Thursday, 1 September 2016
Thursday, 25 August 2016
Wednesday, 9 December 2015
#CHENNAIRAINS - Delay in Decision TOI on 9 December
READ - ORIGINAL TO BE FOUND HERE
Dec 09 2015 : The Times of India (Chennai)
Delay in decision to open sluice gates caused flood of trouble
Chennai:
TEAM TOI
|
The flood that ravaged Chennai last week was not a natural disaster, but one caused by the state bureaucracy's failure to regulate release of water from Chembarambakkam reservoir (lake) in the outskirts of the city.Those privy to developments in the state secretariat during the last week of November say that in the wake of international weather forecast agencies predicting 500mm of rain for Chennai on December 1 and 2, public works department (PWD) officials had advised the PWD secretary and other senior bureaucrats on November 26 to bring down the water level in the reservoir from 22ft to below 18ft so the lake could absorb heavy inflow four days later. There was not much rain between November 26 and 29 and Adyar river, too, which originates from this lake, had very little water.
The proposal to release lake water was caught in bureaucratic red tape. Sources said the PWD secretary waited for chief secretary's nod to open the sluice gates -and whose nod the chief secretary was waiting for still remains a mystery.In effect, the disaster caused in Punjab by heavy release of water from the Bhakra Nangal dam two years ago was repeated in Chennai.
Orders to open the Chembarambakkam sluice gates -rather flood gates -were not received till the city received was pounded with rain and the reservoir started overflowing. “The state administration maintained that the release from the reservoir into Adyar river was only 33,500 cusecs (cubic feet per second; 1 cubic ft is 28.3 litres of water), which is the maximum capacity of the gates, from December 1 night onwards. But the actual release was more than double that, and nobody has any idea how much it was because water was overflowing from Chembarambakkam after the reservoir reached its full capacity of 24 feet. The problem was compounded as Athannur lake breached, releasing about 5,000 cusecs into the Adyar,“ said a highly placed source in PWD.
In effect, Adyar was carrying more than one lakh cusecs of water on December 2 and 3, said a senior IAS official, who was coordinating rescue operations. “The city has paid the price for having a bunch of bureaucrats who don't have the guts to act on their own.We were lucky that the reservoir, despite overflowing, did not breach,“ he said.
“Flooding of Chennai and suburbs could have been averted by better management of water release,“ said Madras Institute of Development Studies professor S Janakarajan. The administration should not have viewed Chembarambakkam in isolation. The lake and Adyar river are connected to about 200 tanks, he said. Even if 33,500 cusecs had been released from Chembarambakkam, by the time the water reached Saidapet, it would have swelled to 60,000 cusecs because of additional flow from other water bodies enroute. The administration failed to gauge this and hapless people paid the price for it, he explained.
Janakarajan said the government should view all water bodies, roughly 3,600 of them, in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts as one watershed as they are hydrologically connected to one another. “If the government cleans up all those water bodies, they can hold about 30 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water.Moreover, it will also prevent flooding in future,“ he said.
The magnitude of the disaster was more because there was no advisory issued to people living in low-lying areas, warning them that their homes could get flooded.To add to the misery, Chennai city police officers were instructed to keep their cell phones switched off (much before mobile phone towers went down) and carry out all communications only through wireless sets. Hence, people in distress could not seek help by reaching out to officials in their locality.
TOI's repeated efforts to get responses from the chief secretary and PWD secretary went in vain.Some pertinent questions that remain unanswered are: Whose orders were the bureaucrats waiting for to open the reservoir sluices?
Will anybody be held responsible for the lapses? And, at least now, will the government put a standard operating procedure in place to keep reservoirs at safe levels? Will a better system be evolved to warn people living on river banks before gates are opened?
WASHING MACHINES ON THE STREET
The lack of a warning about the huge discharge from Chembarambakkam reservoir not only devastated the banks of Adyar but also submerged T Nagar and its bylanes, leaving middle and low-income colonies in distress.Tonnes of food grains from grocery shops and household items, including washing machines, are on road-side dumps in every corner of the neighbourhood. Having lost items worth thousands of rupees, the residents were picking up pieces. TNN
The proposal to release lake water was caught in bureaucratic red tape. Sources said the PWD secretary waited for chief secretary's nod to open the sluice gates -and whose nod the chief secretary was waiting for still remains a mystery.In effect, the disaster caused in Punjab by heavy release of water from the Bhakra Nangal dam two years ago was repeated in Chennai.
