Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari missing in Pakistan since November - India

28  apr  2013

Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari missing in Pakistan since November

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Mumbai: A 27-year-old engineering and management graduate from Mumbai, Hamid Ansari, who went to Afghanistan in November to find a job, has gone missing in Pakistan.

His distraught family in Mumbai's upmarket Versova area fear that he may have been involved in a serious accident, may have been kidnapped by a terror group or arrested by authorities for illegally entering Pakistan.

Hamid had left for Kabul, Afghanistan, on November 4 last year on a 90-day tourist visa. He had promised to return within a week.

He kept in touch with his banker father Nehal, college teacher-mother Fauzia, and dentist brother Khalid for a week and then disappeared.

"We have heard that he was trying to rescue a girl in distress in Pakistan, but we do not have any concrete evidence," Nehal Ansari told IANS.

"I have not given up hope. I pray that he returns. We don't know what has happened to him," his mother Fauzia said.

The lure of an airlines job in the operations sector in Kabul attracted Hamid after he failed to get a job with an airlines in India.

The Ansaris have lodged a police complaint with the Versova police station and have contacted the Afghanistan consulate in Mumbai.

"They were cooperative and provided us with Hamid's visa details to enable us to trace him," Nehal Ansari said. He added that the family have written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, state Home Minister R.R. Patil and to the external affairs ministry for help.

Soon after Hamid disappeared, the Ansaris made desperate attempts to seek his whereabouts in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

One of Hamid's Facebook friends told them that he had crossed the Afghan border near Jalalabad and reached Peshawar on November 12, three days before he was to return to Mumbai.

His other friends on the social networking site indicated that Hamid reportedly tried to help a Pakistani girl avoid getting married against her wish in Kohat, in Karak region of Pakistan.

"It is our request to rescue our son. We only want to save him and return to us. People commit errors and if he has done so, we apologise on his behalf," Nehal Ansari appealed, apprehensive of a fate akin to that of Sarabjit Singh.

Sarabjit is an Indian imprisoned in Kot Lakhpat Jail in Pakistan since 1990 on charges of carrying out bombings in Lahore and Faisalabad that killed 14 people. He says he strayed across the border into Pakistan by mistake.

He was recently attacked by fellow inmates in prison and is in a coma in a Pakistan hospital.

Sarabjit Singh's family to travel to Pakistan on Sunday - India

27  apr  2013

Sarabjit Singh's family to travel to Pakistan on Sunday

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Amritsar: Four members of Sarabjit Singh's family will travel to Pakistan tomorrow to meet the death row convict who is battling for life in Lahore after being brutally assaulted by jail inmates.

The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued 15 days 'gratis visa' to Sarabjit's wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam, Swapandeep Kaur and his sister Dalbir Kaur to meet the Indian prisoner who is in a "deep coma" and put on ventilator support.

Sarabjit, 49, was convicted for alleged involvement in a string of bomb attacks in Punjab province in Pakistan that killed 14 people in 1990. His mercy petitions were rejected by the courts and former President Pervez Musharraf.

 

His family says he is a victim of mistaken identity and had inadvertently strayed across the border.

His sister Dalbir Kaur said that the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi has issued visa to four members of the family and they will cross the Attari border tomorrow.

She said officials have informed her that Pakistan government has allowed one family member to stay in the Lahore hospital where Sarabjit, whose condition continues to be critical, is under treatment.

In Delhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed the assault on Sarabjit inside jail as a "very sad" incident.

Government extends term of Walmart lobbying probe panel till May - India

18 apr  2013

Government extends term of Walmart lobbying probe panel till May

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The government-appointed probe panel, which is looking into Walmart's lobbying with the US lawmakers for facilitating India entry, today got a one-month extension in its tenure till May-end.

The one-man inquiry committee, which was set up by the government in January this year, was earlier asked to submit its report by end of April, but the probe will take more time as fresh details have been sought from Walmart.

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for one month extension of the tenure of the Committee, set up under former Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana Court Justice Mukal Mudgal, till May 31, an official release said.

In its last meeting, held earlier this month, the panel had sought fresh details from the US-based global retailer and had said that investigations might take some more time to be completed.

