Apparently giving preference to political considerations over eligibility norms, the Centre is all set to clear the Kochi Metro Rail project, which will have three coaches in the first phase and will thus be the smallest metro in the country. The matter is likely to come up in the Union Cabinet meeting on Thursday. Sources in the Union Urban Development Ministry said that last month, the Ministry forwarded the Rs 5,200-crore project connecting Alwaye to Pettah in the district to the Union Cabinet for final approval.

From Wednesday traffic snarls will be back to trouble lakhs of commuters on the BRT corridor with Delhi Government deciding to revert back to the dedicated lane system. The decision was taken in a meeting held by the transport department of Delhi Government, headed by Transport Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely, on Tuesday and the same will be effective from Tuesday midnight.

State Cabinet here on Wednesday took several important decisions. It decided to constitute Madhya Pradesh Water Corporation (MPWC) for implementation of group piped water schemes in rural area. The corporation will avail loans under prescribed procedure to run these schemes and other fiscal management. The Corporation will implement piped drinking water as well as sewage schemes in the urban areas as per requirement and supplying drinking water to families through water connections.

Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan has said that the research and extension activities carried out by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education have positively helped in meeting the livelihood needs of the rural poor, tribals and those living in the fringe forests and facilitating opening of interface with Panchayati Raj institutions in the country.

She said this while speaking at the 20th meeting of the ICFRE Society at Paryavaran Bhawan, New Delhi.

For lakhs of commuters jostling for space on the narrow lanes of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor, the six days’ respite allowing mixed vehicles has been extended till May 21. The arrangement for the trial run, which was to conclude on May 17, will now continue for the next couple of days. Meanwhile, with expert body Central Road Research Institute’s (CRRI) interim report on BRT batting in favour of the traffic flow during the trial run, the experimental run may carry on even longer.

The Planning Commission hailed it as a future fuel and the industry projected it as a viable biofuel crop. But the Union Rural Development Ministry led by Jairam Ramesh feels otherwise. Citing negative reports, the Ministry has put on hold the Jatropha plantation programme for biofuel purpose. It has thus also put a question mark on the future of the proposed National Mission on biofuels.

China and Vietnam on Wednesday justified making of traditional medicines with bones and body parts of captive tigers, leading to a strong protest from participating countries at the ongoing three-day Global Tiger Recovery Programme (GTRP). Both claimed that it was legal to make traditional medicines with bones of captive tigers and that these medicines are used for research purposes in its universities and schools. China also refused to come up with any concrete commitments to stop making of traditional medicines with tiger parts.

Posco India Chairman-cum-Managing Director YW Yoon on Wednesday asserted that despite delay in the transfer of required land, there was no question of downsising or reducing the project cost of the proposed 12 mtpa mega steel mill to be set up near Paradip.

With a view to address the issue of unsafe buildings, the Delhi Development Authority on Tuesday decided to set up a separate unit to work out systems for retrofitting or rebuilding buildings considered vulnerable during earthquakes. At the Authority meeting held on Tuesday, Delhi Lt Governor and DDA chairman Tejendra Khanna suggested that the DDA, in public interest and due to Delhi being in seismic zone, should address the issues of unsafe buildings. “After deliberations, it was decided that a separate unit should be created within the DDA, for the purpose.

The Bhopal Municipal Corporation has developed five e-waste collection centers as per the notification of the Union Government. Citizens, traders, residential and non-residential buildings, Government and non-Government organisations can deposit e-waste like fridges, televisions, and computers, mobiles and other electronic waste in these centres.