicing opinions that fail to take into account Tamil Nadu's considered standpoint.

One of the reasons for the national media overlooking Tamil Nadu's views could be lack of ‘experts', ‘intellectuals', ‘activists', ‘policy-makers' and the like — those who normally contribute erudite articles to the edit and op-ed pages of English newspapers and also appear on television debates — to articulate the State's perspective. But the most important reason is that Mullaiperiyar per se is not an emotive or political issue in Tamil Nadu, which has been treating it as a rights issue that it can solve legally. After all, justice is on the side of the right.

That does not mean that Tamil Nadu has not been responsive to the ‘concerns' that were manufactured with the sole intention of nullifying the State's right over 8000 acres of land that Tamil Nadu holds inside Kerala by virtue of an agreement between the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore and the British Government in India in 1886. Tamil Nadu has taken several steps over the past three decades to allay the fears of the people in Kerala despite knowing very well that politicians were causing panic by propagating falsehoods.

In this context, I found it amusing when Ramaswamy R. Iyer, in two articles, one in The Hindu and another in its sister publication Frontline, stated: “Let Tamil Nadu and Kerala set up a joint committee and reach a mutual agreement. This is essentially a matter for settlement by amicable agreement, not judicial determination.” When I read his statements that neither the view of the Central Water Commission nor the judgment of the Supreme Court was acceptable, I wondered what locus standi he had to make such a suggestion.

With due respect to his views, let me provide key irrefutable facts to reject his thesis. Mr. Iyer himself should be aware of the fact that several rounds of talks have been held between the two States during the past three decades and all of them failed.

The talks were held at different levels. Chief Ministers of the States have discussed the issue; Irrigation Ministers have tried to sort out the differences; Chief Secretaries have attempted to arrive at a solution; and other officials have sat across the table several times, even in the presence of the Union Water Resources Ministry. Does Mr. Iyer think that a mutual agreement is possible even now?

But what is galling is Mr. Iyer's contention that it is not a matter for judicial determination. It is the right of every citizen of this country to seek legal recourse on contentious issues and his or her duty to abide by the ruling of the courts. The fact that the Kerala government has failed to abide by the directions of the Supreme Court of India is something no one is bringing to light in the media discourse.

One example relates to the strengthening of the Mullaiperiyar dam, which needs to be done in three phases — emergency, medium-term, and long-term, as advised by the Central Water Commission. Though the medium level strengthening has been completed, Kerala did not allow Tamil Nadu to raise the water level to 142 feet as per the Supreme Court's directive. But overcoming the obstacles that Kerala threw in the way of carrying out the work was more agonising. When Tamil Nadu wanted to use small explosives to break stones, Kerala objected saying that the noise would disturb wildlife. When Tamil Nadu tried to transport the gravel in lorries, they stopped the vehicles saying the sound would scare the animals. At last, we used donkeys to transport building material.

Now Kerala is refusing to give permission for strengthening the baby dam, which is part of the irrigation system in Mullaiperiyar, and the building of the parapet walls on the main dam, which is essential if Tamil Nadu is to complete the long-term strengthening process. If Kerala's concern is the dam's safety alone, why is it preventing us physically from carrying out the strengthening work? I hope the people of Kerala, if they are really fearful of the dam bursting, would ask this of their rulers. Once the long-term strengthening is done, Tamil Nadu would be legally entitled to store water up to 152 feet. It is pertinent here to record the fact that the Kerala government has steadfastly refused to give a power connection to the small PWD maintenance office located at the dam site.

Another issue raised by Mr. Iyer and some other ‘experts' is that the 1886 agreement is seen as ‘unfair' to Kerala. But has its government ever made an issue of it openly? In the various talks I have participated in, the alleged unfairness of the agreement never cropped up. The land clearly belongs to Tamil Nadu as the agreement of 1886 is legally sound.

There can be no question of Tamil Nadu giving up its rights over Mullaiperiyar. The latest slogan, ‘Water for Tamil Nadu, Safety for Kerala,' is just a deception. The proposal for a new dam downstream, which has caught the fancy of many well-meaning people with no real knowledge of ground realities, is only a ploy to deprive Tamil Nadu of water. The most important element that is missing in this narrative is that Mullaiperiyar waters are not exclusively Kerala's, but an inter-State resource governed by the principles of inter-State rivers.

