Department of Forestry has begun pilot work, says V-C

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), along with other stakeholders, will help in executing the State government’s East Coast Development Project, TNAU vice-chancellor K. Ramasamy said here on Thursday. Addressing mediapersons after assuming charge on August 27, the Vice-Chancellor said the five-year project would focus on increasing the green cover on the east coast of the State – a stretch of 1,006 km – from Kanyakumari to Chennai. Speaking to The Hindu later, he said the project involved a multi-pronged approach and included tank modernisation at a cost of Rs. 1,596 crore and increasing green cover at a cost of Rs. 672 crore.

Samudra Paheredar designed to mitigate marine oil spills

Samudra Paheredar, the indigenously built second pollution control vessel, specially designed to mitigate any marine oil spill, received a warm welcome from the Coast Guard fraternity on its arrival at Chennai Port on Tuesday. Receiving the vessel Coast Guard Region (East) Commander Inspector General S.P. Sharma, said the vessel will add marine pollution response capabilities like contain, recover and dispose of 500 tonnes of oil which may be spilled into the seas by accidents or hazards.

‘Govt Making A Mockery Of Us On Issue Of N-Plant’ Chennai: How can a Union minister go around issuing statements on the commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant when a court is still sei

Solar photovoltaic installations in India have crossed the 1,000 MW or 1 gigawatt (GW) mark, data made available by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, show.

13 persons admitted to CDH with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea; 47 others being treated

A total of 13 persons were admitted to Communicable Diseases Hospital (CDH) in Tondiarpet on Sunday with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. According to a Chennai Corporation official, the patients are residents of north Chennai. What began as a health and sanitation issue in and around Chetpet, creating a cholera scare last week, has now spread to other parts of the city.

New Delhi The oil ministry has decided to cancel permits issued to billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s privately owned RGTIL to lay four natural gas pipelines saying there were inordinate delays in construction of the 2,175-km lines.

The ministry refused to buy RGTIL’s argument that the government has already allocated all of the projected 91 mmscmd gas output from the KG-D6 fields to customers in Andhra Pradesh, Maharasthra and other northern states, leaving no gas for transportation through its proposed pipelines from Kakinada to Howrah, Chennai, Tuticorin and Mangalore.

No supervision of work by government staff, they claim

The desilting of Tirupananthaal Lake, one of the last surviving water bodies in Pammal Municipality near Tambaram, has begun as part of the local body’s efforts to carry out improvement works in the lake. However, a section of residents living around the lake suspect norms to have been flouted as government staff were not present to supervise the desilting. Officials made it clear they had not violated rules.

The Tamil Nadu Government has finalised plans to construct bridges and subways at a total cost of Rs 231.68 crore to tackle traffic congestion in the suburbs.

The wind energy sector in Tamil Nadu has objected to the State power utility blaming the system of banking of energy for its financial loss and planning to scrap the system.