The system utilizes unique QR codes for each vehicle that are displayed behind the driver’s seat. Passengers can simply scan the code with their smartphones. If they feel unsafe or encounter any problem during their journey, they can press the SOS button within the QR code system. This will instantly send an alert message with the vehicle’s location and other relevant details to the police control room. Additionally, passengers can directly call the emergency number 112 for immediate assistance.

This technology enables real-time tracking of the vehicle and facilitates a faster response from law enforcement agencies, especially during late hours or in less populated areas. The Chief Minister emphasised the importance of passenger safety and highlighted the government’s commitment to leveraging technology for better public services.

The Police are also collaborating with popular ride-hailing applications like Ola, Uber, and Rapido to integrate their emergency response systems with the police control room. This means that any distress call made through these apps will also be directly communicated to the police, allowing for swift action.

With over 89,000 auto-rickshaws operating within the city, this initiative is expected to significantly bolster passenger safety and create a more secure transportation environment in Chennai. The project is being rolled out in phases, with the initial focus on autos and taxis. The government plans to expand this system to other modes of public transport in the future.

Leading the effort were Supriya Sahu IAS – Additional Chief Secretary (Department of Environment, Climate Change & Forests) and Silai Zaki – Australia’s Consul-General, who were joined by over 50 volunteers in cleaning the beach. V.Jaya Chandra Bhanu Reddy IAS – Additional Commissioner (Health), Srinivasan – Corporation Zonal Officer (Zone 13), Ignacio Albert Gleiser – Managing Director of Urbaser Sumeet, along with Urbaser Sumeet CEO Mahmood Sait and the senior management team, enthusiastically participated, highlighting their commitment to sustainability.

“Chennai has been making commendable strides in waste management, and we hope this initiative motivates people to realise they can make a difference to bring out the best of Chennai,” said Ms. Silai Zaki, Australia’s Consul-General.

These camps aim to assist the public with various issues related to the Public Distribution System (PDS), including:

• Addition or removal of family members in ration cards
• Address changes
• Inclusion or modification of LPG connection details

Additionally, senior citizens lacking proper identification will receive the necessary certification. Complaints regarding the quality or quantity of goods at ration shops and other PDS-related grievances will also be addressed.

Residents are encouraged to make use of these camps to resolve their concerns efficiently.

Locals are urging the Neelankarai Police and the Chennai Corporation to take immediate action to stop the illegal sand extraction.

The sand theft is in violation of environmental regulations, and residents are calling for increased surveillance and enforcement in the area. Efforts to raise awareness and pressure authorities for swift action are ongoing, as the community works to protect the beach from further exploitation.

Many residents had mailed Adyar Times indicating an accident waiting to happen. At around noon on Nov.19, Dr.Thirupathi, his wife, and another pedestrian were gravely injured when a speeding car lost control and hit them, while they were walking on the pavement. 

The event took place near the junction of 5th Cross Street and 1st Main Road. Dr.Thirupathi sustained severe injuries on his head and the police informed that he was still on ventilator support as of Nov.22. His wife suffered injuries on the hip, but the injuries were not grave. The third pedestrian sustained minor injuries on her leg and didn’t require admission.

The police point out that due to the ongoing CMRL work, traffic is being diverted through inroads and residential areas throughout the city. While this is inevitable, they said they are open to possible solutions to ease the problem.

Currently, the whole stretch from where the diversion starts to where it ends has no traffic lights or a manned section, and hardly any speed breakers. With unwalkable pavements at many places and speeding vehicles on the whole stretch, the roads have become a nightmare for pedestrians and cyclists. The stretch on M.G.Road – between 1st Main Road junction and the Malaviya Avenue junction, too has become chaotic due to the heavy influx of traffic and has become a choker point. This is another junction where danger awaits.

Over the months, many residents have written to us about the need to have better safety measures in place on the impacted roads. Here we share two of them.

V.Sriram, Sastri Nagar says…

On the morning of Nov.19, there was an accident at the intersection of 5th Cross Street and 1st Main Road Sastri Nagar, which resulted in the fatality of a person who was on his morning walk around the area. While I express my condolences to the dear departed and his family, I would like to bring to your notice a couple of points.

Sastri Nagar 1st Main Road is off late hosting dense traffic, with vehicles of all passing through. On either side of the road, there is a big bump (a raised strip of land), which greatly hinders the crossing of vehicles and people, especially at junctions (i.e.: 5th Cross Street and 8th Cross Street intersect at 1st Main Road). When both these factors come together, it creates possibilities for accidents.

