CHENNAI: The five-member Supreme Court empowered committee on the Mullaiperiyar issue has emphasised on Tamil Nadu’s rights over the existing dam and all its waters, under the 1886 lease deed and t

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited (TIDCO) will establish Solar Power Parks in the State to generate 1,000 MW of power in the next five years. These projects would be implemented in a phased manner across the State both through government and private firms.

Announcing this in the State Assembly, Industries Minister P Thangamani said these projects were part of the initiatives to realise the objective of generating 5,000 MW of power in the next 11 years in Tamil Nadu.

CHENNAI: Seven Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) projects in Tirupur have got the green signal by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, according to Minister for Handlooms and Textiles Dr S Sundararaj.

According to the policy note of handlooms and textiles tabled in the assembly, the government has to set up 18 CETPs at a cost of Rs 742.93 crore following the directions from the Supreme Court and High Court.

The Centre is considering Tamil Nadu's demand for 100 per cent allocation of electricity generated by the two 1,000 MW units at Koodankulam nuclear power project.

Minister of State in PMO V Narayansamy told the Lok Sabha that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in this regard.

TIRUNELVELI: The second unit of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant Project (KKNPP) may become operational by year-end, hinted Atomic Energy Commission chairman and Department of Atomic Energy secretary Srikumar Banerjee. Banerjee, who addressed presspersons along with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) managing director S K Jain at the KKNPP site on Thursday, said that with the cooperation of the Tamil Nadu government, work at Unit-1 and Unit-2 was progressing steadily towards criticality.

VELLORE: In an effort to provide better visibility to motorists and road users at night, the Vellore Police Department has installed barricades fitted with solar-powered lights and blinkers at major junctions in the Fort City.

The new barricades have been installed at three major junctions - Makkan, Ariyabhavan and Mummy Hospital - Officers Lane. “Three solar powered barricades, each worth `80,000, are sponsored by a private company.

Seeking to allay fears, Russia today said the reactors at the Koodankulam Nuclear Plant are the "best" in the world and expressed the hope that the plant would start generating power soon.

Russian Ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin said once the Koodankulam Plant starts generating electricity, it would help reduce the energy deficit in southern parts of the country.

The Supreme Court-empowered Committee on Mullaiperiyar dam that met here on Sunday will meet again on Monday to finalise the draft report that will be submitted to the SC by the month end.

The committee’s tenure ends by the month end, and it has decided not to seek an extension. Today, it was revealed that the committee has received a letter written from the Tamil Nadu government to the Kerala chief secretary that the “Tamil Nadu side was not being allowed to carry out inspections, and repair works, on the dam”.

KOCHI: In an effort to encourage Kochiites to treat biodegradable waste at the source itself, Kochi Corporation and Yashoram Charitable Trust have launched an ‘Organic Garbage Degradation and Organic Farming’ drive in the city on Thursday.

The drive involves utilisation of degraded organic garbage as manure for fruiting plants and vegetables. “Though the process might look tedious, it is actually very practical.

KRISHNAGIRI: Farmers attached to the Tamizhaga Vivsaiygal Sangam (TVS) on Wednesday urged the state government to prevent Karnataka from diverting water from the Thenpenniyar river alleging that the move would cause severe water shortage in five districts of TN.

In an emergency meeting on Wednesday in Savalur village, TVS state secretary K M Ramagounder said a new plan chalked out by the Karnataka government to divert water from the Varathur lake — situated across the Thenpenniyar river — to 200 lakes in the Kolar Gold Fields area would severely affect irrigation in five districts.