Protests staged at various places in delta districts

Cadres of the CPI-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam took out rallies and staged demonstrations at various places in Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts protesting against the proposed coal-bed methane (CBM) project from the delta districts.

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) will install solar panels in its buildings across the State at a cost of Rs 3 crore during the current financial year, said M.C. Sampath, Environment Minister here on Wednesday.

Replying to the debate on the demands for grants for his department, Mr Sampath said that at present the head office and nine offices in the districts were functioning on its own premises with laboratory facilities.

This summer, Chennai Metrowater’s well fields in Tiruvallur district will be rejuvenated after a gap of nearly a decade to tackle water shortage in the city.

The fast-depleting resources in the reservoirs, the major suppliers of drinking water to the city, have set the focus on well fields in Poondi, Tamaraipakkam and floodplains near Kosasthalaiyar river. Besides rejuvenating the 20 borewells in these well fields, the water agency plans to sink 16 more borewells to augment water supply.

Claim that special package was not fully delivered

Cashew farmers of Cuddalore district affected by cyclone “Thane” are ruing their misfortune of crop losses even a year after the disaster. They say that the special package announced by the government to revive cashew crop on about 29,000 hectares is yet to be fully delivered. It is the contention of the farmers that only when the entire package is made available to them, they would be able to raise fresh crops. For instance, first they are offered monetary assistance for removing uprooted trees; then they are supplied VRI-3 hybrid saplings ( an early-ripening and high-yielding variety) to review cashew cultivation.

Motivated by Krishi Karman award conferred on State government

Enthused by the Krishi Karman award conferred on the State government for achieving milestones in food production, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday announced Rs. 99 crore for the command area development and water management (CADWM) programme in Villupuram, Cuddalore and Tiruvannamalai districts.

Cuddalore: Cuddalore district authorities imposed prohibitory orders to book people and institutions disposing waste in public places in an effort to prevent dengue outbreak.

District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo has stated that the people should make it a point to celebrate Deepavali free from noise pollution. He has suggested that the money to be spent on firecrackers could be set aside for helping the poor students to buy books and clothes.

In a statement issued here, the Collector has observed that the firecrackers would cause both noise and atmospheric pollution. Bursting of firecrackers would generate sulphur-dioxide, nitrogen-dioxide and harmful suspended particles.

Air quality too, to be monitored at five spots, during Deepavali

It’s a busy time of year for officials of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). A week head of Deepavali, they have begun measuring levels of noise and ambient air quality at five places in the city. Monitoring stations have been established in thickly-populated areas like Besant Nagar, T. Nagar, Sowcarpet, Nungambakkam and Triplicane to collect dust samples before, during and after the festival. According to an official, noise levels will be recorded for six hours every evening and pollution levels, every 24 hours from 6 a.m.

The cyclone has left two people dead so far

The coastal districts of Tamil Nadu were hit by Cyclone Nilam this evening. With wind speeds of up to 100 km/hour, it severely affected many areas in Tamil Nadu, as well as Andhra Pradesh. According to PTI reports, the cyclone left two people dead. Most industrial houses, schools and offices in the coastal districts were closed on Wednesday. Heavy winds damaged roads here, as well as those in other coastal areas. Power cuts were also reported. Initial estimates pegged economic losses from the storm at Rs 70-80 crore. Government officials said the figure was expected to rise.

A deep depression hovering over the Bay of Bengal may intensify into a cyclonic storm by Tuesday morning and is likely to cross the north Tamil Nadu coast and adjoining south Andhra Pradesh by October 31 midnight, the Met office said.

The deep depression lay over the southwest Bay of Bengal, about 550 km south-southeast of Chennai and 200 km east-northeast of Trincomalee. If it intensifies into a cyclonic storm, it would be the season’s first cyclone to strike the State.