Kochi will particularly feel the vibrations of massive earthquakes like the one that shook Indonesia on Wednesday as the city is largely landfill area, said Kusala Rajendran, well-known seismologist at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Dr. Rajendran, who is Associate Professor at the Centre for Earth Sciences in IIS told The Hindu over telephone that the vibrations from an earthquake increase in areas of landfill.

Disposal of leftover kindling, food key issue

As the city gears up for Attukal Pongala on Wednesday, the City Corporation is swarmed with applications from residents' associations, voluntary organisations as well as individuals residing in the festival zone for organising annadanam (mass free meals) for the devotees offering pongala.

SHILLONG: The State Government has decided to seek additional fund from the Centre to integrate waste to energy project in the sanitary landfill site at Marten, Mawiong.

“If the proposal of the State Government is approved, the State, which is going through a severe power crisis, can benefit a lot since the integration project would help in generating at least 4 megawatts of power,” Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told The Shillong Times here on Friday.

Corporation, government still unsure about waste disposal

The civic authorities are bound to have a tough time dealing with the waste generated by the hordes of devotees that will arrive in the city for the Attukal pongala festival, in the backdrop of the ongoing agitation against the Vilappilsala solid waste treatment plant.

Although Gurgaon is fast emerging as a hub for healthcare services, it is gaining notoriety over issues relating to disposal of medical waste.

Steady release of mercury into the air, soil and water poses a significant health risk. But, it appears, not for policymakers in India.