Registration of birth is mandatory and is a prerequisite for citizenship. If the birth of a child has been registered without a name, it is possible for the parents or guardian to register the name within 12 months of birth, without any payment. The law even allows the registration of the name within fifteen years of birth for a small fee of Rs.200. 

As per the amendment to the Registration of Birth and Death Act, the birth registrations since 1 Jan 2000 that do not have a name, were allowed to include the name before 31 Dec 2014. This grace period has been extended to this year-end.

The Corporation requests parents in Zones 1 to 15, who have not registered yet, to approach the Birth and Death Registry Office at the Zonal Office, with relevant documents like Aadhar Card, School certificates, Ration cards or Voter ID. GCC Commissioner, J.Kumaragurubaran, IAS, has stated that this opportunity will not be extended further.

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.

The ZO sought the cooperation of the RWAs and volunteers to help steer through the upcoming monsoon with the following suggestions:

• Educate all residents about safety measures and flood preparedness, e.g., essential provisions to be stocked etc.
• Collaborating with local authorities to monitor drainage systems and water levels. 
• Assisting the elderly and differently-abled, during emergencies. The residents were requested to maintain a database of the elderly, differently-abled and pregnant women in their locality and be in touch with them for any help.
• Organising clean-up drives to prevent blockages in water channels. The ZO informed that despite multiple cleanups in water channels, poor civic sense among the public was leading to frequent choking of drains.

The residents also took this occasion to present their issues and questioned about practices in place/lessons learnt from last year’s monsoon. The highlighted issues include:

• SWD issues: No desilting of existing stormwater drains (SWDs), choked catchment pit with tar and mud, catchment pit sealed during road laying, improper slope leading to the drain, no check on sewage being let out into SWDs, disconnected SWDs (especially at Kamaraj Nagar East and Journalist Colony) and insufficient depth of SWD (Kannapa Nagar).
• Sewage issues: Most of the neighbourhood complained of sewage backflow inside residences during monsoon, especially when the roads were flooded. Also overflowing sewage on the roads. The Councillor also informed that they are upgrading pumping stations to tackle the issue.
• EB issues: After the construction of SWDs, the EB lines are out in the open and pose an enhanced risk during monsoon due to: (a) can cause tripping, (b) make pavements not fit for walking, (c) one hopes that the EB wires are well insulated.
• CMRL issues: The residents of 2nd Avenue Indira Nagar pointed out that due to CMRL work, the existing SWD has been rendered useless and the alternative SWD constructed has not been connected with the main pipe. The ZO informed that he would look into it. During the rains of Sep.25, the residents informed that the roads were totally flooded and the water was inches from entering homes. Despite informing the Corporation, help came in late and water did not recede till the wee hours of Sep.26.
• Flooding: Residents pointed out rampant concretisation as the main culprit of flooding, with no place for the water to seep in. Residents of Rukmini Road (Kalakshetra Colony) looked forward to a flood-free monsoon. The Councillor informed that diesel pumps are being readied and will be deployed at the slightest flooding. Residents of Dr.Radhakrishna Main Road and Kalakshetra Road (Thiruvanmiyur) pointed out that flooding prolonged in their areas due to pumping out of water by residences with basements. they suggested that the pumped water must not be let out on the road, but must be collected in tankers and discharged into water bodies. Residents of Karpagam Gardens thanked the GCC for relaying a bigger capacity SWD and for coordinating with Shiv Nadar School and Theosophical to ensure smooth water flow.
• Pruning of trees: The Councillor stated that the GCC had allotted the pruning machine for 3 days each for each ward, however, she has requested it for a longer time as areas like Kalakshetra Colony have more greenery.
• Encroachments: Residents pointed out encroachments on pavements have rendered pavements unfit for walking and this issue is aggravated during monsoon due to the flooding of roads.
• Other issues: Proper desilting of the Buckingham Canal end to end and its maintenance for proper flood mitigation. A check on rainwater harvesting systems in residences as well as commercial establishments to ensure no run-offs and recharge of groundwater. Relaying of all left-out roads with proper slope to prevent waterlogging. Residents also requested the GCC to obtain a GO to clean vacant plot (including private) to ensure their cleanliness, tackle waterlogging and prevent anti-social elements (especially in Velachery areas). They also pointed out that snakes are often seen during monsoon, which bite other animals. They asked for measures to be taken for the voiceless as well. Velachery residents also sought a check on encroachments around water bodies and canals, and ensure that channels were clear and big enough to take the load of water. They also requested the Corporation to prepare for the worst scenario and stock relief places with food and water so that residents don’t need to depend of air-drop of food packets.

