AHMEDABAD: The rate at which the swine flu virus has been engulfing a restricted number of districts in Saurashtra has been worrying state health department.

Tata Power Co Ltd today fully synchronised the fifth and last unit of its ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Mundra, Gujarat, taking the project to its full capacity of 4,000 megawatts (Mw).

Four units of this UMPP--800 Mw each--were commissioned in a single year, which the company calls "a new record". The addition of one of the country's largest power projects into the portfolio takes the total generation capacity of Tata Power, the country's largest private power utility, to 8,500 Mw.

Ahmedabad: The state government has admitted that the water crisis looms large over Saurashtra region. Even in January, a total of 74 villages in three talukas of Junagadh faced severe crisis. The government said that atotal of 216 dams in Rajkot and Kutch have gone dry.

In written reply to a question from Somnath MLA Jasa Barad, the state government said that Junagadh city was being given an additional 50 lakh litres of water every day. In far off villages in Sutrapada, Junagadh and Veraval, the water was being supplied through water tankers. In Junagadh, the number of villages where water was supplied with tankers was 42, followed by 26 in Sutrapada and six in Veraval taluka.

Gandhinagar: The incidences of swine flu continues unabated in the state as seven fresh cases of patients testing positive for the virus came to light on Thursday. Of these, five cases have been reported from Rajkot while one each was reported from Bharuch and Surat.

The flu that is also referred to as H1N1 virus has claimed 30 lives in Gujarat in the past two months, health minister Nitin Patel said in the state assembly on Thursday. An alert has been sounded in the health fraternity regarding the virus which has Saurashtra in its grip. Patel said that H1N1 virus was a cause of concern which has spiked because of the prolonged winter.

Ahmedabad: For flamingos, Khadir region was already a death trap; and now, the birds are finding it lethal to fly into Haripar village in Maliya. Over 20 flamingos were found dead on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court on Friday stopped construction and development work of industrial units at the Adani group-owned Adani Port special economic zone (APSEZ) at Mundra in Kutch pending clearances from the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). However, it allowed already functional units to continue business operations within APSEZ (formerly Mundra Port and SEZ).

A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, while disposing of the four petitions filed by Skaps industries, Ahistrom Fiber Composites (I), Oriental Carbon Chemicals and Dorf Ketal Speciality Catalyst, set aside the Gujarat High Court’s exparte order that halted commercial production of all 12 industrial units within the SEZ till environment clearance was granted by the MoEF in favour of APSEZ.

Supreme Court on Friday stayed the Gujarat High Court order that halted commercial production at all 12 industrial units operating in the Adani group-owned Adani Port Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Mundra.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir, while issuing notice to the Centre through MoEF, APSEZ, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and other 21 parties, including the 11 other companies, stayed the Thursday's exparte HC order.

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday stayed commercial operations and development activities of 12 companies located in the Adani Group owned Adani Port Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Mundra taluka of Kutch district, till environmental clearance is granted to them by Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

The directions were issued on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by villagers of Navinal village in Mundra alleging that these companies in question have not only developed production units but also were importing and exporting goods, despite no environmental clearance by the MoEF.

Gandhinagar: Swine flu casualties in the past few weeks in the state have baffled the state health department.

Adani Ports and SEZ (APSEZ) has sought fresh approval from the government for 1,840 hectare multi-product special economic zone, which was denotified in October due to non-conformity with SEZ rules.

"We have sought permission for a new SEZ and have made several representations to the government. We hope to get the approval in the present quarter itself," APSEZ's Chief Financial Officer B Ravi said. Government sources said meanwhile that the Board of Approval (BoA), the apex body for SEZs, has not yet taken up the matter.