Orders to open the Chembarambakkam sluice gates -rather flood gates -were not received till the city received was pounded with rain and the reservoir started overflowing. “The state administration maintained that the release from the reservoir into Adyar river was only 33,500 cusecs (cubic feet per second; 1 cubic ft is 28.3 litres of water), which is the maximum capacity of the gates, from December 1 night onwards. But the actual release was more than double that, and nobody has any idea how much it was because water was overflowing from Chembarambakkam after the reservoir reached its full capacity of 24 feet. The problem was compounded as Athannur lake breached, releasing about 5,000 cusecs into the Adyar,“ said a highly placed source in PWD.
In effect, Adyar was carrying more than one lakh cusecs of water on December 2 and 3, said a senior IAS official, who was coordinating rescue operations. “The city has paid the price for having a bunch of bureaucrats who don't have the guts to act on their own.We were lucky that the reservoir, despite overflowing, did not breach,“ he said.
“Flooding of Chennai and suburbs could have been averted by better management of water release,“ said Madras Institute of Development Studies professor S Janakarajan. The administration should not have viewed Chembarambakkam in isolation. The lake and Adyar river are connected to about 200 tanks, he said. Even if 33,500 cusecs had been released from Chembarambakkam, by the time the water reached Saidapet, it would have swelled to 60,000 cusecs because of additional flow from other water bodies enroute. The administration failed to gauge this and hapless people paid the price for it, he explained.
Janakarajan said the government should view all water bodies, roughly 3,600 of them, in Chennai, Kancheepuram and Thiruvallur districts as one watershed as they are hydrologically connected to one another. “If the government cleans up all those water bodies, they can hold about 30 tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) of water.Moreover, it will also prevent flooding in future,“ he said.
The magnitude of the disaster was more because there was no advisory issued to people living in low-lying areas, warning them that their homes could get flooded.To add to the misery, Chennai city police officers were instructed to keep their cell phones switched off (much before mobile phone towers went down) and carry out all communications only through wireless sets. Hence, people in distress could not seek help by reaching out to officials in their locality.
TOI's repeated efforts to get responses from the chief secretary and PWD secretary went in vain.Some pertinent questions that remain unanswered are: Whose orders were the bureaucrats waiting for to open the reservoir sluices?
Will anybody be held responsible for the lapses? And, at least now, will the government put a standard operating procedure in place to keep reservoirs at safe levels? Will a better system be evolved to warn people living on river banks before gates are opened?
WASHING MACHINES ON THE STREET
The lack of a warning about the huge discharge from Chembarambakkam reservoir not only devastated the banks of Adyar but also submerged T Nagar and its bylanes, leaving middle and low-income colonies in distress.Tonnes of food grains from grocery shops and household items, including washing machines, are on road-side dumps in every corner of the neighbourhood. Having lost items worth thousands of rupees, the residents were picking up pieces. TNN
Sunday, 15 November 2015
ROSARIO KRISHNARAJ -RIP
Born 10 August 1931 Baptised 7 October 1949 Ordained 1 May 1963 Died 14 November 2015
Saturday, 7 February 2015
Insider's View on Protestantism
Sagayaraj, one of my seniors defended a thesis in the University of Madras on 4 February. His research was the perception of the Catholics on Protestants. It was interesting to listen to him presenting his findings.
His study was based on the responses from almost 1800 people from the 17 dioceses of Tamil Nadu. As it was indicated in the defense, the statistics will initiate further studies and researches.
Congratulations!
I hope that this study is taken further by other scholars.
His study was based on the responses from almost 1800 people from the 17 dioceses of Tamil Nadu. As it was indicated in the defense, the statistics will initiate further studies and researches.
Congratulations!
I hope that this study is taken further by other scholars.
