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B.S. Joysulu is the new bas-in manager of Cauvery at ONGC Chennai. Thirumavalavan launched signature campaign against SL govt. Governor Barnala condoled the death of former PM's wife, Sheila.
MEDICINE FAILS

Chennai Thursday 14 July 2011

Chennai
stalks the city
ANISHA FRANCIS
DC | CHENNAI

More track deaths worry railways STD superbug

GEORGE ADIMATHRA
DC | CHENNAI

July 13: A spike in the number of railtrack deaths in Chennai has alarmed railway officials who have tried to reduce fatal accidents by spreading awareness on safety through various campaigns in the city and its suburbs. Particularly worrying for railway officials is the fact that 35 per cent of those who die in rail related accidents in Chennai are youngsters. A majority of the victims are young men, said a railway official. He said hes baffled that the fatalities are on the rise despite the safety awareness drives and that many among the casualties

It is a common sight to see commuters cross railway track, oblivious to the risks involved. A scene outside Tambaram Railway station in Chennai on tuesday. DC

are educated citizens. The number of cases is increasing each year, with the government railway

police (GRP) registering 711 cases till July12, 2011, said J. Baskaran, government railway police superin-

tendent of police. On an average eight to 10 deaths occur daily throughout the state. In 2010, 1,714 deaths were reported in Chennai Division alone. He said most accidents occur while people are crossing the tracks and when while standing near open doors in fast moving trains. A majority of the victims are in the age group of 18-35, he added. He said one reason that more young men are being run over by trains could be because they speak on cellphones while jaywalking along the railroad tracks. It is surprising to know that people who are fully aware of the dangers and rules end up as accident victims on

railway tracks. Suicides are comparatively low but, once again mostly youngsters end their lives this way, Mr Baskaran said. A senior railways safety official said stringent action and increasing penalties seem to be the only options left to bring down fatal mishaps. Most accidents do not occur near railway stations, but on isolated stretches where there are no railway personnel on watch. At places like these, walls and fences we have built are broken and used as easy access ways. Even at level crossings motorbike and bicycle riders cross the tracks while trains are approaching, the official said.

Road digging during day, public irked

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI

sexual superbugs
While the initial symp-

Economic offences wing gets new chief

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI

superstar is back

Protest force rail timings reschedule

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI

July 13: The state government on Wednesday apointed senior IPS officer I. Raja, additional directorgeneral of police, economic offences wing (EOW). Raja was ADGP, state traffic planning cell. Ashish Bhengra, ADGP, EOW, has been transferred and posted as ADGP state crime record bureau, in place of M.K. Jha, who has been posted as member, uniformed service recruitment board, said a government release. S. Rajendran has been posted as inspector-general of police, state traffic planning cell. T.K. Pugalendhi, additional SP, crime, Tirunelveli has been promoted and posted as deputy commissioner of police, Triplicane, Chennai. The government had also cancelled the posting of G. Sampath Kumar as Vellore SP and posted A.G. Babu as SP, Vellore. R. Kannappan will be the new SP of Ariyalur while M. Panneerselvam has been posted as SP, Sivagangai.

Actor Rajinikanth waves to his fans on arrival from Singapore at Chennai airport on Wednesday night. DC

Regime change delays launches

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI

July 13: City corporation projects usually get delayed due to bureaucratic hassles or the lethargic attitude of the corporation officials. And now, a change in the regime is causing delays to the completion of the projects. According to corporation sources, it has been over five months and no major civic facility has been inaugurated in the city. Several projects including the Victoria Public hall, Rangarajapuram flyover and Shenoy Nagar auditorium had completed 80 per cent of construction work before June. Since then, these projects have not gained any momentum. Stanley subway is almost ready for inauguration. But

Work on progress at Victoria Public Hall.

DC

officials face a different predicament. According to sources, it would be difficult for the civic body to organise an inaugural function as mayor M. Subramanian of DMK heads the corporation

when the state is ruled by its archrival AIADMK. Mayor Subramanian who inspected the renovation of Victoria Public Hall said, 80 per cent of the project has been completed. Ceiling

works and restoration of aesthetic Indo saracenic designs have been completed. Subsequently wood work gained momentum and quality teak wood from Tuticorin has been used to replace stairs and girders, he added. When asked about the delay in inaugural functions, the mayor said the civic body has approached the government seeking its permission to inaugurate the projects, but the government and official machinery remains mum over the subject. Thousands of motorists would be benefited if the Rangarajapuram flyover is put to public use, the politics by the government and the city corporation is annoying, B. Vinoth, working for a Web-designing firm in T Nagar said.

