Nuclear energy still has a role in India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said as he appeared to blame some US-based NGOs for difficulties at the Kudankulam nuclear plant.

The safety of people and environment has always been the priority of the nuclear industry, stressed M. Kashinath Balaji, Director of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, here on Thursday.

He was inaugurating an interactive session, ‘National summit on nuclear safety' organised in connection with Conjura-12, the annual technical and cultural festival of the TKM College of Engineering. “The global nuclear industry, with 430 reactors operating, has clocked a cumulative experience of 14,000 reactor years of safe operation. Indian reactors have clocked 350 reactor-years,” he said.

Collector visits the completed revetment wall and ramp at Punavasal village

Flood prevention works taken up along the Kollidam river in Thanjavur district by the Public Works Department (PWD) are nearing completion. The works were started in October 2010. Out of the total works taken up at a cost of Rs. 106.22 crore, works to the tune of Rs. 93.34 crore have been finished so far. The rest will be completed before the end of March.

The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) can demand water charges from all owners/occupants of an apartment even though the apartment has only a common sump and no individu