Let me explain why. First, if a new dam is constructed away — that too, downstream — from the Mullaiperiyar, Tamil Nadu will not be able to draw water and supply it to the rain-shadow districts of Theni, Dindigul, Madurai, Sivagangai, and Ramanathapuram. Secondly, environmental clearance could be an uphill task for the construction of a new structure now, given the latest laws, which might be used as a pretext by Kerala to throw up its hands after knocking off the present dam and thus achieving its goal of diverting the water to Idukki dam for power generation.

Kerala's politicians have never told their people for more than two decades that if the Mullaiperiyar is removed, then only about eight tmcft of water would flow into the Idukki dam, which can hold 73 tmcft water. When the people, who have never had an opportunity to see the dam in the thick reserve forest area, were enlightened that the Idukki dam, which is normally filled only up to half its capacity, would hold the water, the Kerala government machinery floated a theory that Idukki would not be able to withstand the sudden inflow. But even the Kerala Advocate General recently told the court that the water would easily collect in the three dams downstream, including Idukki.

Coming to the bogey of ‘tremors' becoming a common occurrence in the region, I wonder why Kerala is so cavalier about it, if its claims were true. Will not a strong earthquake pull down the Idukki dam, which is also in the same seismic region, and cause more devastation?

Another suggestion by Mr. Iyer that hurt me immensely is that Tamil Nadu should “minimise…[its] dependence on the waters of the Mullaiperiyar dam.” All those who want the dam to be decommissioned or its water level brought down to 120 feet should read the life history of Major John Pennycuick, the British humanist who was moved by the plight of the people after a series of famines that led to starvation deaths and large-scale migration from the rain-shadow region. The dam is an example of an educated man's compassion for the marginalised sections of society that eke out a living tilling the ground.

Let me conclude by stating another truth. Kerala politicians mounted the proverbial tiger on the Mullaiperiyar issue. They cannot dismount now. But we believe in justice and that explains why we never played any obstructionist role in bringing out the truth that the dam would stand firm for many more years to give livelihood to the people in Tamil Nadu.

(The author is a senior DMK leader and has been a Tamil Nadu Minister holding portfolios of the PWD and Water Resources and Law.)

CHENNAI: Detained South Korean-flagged ship drifts to shore

2011-12-31T14:20:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 31, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/detained-korean-ship-drifts-to-shore/348486.html

CHENNAI: Detained South Korean flag cargo vessel ‘OSM Arena’, anchored off the Chennai Port with a 14-member crew, drifted towards shore near INS Adyar in the wee hours of Friday due to gusty wind and rough seas. The vessel has been anchored off the port for the past 22 months following a Kolkata High Court order.

According to Chennai Port Trust sources, Coast Guard was informed immediately after the vessel began dragging its anchor due to rough seas.

Due to gusty winds, the vessel drifted eastwards and reached around 600 metres from the shore between mouth of Cooum River and the Port’s coal yard near INS Adyar.

The vessel was afloat in 12 to 13 metres of depth and action was being taken to shift it with the assistance of port tugs into deeper waters, sources told Express.

There was no danger to the vessel or the environment at present, a statement by the Port Trust said.It is learnt that one of the anchors of the vessel was not functioning and, due the water current coupled with strong winds, the ship began drifting towards the shore.

The Korean-flagged vessel is about 190 metres long and have 14 Myanmarese crew onboard.

The Chennai Port had also impleaded itself in the dispute as the anchored ship posed danger to the port and the environment since it had bunker fuel of about 400 tonnes on board. The Kolkata HC’s order in the case is expected by the first week of January 2012, the sources added.

TN trawlers reach safety on AP coast

2011-12-30T17:01:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 30, 2011

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/tn-trawlers-reach-safety-on-ap-coast/348226.html

CHENNAI: Owners of the mechanised fishing trawlers that left Kasimedu Fishing Harbour more than a week ago and remained untraceable near Nizampatnam Bay area for the past two days heaved a sigh of relief on Thursday evening after most of the stranded boats and crew reached safety.