The ZO concluded by stating that pumps will be deployed in advance at all places that are prone to flooding and enhanced anti-flooding measures will be deployed from next year onwards. Residents also pointed out that the presence of other stakeholders like TNEB, CMWSSB etc. was essential for constructive discussions in such meetings.

Adyar Times narrates the story as told by Mekala…

On July 3 afternoon, I saw a lean man sitting outside my house. I saw him asking for food from a banana vendor and a Swiggy delivery man. Pitying him, I prepared a plate for him, but as I stepped out, I saw the Swiggy guy return and give him a packet. Thinking it was food, I retracted. When I saw him not eating, I asked if he wanted food and he affirmed with a loud “Yes, Yes, give me food.” I gave him the plate along with a water bottle. It was then that I realised that the Swiggy guy had got him some chips and biscuits. 

As night came over, the man had not budged. I tried to get some information from him, but all he told me was he wasn’t drunk or doped and repeatedly asked me about me. I understood that he had some psychiatric issues apart from some issues with his leg, which rendered him immobile. He could only drag himself. Mosquitoes were swarming on him. I thus reached out to an activist Mr.Namachivayam of Venkatrathnam Nagar to enquire about a shelter for him. He immediately gave me a whole list of shelter homes from GCC’s website and I started reaching out to them. 

Meanwhile, other residents around also noticed the man and called the police. I was apprehensive about it as I was unsure how the police would be able to help. Within 10 minutes, the police came but said that they were helpless. They moved the man from the street to outside my doorstep and left.

I called each listed shelter home, but either they didn’t answer, or they said that they only took in women, or said that it was too late for rescue. My hopes to find shelter for him for the night were crashing. Somehow through connections, I called one Mr. William from Myrtle Social Welfare Network, a shelter home for women, who informed the GCC Coordinator Mr. Merlin who connected me with the NGO – Thagam Foundation. It was 10 pm by the time I contacted them. Mr. Raja Monsingh who heads the Thagam Foundation, assured that his team would come first thing in the morning. With no other choice, we let the man be on our doorstep. He was restless the whole night and moved around on his knees.  

At around 5 am, volunteers from Thaagam came. They had a nearly 20-minute conversation with the man and finally picked him up. The conversation was to make him comfortable and prepare him for the shelter. It was a big relief to know that he would be safely taken care of now. 

Adyar Times appreciates the initiative taken by Mekala and hopes the story to be a guide to others in the neighbourhood for such rescues. Do share such stories from the neighbourhood by emailing adyartimes@gmail.com.

Update on the man as of July 5: He was admitted to the Thaagam Foundation Men’s Shelter, Tharamani. He is currently bedridden and diagnosed with psychiatric issues. He is to be moved to the hospital for further treatment. If you have any information about the ma, contact Mr.Prakash at the shelter at 78239 32063.

For this upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, Senior Citizens above 85 years and differently abled, living within Greater Chennai Corporation limits can cast their votes from home through post, by submitting the duly filled Form 12 D. The forms must be submitted before or by Mar.25 to the officer in the polling station level officers/ the Election Commission or the Assistant Election Commission Officer office in their area. 

J. Radhakrishnan Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner in a meeting held on Mar.20 said that the provisions have been made to vote by post in 16 assembly constituencies including 3 Lok Sabha constituencies, under Chennai Corporation,  to avoid difficulties for senior citizens and persons with disability in going to the polling station and voting.

Polling Station Officers will personally visit the residences of the differently abled voters and voters above 85 years of age, with Form 12D and voter list to facilitate election. 

When the officers visit the residence of the voters, they are asked to cooperate by giving their consent after reading the form (they can also request the officers to read out the form). The voters should also submit proof of identity or proof, if requested.

As per the final electoral roll published on Jan.22, the total number of voters is 39,01,167. Out of the total number of voters, it is revealed that there are 11,369 differently abled voters and 63,751 voters above the age of 85 years.

If voters with disabilities and voters above 85 years of age have any doubts and complaints regarding postal voting, they can contact Chennai District Election Office on 24 hours toll-free numbers 1950 and 1800 425 7012. Download the form at https://t.co/1BpzcCiZZS

In response to an affidavit filed by the East Kamaraj Nagar Residents Welfare Association with the National Green Tribunal, on the sewage and flooding issues of the locality, the Tribunal has asked the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to file a report on the issue status by Nov.30.

The GCC told the Tribunal that they, in coordination with the other departments including the Highways Department, were planning on a permanent solution for the problem raised by the RWA, and requested 6-8 months of time to complete the coordination with other departments. The Tribunal asked the GCC to file a status report, with details on action taken, project report, funds sanctioned and timeline for completing the work.