"We discussed the reply given by Walmart and decided to seek some supplementary questions to them," Justice Mudgal had said after its fourth meeting on April 10.

When asked as to when the panel expected to complete its probe, Justice Mudgal had said: "It would depend on the replies given by Walmart and if at all a little extension is sought, it won't go beyond June."

In the wake of reports about Walmart's lobbying among the US lawmakers since 2008 for facilitating its entry into Indian market, the government in December 2012 had assured Parliament to get the matter probed by a retired judge and later set up the panel in January 2013.

The committee is also looking into 'whether Walmart undertook any activities in India in contravention of any Indian law', and any other matter relevant to this issue.

The panel, to which the Corporate Affairs Ministry is providing administrative support, has also discussed responses received to a public notice, wherein information was solicited from the general public on the matter.

As per Congressional records of lobbying disclosure reports, Walmart spent a total amount of 6.13 million dollars (about Rs. 33 crore) on lobbying for various issues, including on "discussions related to FDI in India", during entire 2012.

Separately, the regulatory agencies here are also probing allegations of bribery against Walmart in India.

When Sachin's warning changed 'angry young man' Yuvraj - India

17  apr  2013

When Sachin's warning changed 'angry young man' Yuvraj

The 31-year old left-handed batsman, who survived cancer, said in the team bus Kohli is the most annoying person to be with as he asks too many irrelavant questions.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

Mumbai:  Keeping cool in stressful times is a hallmark of a good sportsperson and Yuvraj Singh learnt it the hard way from none other than Sachin Tendulkar, who scolded the left-hander after he abused his cricket equipment following a poor performance.

Yuvraj, once did a 'John McEnroe' when he smashed his bat into pieces after getting out cheaply against Australia, and the act didn't go down well with Tendulkar, who was present in the dressing room at that time.

"It was against Australia and we were playing in Mumbai and I did not get too many runs. I came in and hit my bat on the floor and broke it into pieces. Sachin looked at me and he was quite annoyed. He told me you earn your money, you earn your food because of cricket. So, don't ever do that again and I never did that again," Yuvraj told Adam Gilchrist in a six-minute video uploaded by Puma Cricket Studio as part of an IPL initiative.

Yuvraj said the 2011 World Cup win was the best moment in his cricketing career.

Asked about his funniest moments on the field, Yuvraj recollected, "It was in Bangladesh, Virat (Kohli) diving on the field and losing his pants and he was not wearing too much underneath. And once with Zaheer Khan too. The batsman hit the shot and he said mine mine and suddenly the ball went the other way and he said yours. I remember Suresh Raina dropping it, so that was a funny moment."

The 31-year old left-handed batsman, who survived cancer, said in the team bus Kohli is the most annoying person to be with as he asks too many irrelavant questions.

"The most irritating would be Virat Kohli. He asks too many questions, not about cricket but other things in life," Yuvraj said.

Who will investigate Italian marines? Supreme Court verdict next week - India

16  apr  2013

Who will investigate Italian marines? Supreme Court verdict next week

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will decide on Monday whether the two Italian marines charged with murdering a pair of Kerala fishermen should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The government argued in court today that the CBI is "over-burdened" and that the NIA can complete the enquiry within 60 days.

Italy has repeatedly urged India for a swift trial.

Today, its lawyers argued in court that the NIA does not have jurisdiction for the investigation.  Italy has been opposed to the NIA handling the case because of concerns that the agency has invoked maritime laws and charges that are punishable with a death sentence.

In March, India promised Rome that the death penalty would not apply and that the naval officers could serve the sentence at home, if convicted.

Those promises were made after Italy reneged on its commitment to return the marines to Delhi to stand trial. They had been permitted by the Supreme Court to travel home for four weeks. Suddenly, Rome announced they would not return, triggering a diplomatic crisis.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone flew to India on an Italian Air Force plane just hours before the Supreme Court deadline for their return expired.

The naval officers were guarding an Italian tanker when they say they mistook the fishermen for pirates and opened fire in February 2012. Italy says the shooting took place in international waters and India has no jurisdiction. New Delhi disagrees.

R P Goenka, the country's 'takeover specialist' - India

14  apr  2013

R P Goenka, the country's 'takeover specialist'

Kolkata: Hailing from one of the oldest business families of Kolkata, R P Goenka came to be known as the country's 'takeover specialist' who made his mark in diverse businesses, ranging from tyre to music.

