District administration yet to start recycling units under MAP

Not a single plastic recycling unit has till date started functioning under any of the local bodies in the district though the district administration had promised to set up a few of them in different parts of the district as part of its much hyped MAP (Mass Action for Plastic-waste-fee Kozhikode) project two years ago. However, a few private entrepreneurs have taken up the responsibility of freeing the district from the bane of plastic waste even before the city Corporation set up its much awaited recycling unit at West Hill.

Says inquiry team did not meet old plantation workers

The Endosulfan Viruddha Samara Samithi has alleged that the report of the team constituted by the State government to study the health problems caused by the use of endosulfan in certain rural villages of Kozhikode district is an attempt to protect the pesticide companies and the Agriculture Department.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, the Samithi said the evidence collection and studies conducted by the team in the endosulfan-affected villages were a farce.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) may land two plum infrastructure projects in Kerala this year.

Eight small hydro power schemes mooted

In a bid to enhance power generation, the Small Hydro Promotion Cell of the Energy Management Centre, attached to the Department of Power, has proposed eight small hydro-power schemes in Kozhikode district. Some of these projects, already showcased at Emerging Kerala, which concluded in Kochi on Friday, have been envisaged to attract investors through the ‘Independent Power Producer’ and the ‘Captive Power Producer’ initiatives.

Oorjasree is conceived by Niravu, a residential forum

Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed launched Oorjasree, an energy conservation project conceived and introduced by Niravu, a residential forum, at Vengeri here on Sunday. It will be implemented by the 101 residents of the forum. The scheme was aimed at systematically reducing residential power consumption. Initially, all the members of the forum would be given two low-watt LED lamps and five CFL lamps to replace as many incandescent bulbs at their residences as part of the project.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has said that the State government will supplement the compensation available to farmers, who had lost their crops in floods and landslips in Kozhikode and Kannur district early this month, under Central norms.

Thus they would get two to three times the compensation compared to what was available under Central norms, he said after a meeting of the Cabinet here on Tuesday.

A day after landslips and flash floods triggered by heavy rain created havoc in Kozhikode, the district administration prepared a preliminary report on Wednesday pegging the total loss and cost of rehabilitation at Rs.200 crore even as over 200 affected people are lodged in a local school and parish hall in the calamity-hit region.

As many as 130 calamity-hit people are accommodated at the Anakkampoyil parish hall in Thiruvambadi while the Vimala Upper Primary School at neighbouring Manjuvayal area houses another 86 persons.

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.

A move to convert the wetlands and destroy mangroves flourishing in four acres near the Pullippuzha at Perumukham Karattippadath in Feroke has run into resistance from local people organised under the banner of Friends Samskarika Vedi.

C. Bijesh, secretary of the Vedi, warned on Thursday that protests would be intensified since the move to construct a building there had not been abandoned in spite of the District Collector sending the Revenue Divisional Officer for an on the spot inspection and later issuing a “stop memo” to the builder. Records also indicated it was a restricted zone for construction activities.

The Canolly canal and the Kallayi river will be de-silted soon with assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), District Collector K.V. Mohan Kumar said here on Tuesday.

Approval of the Shipping and Navigation Department had been obtained for deepening the Canolly canal at a cost of Rs.4.6 crore. The project envisaged deepening the 11-km stretch of the canal from Elathur to Kallai.