Illegal mining of sand from riverbeds and banks to feed the construction boom has once again become rampant in Ernakulam district, posing a serious threat to the very survival of rivers.

S. Sitaraman, environmentalist, said that after a brief period when honest police officers had kept a tight leash over the menace by taking stern action against the offenders, the problem had re-emerged in many pockets in the rural areas of the district.

The Sanitation Mission expects more local bodies in the district to come up with projects for decentralised waste treatment in the wake of enhanced subsidy component by the State government for compost units and biogas plants.

The State government has hiked the subsidy component for various types of compost units to 90 per cent, and biogas plants to 75 per cent. The government subsidy will be routed through the Sanitation Mission.

The Sanitation Mission expects more local bodies in the district to come up with projects for decentralised waste treatment in the wake of enhanced subsidy component by the State government for compost units and biogas plants.

The State government has hiked the subsidy component for various types of compost units to 90 per cent, and biogas plants to 75 per cent. The government subsidy will be routed through the Sanitation Mission.

The Sanitation Mission expects more local bodies in the district to come up with projects for decentralised waste treatment in the wake of enhanced subsidy component by the State government for compost units and biogas plants.

The State government has hiked the subsidy component for various types of compost units to 90 per cent, and biogas plants to 75 per cent. The government subsidy will be routed through the Sanitation Mission.

Water tanker lorries are the main lifeline in many of Kochi’s villages

The city may well take pride in her title as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. But the Queen’s subjects are often left anxiously waiting for non-descript water tankers arranged by the authorities to roll in to their neighbourhoods to quench their thirst. Whether or not the tankers supply quality water or comply with hygiene and sanitation parameters, statistics explain why it may be necessary to include them in the list of essential services.

Authorisation for 10 local bodies had expired nearly a year ago

The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is about to take legal action against the 10 local bodies in the district, including Kochi Corporation, for their failure to renew their authorisation under the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, for collection, segregation, transportation and suitable disposal of municipal waste.

Sheer apathy on the part of the local authorities towards preserving the green cover and the lack of clarity on felling of trees in public places threaten gradual degeneration of shade trees making the city hotter by the day.

The difference that shade trees could bring to surroundings could be gauged by taking a stroll down the Park Avenue near boat jetty full of shade trees and the M.G. Road largely devoid of them. While the former experience is a pleasure the latter could prove to be an energy sapping experience on a sunny day.

Genetic Modification (GM) technology should be rationally approached and kept open as one of the components of future food security, said M.

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