KOCHI: A delegation of nearly 60 land owners to be affected by the Kochi Metro Rail-related land acquisition drive along Banerjee Road and the road from Jose Junction to Ernakulam South Railway station, along with Hibi Eden MLA, met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, on Saturday.

The meeting was held regarding the fixing of land price under the project.

KOCHI: It was part of the efforts to regulate the increasing number of highrise buildings that the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) issued a fresh set of guidelines towards getting environmental clearance for high-rise buildings in three states, including Kerala.

According to the new set of rules, any high-rise building which needs clearance from the municipality or local bodies should be situated in proximity to a fire station. This is to ensure that in case of an emergency, the fire engines reach the building without delay.

KOCHI: Well begun is half done ,or so the saying goes. But for the Kochi Corporation, even the things that have a good start get stuck soon.

This holds true for the squads formed to look into various aspects troubling Kochiites; including the anti-plastic squad, anti-public waste disposal squad and the ones formed to check the hygiene in hotels and eateries and the functioning of hostels.

A march was taken out to the district collectorate under the aegis of the NH 17 Joint Protest Committee on Wednesday, demanding the immediate construction of a four-lane road using the 30 metre land acquired for the widening of the Edappally-Moothakunnam stretch of the National Highway.

Protestors, including women, nuns, and uniform-clad students marched from the bus stand to the collectorate.

5.5 km road runs through an environmentally fragile area

The Kerala State Coastal Zone Management Authority (KSCZMA) has recommended that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) provide clearance for the Goshree Island Development Authority's (GIDA) Rs. 97-crore Moolamppilly-Pizhala, Valiya Kadamakkudi-Chathanad Road.

Kochi has been selected as one of the major cities in India by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) for the implementation of ‘Asian Cities Adapt’ project. ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is an international association of local governments and national and regional local government organisations that have made a commitment to sustainable development.

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to immediately consider granting the contract to Bayern Mercantile, a Germany-based company, for setting up a waste treatment plant on the 10 acres at Brahmapuram near Kochi.

The Bench comprising Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair and Justice P.S. Gopinathan issued the directive after considering an affidavit filed by the State on the proposals made by the solid waste treatment companies.

New Delhi To serve the expected addition in refining capacity and to partly replace any shortfall in crude oil supplies from Iran, India has sought an additional 5 million tonne of crude oil from Saudi Arabia. India has also sought investments from Saudi firms in its new petrochemical and refinery projects.

“We have sought 5 million tonne extra crude oil from Saudi Arabia for 2012-13,” minister of state for petroleum and natural gas R P N Singh said here after holding discussions with the visiting assistant minister for petroleum affairs Abdul Aziz Bin Salman bin Abdulaziz.

Only mass rapid transit solutions can provide India’s urban commuters with efficient mobility. Billions of man-hours are lost with people ‘stuck in traffic’.

Illegal fishing practices are posing serious threat to fish resources and aquatic biodiversity.