Work on Cuddalore Lawrence Road Rs 7.44 crore subway Project begins

CUDDALORE: 

        The decade-long demand of the people of Cuddalore became a reality as the subway construction work at the congested railway gate on Lawrence Road began on Friday.

         Special Programme Implementation Minister M C Sampath inaugurated the Rs 7.44 crore project. The people of Cuddalore along with various organisations and political parties had been organising a number of protests seeking a subway since 2000. There are two railway gates (numbered 159 and 160) at Cuddalore. After people began making a demand for an overbridge to ease traffic congestion, a bridge was constructed over Gate 160 at the cost of `14 crore and was opened for traffic in 2004.

        A subway was planned under Gate 159 on Lawrence Road and funds were also allotted. However, the work did not begin. The problem really began when the railways began a conversion from meter gauge to broad gauge in 2008. The railways had planned to close Gate 159 permanently assuming that subway had already been constructed. The gate is situated very close to bus stand and to the market on Lawrence Road.

          “It witnesses heavy congestion when trains pass. Around 15 trains pass the gate every day and vehicles have to wait for nearly 20 minutes every time,” resident said. Lawrence Road is also a vital path to reach Thirupapuliyur. In response to the move to close down Gate 159, the public began protests, held rallies and demonstrations, even in Chennai, to push for subway work to get started. On the other hand, shopkeepers near the railway gate, in the name Anaithu Viyapara Sangankangalin Peravai, went to the High Court with a writ petition seeking a stay on the subway work. Activists alleged that they were trying to stop the work as their business would get affected due to the subway.

          After the High Court turned down the writ petition in August, all the hindrances were cleared for the project. Minister MC Sampath inaugurated the subway work and in the first phase underground water supply pipelines would be shifted.

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Irked Revenue officials meet Cuddalore District Collector

CUDDALORE:

             Revenue officials here have urged the District Collector to arrest two persons who allegedly assaulted them while they were surveying a piece of land in front of a private school near Cuddalore.

          Acting on a complaint against the school management of illicitly using a burial ground as its main entrance, surveyors and revenue officials went to survey the disputed place on August 30 when two persons from the school allegedly assaulted them and asked them to stop the survey. A complaint in this regard had been lodged with Thirupapuliyur police by an injured employee, and police arrested two non-teaching staff of the school the next day. However, revenue staff said the arrested were two different persons and not those who attacked the employees. A group of revenue officials met Collector, V Amuthavalli on Tuesday and demanded the arrest of the persons involved.

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Cuddalore Sri Padaleeswarar Temple car procession held

CUDDALORE: 

         A large number of people from various parts of Cuddalore district congregated at Sri Padaleeswarar Temple at Thirupadiripuliyur here to witness the car procession taken out as part of the Vaikasi Visakam festivities on Tuesday. Collector V.Amuthavalli inaugurated the procession by drawing the rope of the car. Elaborate security arrangements were made in and around the temple. Fire and Rescue Services personnel were also deployed.

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Cuddalore Padaleeswarar Temple Mahakumbabhishekam held

People witnessing Mahakumbabhishekam at Padaleeswarar temple in Thirupadiripuliyur on Wednesday

CUDDALORE: 

          A large number of devotees drawn from various places descended on Cuddalore to witness the Mahakumbabhishekam performed at renowned Sri Padaleeswarar Temple at Thirupadiripuliyur here on Wednesday.

         The rituals that started at 5 a.m. by savants led by T.K. Balamani Sivachariar of Thirukannangudi culminated in Mahakumbabhishekam at about 9.30 a.m. A music band from Isha Yoga Centre gave an enthralling performance just before the main event that whipped up spiritual fervour among the devotees.The accompanying commentaryover the public address system also riveted the attention of the gathering. A helicopter, hired by a private company, hovered over the temple and showered flower petals on the gopurams to the delight of the gathering.

