Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated the ‘U’-shaped flyover and a foot overbridge at Rajiv Gandhi IT Expressway (OMR), Thiruvanmiyur, on Feb.25. These infrastructure projects, built at a cost of Rs.27.50 crore and Rs.11.30 crore respectively, aim to ease traffic congestion and improve pedestrian safety in the area.

The flyover spans 510 meters with a width of 8.5 meters, allowing seamless movement for vehicles from Thiruvanmiyur towards Velachery and Taramani, bypassing the busy traffic signal at TIDEL Park junction. The new foot overbridge connects Thiruvanmiyur MRTS railway station with West Avenue Road, providing safe passage for pedestrians with escalators on both sides.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy CM, Udhayanidhi Stalin emphasised the government’s commitment to urban infrastructure, highlighting that these projects will enhance connectivity for IT professionals and local residents. The inauguration was attended by Ministers E.V. Velu (Public Works), Ma. Subramanian (Health), MP Tamizhachi Thangapandian, and other government officials.

These developments mark another step in Chennai’s transformation into a modern, commuter-friendly city.

From 2PM to 10 PM on the day of the visit, motorists are advised to take note of the following measures:

• Alternate Route: Motorists traveling from Chennai Airport to East Coast Road (ECR) are encouraged to use the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) as an alternative route to avoid delays.
• Commercial Vehicle Restrictions: All commercial vehicles will be prohibited from using the Airport-ECR route during the specified hours to facilitate smoother traffic flow for the dignitaries’ visit.

The Greater Chennai Traffic Police have urged the public to cooperate with the arrangements for a hassle-free travel experience and to expect some disruptions in traffic. Commuters are advised to plan their travel accordingly to avoid inconvenience.

For further updates and detailed traffic advisories, motorists can tune into official traffic announcements.

Although FOMRAA is an apolitical organization, it has been at the forefront of voter awareness, organizing meetings with major political candidates ahead of each election — be it for the Lok Sabha, Assembly, or local bodies. This initiative highlights the importance of voting, not just as a right, but also as a civic responsibility, encouraging community members to engage actively in the democratic process.

At the Voter ID Camps, residents will have the opportunity to apply for a new Voter ID by submitting essential documents such as proof of age, address, a recent photograph, and dated address proof. For those wishing to update their address, the process can be completed by presenting the necessary address documentation along with an existing Voter ID. Additionally, individuals looking to delete their voter ID may do so by providing either a duplicate Voter ID or a death certificate.

The camps will also offer assistance with linking Aadhaar cards, requiring only the Aadhaar number. Residents can also make any necessary corrections to their voter ID details, such as names, dates of birth, addresses, or photographs.

For updates on upcoming camps in your area, please follow FOMRRA at https://channel.fomrra.org. To organize a camp in your community, contact Krishna Kumar at 98840 65689. FOMRRA encourages everyone to take part in the Voter ID Camp and make their vote count by becoming an informed and engaged citizen.

Amitrajit Ghosh from the DCPCA Executive Committee emphasized that Durga Puja embodies a powerful message of respect and dignity for women, a theme reflected in all performances at the Puja Pandal. The association warmly invites everyone in Chennai to join in the celebrations.

For more information, visit DCPCA Events.

Mr. Amitrajit Ghosh, the secretary of the society, remarked, “Greenwood is like little India. Here we celebrate all festivals together, as this helps promote unity and togetherness among all.” This sentiment was palpable as neighbors came together to share in the festivities, demonstrating their commitment to inclusivity.

A unique aspect of the celebration was the daily offering of prasadam, prepared by different residents, which was enjoyed by everyone. The initiative taken by the women of Greenwood stood out, as they played a crucial role in organizing the events and ensuring that the spirit of the festival was felt by all.

The areas which will fall under the restricted water supply:

Zone 13 (Adyar) : Besant Nagar, Kalakshetra Colony, and Thiruvalluvar Nagar.

Zone 15 (Perungudi): Kottivakkam, Perungudi, Palavakkam.

Zone 15 (Sholinganallur) : Neelankarai, Saraswathy Nagar, Okkiyam Thoraipakkam, Injambakkam, Ezhil Nagar, Kannagi Nagar, Uthandi, Panayur, Karappakkam, Sholinganallur, Semmencherry.

Residents are requested to store adequate water. They can request mobile water supply via the Dial for Water option on the metro water website https://cmwssb.tn.gov.in/. 

For more information contact: Adyar – 81449 30913; Perungudi – 81449 30914; Sholinganallur – 81449 30915.

The Competition Team comprising 10 young riders (10 – 20 years old) have achieved outstanding success and made a mark as one of India’s most successful Equestrian Teams in the 2023/24 season.

The Chennai (CEC) riders returned with 14 medals from the Junior National Championships in Bangalore, winning all the Golds in all the Medal Categories of the Senior Nationals in Dressage at the beginning of 2024.

The young equestrians have excelled globally, becoming victorious against Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore in the 2023 FEI World Dressage Challenge and snatching the top spots in four of the five categories.