The RWA, in their case, had requested to:

• Connect the stormwater drains (SWD) of Radhakrishnan Nagar directly to Buckingham Canal without entering East Kamaraj Nagar; Ensure that the SWDs in East Kamaraj Nagar (North) are connected to the Buckingham Canal to prevent flooding in East Kamaraj Nagar during monsoons.
• Fix sewage leak into SWD.
• Remove the dead BSNL cables inside SWDs, to allow free flow of water
• Rectify the gradient of SWD.

Following this, the Tribunal sought responses from Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), GCC and Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB).

The GCC replied that:

• There is no SWD connectivity from Radhakrishnan Nagar to East Kamaraj Nagar (North). The flooding was because the locality is a low-lying area (almost 2-3 ft below Kalakshetra Main Road and Thiruvalluvar Salai of ECR), and thus all run-off gets accumulated there, necessitating pumping out of water, despite SWD.
• The old SWD at the Thiruvanmiyur LB Road signal was in a dilapidated state, thus hampering free flow of water. However, GCC resolved the issues of telecom cables and high tension wires and relaid the SWD. GCC has also agreed to study the functioning of the SWD network in West Kamaraj Nagar area and evolve suitable designs.

The CMWSSB stated that:

• The sewage outfalls have been plugged and the existing sewage system is adequate to ensure no overflow of sewage into SWDs.
• The mixing of sewage occurred in the months of Oct – Dec, 2021, due to unprecedented rains, when rainwater entered into the sewage system, leading to backflow of sewage. However, the same was resolved by CMWSSB and no issue of mixing was reported since.
• Some of the illegal sewer connections were plugged on being notified. GCC has been informed that some of the commercial establishments on L.B.Road were letting out sewage into SWD illegally, despite having a sewer connection. 
• Three of the machine holes, which were in dilapidated conditions, were fixed.
• Despite BSNL cables running through the SWD, it is frequently desilted to ensure free flow.

The TNPCB observed:

• Crisscrossing BSNL cables would hamper flow of water in case floatable solid waste got stuck over the cables. BSNL claims that the laid cables pre-date the SWD and thus the responsibility of the proper construction of SWD lies with the GCC, but the cables have to be rerouted after construction of SWD.
• SWD at Kamaraj Nagar was found to be at a lower level with respect to the L.B.Road – ECR, necessitating pumping out of water. GCC, however, must maintain gradients based on the topography of the region and the study conducted for the same. A new study to verify the gradient and take corrective measures was also suggested.
• Though no sewage water was found in the SWDs, CMWSSB has been instructed to ensure flow of sewage to treatment plants.

The Government of Tamil Nadu, as a special initiative has formed Tamil Nadu Working Women’s Hostel Corporation Limited (TNWWHCL), to upgrade the hostel environment and provide safe, affordable living spaces for working women in good locations with modern amenities.

Chief Minister M.K.Stalin, on July 13 inaugurated the hostels across the state including one at Adyar, Chennai district, with 98 beds, retrofitted at a cost of Rs.76.6 lakhs. The retrofitted hostel in Adyar is located in a prime location and has the following facilities: 

• Biometric login
• 24-hour security guard
• CCTV surveillance
• RO drinking water
• Housekeeping staff to clean the rooms daily and maintain hygienic toilet facilities
• Washing machine, geyser, ironing facilities, catering services, recreation room
• Free Wi-Fi facility
• Single room, double room, four sharing rooms and six sharing rooms available.

Room can be availed for a single day basis also. Accommodation rent ranges from Rs.4,500 to Rs.6,500/- per person per month. Users can enter their details through the integrated website www.tnwwhcl.in to avail the hostel stay service. In Adyar, the hostel is located at 2nd Cross Street, Sastri Nagar. Ph: 24420725.

The recently retrieved land, which was previously a kuchcha road, was made a pucca tar road, post retrieval. The Madipakkam Social Service (MSS) Trust was invited to help green the area and 43 saplings were planted with their help.

“The strip of land, encroached by the Kalakshetra Foundation, cut off many residences, specially the underprivileged, living beyond Kalakshetra, from the main road. The institute also threatened to raise a wall to restrict the movement of those people and allowed only pedestrians through the place. Vehicles were not allowed and thus had to take a circuitous route. This specifically proved tedious for senior citizens, residents going to work, school going children and those seeking medical help as they had to travel an extra 2.5 km to reach the main road,” explained the Councillor.

After the residents highlighted their plight to the Councillor, she promptly acted to retrieve the land. Kalakshetra immediately filed a stay order. However, the court identified the land as belonging to the Corporation and was handed over thus. 

Utilising the ward funds, the Councillor soon presented the residents with a tar road, on the edges of which saplings were planted on June 8.

