The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Reporter's Diary

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 13, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Reporter's Diary

The Chennai Collectorate made for a refreshing contrast the other day. The reason: there was no indiscriminate parking of vehicles in front of it. In the past, even a "no parking" signboard near the entrance to the building didn't help.

For some days, policemen could be seen asking vehicle-owners not to park their vehicles in the "no parking area". Nothing worked.

At last, the authorities decided to keep one of the two main gates closed. A wicket gate, by the side of the closed main gate, to allow pedestrians alone would be kept open. Barricades were also put up to effectively prevent the entry of outsiders' vehicles.

Will this work? If yes, how long, is the question?

* * *

The inordinate delay in clearing up debris after construction of road medians is a big problem for road users — apart from the inconvenience, it has also led to injuries to unwary two-wheeler riders. Of late, it's a problem in several areas of Chennai.

A couple of days ago, a youth who was returning home late in the night on his two-wheeler fractured both the legs and arms when the vehicle hit stones left uncleared on 11th Main Road, Anna Nagar.

Motorists who travel on Poonamallee High Road, Kilpauk, also face a similar risk with stones piled up on both sides of the median. These stones also cause hinder traffic, eating up considerable road space.

* * *

A hospital's negligence has caused much distress in Perungalathur, south of Chennai. A youth from Perungalathur, grievously injured in a road accident near Tenkasi, was admitted to the Palayamkottai headquarters hospital on July 6 after the filing of a first information report (FIR) (167/04). For over 12 hours he was not attended to and his relatives had no option but to bring him to Chennai the next day. En route he died near Dindigul. The aggrieved relatives have asked the Health Minister and the Health Secretary to probe the incident.

* * *

Here is food for thought. Mornings are not the easiest time in the world for busy parents. Waking up, waking the children up, bathing, then bathing children, getting dressed, dressing junior up, cooking — breakfast, lunch and some times even dinner. A leading school in K.K. Nagar is proof that not all of it is possible before 8.30 a.m.

While parents manage to chaperone their children to school on time, the tiffin boxes reach a little later. If it is Papa's turn to drop off junior, Mama brings in lunch later (before she goes in to work). And several such plastic baskets (bearing tiffin boxes carrying chapatis and a yummy sabji or lemon rice and chips or whatever is for lunch) sit quietly near the entrance waiting to be picked up. The baskets carry nametags, just so that Avinash does not eat up what is rightfully Akash's.

* * *

The new Chennai-Hyderabad Volvo bus service of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) began its operations on Sunday.

The Vice-Chairperson of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, Jayanthi, flagged off the service at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Koyambedu. Travelling via Nellore, the service reaches its destination in 12 hours, at least four hours less than other services.

The service to Hyderabad leaves here at 7 p.m. The service to Chennai departs Hyderabad at 8 p.m. The fare is Rs. 600. The service boasts several features, including a DVD and mega sound system and powerful air-conditioning.

* * *

(By K.T. Sangameswaran, K. Lakshmi, Dhanya Parthasarathy and M. Dinesh Varma.)

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