Thirumalairajanar river is being ravaged, exposing the village to vagaries of monsoon

At the stroke of dawn, tractors can be seen along the embankments of the Thirumalairajanar river at Polagam. Here, in Polagam panchayat of Thirumarugal union in Nagapattinam district, illegal mining of sand in the river reigns supreme. Each day, even before the sun ascends the horizon, the bed and banks of this tributary of the Cauvery is slowly and steadily ravaged, exposing the village to the vagaries of the monsoon, which is often accompanied by cyclone.

Ministry told to commission study of all proposed thermal power plants along coast

Suspending the environmental clearance (EC) given to the Chettinadu Power Corporation's 1200-MW power project in Tharangambadi taluk of Nagapattinam district, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to commission a Cumulative Impact Assessment study of all proposed thermal power plants along the district coastline here within one year.

A day-long bird census was conducted by the forest department here at the Point Calimere Wetland Complex at Kodiakkarai in Nagapattinam on Wednesday.

ON December 26, 2004, giant waves lashed coastal India and left behind a trail of death and destruction. It also left behind lessons in resilience for many. The tsunami anniversary kindles memories of loss and offers, for the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that helped the victims in their trying times, an opportunity for introspection.