THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: So far, four lives have been lost and 697.13 acres of farm land affected ever since the North- East monsoon set in the State, according to the Monsoon Calamities Cell opened here.

Two people died each in Malappuram and Palakkad districts on Friday and their bodies had been recovered.

Babu K Peter | ENS Kochi

THE Sabari Rail project is all set to chug into history. After 14 years of surveys and discussions, it is a NO for the project. The Environment Impact Assessment study jointly conducted by the Kerala Forest Research Institute in association with Kerala State Biodiversity Board termed the project as "unviable and superfluous."

Corporate retail giants are quietly consolidating their position even in politically sensitive States such as Kerala.

At Kuttanad, harvested paddy being packed in gunnybags. A file picture. Reliance's attempt to reach an agreement with the Kuttanad Development Society to buy its entire paddy harvest failed, apparently over the price. ONE of the most sensitive initiatives by Reliance Retail since its foray into the farm sector in Kerala in June 2007 was its attempt to procure rice from Kuttanad in Alappuzha district, where farmers have been in distress for long because of falling prices, labour shortage, high cost of inputs, shrinking area under cultivation, opposition to mechanisation, and high wages.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy on Saturday alleged that the Kerala government had betrayed farmers by failing to release Rs. 60 crore it owed them due to paddy procurement.

Call to abandon Angamaly-Azhutha line

Sarath Babu George

The local body in Kottayam has come up trumps from a potentially difficult situation