The Goenka family's root in the city goes as far back as 1820 when Ramdutta Goenka came here from Rajasthan and started business with the British East India Company. By 1900s, the family established themselves in diverse businesses.

Born on March 1, 1930, Rama Prasad Goenka, better known as R P Goenka, was the eldest son of Keshav Prasad Goenka and Rukmini Devi.

R P Goenka, graduated from Presidency College in Kolkata and did his management course later from Harvard University, joined the family business.

After a division of assets among his three brothers, he set up RPG Enterprises in 1979 with a total turnover of around Rs. 100 crore. The 'takeover specialist' acquired one large company after another during the 80s, expanding the group's footprint across several businesses - tyre, carbon black, transmission, pharmaceuticals, IT, power generation, music, etc.

The major companies included in his empire are CEAT, CESC, Spencer's Retail, Saregama, KEC International, RPG Life Sciences and ICML.

In 1990, his sons Harsh Vardhan and Sanjiv took over reins from him as Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively of the group.

Later in 2011, Sanjiv Goenka set up the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group to have his own brand identity, while Harsh Goenka continued as Chairman of RPG Enterprises. R P Goenka remained Chairman Emeritus of both the groups that manage altogether 23 companies.

Of them, 10 companies including CEAT, RPG Life Sciences, KEC International and Zensar Technologies are managed by Harsh Goenka from Mumbai. The total turnover is around Rs. 16,000 crore.

Sanjiv operates 13 company chain and a Rs. 14,000-crore empire from Kolkata. His firms include CESC, PCBL, Music World, Spencer's Retail and Saregama.

A former member of Rajya Sabha, R P Goenka had served as president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce & Industry.

For several years he was Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIT-Kharagpur, which later conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Science degree.

Other honours received by R P Goenka included 'The Order of the Sacred Treasure Gold and Silver Star' from the Emperor of Japan and the Lifetime Contribution Award from the All India Management Association.

Explain 10-year-old child locked up by cops, says Supreme Court to UP - India

10 apr  2013

Explain 10-year-old child locked up by cops, says Supreme Court to UP

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

New Delhi: The Supreme Court wants an explanation for why a 10-year-old girl was locked up by women constables in Uttar Pradesh after her mother said the child had been sexually assaulted.

The girl was filmed by a journalist in Bulandshahr sitting on the floor of a tiny enclosure, reaching out at the mesh wire that kept her behind bars.

The woman officer heading the police station, a sub-inspector and two constables have been suspended.

The court wants the Uttar Pradesh government to report details of the incident on Monday.

The child was brought to the police station by her mother on Sunday night and was sent to a local hospital for medical tests. The next morning, when they returned to the police station, the mother was forced to leave and the young girl was put into what served as a holding bay for nearly the entire day, till senior police officers were shown the video footage and intervened.

Police say the preliminary medical report of the girl does not show any external injury. A final report is awaited.

Cap on H-1B visas for techies reached; lottery will decide fate - India

07  apr 2013

Cap on H-1B visas for techies reached; lottery will decide fate

Washington: For the first time after 2008, a computerised draw of lots is going to decide on successful H-1B applicants, as a federal US agency has announced that it has received more petitions than the Congressional mandated quota on the most sought after work visas for IT professionals.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) yesterday announced that it would no longer accept applications for the H-1B visas for the fiscal year 2014 beginning October 1, 2013 as it has received sufficient applications for this. The Congressional mandated cap for this category of visas is 65,000,

USCIS has also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions filed on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption.

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"USCIS will use a computer-generated random selection process (commonly known as the "lottery") for all FY 2014 cap-subject petitions received through April 5, 2013," the statement said.

"The agency will conduct the selection process for advanced degree exemption petitions first.

All advanced degree petitions not selected will be part of the random selection process for the 65,000 limit," said USCIS which started accepting the applications on Monday.

Due to the high number of petitions received, USCIS is not yet able to announce the exact day of the random selection process.

Also, USCIS also did not provide the total number of petitions received, noting that it continued to accept filings till yesterday.

USCIS will continue to accept and process petitions that are otherwise exempt from the cap, the statement said.