Confirming the news to Express, M E Raghupathy, president of Chennai-Tiruvallur- Kanchipuram District Mechanised Boat Fishermen’s Association, said that he received telephone calls from Krishnapatnam and Nizampatnam in Andhra Pradesh in the afternoon, confirming the safe arrival of Kasimedu fishing trawlers.

“I received phone calls from crew members of various trawlers, who were earlier untraceable due to inclement weather in Nizampatnam Bay area. By noon on Wednesday, most of the boats reached safe locations there,” Raghupathy said.

It may be noted that Express carried a report about the stranded mechanised trawlers in the region and the appeal made by boat owners to the Indian Coast Guard Region (East) to rescue them.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard also swung into action on Thursday morning and its ships ICGS Vigraha and Vajra were deployed from Paradip and Visakhapatnam for search and rescue (SAR) operations along the Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu coast.

Coast Guard Dornier aircraft from Vizag were also pressed into service from Santhapalli to Narsapur area for coastal surveillance and assistance to fishermen in distress at sea.

“All out efforts are being made by Coast Guard Region (East) to rescue the stranded fishermen off Kasimedu, who had ventured into the sea,” a CG statement released here said.

Nearly eight fishing trawlers are still in the Nizampatnam Bay, but all are safe as the threat due to cyclone Thane has reduced in that area, Raghupathy said.

The boat owners also advised crew members to stay there till the intensity of Thane reduces in Chennai.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard has requested the fisheries departments of TN and AP to ensure that fishermen do not venture into the sea until weather conditions improve.

Operations on hold at city ports

CHENNAI: The Chennai and Ennore ports have been put on high alert in view of cyclone ‘Thane’. As a precautionary measure, vessels anchored at the Chennai Port were moved out from different wharfs to the outer anchorage.
As storm warning Flag Signal Number 9, which indicates ‘great danger’, has been hoisted at both ports, all operations have come to a complete standstill since Wednesday night. Flag Signal 9 indicates that the ports will experience gusty winds coupled with torrential rains due to the cyclone.
While there were no vessels at anchorage at Ennore Port, nearly 20 vessels were moved out of Chennai Port’s various berths. Cargo vessels approaching Chennai Port and Ennore Port have been advised to take wind movement into account while inching closer to the port’s perimeter.

CYCLONE THANE: Men in fishing hamlets to be ready for emergencies

2011-12-29T15:54:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 29, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Men-in-hamlets-to-be-ready-for-emergencies/347857.html

CHENNAI: With the severe cyclonic storm Thane’s landfall along the city’s northern coastline certain, the situation at the 14 odd fishing hamlets along the Chennai and Tiruvallur districts has changed dramatically since Wednesday evening.

Male members of the fishing community have been asked to stay in group in every hamlet to meet any emergency due to gusty winds and torrential rain brought by cyclone Thane.

Speaking to Express from Thalankuppam, one of the vulnerable fishing hamlets near Ennore creek, Mahesh, a local fishermen said that the situation has changed dramatically inside his hamlet since evening as all reports from weathermen predict a certain landfall of the severe cyclonic storm near the city.

“Local officials and village administrative officers (VAOs) are in constant touch with the village heads from the fishing hamlets and male members of the community are asked to stay alert till the threat reduces,” Mahesh added.

Fishermen also revealed that a cyclone as severe as Thane, during the Tamil month of Margazhi is a very rare phenomenon.

“There was a cyclone landfall in the mid-1990s which brought heavy rainfall to Chennai and adjacent areas. We heard from our ancestors that a cyclone during Margazhi is always a dangerous one,” Desingh, a young fisherman from Kasimedu said.

Most fishermen are now glued to their radio and television sets for periodic weather updates.

Meanwhile, a huge wave at the Marina Beach created a scare on Wednesday as the water reached the service lane of Kamaraj Salai. Though it receded, a big pool of water remained on the beach. The Met office described it a swell wave. About a metre high swell wave could inundate parts of Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kanchipuram and Villupuram districts.

