The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rights panel calls for bridge across Pazhaverkadu lake

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 26, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rights panel calls for bridge across Pazhaverkadu lake

K.T.Sangameswaran

A sympathetic view of the plight of children in overcrowded boats
Upgrading of schools suggested

CHENNAI: Taking a sympathetic view of the plight of children who cross the Pazhaverkadu lake (Tiruvallur district) in overcrowded boats, the State Human Rights Commission has recommended to the Highways Department to commence construction of a high-level bridge across the water body after getting the necessary approval. The structure should be completed as early as possible, it said. It also suggested that the Superintendent of Police, Tiruvallur district, arrange for vigil to prevent overcrowding of boats.

The Director of School Education should upgrade the middle school at Goonan Kuppam as high school and a primary school as middle school, it said.

A full Bench of the Commission headed by its Chairperson, Justice A.S.Venkatachalamoorthy, in its order said its recommendations should be considered urgently by the authorities concerned and follow up action taken.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a report in a Tamil daily in October last year which said that children from Thangal Perumbulam and Lighthouse Kuppam had to travel in boats which were overcrowded to reach their school in Pazhaverkadu village, the Commission sought a report from the District Collector.

The Collector responded that Rs.10 crore had already been sanctioned for constructing a high-level bridge across the lake on the Pulicat Lighthouse Kuppam Road under the Tsunami Emergency Assistance Project with Asian Development Bank (ADB) assistance and the work had been entrusted to the Divisional Engineer, Highways, NABARD and Rural Roads, Chengalpattu.

He had also said proposals for upgrading schools would be sent to the Director of School Education. The police had also warned boatmen against overcrowding in boats.

Not satisfied with this, the Commission sought more details and the Collector sent a reply.

The Bench said the reply was not clear. It appeared that the tender proposal for constructing a bridge had been approved by the Commissionerate of Tenders and it had been sent to the ADB for concurrence.

The letter also said action had been taken to obtain permission from the Director of Environment. The Commission said the Collector had not answered its query on the steps taken by the Chief Educational Officer for upgrading the schools.

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