State-run caustic soda major Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL) has joined hands with National Aluminium Company (Nalco) for setting up 200,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) caustic soda project at Dahej in Gujarat.

"The feasibility report for the proposed project is currently on and is likely to be completed by October-November this year. GACL will have majority stake in the project, which will come up at Dahej in Gujarat," said MS Dagur, managing director, Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd, which is the largest caustic soda manufacturer in India.

Vadodara: The Amul model of co-operatives will travel from the land of Modi to Mamta’s bastion. The Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Limited (KDCMPUL), popularly known as Amul Dairy, is setting up a dairy plant in Kolkata with an investment of over Rs 100 crore.

Interestingly, in 2008 when Gujarat’s dairy union controlled by Congressmen had started the experiment to replicate the Amul model of co-operatives in West Bengal (WB) by collecting milk locally, there were apprehensions about the success of White Revolution in WB, which was then the red bastion.

The Gandhi bridge in Ahmedabad will soon get eco friendly streetlights, courtesy a venture by an Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) alumni.

IIM-A alumnus Akshat Khare and his partner Dhaval Shah, a Nirma University graduate, through their startup-Nessa Illumination Technologies, will run a pilot project on Gandhi bridge by replacing 10,000 conventional street lights with LED lights. "Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) spends about Rs 12-15 crore annually on external lights in the city. Our business model will help them save up to one-thirds on electricity bills. Besides, the lights are maintenance free, which will help them cut additional costs," said Khare, director, Nessa.

No Relief For Farmers As Water Levels In Dams Still Dismal

Gandhinagar: Despite the recent good spell of rain in Saurashtra and Kutch, the regions are staring at several months of water woes. With the water storage in the dams remaining quite low, farmers will not be getting any water from these sources for irrigation. The issue is all set to become a poll agenda for parties opposing the ruling BJP. Sources said that at the beginning of this week, the average water storage in dams and other schemes in Kutch was recorded at 36.40 per cent while that for Saurashtra was a grim 17.86 per cent.

The Baroda District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Limited popularly known as Baroda Dairy will revive its Narmada Neer project which is lying on deathbed since a year.

The district co-operative dairy union will bring Narmada Neer bottles and pouches back on the shelf before first week of October. The dairy union has already conducted production trials for the relaunch of the project.

A division bench of the Gujarat high court on Tuesday asked an expert committee to come up with suggestions to curb spread of malaria and dengue in the city.

The order came after government authorities filed an affidavit showing that cases of malaria had increased from 5,504 last year to 13,480 this year. The cases of dengue registered till August last year were 283, but against this, 439 cases have been registered this year.

A panel, constituted by the Environment Ministry, will examine the "severity of the issues" involved in the development of Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) at Mundra in Gujarat's Kutch district.

The five-member committee, headed by green activist Sunita Narain, will examine several allegations including the alleged destruction of mangroves and violation of Environmental and CRZ clearance granted for the port development, a source said.

Surat: Surat could well become the first city in India to make solar water heating in all buildings, residential and commercial, mandatory.
Earlier, this year, the Union urban development ministry had made it mandatory that civic bodies of all 58 cities identified to be made “solar cities” change their construction bylaws to make solar energy compulsory for water heating systems.

The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) will make the necessary changes in the bylaws of construction within a month. There are 10.2 lakh houses and nearly 65,000 commercial buildings in the city, which will have to switch over to solar water heating.

AMC Plans Metered Supply In All Areas

Instead of hinging on a pilot project for metering Jodhpur ward, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is of the opinion that metered water connection should be extended to the entire city at a single go. It will take the project five years to be implemented in the entire city in phases. The hurry being that unless the city plans for a metered supply, the AMC will not be eligible for the second phase of the JNNURM funds.

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat Ecology Commission (GEC) has stressed upon the need for a public debate on the issue of an appropriate act on land acquisition and resettlement.