Illegal mining of sand from riverbeds and banks to feed the construction boom has once again become rampant in Ernakulam district, posing a serious threat to the very survival of rivers.

S. Sitaraman, environmentalist, said that after a brief period when honest police officers had kept a tight leash over the menace by taking stern action against the offenders, the problem had re-emerged in many pockets in the rural areas of the district.

Ernakulam station to receive 20 truckloads of waste daily

Two platforms of Ernakulum Junction Railway Station will be filled with non-biodegradable waste generated by the residents of Kochi. T.K. Ashraf, chairman of the Health Standing Committee of Kochi Corporation, said the Railways sought the waste to fill the two platforms which are under construction.

The biggest teak tree in Asia has been discovered at Ottakallan area in Thundathil range of Malayattoor Forest Division.

The gigantic tree reportedly beats the record of the teak tree at Kappayam, Edamalayar, which was the biggest tree in Asia till now. According to BN Nagaraj, Divisional Forest Officer, Malayatoor, the newly-discovered tree is estimated to be over 300 years old.“It was first noted by a man while cutting bamboo in the area. He reported it to forest officials and they took the measurement of the tree.

The death toll in a landslip at Kadavoor in Ernakulam district rose to five today with the recovery of the body of a man, police said.

The Commissioner of Food Safety has engaged a team in every district, including the representatives of the District Collector, the District Medical Officer, and the Food Safety Officer, to revisit

The Pollution Control Board is making arrangements to install gadgets to assess environmental pollution in Vengola panchayat in Ernakulam district.

The initiative is being taken in accordance with a Supreme Court directive to assess the pollution levels in the area. T. K. Kurien, a resident of the area, had approached the apex court, seeking relocation of plywood manufacturing units from the residential area. Mr. Kurien said he had filed a writ petition in the Kerala High Court earlier on the issue and an advocates’ commission submitted a report which reportedly sought measures including relocation of the units in order to curb pollution.

The people of Eloor and Edayar are under trauma as the deaths due to chronic diseases continue.

The Kerala High Court had suggested that the construction of polluting industries should not be allowed in the Edayar industrial belt. The court made the suggestion on June 19 while considering a petition filed by Periyar Malineekarana Virudha Samithi. The 450-acre industrial area established in 1962 falls under the Kadungalloor panchayat.

GIDA has identified 20 routes for its proposed ferry service, which will be operated out of the boat terminal, jetty and office complex, expected to be completed in eight months to one year.

Goshree Islands Development Authority (GIDA) plans to launch land development activities on the islands of Thannonnithuruthu, Pullekkad and Koramkotta, to raise funds for more development activities on islands surrounding Ernakulam.

A mega information technology project at the Infopark and a multi-crore hospital-cum-convention centre in Ernakulam district are among the first nine projects in the State to get environment clearance from the newly-constituted State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).

The SEIAA has approved the projects based on the recommendation given by the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC). Among the nine projects that have received the environment clearance, four are in Ernakulam.