Meanwhile the US Vice President, Joe Biden, supported the idea of increasing the quota of H-1B visas so as to attract best and the brightest talent from across the world.

Addressing a meeting of Export-Import Bank of the US, Mr Biden said he supported "adding additional H1B visas so that American employers can hire the best and brightest, no matter where they come from, if they can't be found here."

As the cap on the H-1B visas reached in the first week itself, the office of the New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, said that this is a missed opportunity to attract the best and the brightest from across the world.

"The fact that our supply of H-1B visas was exhausted so quickly is not only emblematic of our broken immigration system - it represents yet another missed opportunity to attract the world's best and brightest to our shores," said John Feinblatt, Chief Policy Advisor to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Chairman of the Partnership for a New American Economy.

"If we want to stay competitive and thrive in the global marketplace, we need to make sure that our immigration laws fit the needs of our economy.

Sitting still risks the world passing us by," he said.

The Partnership for a New American Economy brings together more than 500 Republican, Democratic and Independent mayors and business leaders who support immigration reforms that will help create jobs for Americans today.

"It basically shows the main problem of this system, which is that there's no way of prioritising.

When this takes place, it'll cause a big frenzy," said Neil Ruiz, an associate fellow at the Brookings Institution.

"It just shows how H-1B has become a catch-all visa for all highly skilled immigrants," he told The Los Angeles Times.

The lottery for the H-1B cap was last used in April 2008, when the cap was filled on the first day itself.

Last year in 2012, it took 73 days for the USCIS to fill in the cap, while in took 235 days to receive applications to fill the 65,000 H-1B numbers in 2011; 300 days in 2010, and 264 days in 2009.

In 2008 and 2007 the caps were reached in the first few days.

Women duped into prostitution in Abu Dhabi (UAE) - India

04  apr 2013

Betrayed by a woman, victim struggles to comes to terms with life

Sub Inspector Raju Mathew, who surrendered before the police on Thursday, has been accused of helping a woman from Thiruvananthapuram fly to Dubai under Sunita’s passport while he was stationed at Nedumbassery airport. He was allegedly part of Sojan’s operations.

When Sunita (name changed) got married at 17, she was hoping for a life away from the pain and drudgery of her childhood. All she got was poverty and betrayal, which led her into the clutches of Lissy Sojan – the alleged kingpin of a prostitution racket operating in the UAE for at least 13 years. 

Sunita first met Sojan at Sharjah airport in August 2011. Sojan was there to receive her with a man named Sethulal, who she introduced to Sunita as her husband. Sunita was to work as a maid at Sojan’s flat in Sharjah. The job had been arranged by a woman named Bindu, an acquaintance of Sunita from her hometown, Kattappana. “Bindu had a five-year-old daughter. She used to go to the same Anganwadi where I took my youngest child. That’s how I met her,” says Sunita. The two became friendly over time and Sunita told Bindu how she had been left to fend for her three little children after her husband left her. Struggling to take care of them with her job as a salesgirl, Sunita grabbed the opportunity when Bindu offered her a maid’s job with a Malayali family in Sharjah. She would be away from her children, but the money was good and her mother had agreed to take the children in if she sent money. Bindu put her on a plane from Thiruvananthapuram to Delhi, where Sojan’s acquaintance was waiting to take her to Sharjah.

Everything seemed alright at first in the strange city. She stayed inside the couple’s flat and kept the place clean. Two days after she arrived, Sojan sent her in a car with her driver to get groceries and supplies. Instead, she was taken to a flat with several other women of various ages. The flat was the centre of Sojan’s operations. All the women who worked for her as prostitutes – willingly and by coercion – were housed there. “Lissy Sojan told me how things stood. They had my passport and they had goons who guarded the flat at all times. I was trapped. I couldn’t even call home to tell my family what happened,” she says.

When Sunita resisted, she was locked up and starved. Later, Sojan began to send in her clients. Already weak and hungry, Sunita was raped repeatedly. She was forced to have sex with as many as 40 men every day. “We were constantly kept hungry. The watchmen sometimes showed us some kindness and brought us food. But even that was stale,” she says. The women often fell ill due to the extreme stress of their situation. But they could not be taken to hospitals where their identification papers would be asked. “If we fell very ill, we would be taken to a small clinic. Otherwise we would simply be locked up till we got better,” she says.