        As the turnout was so huge, the organisers had requisitioned the services of the fire service personnel to spray the holy water on them through the multi-chute fire tenders at low speed. Many philanthropists and service organizations had put up make-shift stalls to dispense water and buttermilk to the visitors. The entire Cuddalore town wore a festive look on account of the Mahakumbabhishekam and the Republic Day celebrations. The Padaleeswarar Temple Worshippers' Association had also incorporated a new chute to drain the milk poured over the Nandi during Pradhosham time. The Association had also put up many brass stands for placing the lighted earthen lamps so as to prevent any oil spill or stains on the temple walls.

             The Mahakumbabhishekam was performed after a gap of about 14 years at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore and a lion's share of it had come from the members of the Association. The Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowment Department had spent less than Rs 9 lakh on the renovation of the Raja gopuram. In the evening Thiru Kalyanam was performed and the deities were taken in a procession on silver Rishaba vahanam. The temple is categorised as first grade one with an annual collection from the hundis amounting to Rs 40 lakh, according to HR & CE Department sources.

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Expo showcases students' scientific temper

Students explaining one of the models at the science exhibition in Cuddalore.

CUDDALORE: 

              The 150-odd exhibits showcased at the district-level Jawaharlal Nehru science exhibition held in St.Joseph's higher secondary school at Tirupadiripuliyur, Cuddalore, stood testimony to the problems confronting mankind.

             Through table models the students had also demonstrated the ways and means of tiding over the problems such as power deficit, lack of food security, hurdles on the way of development and also on how to make Earth a better living place. 

The expo focused mainly five themes: 

                green energy, transport and communications, agricultural technology, environment and public hygiene. The students had designed the “wastage incineration power plant” in which both organic and inorganic wastes could be dumped and set on fire.

The steam thus produced could be harnessed to run the turbine to generate power. This would tackle the twin problem of power shortage and hassles in the disposal of mounting garbage.

               Another exhibit demonstrated how electricity could be generated by heating the combined mixture of hay, withered leaves, husk and saw dust. An automatic plant watering system that worked with a sensor and a timer showed the way on how optimal yield could be obtained from scarce water sources. After the farms were sufficiently irrigated the system would automatically shut down. Another notable display was how to revive a fused tubelight and put it back to its original glow. This could be done by installing “lumina,” containing two diodes and two capacitors.

Another exhibit would have its utility in the kitchens: 

                  it was designed to detect any leakage from the cooking gas cylinders and to give out an alarm. The young minds disturbed by the spread of terrorism had demonstrated how Parliament building, the seat of democracy, could be safeguarded from the possible terror attack. To prevent the infiltration of terrorists into the otherwise fully secured Parliament building, concealed subways could be built at all the entry points. Once any unwanted vehicle makes an entry it would be automatically taken to the basement where the awaiting security personnel could take control of the situation.

The two-day expo concluded on Tuesday.

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Following a bandh Around 300 detained

CUDDALORE: 

               Following a bandh call given by the Opposition parties and trade unions against the apathy of authorities to the poor road condition in Cuddalore municipality, shops and establishments on Lawrence Road and in Pan Pari Market remained closed on Tuesday.

               A section of share-autos, autorickshaws, school vans and private buses was off the road. Certain private bus services operated with police protection. However, the transport corporation operated its regular fleet of buses without any hiccup. But, even while organisers of the bandh were assembling at three different places to take out a protest rally, the police took about 300 of them, including 35 women, into preventive custody.

                M. Sekar of the CPI told The Hindu that the protest was planned to urge the officialdom to expedite the underground drainage project, which was two years behind schedule. He also said that in fact Deputy Superintendent of Police Maheswaran had given permission for the rally with specific instruction on the route. However, as protestors started gathering at Thirupadiripuliyur, 

                 SP Ashwin Kotnis came there and said that they could not take out the rally but only stage a demonstration. Some protestors started running towards the Seematti circle and the police got them into a van. The police also secured those who assembled on the Anna bridge and in front of the Cuddalore municipal office. The SP refuted their claim that permission had been given for the rally.

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