Hence, I request the corporation and road safety department to install traffic signals and traffic wardens to regulate traffic better – at the junction of 1st Avenue and 1st Main Road, and at the intersection of 5th Cross Street and 1st Main Road.

Hoping to have more safer roads for our community. 

N.V.Chandrasekharan, Sastri Nagar, states…

For the last few weeks, the entire traffic bound from Adyar side to Thiruvanmiyur along L.B.Road has been diverted along the 1st Main Road in Sastri Nagar, due to the ongoing CMRL work on L.B.Road.

The authorities did a great job relaying the turf of the 1st Main Road ‘like a billiards table top’ and painted the sides with white paint to demarcate the traffic limits.

While in some stretches the pavement exists, no steps have been taken to ensure they are continuous. The pedestrians must spill over to the dangerous side of the white border – not to mention the whizzing two-wheelers driving at break-neck speed on the so-called space for the pedestrians on the other side of the white line. Adding to their agony are the parked cars, close to the non-existent pavement in front of shops, lorry loads of chicken unloaded / welding workshops right where pedestrians should be safely walking, temporary eateries, parked two-wheelers on the pavement etc., that force pedestrians to risk their lives on the vehicular path.

The problem is, while they are mighty pleased looking at the roadway for motorists, they have sadly forgotten about the plight of pedestrians walking on either side of the road. There is virtually a ‘hit-me-if-you-can’ circus every minute on the sides.

Added to that are two-wheelers driving from the opposite side when you least expect them as you are busily negotiating for a safe path. Here we also have gutters on the roadside concreted at many places for cars to drive above them into the apartments, preventing the free flow of rainwater, thus causing large puddles of water on the sides even after a brief shower that the pedestrians must negotiate to step on to the traffic path.

This is a very serious safety hazard and a barbaric scheme of things. The photos here are just a few samples to emphasise the point of view. It shall be noted that 1st Main Road is not a state highway where pedestrians do not usually walk on the sides.

Request authorities to take a walk, see firsthand, take a wholesome view, and quickly act before we have a tragic happening on the road.

Constructed at the cost of Rs.1.61 crores, the ramp will span 189 m in length. Around 40% of the construction is already complete and is slated to be completed by December. 

On Oct.27, the Deputy CM inspected the progress of the ramp, interacted with the differently-abled people at the beach and noted their requests. He said that on the request from the differently-abled, steps are being taken to construct a similar ramp at the Thiruvanmiyur beach and at Velankanni (Nagapattinam district). 

The residents highlight that the green space has served the community for over 20 years, featuring a garden, benches, a small temple, and coconut trees, all developed and maintained by residents. It also hosts a TNEB transformer, critical for local power supply. The residents point out that this space poses no obstruction and enhances the neighbourhood.

The building in question already has an access gate on Seaworld Drive, its registered address for essential services (TNEB, property tax etc.). Residents worry that converting Raja Rangaswamy Avenue to an access point could impact the area’s residential zoning, particularly if the property becomes commercial, potentially leading to parking congestion. Additionally, Raja Rangaswamy Avenue and its building are approved under CRZ, while the status of the southern side, is not clear in the publicly available drawings.

They point out that if the gate comes up:

• The temple has to be removed
• The trees have to be cut
• The seats will have to be removed, and there will be no more seating for senior citizens
• There will be no more greenery and no garden – as the plants will be uprooted.
• Road will have to be laid till the end of the wall 
• Transformer will need to be moved towards the compound.

Considering all this, the residents appeal to GCC to retain the status quo of the temple and recreation area at the southern end of Raja Rangaswamy Avenue, as desired by a large number of residents of Valmiki Nagar.

For more information email: valmikinagarchennai@gmail.com.

Routing massive amounts of stormwater into beaches through pipes can have significant environmental, ecological, and health:

• Beach erosion: Discharging large volumes of stormwater into beaches can accelerate coastal erosion. The force of stormwater flow can strip sand from the beach, destabilize dunes, and weaken natural coastal defences. Sediments from SWDs can alter natural sand movement patterns.
• Pollution of coastal waters: SWDs in Chennai have often been reported to also carry sewage. Such water when routed directly to the beach introduces these pollutants into the coastal ecosystem, directly impacting marine life.
• Marine ecosystem disruption: Sudden influxes of fresh water can disturb the salinity levels of coastal waters, impacting marine species adapted to specific saline conditions. Pollutants carried by the stormwater can also cause toxic algal blooms, harm fish populations, and disrupt the broader ecosystem. An example of this was the bio-luminance spotted across Chennai beaches.
• Backflow during high tide: During high tide, there will be a backflow of waterflooding in low-lying areas or streets near the coast, as the pipes intended to carry water away from these areas are instead carrying seawater back into them. It will also increase the pressure on the drainage system and accelerate erosion of pipes due to saltwater, thus increasing maintenance costs. 
• Impact on tourism: Polluted stormwater discharges can make beaches unsafe for recreational activities such as swimming, surfing, and fishing, negatively impacting local tourism and the economy.

