The new airport terminal – money down the drain
I read with interest the article on the new domestic air terminal (MM, June 16th).
I live in Tambaram and commute to the city every day and, hence, I have been watching the new terminal being built right from the Bhoomi Puja (if ever it was held).
I saw a construction coming up which seemed a cross between a posh, modern cowshed and an airport service hangar.
At night it looks like a posh cowshed, crossed with a shopping mall lit up.
As for the interior, rather like the Rameswaram temple with a 1000 pillar Mantapam, this terminal seems to have supporting steel pillars and truss rods here, there and everywhere, so that you have to dodge round them to get about.
From Kanniyakumari to the Himalaya, from the far East of India to the West, there are so many styles of magnificent architecture – the Cholas, Pandyas and the Pallavas, the Moghuls, the Indo Sarcenic, the Hoysalas, the British colonial and so many more beautiful styles.
Our civil engineers and architects are second to none in the world – could their expertise not be used?
With a vast, unlimited spending budget, could the authorities concerned have taken the trouble to fix on an architectural style that would ensure that the finished terminal would be a symbol of everything South Indian?
What is inspiring and beautiful about a glass wall surmounted by steel sheet (or whatever material) roofing?
A glass wall which cracks, to boot.
In its present condition, it could be equally said that the terminal is half finished or that it is half constructed and abandoned.
Your article has dealt sufficiently with the interior woes.
Ultimately, the terminal is a disgrace to aesthetics and, what is worse, seemingly not capable of performing to the extent required of it.
Unfortunately, a huge amount of money has gone down the drain.
S. Rajaram
62 / 1 Tamarai Flats, M E S Road
East Tambaram, Chennai 600 059
Vanishing heritage
I suggest we gift the bureaucrats sledge hammers and bulldozers. They can begin by demolishing all the heritage buildings in Tamil Nadu. Why stop with the Royapuram Station and Teachers' College? After they are done, the Government can honour them with "Distinguished Service Awards" for having contributed to the preservation of our culture.
Their thoughts of destroying such lovely buildings are shameful. I wonder if they have any conscience.
Ananth
Plot 500, Kapaleeswara Nagar
Chennai 600 041
The people's voice
You have been writing very passionately about conservation of our heritage buildings, etc. Today, I read with some shock and immense sadness that the Royapuram railway station will be demolished for developmental work.
Is there no way in which citizens can stand up to this barbaric treatment of our heritage and history?
I am sure that if enough of a noise is made, the Southern Railway can be made to rethink on its stand. But the noise has to be made, as in the case of the Bharat Insurance Building.
The mulish attitude of the powers that be will continue, but at least we as a people would have made the effort not to let this happen without a fight.
C. K. Jaidev
ckjaidev@yahoo.com
Improving medicare
R.V. Rajan's article on his cancer hospital experience should be read by all, including the Health Secretary and those in the medical profession.
He has rightly said that five star hospitals only make you important because you pay what they ask without question. If these Government-owned institutions can be promoted, they will prosper, people will be happy; there may even be a race amongst Government hospitals and other institutions to become better, so that they will be recognised, accepted and serve the people in the true sense of the word.
A great deal of snobbishness by the Government's own doctors and other officials will slowly disappear.
R. Desikan
raghavachari.desikan@gmail.com
Station demolition is not really necessary
I have been really boiling inside since reading about the threat to the Royapuram railway station. I am glad some efforts are on to stop the foolish move to demolish this heritage structure.
Having been an insider, I know the demolition is really not required for any kind of railway development at Royapuram where the heritage structure stands. An enlightened previous regime had done an excellent renovation of the structure only eight years ago. In fact, in January 2008, the Republic Day was celebrated by running a special train from Royapuram to Tambaram via Beach, hauled by an old refurbished heritage steam engine. I was privileged to be on the loco for some distance. I suppose the present lot of civil engineers in charge consider it a nuisance and headache to maintain the Royapuram heritage station. There may be some security issues due to the isolated location. But nothing is insurmountable as long as there is a will.
Some 'development plans' which may be the reason for asking for the demolition are:
- Top of the list is making Royapuram another passenger terminus, as demanded by some political groups. But Royapuram station is not easily approachable even from areas of North Chennai. With the Washermenpet Metro station coming up, people can easily reach Central or Egmore using the Metro in another three years. If the extension to Wimco Nagar comes through all north Chennaites can easily access Central and Egmore via the Metro. (The Chief Minister should get this extension sanctioned by the Centre without further waste of time.) There is absolutely no need for a Royapuram terminus. Rather, the ongoing plans for Tambaram should be speeded up.
- The Electric Loco shed at Royapuram was thrust on the operating department who never wanted it in Royapuram. Operationally it was not making sense to move locos from Royapuram to Central back and forth without first removing the bottleneck at Basin Bridge. Anyway the Stage 1 of the Loco shed is nearing completion without affecting the heritage structure. No plans of expansion should be allowed for the shed.
- Railways have a huge area in Royapuram which perhaps they want to commercially exploit. Fine, but it should not be at the cost of the heritage structure. I have found particularly in the Southern Railway that there is no regard for anything called heritage. Because of a few individuals, the facade of Central was maintained when Central was expanded sideways to handle increasing volumes. The old SIR records and implements have been preserved to some extent at Trichy due to the efforts of an enlightened DRM. There is no concerted effort for preservation of heritage. The Railway never wants to participate in or join hands with the Madras Week celebrations!
- The only real need for land around the area is for laying a quadruple line from Madras Beach Station towards Ennore for the north-east line. But there must be many options to get this done without demolishing the heritage structure.
An ex-railwayman
Chennai
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