Sanjeev Ramachandran / Colachel July 09, 2008, 0:15 IST Coca-Cola recently handed over 41 houses to Tsunami survivors in this part of South India. This gesture was not an isolated one. It has been followed by two other projects providing livelihood to thousands of fishermen in tsunami-hit zones. These measures come amidst poor public opinion of the company in the area after the prolonged battle that the panchayat in Plachimada in Kerala fought with it over contamination of ground water by factory effluents.

PANJIM, JULY 6

Hyderabad, July 4: The state government will have to shell out an additional Rs 700 crore on the weaker section housing scheme for the current year due to the Telugu Desam. The TD had complained to the Centre regarding payments for levelling the ground to build houses under the "Indiramma programme.'

If all the rain that fell in Goa during the year was trapped, the entire state would be flooded with water between seven and 10 feet deep, depending on whether it was a bad or good monsoon. That is the bounty nature has blessed this land with. Yet, today, we have a shortage of drinking water. Our cities get just a few hours of water supply a day, and many of our villages get water only once every alternate day, sometimes even less frequently during the summer. There could not be a contrast more stark.

Inspection of a mega housing project in Grande-Vanelilm in Colva has revealed that a well shown on the survey plan has ceased to exist on the ground, while storm water drain leading to a water pond stands filled up with mud. What's more, the inspection report read out by Panchayat Secretary, Rajendra Naik in the presence of Sarpanch Suzie Fernandes revealed that land filling has taken place, including the filling up of a ghairo (cowdung pond). The inspection was conducted as per last Sunday's gram Sabha meeting following a complaint lodged by Reena Fernandes and Menino Fernandes.

Residents of Sirsaim-Tivim have unanimously resolved to oppose mega housing projects in their village. At a largely attended Gram Sabha on Sunday, the villagers demanded the revocation of a construction licence issued to a mega housing project at Walkeshwar vaddo near Bodiem-Tivim. The panchayat had issued the licence for the construction of a project, comprising 22 bungalows, 10 apartments, one tennis court and two swimming pools.

Just north of Mumbai, along the creek at Kopar Khairne in Navi Mumbai is the story of how a fragile ecosystem is being systematically destroyed. Despite a High Court ruling against cutting of mangroves, amid a continuing real estate boom in Navi Mumbai, there is clear evidence of debris being dumped on what was once a lush mangrove forest here.

Literally giving thumbs down to villages opposing mega housing projects, the government today declared that if a project has been given permission after clearing all technical approvals, the panchayat has no authority to revoke the licence and the government will stand by the project. Addressing a press conference, after the cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Digambar Kamat who was also accompanied by Panchayat Minister Babu Azgaonkar stated that if all rules have been followed and there have been no misrepresentations on the project there is no reason for revoking the licence.

The Indiramma housing sche-me, a prestigious one for the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy's government, is making tardy progress due to official apathy, corruption among lower-level staff and the insufficiency of sanctioned amount for each beneficiary due to the rising prices of raw materials.