Such discharge can be seen not at one but two places on Thiruvanmiyur beach and multiple places all along the Chennai coast. At Palavakkam and Kottivakkam, sewage is let out at the beach through pipes.

The beaches from Marina to Uthandi come under CRZ 1A and 1B. As per the Ministry of Environment and Forest, “No new construction shall be permitted within 500 metres of the High Tide Line. No construction activity, except facilities for carrying treated effluents and wastewater discharges into the sea, facilities for carrying seawater for cooling purposes, oil, gas and similar pipelines, will be permitted between the Low Tide Line and the High Tide Line.” Any other construction is a violation.

This practice underscores the need for a sustainable and environmentally sound flood mitigation strategy that takes into account the fragile coastal ecosystem and the well-being of local communities.

What would it take for the GCC to take notice and take corrective action immediately?

The Councillor promised to look into it and take appropriate action. All the concerns were also submitted as complaints to various government departments and officials – GCC, Police, District Collector, tahsildar and Councillor, for necessary action.

Efforts to Resolve the Issue

In 2022, Councillor J.Kayalvizhi tried to address the situation and cleared a part of the obstruction on L.B.Road (Adyar Times dated 30 Oct 2022). The residents also took their grievances to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), requesting that their stormwater drains (SWD) be connected to L.B. Road (near Hot Chips) to prevent flooding. This plea led to various government departments being asked by the tribunal to respond to the delay in providing relief to the residents.

Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials initially agreed to study the SWD issues and promised to design a more efficient drainage system. However, they and other departments (CMWSSB, BSNL, etc.) pointed fingers at each other for the delays, leaving the residents frustrated and with no clear solution in sight (Adyar Times dated 15 Oct.2023).

Continuing Flooding

Despite assurances from the GCC, Kamaraj Nagar’s residents continue to face the same challenges during this year’s monsoon. On Oct.17, the East Kamaraj Nagar (North) Residents Welfare Association filed an interim application with the NGT, highlighting the GCC’s failure to resolve the flooding issues. They highlighted that GCC’s stormwater management plan has been inadequate, particularly during heavy rains in mid-October.

The GCC had previously claimed that the majority of the work to fix the drainage issues had been completed, with only 5% of the project left. However, residents reported that the key component of the solution – a well designed to store stormwater and pump it into the Buckingham Canal, had failed to perform as expected. The well, about 20 feet deep, was unable to hold sufficient water, and the pump installed was not powerful enough to extract water (3 feet of water coming in and 1 inch of water pumped out), thus leading to flooded homes.

Sewage water complicates the problem

Even before the construction of the well was over, residents reported that sewage had started flowing into it. Despite informing the local councillor and the GCC, the issue remained unresolved. Thus to draw attention to the issue, residents staged a protest on Oct.12, demanding that the GCC take immediate action to complete the project before the monsoons intensified.

se rapidly, overwhelming the GCC’s pumps. The rainwater entered homes on the 2nd and 3rd East Streets, highlighting the inadequacy of the well design and the pump’s capacity. Additionally, the stormwater was not being discharged directly into the drains, but instead into chambers, which created reverse pressure and worsened the flooding.

Calls for permanent solutions

Residents pointed out that stormwater from Kamaraj Nagar is supposed to be discharged into the SWD at L.B. Road, but this has not happened due to obstructions, including BSNL cables blocking the drains and sewage discharge preventing proper flow. Furthermore, rainwater from L.B. Road itself has added to the flooding problems. Residents have called for the final discharge point of stormwater to be moved to the southern side of Thiruvalluvar Salai and for the Buckingham Canal to be desilted to ensure it can handle the increased water flow.

In their application to the NGT, the residents requested the tribunal to direct the GCC to redesign and implement an efficient SWD system that ensures seamless connectivity to the Buckingham Canal. They hope that with proper planning and execution, they can finally experience a flood-free monsoon in the next season.