Tuesday, 3 February 2015
Church Vandalised
After the BJP won the election with a vast majority, the RSS and other Hindutva groups have been attempting to engage in activities will only aggravate hatred among its citizens.
vandalizing the religious places can never be accepted. Engaging in activities like this can endanger the unity of the country.
In the last two months five churches have been vandalized in Delhi alone.
NEWS FROM THE HINDU
vandalizing the religious places can never be accepted. Engaging in activities like this can endanger the unity of the country.
In the last two months five churches have been vandalized in Delhi alone.
NEWS FROM THE HINDU
"A church in South Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area was vandalised in the early hours of Monday. This is the fifth incident of its kind in the past two months leading up to the Assembly elections later this week.
The attack on St. Alphonsa’s Church took place between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m., but was discovered only when the watchman found the main gate ajar, a little after dawn.
Delhi Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto expressed concern at the frequent attacks. “It is a reflection of the hate campaign and false propaganda by groups whose sole aim is to break the religious harmony and social peace of this great nation,” the Archbishop said of the attack, in a written statement.
He said the attack “reflected on the government and its failure to give protection to minorities and their religious structures.” The police, however, said initial investigation showed that the break-in was motivated by petty theft. The police have, according to a spokesperson, registered a case of theft and are in the process of questioning the area’s residents with recorded criminal antecedents for clues.
Expressing grave concern, the Union Home Ministry wrote to the Delhi Police Commissioner asking for a detailed report on the police action so far in other such attacks and seeking details of security provided to other religious places."
Tuesday, 9 December 2014
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Sunday, 17 August 2014
Friday, 14 March 2014
Saturday, 1 February 2014
Thursday, 10 October 2013
We are Confused - Are we really?
Mr. Narendira Modi is the most searched politician in (GOOGLE) India. People in the last six months have started searching news related to election.
Jokes apart, any state, any country which runs on debts, will be a country that seems richer, brighter and modern. one can think of America - the most sought country in the world - the most advanced country in the world, the measure of the world; It had to shut down all of its public offices, parks because it does not have money to pay to its workers. Every month it borrows and pays - well this is how the economy works. Experts will advise me to shut my mouth - they will say everything will be alright soon... This is how I think Gujarat works. This is how Mr. Singh wants it to work for India!
Well Gujarat is like this... what has this to do with the confusion?
The same people who cast doubt about Modi and his innocence in the riot, think that Modi means business.. (One has to ask whose business? and What business?).
While Mr. Modi is said to be a politician who follows the dictates of the RSS which advocates fanaticism, still he is seen to be a charismatic leader. The citizens of the country know that his silence in the killing of many innocents in the riots. However even the secular citizens wish this time to be on the side of Mr. Modi because he is seen to be a wonderful, powerful, and a productive chief minister in Gujarat - in Gujarat they talk about job opportunities, lot of foreign investments, etc. What is hidden in this illuminated Gujarat is the fact that many things are veiled from the eyes of the public. For example, they say that every third child in Gujarat is underweight. One can add many more things like this. One may look to clear one's prejudice or to know the fact. People search the internet for all sorts of things - unfortunately this may be credited to the favour of Modi - as the most searched politician.
Jokes apart, any state, any country which runs on debts, will be a country that seems richer, brighter and modern. one can think of America - the most sought country in the world - the most advanced country in the world, the measure of the world; It had to shut down all of its public offices, parks because it does not have money to pay to its workers. Every month it borrows and pays - well this is how the economy works. Experts will advise me to shut my mouth - they will say everything will be alright soon... This is how I think Gujarat works. This is how Mr. Singh wants it to work for India!
Well Gujarat is like this... what has this to do with the confusion?
We confuse advancement, modernity, with technology and capitalism and foreign investments. We forget that every country has to develop its own modernity. We think that development has to be in the same way as it happened in America or it happened in Britain. For us economy means, multinational companies, markets, ultimately capitalism. America and other multinational companies come to India not as 'Good willed people' who want to help the Indian economy but to improve their wealth. The fact is that these multinational companies take money from the developing countries to their homeland. Without realizing the fact (at least masking it in the name of development) the government welcomes them with a red carpet, gives them hundreds and thousands of acres of land, gives them water, etc... but for what? - well that is another area that has to be explored.