CHENNAI: SOS to rescue 700 stranded fishermen

2011-12-29T15:45:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 29, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/SOS-to-rescue-700-stranded-fishermen/347852.html

CHENNAI: Owners of more than 100 mechanised fishing trawlers that sailed from the Kasimedu Fishing Harbour five days ago and now stranded near the Nizampatnam Bay in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, have appealed to the State government and the Indian Coast Guard (Eastern Region) to rescue their boats and 700-odd men onboard, before the arrival of Cyclone Thane.

Speaking to Express, S Venugopal, president of Tamil Nadu Coastal Mechanised Boat Fishermen Welfare Association, said, “We have received reports that about 100 mechanised boats from Kasimedu are now stranded near Nizampatnam Bay area due to rough sea conditions and we appeal to the Coast Guard to act swiftly to move them to a safer locations before cyclonic storm Thane reaches the area.”

When the meteorological department alerted fishermen about the storm a few days ago, various boat owner associations radioed the weather warning message to all trawlers that left for fishing about five days ago.

“Though half of the trawlers moved towards safer areas near Krishnapatnam Port and nearby areas, we did not receive any communication from about 100 boats and we suspect that they might be stranded near Nizampatnam Bay due to the prevailing rough sea conditions,” M E Raghupathy, president of Chennai-Tiruvallur-Kanchipuram District Mechanised Boat Fishermen Association told Express.

According to boat owners, about 700 fishermen are stranded in these 100-odd mechanised trawlers.

Meanwhile, fishing activities from Chennai, Tiruvallur and Kanchipuram have come to a standstill after weathermen cautioned fishermen from venturing into sea.

K Bharathi, president of the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association (SIFWA), told Express that about 10,000 fibre boats from these three districts were moved to safer locations in all fishing hamlets.

“Fishermen even in catamarans did not venture into sea for the last two days due to rough sea conditions,” Bharathi added.

Chennai Corporation announces ‘best councillor’ awards

2011-12-29T15:31:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 29, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/corporation-announces-'best-councillor'-awards/347771.html

CHENNAI: In a bid to make the Chennai Corporation councillors get closer to their voters with their public welfare activities, the civic body has announced a new scheme, wherein the selected members would receive ‘Best Councillor’ awards and a citation from Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

According to official sources, the ‘Best Councillor’ award would inspire the winning elected representatives to involve them more into social services activities in their wards. The Corporation Council Meet held few days ago had given its nod for the resolution pertaining to the scheme and fixed the criteria for the selection.

The Chief Minister would distribute the newly instituted award of recognition for the selected councillors during the Independence Day or Republic Day celebrations.

The 200 Councillors, who would be selected for the annual award, have to prove their efficiency in coordinating with officials and the local people during emergencies like natural disasters, flooding and fire mishaps in their wards. According to Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy, the scheme is a golden opportunity for the elected representatives to prove their mettle as public servants in the eyes of their voters as well as the Chief Minister.

Besides other yardsticks, the members, for getting their names nominated for the prestigious award, have to show his/her exemplary attitude in dealing with the local residents and their grievances pertaining to basic amenities, selfless social service in their wards, developmental works and public services in the locality.

According to sources, the move was seen as the AIADMK-led Corporation’s strong effort to erase the bad name earned by the previous regime’s councillors from the DMK and Congress parties in the eyes of general public.

However, voters and political analysts see the move by the AIADMK Supremo Jayalalithaa as a clear case of a ‘public monitoring’ over the activities of elected Corporation councillors and it would also keep them to tread on right path.

CHENNAI Corporation roads set to get plastic coat

2011-12-28T13:28:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 28, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/Corporation-roads-set-to-get-plastic-coat/347572.html

CHENNAI: Taking a giant step towards increasing lifespan of its roads that get battered every monsoon, the Chennai Corporation has planned to include plastic waste while re-laying roads from January next.
According to Ripon Building sources, inclusion of plastic waste into the bitumen mix for re-laying Corporation-maintained roads would improve the quality of roads and also solve the problem of plastic disposal in the city.

