The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, announced a mass cleaning programme in Chennai and its suburbs.

CHENNAI: Expediting her efforts to see a litter-free State capital very soon, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday set a three-month deadline for cleaning up the entire Chennai and its suburban areas.

In a move to boost infrastructure in the city, the State government on Thursday announced a Rs.500-crore ‘mega city' development mission for Chennai and its suburbs.

Announcing this in the Assembly, Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam said in his revised budget for 2011-12 that Rs.500 crore under the Chennai Mega City Development Mission would supplement the available funds under various schemes. The Chennai Metropolitan Area is expected to grow into a mega city with a population of more than 10 million in the next 10 years.

The Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in association with Rajagiri Outreach, jointly organised a workshop on ‘Waste Management in Kerala.'

HENNAI: Finance minister O Panneerselvam on Thursday announced two major initiatives for Chennai city —the Chennai Mega City Development Mission (CMCDM), to be implemented at Rs 500 crore, and augmentation of the reservoir capacity by 4.20 tmcft at a cost of Rs 1,851 crore.

Presenting the Budget for 2011-12 in the Assembly, the minister said storage capacities at Thervaikandigai, Thirukandalam and Ramanjeri reservoirs would be increased by 1 tmcft each.

Local body does not have wherewithal to manage its waste

Vellalore town panchayat has sought permission to use the Coimbatore Corporation's solid waste management facility. The Corporation has the facility - a waste segregation plant and landfill site within the town panchayat limits.

A meeting convened by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Monday to resolve the problems caused by the operation of the City Corporation's garbage treatment plant in the suburban village of Vilappilsala failed to reach a consensus after representatives of the two local bodies and political parties refused to budge from their hardened positions on the issue.

The State government has given its approval for a Responsible Tourism classification system chalked out by Kerala Tourism on the lines of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria of the UN and based