Imitating the western modernity, we want to see our country develop. All of us want to see our country to develop. But the politicians are in the hands of the West, in the hands of the media, in the hands of the corporate companies. They fund the party and in return the politicians welcome them without ever creating job opportunities for its citizens.
When Mr. Prime minister opened the gates to the corporation companies, the media, the america and everybody saw that he was the man who is ready to help the multinational companies to enter India, now that he has completed his two terms and not much (in spite of all that he has done to the USA and its corporate companies), everybody starts projecting Gujarat's Modi as the efficient leader who can still open the borders for free marketing.
We are blinded by one type of development - we do not see any other.
We are blinded by one type of development - we do not see any other.
Mr. Singh was seen to be one of the 100 most influential figure in the world by TIME. Later when he has not reduced (?) subsidies, not done the reforms as they expected it to happen to India, sing becomes an unwanted figure.
The same people who cast doubt about Modi and his innocence in the riot, think that Modi means business.. (One has to ask whose business? and What business?).
The western mind is fed up with the present prime minister for not letting them as they expected to be. The Indian citizens are not in favour of the present prime minister not because he has not developed the country but because he was not able to provide work, not able to reduce the price hike for food, gas, and light. Therefore the citizens see Mr. Modi and Gujarat as models for the country.
The Westerners and capitalists look for Mr. Modi.
If we as citizens of the country look for Mr. Modi because of price hike, we will have it still higher, because Modi will follow more intense globalized economy than that of Mr. Singh.
Mr. Modi does not have any economic policy that is different from Congress.
Mr. Modi does not have any economic policy that is different from Congress.
Even when secular Hindus, Christians and Muslims look up to Modi to avoid congress, they do not understand that the country will be darker still, not mainly because of religious fanaticism but because of capitalistic fanaticism.
Friday, 13 September 2013
NO WAR - IT IS A BUSINESS
War has always been devastating. only those who have been affected by it (leave alone the millions who have been buried by the bombs). Those in the white house can never understand the brutality that it can cause. comparatively Europe normally opts for dialogue and peace where as America's first attempt is war and never negotiation. When it comes to Middle East America's first choice is to threaten...
(Middle East is something special to America - When thousands of women and children brutally murdered by the Sri Lankan Government, and it was shown to the world by BBC - the whole world kept silence but when it comes to the Middle East; America says that there is no proof... and yet it wants to threaten...)
America has been selling, offering ammunition to the rebels... they sell to the governments... they want to keep their industry alive...
Let the world close its ammunition industry...
If there is no war, then then there is no need for guns and tanks...
If there are no need for them, then the government cannot profit ...
The best way to keep american economy alive is to create opportunities for war... Because the first country which profits more than anybody else in the world is America - it occupies the first place in the selling of ammunition.
It is time for the citizens of America to raise voice against their own government - If they believe in Democracy!
Sunday, 8 September 2013
Yes, We can - Yes, It is Possible - A new Direction
Obama became very famous and became the president of the USA with the slogan Yes We can. The slogan was used differently in different countries. Modi used the same slogan on August 12, in Hyderabad. Obama was seen as a new president who will give a new direction to the policies of the united states. Recently his initiative to take military action against Syria has shown that the US presidents are not different at all - Obama is no different from Bush. The US Presidents' cry have been to establish peace only through war. They claim to be peace makers of the world by initiating more violence and more conflict.
[taken on 07/09/2013 at 6.45pm]
The contemporary world needs another direction with regard to the issues of conflicts both within countries and between countries. Pope Francis raised his voice very strongly to change the direction. On the 1st Sunday of this month, the Pope expressed his concern for peace in the world, particularly in Syria. The pope said that ‘war begets war and violence begets violence.’ The pope spoke from his heart. I can only admire the sincerity and the openness with which he spoke and invited everyone to fast and pray for peace in the world on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Queen of Peace.