Knife for mother

Sunita recounts the story of a 19-year-old Malayali girl who was pregnant when Sunita was still in the UAE. “She didn’t see a doctor even once during her pregnancy. Because I had children, I used to take care of her when I could,” she says. When it was time for her to deliver the baby, she was taken to another isolated flat and left there with the driver. “The driver was only around 25-years-old. Sojan left them there so that even if they were found, only the two of them would be arrested.” The baby was ultimately delivered by the driver, using nothing other than a small knife he had on him.

Flats, thugs and women

Over time, Sunita learnt how Sojan operated. Sojan, also known as Leena Basheer and Aswathy, had multiple flats in Ajman, Dubai and other places in the UAE, all rented under different names. One flat was where the women were all housed. No men were allowed in and it was guarded round the clock. The other apartments were used as hideouts and brothels. According to the police, Sojan had been operating in the UAE for at least 16 years. “She had been a prostitute herself for the first six years. Then she started this racket,” says a police officer. Sethulal, the man who Sojan introduced as her husband to Sunita, is believed to own a liquor business in the UAE. The two reportedly operate the racket with the help of Malayali thugs and agents, stationed in Kerala and the UAE.

A network of women agents in different parts of Kerala would lure women into the racket promising them lucrative jobs in Dubai. They would be flown in from Nedumbassery, Bangalore or Delhi using real or forged passports.

“Sojan has contacts among airport and emigration officials, police, and even in the Indian Consulate here. Nobody gets out of here without Sojan knowing about it,” she says. Sub Inspector Raju Mathew, who surrendered before the police on Thursday, has been accused of helping a woman from Thiruvananthapuram fly to Dubai under Sunita’s passport while he was stationed at Nedumbassery airport. He was allegedly part of Sojan’s operations.

A failed attempt

Sunita found out about Sojan’s connections the hard way. Though she had gone to Sharjah on a three months’ visa, Sojan had detained her there for eight months. During this time, Sunita continued to protest. “Eventually I asked her for money. I thought, ‘I’m being forced into this sex trade anyway. At least let me feed my children.’ But she refused to give me anything,” she says. After eight months, a Malayali customer offered to help her get out. She got as far as the airport, but was detained there by emigration officials as she had no passport.

“I called Lissy and begged her to give me my passport. She said she would give it up if I gave her 10,000 Dirhams. Where did I have that kind of money?” With no money, no ticket and no passport, Sunita spent 29 days in detention.

“That place was like a women’s shelter. Women from India, Sri Lanka and Philippines were all there. But the Filipino women were rescued after 10 days by their Embassy. No one from the Indian Embassy came to meet me.” Sunita was sent back to India by Dubai emigration office after a while

Family throws her out

When she got back, her mother threw her out and her estranged husband accused her of trying to sell their child to the prostitution racket. Today, at 29 years of age, Sunita is living under the protection of a family that gave her shelter out of kindness. She is afraid that she will lose custody of her children. “Even if I get them, how will I take care of them? Lissy and her agents have threatened me many times after I came back. I have studied only till Class X and I can’t get a job.”

Living the life of a victim for almost a year now, Sunita has also lost faith in the police. “Lissy had come to Bangalore a few months ago for her daughter’s wedding. The police didn’t do anything though I had informed them beforehand. Lissy and her thugs are very powerful. What can one person do?” she says, resigned to her fate.

New Saudi work policy to impact thousands of Indians - India

02  apr 2013

New Saudi work policy to impact thousands of Indians

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Thousands of Indians, especially Malayalis employed in Saudi Arabia, may be impacted by a new work policy of the kingdom that seeks to reserve a certain percentage of jobs for locals.

According to the new Nitaqat policy - or Saudisation programme - of the kingdom, 10 per cent of jobs are to be reserved for locals. The policy is aimed at expanding employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.

There are over two million Indians working in Saudi Arabia, including 576,000 from Kerala alone.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said on Monday evening there was no need to panic and the Indian government would provide assistance to Indians forced to return from Saudi Arabia.

"If somebody has to go to another country, he has to satisfy the rules of that country. But if there is inconvenience caused to any Indian citizens, then whatever assistance we can give, we will provide," Mr Khurshid assured.