“By using the plastic waste for re-laying roads from next week, the civic body would be able to dispose of the nagging problem of handling non-degradable plastic wastes in the city and its dump yards,” civic body sources told Express.
According to them, the civic body’s authorities were in the process of finalising the roads on which the scheme would be implemented first in a couple of weeks and a heavily battered road used heavily throughout the year would be selected for the ‘test’.
The expanded city Corporation has a total of 515 bus route roads (BRR) for a length of 501 km. There are over 17,600-odd interior roads in the city, which were under the maintenance of the Chennai Corporation.
It may be noted that the the Chennai Corporation officials in July had visited Madurai and held discussions with the experts at the Thiagarajar College of Engineering on the plastic waste management initiative.
Though the city generates about 300 tonnes of plastic waste daily, given the chemical composition of the material, only half of them could be used for road re-laying.
As per the plan, Chennai Corporation would use 10 per cent plastic waste with the composition of bitumen in the ratio 90:10 for relaying roads in the city.
The molten plastic would form a layer on the blue metal pieces, making it bind strongly and a bitumen layer over it would increase the road’s life over five years.
To collect plastic from residents directly, civic body would install large bins at every ward office (200 wards) and also to install industrial-grade shredders in 10 places to cut plastics for use during road re-laying.

Lockheed Martin Delivers GPS III Pathfinder Satellite to Denver on Schedule

2011-12-27T18:21:00.000+05:30

Source:http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2011/1213_ss_gps.html

DENVER, December 13th, 2011 -- The Lockheed Martin [NYSE : LMT] team developing the U.S. Air Force’s next generation Global Positioning Systemhas delivered the program’s pathfinder spacecraft to the company’s Denver-area facility. The pathfinder, known as the GPS III Non-Flight Satellite Testbed (GNST), will now undergo final assembly, integration and test activities in a new facility designed to maximize efficiencies and reduce costs of satellite production.

The GPS III program will affordably replace aging GPS satellites while improving capability to meet the evolving needs of military, commercial and civilian users worldwide. GPS III satellites will deliver better accuracy and improved anti-jamming power while enhancing the spacecraft’s design life and adding a new civil signal designed to be interoperable withinternational global navigation satellite systems.

The GNST is a full-sized, flight equivalent prototype of a GPS III satellite used to identify and solve development issues prior to integration and test of the first space vehicle. The approach significantly reduces risk, improves production predictability, increases mission assurance and lowers overall program costs. Now in Denver, the GNST will be mated with its core structure, navigation payload and antenna elements before completing pathfinding activities and checkout of environmental test facilities. The GNST will then be shipped to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., for pathfinding activities at the launch site.

"The on schedule delivery of the GPS III pathfinder is a key indicator that this program is on firm footing and poised to deliver on its commitments," said LtCol Don Frew, the U.S. Air Force's GPS III program manager. "In this challenging budget environment, we are committed to delivering the critical GPS III capabilities to users affordably and on schedule."

GPS III Processing Facility

To reduce the cost of each GPS III satellite, the program invested in an advanced technology facility designed to create a true production line for GPS III. The facility, designated the GPS Processing Facility (GPF) and modernized from the company’s former Atlas rocket assembly building, has nearly 40,000 square feet of spacecraft assembly and test area, including a clean room high bay and dedicated thermal vacuum and anechoic test chambers.

The high bay was designed to flow with maximum efficiency by minimizing space vehicle lifts and distances between operations. To do this, the GPS team studied the Corporation’s high-volume aircraft production lines and utilized virtual reality modeling technology to lay out the factory floor. Like in aircraft and automobile production, each GPS III satellite will move through sequential work stations for various assembly and integration operations, culminating with environmental test procedures. Starting with the GNST, the GPF will significantly reduce cycle time and shave cost for each sequential GPS III satellite.

“The new GPS Processing Facility is truly state-of-the-art and its capability will allow our team to execute an extremely efficient GPS III production timeline,” said Keoki Jackson, Lockheed Martin’s GPS III program director. “The government and industry GPS III team has demonstrated outstanding commitment to this program. Together, we are constantly searching for ways to reduce costs while ensuring we deliver the most reliable, capable GPS satellite ever.”

In parallel with the GNST, progress on the first space vehicle is progressing on schedule. Lockheed Martin received the core structure for the first GPS III satellite in Stennis, Miss., on August 4, and is now integrating the space vehicle’s flight propulsion subsystem. The integrated core propulsion module will be shipped to the GPF in the summer of 2012 and will then undergo final assembly, integration and test in order to meet its planned 2014 launch.