Today millions of people, united with Pope Francis, prayed for peace in the World. The pope said that we are as human beings have to care for others. Our indifference towards others and the acts of violence only indicate that we bring back to life Cain who murdered his own brother. He also said that war is the language of death and not of peace.one can only break the language of death only through forgiveness, dialogue and reconciliation.
The Pope said: "I ask myself: Is it possible to change direction? Can we get out of this spiral of sorrow and death? Can we learn once again to walk and live in the ways of peace? Invoking the help of God, under the maternal gaze of the Salus Populi Romani, Queen of Peace, I say: Yes, it is possible for everyone! From every corner of the world tonight, I would like to hear us cry out: Yes, it is possible for everyone! Or even better, I would like for each one of us, from the least to the greatest, including those called to govern nations, to respond: Yes, we want it!"
The politicians need to change their attitude – military action can only worsen the situation. One cannot bring about unity through guns and tanks.
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Church on Fire
A church, near our living quarters, was burnt leaving only the external walls and Ashes...
I have been coming to this city for three years residing here more than three months.
I had the desire to visit that church, but never made an attempt to enter it.
This morning hearing that the Church was burnt, I went at last but I saw nothing but ashes...
the smoke is still on
Don't postpone anything... Visit something or somebody when you want to do so...
I have been coming to this city for three years residing here more than three months.
I had the desire to visit that church, but never made an attempt to enter it.
This morning hearing that the Church was burnt, I went at last but I saw nothing but ashes...
the smoke is still on
Monday, 22 July 2013
Amartya Sen on Secular India
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen confirmed his hope in secular India that he wishes that a secular person who can make all the citizens of the country feel more secure in the country. He complained that Modi, who is said to the be next prime minister candidate for the BJP in the forthcoming national election in India.
Sen said: "“No, I don’t approve of it... I don’t think the record is very good. I think I don’t have to be a member of the minority in order to feel insecure... We Indians don’t want a situation where the minority feel insecure and could legitimately think that there was an organised violence against them in 2002. I think that is a terrible record and I don’t think Indian Prime Minister as an Indian citizen... Of who has that kind of record. No, I do not.” [the Hindu]
While there are lot of political scientists were critical of secular India, Sen has been on the other end that India should be a secular country. He has confirmed his hope in secularism once again.
Sen said: "“No, I don’t approve of it... I don’t think the record is very good. I think I don’t have to be a member of the minority in order to feel insecure... We Indians don’t want a situation where the minority feel insecure and could legitimately think that there was an organised violence against them in 2002. I think that is a terrible record and I don’t think Indian Prime Minister as an Indian citizen... Of who has that kind of record. No, I do not.” [the Hindu]
While there are lot of political scientists were critical of secular India, Sen has been on the other end that India should be a secular country. He has confirmed his hope in secularism once again.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
What is the good that a ‘good’ business does?
What is the good that a ‘good’ business does?[1]
Although the title of the book is
the good that business does, Robert G. Kennedy in the sixth chapter develops an
idea of ‘a good business’. He is also
developing the idea that how business is aiming at the collective or the common
good to the people at large. Although the book is aimed at seeking further
intercourse between the catholic teaching and business, it also leaves an open
space to raise some questions with regard to the theme developed.
It is true that when a business is
called good and bad, the same distinction can be applied to other spheres of
human endeavor too: in the field of aesthetics
one could speak of a good art and a bad one; in the field of ethics one could
speak of a good act and a bad act; in the field of medicine one could speak of
a good treatment and a bad treatment or a good medicine or a bad one, at a more
larger and wider context one could speak of a good religion and a bad religion
as well. I think that it is a good idea [!] to make distinction between good and
bad.
I think that there is a difference
between asking what is business and a good business. One of the fundamental
features of a business is profit-making. Hence one can speak of good that comes
out of the profit-making; even within profit making how certain good is
contributed to the society.
I am sure that the substantial
difference lies in the answer that one gets to these questions.
[1] This article is just a reflection on reading the following book.
Cf. Robert G. Kennedy, The Good that Business Does (Acton Institute,
2006). This is not a response to the book. The questions raised here are some
spontaneous questions that came to me. It is never intended to review the book,
nor to refute what is suggested there.
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