July 13: Following the call for rail roko agitation announced in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on July 14, Southern railway has issued a notification regarding changes to rail routes or timings to ensure minimum disruption in rail movement and safety of passengers in the concerned region. In order to ensure the safety and security of passengers, certain trains going to and via Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on July 14 have been either rescheduled, diverted or cancelled. T. No 12604 HyderabadChennai Central, T. No 12760 Hyderabad-Chennai Central, T. No 17652 Kacheguda-Chennai Egmore, T. No 16031 Chennai Central-Jammu Tawi, T No 16032 Jammu Tawi-Chennai Central are rescheduled to new timings. T. No. 12655 Ahmedabad -Chennai Central would be diverted route via Vasai Road, Daund, Pune, Wadi, Guntakal, Renigunta. T. No. 12615 Chennai Central-New Delhi would be diverted via Renigunta, Wadi, Daund, Bhusaval. T. No 12656 Chennai Central -Ahmedabad would be diverted via Renigunta, Wadi, Daund, Bhusaval. T. No 12434 NizamuddinChennai Central would be diverted via Bhusaval, Daund, Wadi, Guntakal. T. No. 17651 Chennai Egmore-Kacheguda would be short terminated at Mahbubnagar. T. No 12759 Chennai Central-Hyderabad trains would be short terminated at Jangaon. Passengers of both the trains will be transhipped by road. Southern railway has also opened an emergency control at the headquarters that will be operational from 10 pm on Wednesday to 10 pm on Thursday. For queries regarding the schedule of the trains, public can contact the control room at 25358097 and fax to 25354310.

July 13: While WHO has warned that drug resistant strains of Gonorrhoea are doing the rounds, venerologists in the city say they have been battling the sexual superbugs for quite some time now. Earlier this week, the WHO announced that a Japanese female sex worker had been diagnosed with a severely drug resistant form of Gonorrhoea, caused by a new strain of the bacteria. However, studies conducted in Indian hospitals as early as 1999, and later in 2006 had already indicated that sexually transmitted infections were developing resistance to common antibiotics. The studies showed high levels of bacterial resistance to the drugs of choice tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. While the initial symptom in men is a burning sensation during urination, the disease is asymptomatic in 50 per cent of the infected women. Gonorrhoea can damage the testes, cause infertility and spread to

tom in men is a burning sensation during urination, the disease is asymptomatic in 50 per cent of the infected women
other vital organs as well. One of the main reasons why these sexual superbugs have developed resistance is that physicians and patients alike do not understand the working of antibiotics. There are men who rush to their physician for a dose of tetracycline every time they use the services of a sex worker whether or not they have the STD, explains consultant in sexual medicine, Dr Narayana Reddy. Our patients come to the clinic as a last resort, after trying quack remedies and over-the-counter drugs, says Dr Vijaylakshmi, in charge of the STI clinic run by TANSACS. Drug resistant cases of gonorrhea are infectious and are treated with Ceftriaxone and other high-end antibiotics.

July 13: Ruckus prevailed between public and Metro Water officials when they started digging up the arterial MKN road at Alandur, connecting Guindy and St Thomas Mount, for laying pipes for the `64 crore underground drainage project. Electricity board and municipality officials too joined public and protested against the digging. The situation came under control only after municipality and police officials stopped the metro water from working during daytime. On several occasions, Metro Water officials were requested to carry out digging works only during the night, but the response has been bad. They often severe the EB cables adding to the existing traffic chaos, said Ramesh Kumar, a resident of Alandur. The local TNEB and Alandur municipal officials also criticised Metro Water for not coordinating with local body and EB for smooth execution of projects.

Gang attacks city financier

DC CORRESPONDENT
CHENNAI

July 13: A 67-year-old financier was attacked by a three-member gang at his office in East Tambaram and `1.12 lakh cash was robbed. According to the police, the incident happened at around 3.30 pm when Sampathraj was working in his office in Vyasa Street. The gang entered the office in the pretext of seeking details about an address and attacked the Sampathraj with with knife and club. After beating him up, the three escaped with the cash chest in a bike, a police officer said.

NO DREAM RAMP

787 may face old apron ignominy

S. SUJATHA
DC | CHENNAI

July 13: A Boeing 787 Dreamliner landed at Delhis IGI Airport on Wednesday for tests ahead of the arrival in December of the first of 27 of the jets that Air India has ordered from the aircraft manufacturer. But if youre hoping to fly the most advanced commercial airplane in the world from Anna International Airport, be prepared for the ignominy of using the antiquated stepladders to climb into the jet. This is because the new airport ramp does

If the airline wants to carry passengers in 787, we will have to make provisions for separate parking in the international terminal which is now under construction.
E.P. Hareendranathan director, Chennai airport

not have adequate space to park the wide-body, superefficient aircraft, say officials. After assessing the exist-

ing facilities, airport officials in Chennai have decided to park the 787 in the old apron, where loading, unloading and refuelling of the aircraft will be done. Aviation experts say operating a flight from old ramp will mean that passengers will not be able to use the aerobridges at the new terminal but will have to climb up and down stepladders that belong to an older era in aviation. The Dreamliner can operate oeut of 4F category airports but the Chennai airport is in the 4E category. If we park the 787 in one of the

existing parking bays, then we will not be able to use the two adjacent bays on either side, said a senior airport official. When contacted, Chennai airport director E.P. Hareendranathan said Air India has at present requested for only cargo operations and so parking at the old apron would not be an issue. If the airline wants to carry passengers in 787, we will have to make provisions for separate parking in the international terminal which is now under construction, he added. According to him, a separate bay has been

identified at the new terminal that would suit bigger aircraft like Boeing 787, Airbus 380 and Boeing 737800. We will have one bay close to the aerobridges and another at the far end of the terminal. Once the airline confirms operations to the city, we will make provision for an aerobridge, Mr Hareendranathan said. While Air India has ordered 27 Boeing 787 aircraft, Jet Airways is reported to have signed on to purchase 10 of the aircraft. The Dreamliner is made of composite materials and can fly up to 16,000 km non-stop.