The drinking water situation in Chennai is comfortable and the city will not face any water shortage even during peak summer, Secretary to Public Works Department S. Audiseshiah said here on Saturday.

YET another case of neighbourhood concerns about pollution and development. The Environment Appellate Authority (EAA) has passed an order May 6, directing the Chemplast Sanmar Ltd., Mettur, to obtain fresh clearance for its captive thermal power plant project.

THE State will soon take steps to introduce e-agriculture. This is part of reforms meant to equip agri-extension centres with hi-tech facilities so as to train farmers in modern farming methods, said Surjit K Chowdry, Secretary of Agriculture of the TN Government. Talking to journalists here on the sidelines of the Annual Rose Show, he said these hi-tech agri-extension centres would be established in 385 blocks in the state to cater to the needs of the agricultural community in tune with scientific farming.

THE JOB profile said bird scarer, but what 28 men did not bargain for while taking up employment was the even scarier work conditions. Contracted more than a decade ago by a private agency to keep birds off Chennai Airport limits, more specifically the runways, these men feel exploited. The duty involves standing long hours and bursting crackers to ensure absolute absence of birds from the runway area. The hot sun and rain are accepted as professional hazards. But the lack of minimum support rankles.

Local Administration Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated the Joint Forestry Management Training Centre at Velachery here on Friday. At another function, Mr. Stalin distributed Rs. 15.17 crore, which was earned by way of tank bund plantations by the Social Forestry wing of the State Forest Department. Sixty per cent from the total revenue earned through the tank bund plantations were provided to village panchayats. The amount was outstanding since 2000.

Continuing his arguments in the Ramar Sethu case, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy told the Supreme Court on Thursday that the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project would not be economically viable and the whole economic calculation was a "fraud.' Justice Raveendran intervened and said, "Even if it is a foolish project in terms of economics, we can't go into it. How much should be spent, in what manner it should be spent are all matters for the government to decide.' Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan said, "Our jurisdiction is very limited in such matters.'

The Tamil Nadu government has come out with a new initiative for developing infrastructure facilities in and round rural tourist centres through an Infrastructure Gap Filling Fund. It is being set up with assistance from Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Departments to provide a big fillip to tourism in the State, said Tourism Minister N. Suresh Rajan, while replying to discussions on the demands of the Tourism Department in the Assembly on Thursday. Centres identified

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to explore the possibility of an alternative alignment or any other route for the Sethusamudram Shipping Channel Project without damaging Ramar Sethu and to consider whether an archaeological study could be conducted to declare Ramar Sethu a national monument. Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, heading a three-judge Bench, asked senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for the Centre, to consider an alternative alignment and said that by this the government could avoid the controversy (of damaging Ramar Sethu).

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to consider conducting an archaeological survey to ascertain whether the Ram Sethu can be declared an ancient monument.

Power equipment major Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) is all set to finalise separate joint ventures with the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Company (APGenco) and the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, close on the heels of its first joint venture company, NTPC-Bhel Power Projects, which was formed last month. As a first step, the country's largest power equipment supplier will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the APGenco for supplying equipment for a 125-mw plant, which is expected to come up at Vijaywada, Andhra Pradesh, shortly.