Chennai Corporation's 'mud'dled clean-ups

In April 2006, The Hindu reported that the Chennai Corporation is supposed to remove the silt deposited during clean-up operations by Metrowater immediately from the site.




People in Chennai have discovered these past few weeks that the Corporation is not willing to clear its own silt removed from the storm drains, not to speak of the filth deposited along the shrinking city sidewalks by Metrowater. That is something pedestrians have to live with even in the 21st century. As I have come to believe, Chennai's managers want only able-bodied, young, fully sighted, intrepid and rich men to use the vehicle-choked roads and broken down, trap-like sidewalks. There is no place for women, children, old, sick and disabled people here!

Today, The Hindu carried a photo of the indifference of the Corporation, on G.N.Chetty Road, T.Nagar. The story is the same in Zone Eight of the Corporation, in Kodambakkam (from Brindavan Street to Rajnikant's Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam). Incidentally, this road is used by blind people to reach a hostel located near the Kalyana Mandapam.

Chintadripet : Far from profitable for MRTS

So many people are breathless about Lalu Prasad Yadav speaking at the IIM about his stewardship of the Indian Railways and the profits it has shown.

If only Mr. Yadav would visit the Chennai MRTS line (locally referred to as the "flying train" because it is elevated along most of its alignment) to see how badly the Southern Railway is doing. It does not help Mr. Yadav that his junior colleague from the purportedly environment-loving PMK party, Mr. Velu is from Tamil Nadu.

One look at this station entrance at Chintadripet is enough to communicate how badly things are going for the MRTS and its commuters.



The ongoing monsoon has witnessed rainwater lashing the station entrance, close to the ticketing booth. Dogs seeking shelter have become regular inside the circulating area, and they don't hesitate to leave something behind, which there is no one to clean up.

There is no lighting inside the station other than in the concourse (circulating area), so you must approach the core of the station in pitch darkness. And here is the worst part: there are huge holes in the ground, into which you might fall and break a bone! Recently, I witnessed one man with his shin all bloody after falling into a drain pit that has no cover, near the in gate.

This is such a pity because the MRTS has built expensive stations that have tens of thousands of square feet of built up space, which can very well earn the Railways revenue. If not, they could be turned into park and ride lots, as originally planned. They could also be a combination of both. A few of the shop areas are today occupied by the cargo wings of bus operators. These are barely active at night, and only the workers loading materials are found here. Hardly the picture of a bustling commuter train station.

For a contrast, see this picture of the Westminster station opposite the British Houses of Parliament, that I took on a visit in mid-October this year.



The MRTS is among the best examples of how Indian bureaucracy badly manages potentially profitable assets, even in an otherwise professionally-run technical service like the Railways.

Despite the high rental rates in the Central district of Chennai, these MRTS stations appear desolate and deserted. Most areas earmarked for commercial activity are empty. They are ghostly in appearance, dark, dank, dysfunctional and economically ruinous for the system. The rides are overpriced, especially in comparison with the bus. There is no integration with the city bus system, run by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation of the State Government. Even the condition set by the Central Government in India demanding that the States set up a transit management authority that will monitor integration of bus and rail has failed to evoke any response.


The irony is all the greater because India is among the countries that is contributing heavily to global warming and climate change. If it has successful rail systems, it will help the world cool down. It would also help many people in Chennai breathe easier and travel ethically.

'Barefoot' cops and airconditioned Hyundai patrol cars

That Chennai is a city with funny priorities is well known.

We have heard about the gifting of 100 air conditioned patrol cars by Hyundai Motor Company, and today comes the report that it will spread its 'goodwill' to other cities in Tamil Nadu.

But I would like to present to the world the classic face of the Chennai policeman, seen in this image. This scene at the junction of United India Colony Fourth Main Road and Arcot Road epitomises the kind of policeman that this squalid metropolis can boast of.

What is the point of adding to the car fleet of such a poorly motivated, unimpressive, unprofessional, technology-illiterate and corrupt force ? What we need is policing with a more professional approach, better evidence gathering mechanisms to prevent corrupt elements cooking up facts and records.

The boom in the economy has only raised the incidence of bribe-taking, with little impact on the ramshackle, broken down road infrastructure, the lack of environmental support systems such as drains and canals, all of which have eroded the quality of life in Chennai. Of what use is 8 pc GDP growth when it means so little for the public?

'CO poisoning': Chennai's "Coffin" Hyundai Santro 'being analysed'

Today's report in The Hindu states that the Hyundai Santro which killed three people on G.N.Chetty Road, T.Nagar is being analysed by experts to determine what had led to the fatal situation.

This report strangely makes almost no mention of the alleged failure of the locking mechanism, which is thought to have prevented the occupants of the car from either opening the windows or doors.

Meanwhile, many bloggers who have been gushing about the most modern Accent model patrol cars available with Chennai police courtesy Hyundai, will be disappointed to note that the City Police is yet to announce a protocol for their use.

For those who have little or no knowledge of how police in India work, it should be instructive to know that there is no effective quick response mechanism to distress.
Like 911 in the US, one must dial 100. Contrary to the perception that the control room has all the information about the caller based on the location from which he has dialled,(the caller might be suffering a heart attack or be in an accident or become victim of crime and need not be coherent), Indian emergency services will require a full report before they decide to act.

It is not surprising therefore that many victims or patients prefer to take the closest available transport option and rush to a hospital. In the case of crime, calling the police without adequate preparation (with monetary support, in most cases) may result in the victim being questioned and harassed.

So where do the Hyundai Accent patrol cars fit into all this? We must wait for the Police Commissioner to enlighten us.

Here are some more people who are breathless about the donation of 100 cars to Chennai police: Logesh Tamilselvan and Teakada who also quotes someone as saying that police will respond in three minutes to any emergency. Sorry teakada, my maths is not so good, but how can 100 cars cater to a population of approximately 5 million and reach all emergency spots in three minutes?

Even if you add all the vehicles now with the police (not over 1,000 for Chennai in any case), that still provides a ratio of one car for 5,000 people. I suppose one must call them and cry blue murder only when one actually happens! For all other requirements, call Apollo Hospitals?

I saw one of these new-fangled patrol cars the other day on Anna Salai, blaring the siren behind parked vehicles and then extracting some money for wrong parking. Nobody is defending wrong parking, but is this the three minute emergency that people are talking about?

Hyundai's Santro deaths episode

After last Saturday's disaster involving a Hyundai Santro car in which three people died, the media has been slowly piecing the story together.

Initially, the car brand did not surface in many reports. On Thursday, however, The Hindu reported the follow-up to the incident mentioning Santro clearly.

Today, The Hindu has a report that a Hyundai Santro caught fire in a residential area due to some electrical problems. At least the mainstream media is now acting more ethically and mentioning the car brand, rather than leave readers to guess which car was involved.

As a corporate entity with a major share of the Indian automobile market, Hyundai would have enhanced its credibility if it has responded to the issue and transparently acknowledged the problem, if there was one. That it has not, and it has confined itself to offering free cars to the enforcement authority in Chennai, the City Police speaks rather poorly of its ethics.