The CEC’s winning streak continued as they won multiple championships. Notable victories included the  Chennai Police Championship (Best Team, Best Open Rider, Best Youth Rider), the Hindustan Championship (Best Team & Best Dressage Rider), Dream Alliance (Best Team as well as 22 individual medals amongst 8 competing centres across India) as well as the Equestrian Premier League (Best Rider in Sub-Junior Category as well as Open Category). These victories solidified the team’s ability to compete consistently at the top level.

Isabelle Futnani, from the Chennai Equitation Centre, stated, “It’s been an amazing journey. Our riders have shown incredible talent, dedication, and resilience; their achievements speak volumes about their hard work. We’re super proud of them and excited for what’s next. We’d also like to thank actor Karthik for extending his presence at our event and, in turn, taking the success of our riders to a bigger audience of the public. We’re grateful for this and excited for what it means for our future!”

With greater ambitions for international competitions like the Asian Games and Olympics, we want to encourage these young riders who are at the forefront of the country’s Equestrian performance, making Tamil Nadu a proud centre of this sport.

CEC is at 130 Old Mahabalipuram Road, Sholinganallur, OMR. Ph : 95000 76968.

Winning statistics

• Tasha Neethirajan on Soulmate & Lamborgini for winning Gold and Silver in the International FEI World Dressage Challenge all over India, as well as representing Team India which could take the Gold in the respective Zone competing against Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Tasha has also won Team Gold as well as individual Bronze at the Junior Nationals in Dressage in her respective age group (Juniors). She has also won the Equestrian Premiere League and placed as the best Sub-Junior rider in the Season.
• Ananya Sajit on Knock-out and Xaria for winning Double Gold in the Junior Nationals in Dressage (Children 1 Category) for her individual as well as team performance.

• Aadithri Rajaram on Knock-out for winning Gold in the Senior Dressage Nationals for her individual performance in the Preliminary as well as Elementary class. She has also been part of the winning Team in the Senior Dressage Nationals as well as the Junior Nationals in the Young Rider Category.

• Samanna Everaa on Soulmate for winning individual Gold in the Senior Dressage Nationals as well as her achievement winning the Team Gold in the Junior Nationals in Dressage (Young Rider) alongside her great placing in 3^rd position in the international FEI World Dressage Challenge in the Senior 1 category all over India.

• Miraya Dhadabhoy for achieving the Team Gold Medal in the Senior as well as Junior Nationals in Dressage with her Horse FT as well as winning the individual Silver Medal in the Junior Nationals, she has also been awarded the Best Youth Rider in the Chennai Police Championship.

• Sritanvi Karthik on Xaria for winning Team Gold and individual Silver during the Junior Nationals in Dressage (Junior Category)

• Dwijdeep Singh Aluk for winning the Team Gold in Dressage as well as Team Silver in Show Jumping with Jack Daniels in the JNEC (in the Junior Category)
• Kevin Gabriel for winning the Team Silver in Dressage in the Junior Nationals as well the Best Dressage Rider during the Hindustan Championship

• Iman Mecca for ranking in 3^rd Team Position during the Senior Nationals in Dressage with her Horse Grand Duke, and winning many more medals during other Championships.

• KS Dhikshit for achieving the Team Silver Medal in Dressage with Xaria in the Children 2 category during the Junior Nationals and contributed with several achievements towards the Dream Alliance Trophy as well as the Chennai Police Championship.

The following road diversions will be implemented on trial basis from 16.03.2024 for one week.

> Vehicles coming from Velachery are restricted to take right turns at Apollo junction towards Thoraipakkam. Instead, they will proceed further and take a U-turn in front of Turya Hotel to reach Thoraipakkam and Sholinganallur.

> Vehicles coming from Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur are restricted to take right turns at Apollo junction towards Velachery. Instead, they will proceed further and take a U-turn in front of World Trade Centre and take a free left turn at Apollo junction to reach Velachery.

Motorists and the public are requested to cooperate.

Several appeals to the GCC, Metro Water Department, and the Chief Minister paved the way for its inauguration. The long-term construction of water and sewage pipes came to a halt in 2019 and was further hampered by the pandemic.

The construction of the pipelines concluded recently, and the Metro Water department inaugurated water taps at Clasic Farms Road and Kumaraswamy Nagar. The tap in Kumaraswamy Nagar was built outside the home of Ramasamy, a long-time resident of Sholinganallur, to honour his efforts in  campaigning for the connection, since OMR was added to the Corporation’s jurisdiction. 

The link will be operational once all residents in the aforementioned locations have applied for water and sewage connections. `

As per the changes, vehicles coming from Thiruvanmiyur are restricted from taking a right turn towards CPT junction (Madhya Kailash). Instead, they will take a compulsory left turn towards Ascendas junction and will take U’ turn near NIFT (newly proposed) after 100 metres to reach CPT junction.

Vehicles coming from Tidel park junction are restricted from taking a right turn (earlier route) towards Taramani. Instead, they will proceed further and take the same ‘U’ turn to reach Taramani.

Vehicles coming from Velachery are restricted from taking right turns at SRP Tools junction. Instead, they will take a compulsory left turn and proceed further to take the new U turn to reach Apollo Hospital Junction and Thoraipakkam junction.