The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) is set to become the first Public Sector Unit (PSU) in the state to function fully on solar energy.

HC Cancels MG Road Frontage Categorization

In a ruling that could increase the land acquisition cost for the Kochi Metro rail project, the Kerala high court has held that fixing the price of land that has frontage to a sideroad as well as MG Road at the rate of the sideroad is wrong.

Kochi: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) India has shown willingness to collaborate with Kerala to evolve and execute an integrated river basin programme for the state to address its twin requirements of making water available throughout the year and conserving the rivers and nature.

WWF India CEO Ravi Singh and other senior officials already held talks with the top officials of the State Planning Board and other departments early this week. “Our input will be primarily in terms of the expertise we have acquired during the implementation of similar programmes in India and abroad. We don’t want to involve in the programmes as consultants or funding agency,’’ Ravi Singh told TOI here over phone from New Delhi.

Kochi: Kochi corporation has decided to appoint International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for executing the solar city project. The local body has informed that it will hold preliminary discussions with ICLEI representatives in a month.

The aim of the project is to promote the use of renewable energy in urban areas. Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi were identified as suitable regions for implementing the project.

The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has called for suggestions and comments from various stakeholders on the Kasturirangan review committee report that has classified 122 villages in the state as ecosensitive areas along the Western Ghats.

A high-level working group (HLWG) on Western Ghats, chaired by K Kasturirangan, had reviewed the Madhav Gadgil-chaired Western Ghats Experts Ecology Panel (WGEEP) report as all the five states along the Western Ghats had raised objections against the Gadgil report.

Health Policy To Be Out For Debate Today

The health policy prepared by a panel of experts has recommended a complete reorganization of the government health system by introducing primary care providers along the lines of the family physician concept. The policy, which would be released for public debate on Saturday, points out the inadequacy of the presentday primary health care system to respond to certain challenges such as non-communicable diseases, mental health issues and geriatric care.

Some Private Hospitals Come Under Attack From Govt-Appointed Panel

Thiruvananthapuram: The committee appointed by the government to look into the human drug trials has found that several companies in the state are conducting trials with just profit as their motive. To regulate this, the committee headed by Kerala State Council for Science and Technology executive vice president V N Rajasekharan Pillai has recommended bringing in a legislation to control the trials.

Kochi:The state government has decided to opt for the ‘Swiss challenge system’ of tendering, a bidding process to help private sector initiative in core sector projects, for the new solid waste treatment plant to be set up at Brahmapuram.

Urban development minister Manjalamkuzhi Ali said the cabinet has already taken a decision in this regard and tender notifications would soon be released. “By adopting this model of tendering, we will be able to finalise the bid within three months of releasing the notification,” he said.

High Levels of Radiation Suspected In Several Areas

Kochi: In the wake of increasing number of complaints of high-level radiation from mobile phone towers, the government has finally decided to conduct a radiation intensity mapping in the city to identify areas where the radiation is above permissible limits. The Kerala State Council for Science and Technology has appointed the state wing of the Swadeshi Science Movement to conduct the ‘Mapping of intensity of electromagnetic fields in Kochi’. The mapping will cover the entire area under the Kochi corporation.

KOCHI: The Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday dismissed a petition which challenged decisions, including industrial area notification for the proposed Aranmula airport project