The Councillor thanked minister Ma.Subramanian (Health and Family Welfare) for his support and the cooperation of Executive Engineer Purushothaman, AEE Ashok Kumar, AE Manivel and Paraasivam, MSS Trust Director Saravana Kumar, social activist Kamakshi Subramaniyam, Priya Rajasekar, Green Committee member T.D.Babu and Secretary Swaminathan Jayakumar. 

MSS Plantation Trust shares their experience of working with the Councillor at Thiruvanmiyur, “Twenty-five members of MSS Foundation arrived at the spot to start work. When the Councillor took the shovel to start the digging, the team were highly motivated and started digging pits for planting. The saplings and the mesh protector for the saplings arrived as separate loads. Local residents happily gave a helping hand and worked as a family. Snacks, food and hydrating drinks made it all the more fun. A good partnership of community and corporation can do wonders indeed!”

The officials were given a tour of the Forest and a brief of the activities of Nizhal by its Founder Shobha Menon and Trustee T.D.Babu. “We emphasised on the need for efforts of the community as a whole in preserving trees and understanding more about them,” said Shobha.

The team also pointed out the need for understanding the difference between nature-centric urban forests and human-centric parks. “Both the places have different purposes and the needs should be understood by the public and the government agencies. These urban forests are biodiversity conservation spots and the general parks are for human recreation. The public needs to be more responsible while visiting urban forests,” explained T.D.Babu.

Impressed by the efforts of Nizhal in creating the forest and the importance given to indigenous trees, the officials said that more such places need to be created with community involvement. They also asked Nizhal to play an advisory role in connecting public green spaces of the GCC with the local community around it, across Chennai.

Representatives from various communities: Lochana Mahesh, Anu Narayan, Subhashini, Rishi and Ravi were also present, and explained their initiatives.

In Zone 13, the Mayor received 303 petitions, with issues ranging from school facilities, stormwater drains, road repairs, park improvements, sewage and water, electricity, other civic issues and birth & death certificates.

Eleven of the complaints pertaining to birth certificates and change of name in property papers were resolved on the spot. GCC informed that all the other issues would be resolved by the respective departments at the earliest. Most of the issues were pertaining to stormwater drains and sewage and metro water. The Mayor also informed that roads would be re-laid at places where the SWD work had been completed.

At the event, the Mayor also distributed:

• Cheque of Rs.1 lakh each to 10 recipients from the Chief Minister’s Accident Relief Fund;
• Nutrition kit to 20 pregnant women;
• Motorised sewing machine to 5 underprivileged women;
• Cheque of Rs.2000 to 21 students from 6 schools, who had topped the board exams;
• Monetary assistance to eight elderly widows;
• Monetary relief for the differently abled.

Also present at the event were: Thamizhachi Thangapandian – MP (Chennai South); Dha.Velu – Mylapore MLA; Mahesh Kumar – Deputy Mayor; J.Radhakrishnan, IAS – GCC Commissioner; Shankar Lal Kumawat, IAS – Additional Commissioner (Health); Dr.G.S.Sameeran, IAS – Joint Commissioner (Works); Saranya Ari, IAS – Deputy Commissioner (Health) (Revenue and Finance (in-charge)); M.P.Amith – Regional Deputy Commissioner; R.Durairaj – Zone 13 Chairman; S.Rajendiran – Chief Engineer; Dr.M.Jagadeesan – City Health Officer, Zonal Officer (Zone 13) Saravanamoorthy and Councillors of the wards.

Chaos reigns at venue

Inexperienced staff, unorganised queue system and confusion while registering complaints were just some of the issues faced by the crowd at the venue.

“It took 35 minutes for filing my complaint,” said Bhaskar, a petitioner at the venue and he elaborated, “The staff needed more experience in handling whatever software they used to register the complaint. I was then informed that each of my complaints had to be filed as separate petitions in separate letters. That’s ridiculous! Finally they were able to file my complaints together. For complaints that didn’t have any list of categories, it went in some random category.”

Though petitioners were given a token number at the entrance of the venue, it was not followed in the queue to meet the mayor. By mid-afternoon, the petitioners ran out of patience and chaos ensued. A lady petitioner also fainted at the venue and was administered medical aid there.

A scuffle also occurred with media persons, when nonagenarian Kamakshi Subramaniyam, a petitioner from Besant Nagar, was being interviewed by the media, thus interrupting the interview.

“The only assuring aspect was that the Commissioner and the Mayor verbally listened to our complaints and immediately asked the concerned officers to look into it. The Commissioner strictly informed the CMWSSB officer on one of my complaints, ‘Please ensure that the sewage issue is resolved within a day. It shouldn’t be that issues remain unresolved even after approaching us’,” said Bhaskar.

Zone 13 looks forward to regular Area Sabhas for resolution of local issues and such initiatives with the Mayor for larger issues.