The jatropha puzzle has finally been solved.

In 2005-06, most of the districts in the State were abuzz with the talk of jatropha. In press conferences, the then District Collectors, especially in those adjoining western and eastern ghats, talked of largescale jatropa plantations as the oil extracted from its seeds (blended with diesel up to 20 per cent) could be used as a substitute to petroleum diesel.

MADURAI: With the state reeling under a severe power crunch, the Madurai Corporation has started focusing on energy generation from alternate measures such as solar and bio-ethanol. During the council meeting held on Wednesday, a resolution was passed to call tenders from eligible companies to set up solar projects in the corporation under the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

Subsidy for the scheme increased by 10 per cent

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has enhanced its support to a Central Government scheme to promote solar power. To promote commercial marketing of solar accessories, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), had launched the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission with subsidy for solar lighting and small capacity photovoltaic systems, which would be routed through NABARD.

Farmers' protesting against the State Government's proposal to take over around 1,500 acres of “fertile” land for an industrial park would get a fillip when social activist Medha Patkar would join them to highlight their plight on Monday.

Along with Ms. Patkar, the national convenor of National Alliance of People's Movement, G. Nammalvar, organic scientist, would participate in a protest meeting on Monday, said the secretary of Madurai District Farmers' Welfare Association, M. Ramalingam.

Petitioner alleges that it has been sub-leased without Centre's nod

A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking a direction to the Centre as well as State Government to take back 1,200.97 acres of Mullakadu Reserve Forest land handed over to Tuticorin Port Trust in 1918 on the ground that it had been allegedly let on sub lease to various public and private establishments thereby affecting its ecology.

The DHAN Foundation, a leading non-government organisation in the city, in partnership with the Department of Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu, organised the ‘Madurai Walkathon 2012' here on Saturday to create an awareness on climate change adaptation with emphasis on ‘Say no to plastics, Save the Planet Earth'. Mr Rajan Chellappa, Mayor, Madurai Corporation, flagged off the event which started at Mariamman Teppakulam and reached Tamukkam grounds. Over 3,000 participants including women, farmers, students from school and colleges participated.

The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday ruled that there was no prohibition on the police to book sand smugglers on charges of ‘theft' under the Indian Penal Code as well as ‘illegal mining' under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act.

A Division Bench of Justice M. Jaichandren and Justice S. Nagamuthu disagreed with decisions taken by a couple of single judges who had quashed First Information Reports in sand smuggling cases on the ground that the special enactment relating to mines overrode the common criminal law.

In a major step towards an effective implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, all hotels, eateries and road side food vendors have been asked to register their particulars with food safety officials at the office of the Deputy Director of Health Services in Viswanathapuram here.

J. Suguna, who has been appointed as the designated officer of food safety for Madurai district, has said on Sunday that the Food Safety Act will be strictly implemented in both urban and rural areas and officials now have now powers to enforce the rules.

Kerala Irrigation Department engineers accompanied it

The Supreme Court-appointed Empowered Committee on Sunday inspected Tamil Nadu Hydel Power generation station at Lower camp and Vaigai dam as part of its inspection of Mullaperiyar dam here.

National Highways Authority of India organises public hearing on realignment

Farmers from villages in the outskirts of the City have opposed the proposed move to build the bypass road, to come up as part of the widening of the Tiruchi-Karur section of National Highway 67, cutting across fertile agricultural lands.