The Kerala Water Resources Department will review the safety aspects of all dams under it.

A conference convened by Minister for Water Resources P. J. Joseph took the decision in view of the overtopping of the Pazhassi Dam early this week. It decided to replace all the shutters of the dam urgently and entrust the work to public sector undertaking Kerala Electrical and Allied Engineering Company. Rs. 7 crore had been sanctioned for the work.

Pazhassi dam in danger as water flows one metre above its crest; families evacuated

The heavy rain, landslips, and floods that devastated many areas in Kozhikode and Kannur districts in the last two days have claimed at least nine lives. Eight persons, five of them from a family, were buried alive in multiple landslips accompanied by heavy rain in the Pulloorampara area in Kozhikode district on Monday and a child drowned at Iritty in Kannur district.

Proposal for at least 10 cents of land to those who lose houses

A special meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy to discuss the greenfield road as part of the infrastructure development for the proposed Kannur airport has decided to undertake a feasibility study on the widening of Thazhe Chovva - Mattanur stretch, along with the roads proposed earlier. The meeting at the Chief Minister’s chamber suggested that the existing Mele Chovva - Mattanur road, proposed greenfield road, and the Thazhe Chovva - Kappad -Anjarakandy-Keezhallur-Mattanur road be subjected to a detailed study in terms of the pros and cons of development and estimated expenditure before taking a decision.

Sand-mining from rivers in the district has been banned by District Collector Ratan Kelkar from June 20 to July 31.

An official press release here on Tuesday said the decision to ban sand-mining during the period was taken to ensure the availability of sand and to protect rivers. The ban period would be extended if necessary, the release said, adding that the river banks and organic resources in the rivers in the district were facing a serious threat from unauthorised sand-mining.

KOZHIKODE: Showing signs of improvement in the mangrove cover across the state, the Annual Report of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) 2011-12, which was released recently, notes that the mangrove cover in Kerala has increased for the first time since 2005.

According to the report, the total mangrove cover in the state is now spread across a total area of 6 km2. Though the mangrove was spread across an area of 8 km2 in the year 2003, it had declined to 5 km2 during the last survey conducted in 2009.

Action against those using contaminated sources: Collector

Even as many parts of the district are experiencing acute drinking water scarcity, the quality of drinking water being supplied in tanker lorries by private agencies has raised concerns in the wake of media reports that contaminated water sources are being used for collecting water in other parts of the State.

The Thalassery municipality resumed waste disposal at Pettippalam with the aid of the police on Tuesday morning, amid dramatic scenes following the arrest of people protesting against the waste dum

Finance Minister K.M.

Munderikkadavu and surrounding areas in the district have to be protected with the involvement of local bodies to develop it into a bird sanctuary, a report prepared by birders on the proposal for conserving the area as a bird sanctuary said.

The findings and the recommendations of the report came up for discussion at a seminar organised in the Munderi panchayat hall here on Monday

KOCHI: The PWD will soon start the road work for Rs1,343 crore allotted by the Finance Department, said Public Works Minister V K Ebrahim Kunju.