Kalamassery municipality asked to ensure scientific treatment of refuse The State Level Monitoring Committee constituted by the National Green Tribunal has said that the Kalamassery municipality can
Chandy lays stress on rainwater harvesting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has directed officials to ensure that rainwater harvesting pits are made compulsory for all new constructions in the capital district, apart from initiating digging of rain pits under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Addressing a drought review meeting at the District Collectorate here on Monday, Mr. Chandy said the maximum sum District Collectors could sanction for drought relief projects would be raised to Rs.20 lakh from the existing Rs.5 lakh.
With scorching summer pushing Kerala to unprecedented drought, political parties on Wednesday voiced concern in the state assembly over the acute water and power crisis even as the Government said it has already taken all possible measures to tackle the “grim situation.” After a three-hour debate on an adjournment motion by opposition LDF, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Rs. 159 crore had already been sanctioned to take urgent measures as the government acted well in advance anticipating the trying times in store.
To tap technology to the full The agriculture policy being formulated by the State government to exploit the opportunities provided by the new technology for the sector will be presented in the next Assembly session, Minister for Agriculture K.P. Mohanan has said. Replying to questions in the Assembly on Wednesday, the Minister said the draft of the policy, being worked out by the former legislator K. Krishnankutty, would be presented in the House and discussions held with people’s representatives, farmers, and all stakeholders before finalising the policy.
Kochiites run short of green shade as Sun spews fire More than 1,400 trees on public land in Ernakulam have been chopped down over the last one year. But the actual loss would be double the figure because the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department has data only for tree-felling requests officially submitted as per a government order on February 10, 2010.
Since quarrying resumed after a ban, prices go up by 40% Public protest is mounting against the sky-rocketing price of granite products and the increase in granite quarrying activities in Wayanad district. Though the district administration had banned the functioning of quarries on revenue land for nearly seven months following a Supreme Court directive, quarrying was resumed nearly a fortnight ago with the State government intervening in the issue on the ground that the ban had adversely affected the construction sector in the district.
Aimed at making Kannur water-rich district in four years The Kannur Water Conservation Society (KWCS) will launch long-term groundwater recharge activities in view of the depletion in groundwater level and contamination of water resources in the district that raise concerns about a severe drought situation. The society, which was established in 1995 and is now chaired by District Collector Rathan Kelkar, has chalked out a comprehensive water conservation scheme to be implemented in the district to make Kannur a water resources-rich district over the next four years.
The Endosulfan Victims Relief and Remediation Cell has been functioning effectively in Kasaragod district, an affidavit filed by the State government in the Kerala High Court said. The affidavit was filed in response to a petition seeking a directive to the government to take follow-up actions on the welfare and rehabilitation measures of endosulfan victims.
Plan to install 10,000 rooftop solar power plants The Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) has urged people to rely on solar energy more than on conventional sources. A workshop on 10,000 rooftop solar power plant programme, held here on Tuesday, said that the public should switch over to solar energy to tide over the power crisis in the State.
The Kerala River Protection Council has called upon K. Kasturirangan, chairman of the high-level working group on Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), not to dilute the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil committee. It claims the report marks the beginning of a totally different planning process involving the local people as envisaged in the Panchayati Raj system. In a letter to Dr. Kasturirangan, council vice-president V.N. Gopinatha Pillai and environmentalist Thomas P. Thomas alleged that no government had given the required attention to the deteriorating environmental conditions of the Western Ghats.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is contemplating a detailed study into the feasibility of using compressed natural gas (CNG) as a cheap alternative fuel to run its buses in view of hike in price of high speed diesel. The exhaustive study is being planned as the KSRTC management is still sceptical about the Rs.100 crore CNG plant proposed by the Union Petroleum ministry for Kochi to overcome the crisis of having to pay market rates for HSD.
