Knee-deep in rain penalties, almost

The capital’s civic bodies are in troubled waters over inundated streets.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi was ordered by a Delhi consumer court to cough up Rs 25 lakh and would have lost the sum if a higher court hadn’t intervened.

The sum was meant to be “punitive damages” for the failure to prevent water logging two years back. Stung, the civic authorities went in appeal before the national consumer commission, arguing that “citizens” couldn’t be described as “consumers” under the consumer protection act.

Last month, the state commission, slapping the fine, had pulled up the civic agency for not being able to check water logging, leading to traffic chaos in the city. “The MCD has shown gross deficiency in not discharging its functions of desilting and cleaning of drains and maintenance of civic amenities,” the state panel had said.

The complainants were three office-goers who had to face a harrowing time wading to work one rainy day in 2006. The matter will be heard again on July 28.

New House for lawmakers

The Tamil Nadu Assembly will have a new abode in a few years.

Chief minister M. Karunanidhi recently laid the foundation for a state-of-the-art complex that will come up on a sprawling six-acre estate in the heart of Chennai.

The new condominium will also house the chambers of the chief minister and ministers. St Fort George, where these rooms are now located, suffers from lack of space.

The complex site, near Kalaivanar Arangam, was the seat of power when areas of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala were part of the pre-Independence Madras Presidency. German companies Von Gerkan and Margund Partner have designed the Rs 200-crore project.

At the foundation-laying event, M. Karunanidhi jested that the Opposition could slam the complex as another wasteful expense. He was referring to his rivals’ criticism of the freebies, like TVs and LPG, by his regime.

Green card for airport

Mumbai airport loves to wear its “green card” with pride.

Authorities at the country’s busiest aviation hub say they are doing their best for the environment and helping passengers who pass through its terminals do the same.

Earlier this month, on World Environment Day (June 5), they renewed their pledge by declaring they would encourage staff as well as outsiders to grow trees.

With over 700 landings and takeoffs daily, the airport realises that its contribution to noise and air pollution can’t be overlooked but it has launched a PR blitz to send the message that it does care about the environment.

“On dust, we are slightly above the permissible level but only if we take the benchmarks for residential areas. On industry, we are doing fine,” said an airport official. The airport, right in the heart of the city, is also building more green and energy-efficient buildings. It is considering other initiatives, like getting the vehicles that operate on the tarmac to switch to cleaner fuels such as CNG.

‘Bomb’ drill

Sirens blared, Delhi’s seat of power was emptied out and police vans wailed in the distance — the secretariat had a bomb.

But last week’s emergency was over in minutes — a mock drill to test how prepared the place was for such dire situations.

Employees were evacuated after the “bomb alarm” was sounded around 3pm. The secretariat houses the chief minister’s office. Officials were asked to leave immediately while bomb squads searched the building. The fire tenders were fast, racing to the spot in five minutes.

MUMBAI: This Thursday, make time for Vagina Monologues, Eve Ensler’s Obie-award winning episodic play, at Juhu’s Prithvi Theatre. The producers claim that “no one, man or woman, will ever be the same again” after watching the stories. Time: 9pm. Call 022-26149546 for more information.