The GPS III team is led by the Global Positioning Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Lockheed Martin is the GPS III prime contractor with teammates ITT, General Dynamics, Infinity Systems Engineering, Honeywell, ATK and other subcontractors. Air Force Space Command's 2nd Space Operations Squadron (2SOPS), based at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., manages and operates the GPS constellation for both civil and military users.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 126,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2010 sales from continuing operations were $45.8 billion.

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Build Tsunami Memorial Pillar, fishermen urge Jaya

2011-12-27T16:26:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on Dec 27, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/build-memorial-pillar-fishermen-urge-jaya/347224.html

CHENNAI: On the seventh anniversary of one of the most tragic natural disasters in recent Indian history (December 26, 2004 Tsunami), a fishermens’ association on Monday appealed to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to construct a ‘Tsunami Memorial Pillar’ in the city to create awareness about the day to future generations.

Speaking to Express at Pazhaverkadu, after paying homage to those swept away in the massive tidal waves that struck the Chennai coast eight years ago, K Bharathi, president of the South Indian Fishermen Welfare Association (SIFWA), said, “We appeal to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to construct Tsunami Memorial Pillars in select places in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts to create awareness to the future generations about the importance of the day.”

It may be noted that the coastal districts (except Chennai, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur) of the State and which had witnessed the Tsunami disaster and loss of lives, already have such memorial pillars, either constructed by the district administrations or by the local people themselves.

Though the three districts had also suffered loss of lives during the 2004 Tsunami, no such memorial pillars were erected yet and people were making their own arrangements on the anniversary for paying tributes to the departed souls at seashore.

“We hope that the Chief Minister would understand our appeal for having a Tsunami Memorial Pillars in these districts as presence of such structure would create more awareness about the day with the future generations”, Bharathi said.

The association also wrote letters to the CM and three district collectors for constructing the memorial.

Aavin fails to pull down pavement outlets

2011-12-27T16:22:00.000+05:30

By G Saravanan

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai, on Dec 27, 2011

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/aavin-fails-to-pull-down-pavement-outlets/347196.html

CHENNAI: Though the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation Ltd (Aavin) has admitted that 11 of its franchisee retail outlets (FROs) are being illegally operated on Chennai Corporation’s pavements, it has failed to take any action against them.

As per Aavin’s rules, applicants for FROs should have place of their own place or a rented premises for operating the facility. “Admitting the very existence of such FROs on pavements itself is proof that they are illegal and no action on them for more than four months now shows that the Aavin authorities are not interested in removing them,” R Natarajan, an activist who obtained the information through RTI, told ‘Express’.
It all began more than a year ago when the Corporation authorities failed to remove one such outlet on a pavement near the Sai Baba Temple in Mylapore.
This selective exclusion forced Natarajan to file an RTI petition with Aavin seeking the number of FROs permitted in the city.
“When I asked details about the FROs, Aavin authorities initially refused to part with any information about it, but after repeated pleas, they furnished information on the number of FROs,” Natarajan said.
Though Aavin authorities revealed that Chennai city has more than 150 FROs, they have put the number of illegal FROs at just 11, across the metropolis.
When Natarajan, through RTI, asked about the action taken in the case of such illegal FROs, Aavin authorities replied that they had terminated the licence of one such outlet located near Guindy Race Course Road and similar action had been planned against the remaining outlets.
However, Aavin was showing laxity in dealing with the remaining illegally existing FROs and no action has been taken on them for the past four months, said Natarajan.
“While the Aavin authorities still maintain that action will be taken on them if found to be indulged in running their outlets on encroached lands, I don’t understand why their officials are hesitating to take those running on pavements into account,” he questioned.
With Aavin dilly-dallying on action, Natarajan has moved a petition to the Secretary of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries Department for a permanent solution. On the other hand, he has also moved a fresh RTI application to ascertain what was delaying the action by Aavin.

Major revamp for Corporation-run schools

2011-12-23T16:18:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on December 23, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/major-revamp-for-corporation-run-schools/346112.html

CHENNAI: Spelling out the much-anticipated process to improve quality of education in the Corporation-run Chennai Schools, Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy on Thursday announced that a detailed survey on how to improve enrolments in its educational institutions has already been initiated and a major revamp is on the cards.