"The Kerala government is setting up help desks at the three international airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Calicut and Kochi and 24-hour call centres to help people in distress," an official of the department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA) told IANS.

"Around 576,000 people from Kerala are working in Saudi Arabia. We are requesting for general amnesty and request a review of the ban on re-entry of workers," the official added, declining to be named.

C.P. John, member of the Kerala State Planning Board, said that thousands of Indian workers, especially Malayalis, would be affected "if the Saudi government makes the Nitaqat policy very strict".

"A few hundred Keralites have returned to India following implementation of the policy," John told IANS. However, he said that "there was no clear idea of how many Malayalis would to be affected. There is no real picture, we are continuously waiting for real numbers with work permits".

"Some will have to come back, some will be expelled from their workplaces. We hope they can carry on and get absorbed in other companies in the kingdom," he added.

"Saudis are not accustomed to working like Indians. It is very expensive to employ a Saudi. But the managers will be forced to employ one Saudi, who will work for eight hours and his pay will be 10 percent higher than an Indian's. The Saudis would be forced to rely on cheaper and more efficient Indians, who work for up to 15 hours," John said.

Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed discussed the issue with Saudi Arabia's Assistant Foreign Minister Prince Abdul Azees Bin Abdullah Al Saud in Tajikistan Saturday.

According to reports, street cleaning and other sanitation works have been hit hard by the Saudisation programme as almost 100 per cent of the workers in this sector are foreigners, mostly Indians. Many of them are illegal immigrants.

Labour inspectors and police have begun conducting raids on enterprises suspected of employing illegal workers.

Employers complying with the Nitaqat norms would be rewarded with incentives while those failing would have to shut shop as the work permits of their expatriate workers would not be renewed, according to Saudi reports. The work permit is mandatory for getting the residential permit.

Dumping yard for decade, pond in Tambaram gets lease of life - India

01  apr  2013

Dumping yard for decade, pond in Tambaram gets lease of life

Dr Sanjay Kumar Cardiac Cardiothoracic Heart Surgeon India

The Hindu Like most small waterbodies in the city’s immediate suburbs, the pond remained neglected until the municipality took up the project — Photo: M. Srinath

Waterbody set to be revived with desilting and other works

A dense outgrowth of vegetation in a water body, while an eyesore, is a delight for miscreants.

With residents dumping refuse in it, the process of its gradual death is only speeded up. Not so in the case of the pond at Arputham Nagar along Tiruneermalai High Road, in Tambaram.

What was once an eyesore will soon become a bright, neat and a much sought-after landmark in Tambaram.

After a sum of Rs. 46 lakh was sanctioned in 2012, work on desilting the pond, strengthening its embankments, removing the dense vegetation around it, creating a pathway and installing safety railings had started towards the year-end, said S. Sivasubramanian, municipal commissioner.

All the rubble and garbage around the pond too were removed.

Like most small water bodies in the city’s immediate suburbs, the pond remained neglected for around a decade as a collection site for refuse of all forms, from homes, shops and construction sites.

“I have been a resident for more than two decades. Living closest to the pond, it was really pathetic to see it. The outgrowth of thorny bushes was the perfect cover for men to take refuge inside it after sunset,” said V. Perumal, a resident of Arputham Nagar.

Residents, including Mr. Perumal, had appealed to the municipality earlier to revive the water body, which, say residents, “was too precious” to them.

In 2012, the Tiruneermalai High Road, which for several years remained in a pathetic condition, was given a strong bitumen-topped surface. Soon after, Metropolitan Transport Corporation services were introduced between Tambaram and Poonamallee, via Tiruneermalai and Kunrathur.

“The sprucing of the pond has given the much needed facelift to the entire locality,” Mr. Perumal said.

Care had been taken to prevent sewage from draining into the pond — both from houses as well as from the contaminated Ranganathapuram (Kadaperi) lake, Mr. Sivasubramanian said.

Obstructions and filters too were in place to ensure only rain water enters the pond during monsoon.

Proposals were in place to spruce up a few more similar small water bodies in the rest of the municipality, including Adhi Nagar in East Tambaram, Mr. Sivasubramanian said.