Replying to a resolution at the Corporation Council meet allowing distribution of five types of cereals as evening food for 16,000-odd class X and XII students, who will be attending special classes before taking their public exams in another three months, Duraisamy said, “As per the direction of the Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa to improve quality of education in Corporation-run Chennai Schools, we have launched a detailed survey.”

“The survey, which has been initiated to find the pointers like why enrolments went down in Chennai schools, deficiencies in school infrastructure and what could be done to increase enrolments, would help the civic body chalk out its strategy in the future to improve quality of education in the schools,” Duraisamy said.

The new scheme, where the civic body has planned to distribute nutritious cereals for students attending evening special classes, was the Corporation’s firm step towards achieving good results in class X and XII public exams and the result would help the Corporation tell parents about the quality of education in Chennai schools, the Mayor added.

Duraisamy also appealed to the elected representatives to disseminate information about achievements by Chennai schools among the locals (in their respective wards) to improve enrolment in its schools.

Under the proposal, which would be implemented from January 1, the civic body would be spending about Rs 25 lakh for two months.

On a query about extension of the scheme (in case exams were delayed), from a councillor, Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy assured that the scheme would be extended till required.

Corporation to reclaim Stalin office

2011-12-23T16:06:00.000+05:30

Published in The New Indian Express, Chennai on December 23, 2011:

Source:http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/corporation-to-reclaim-stalin-office/346108.html

CHENNAI: Irked over the Chennai Corporation’s resolution reclaiming the office premises of Kolathur MLA M K Stalin, members of the Opposition DMK party on Thursday staged a walkout.

When the subject (in a resolution numbering 34) taken up for discussion in the Council, DMK leader in the house, Subash Chandra Bose, raised his hand to speak on the issue.

Though Mayor Saidai S Duraisamy initially declined to allow him to speak and the AIADMK members also created a noisy atmosphere to stop Bose from making any statement on the issue, he got the Mayor’s nod to speak finally.

While Bose was in the process of explaining how the MLA office was allotted to Stalin, R K Nagar MLA P Vetrivel, despite the Mayor’s instruction not to interrupt his speech, questioned the rational behind allocating the office to Stalin.

Vetrivel trained his guns on Bose for speaking about the allocation and even made remarks on Stalin.

With both the Mayor and Vetrivel interrupting Bose from recording the party’s resentment over the cancellation of allotment in the Council, he, along with other DMK councillors, staged a walkout stating that the Council’s decision was due to political animosity.
When the DMK members were staging a walkout, councillors from the ruling AIADMK booed them and called them ‘cowards.’
Later, speaking to reporters, Bose said, “Due to political animosity, the AIADMK-led civic body is planning to retrieve the office and this would deprive the local residents space to share their grievance and complaints with their MLA.” After a 40-minute discussion, the Council gave its nod for reclaiming the site in a voice-vote.

Ready to Work Even from Pavement: Stalin

Ridiculing the Chennai Corporation’s resolution to reclaim his office space in Kolathur, the local MLA and DMK’s treasurer M K Stalin on Thursday said that he didn’t mind working on a pavement for the local people.

In a hard-hitting statement immediately after the passing of resolution at the Chennai Corporation’s Council Meet, Stalin said, “I will keep a table and chair on a platform in the centre of Kolathur constituency and will work from there for the welfare of the people, if I am not allowed to function from the MLA office.”

They (state government) might be thinking that I have no business to attend to the local’s grievances when the government itself is not bothered about people’s concerns, Stalin said in a statement.

He said offices for MLAs in 12 constituencies in Chennai Corporation limit were constructed during the DMK regime and the construction of more become necessary since the number of constituencies increased to 16 after delimitation.

‘The old building remained unused in Jawahar Nagar and Chennai Corporation allowed me to use it after converting it into a full-fledged office’, Stalin said in a statement.

Reacting to the resolution adopted in the Corporation Council cancelling the allotment of an office to him, Stalin said the ruling party was behind the resolution because it could not relish the idea of him visiting the constituency to meet the people.