The Kerala Government is planning to raise Rs 1 lakh crore from a multilateral financial institution for funding the high speed rail corridor project. The project will connect Thiruvananthapuram with Udupi in Karnataka, said the Kerala Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy. He was in the city for a roadshow to showcase the forthcoming ‘Emerging Kerala 2012' global investor meet, which would be held from September 12 to 14 in Kochi.

Collector's order backs hospital's efforts

Efforts of the Government Medical College Hospital authorities to keep the premises clean and litter-free have received a fillip with the District Collector stepping in to declare the premises a ‘plastic-free zone'. The official declaration to this effect was issued recently.

The Biodiversity Management Committees of the coastal local bodies will be actively involved in the campaign. Information on declining marine biodiversity, threats faced by the marine ecosystem, sustainable livelihood and conservation measures will be highlighted, he said.

The Kerala campaign will be led by the district coordinators of the board in association with experts in conservation, ecology and environment. The programme is funded by the National Biodiversity Authority.

KOZHENCHERRY: Water Resources Minister P J Joseph said that the coverage of Japanese Drinking Water Scheme would be extended to more districts in the state. Inaugurating the Kerala Water Authority Staff Association state-level leadership training camp at Charalkunnu near here on Monday, P J Joseph said that the Japanese Drinking Water Scheme was confined to a few districts at present such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Alappuzha. The scheme would be implemented in Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kottayam districts soon, the Minister said.

This summer, the capital city and its suburbs are in the grip of acute water shortage. In a multi-part series The Hindu examines the diverse ways the problem has impacted the people.

Water taps that can do little more than drip, wells that give no more water, water tanker operators who know that people would pay anything for that precious potful… summertime is often cruel to the residents of the capital city.

Garbage crisis in the Kerala capital worsened with the Vilappil panchayat administration pressing its demand to close down the treatment plant at the earliest.

The plant was set up to process solid waste generated by the Thiruvananthapuram City Corporation.

A Supreme Court directive had demanded the panchayat to allow trucks to ferry in clay and machinery to complete the work on a leachate treatment unit and sanitary fill.

Government should stick to assurance: local body

The State government's efforts to resolve the issue surrounding the Vilappilsala solid- waste treatment plant got further hampered on Thursday after the Vilappil panchayat decided to stick to its stand that clay and machinery will not be allowed into the plant until an assurance on permanent closure of the plant was given.

Chandy to launch solar lighting project today

The Department of Prisons is all set to go green with solar lighting systems to be installed in the Central Prison in the city. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will inaugurate the pilot project at the Central Prison at 4.30 p.m. on Wednesday.

New Delhi: After objecting to the monorail system, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is now planning to build one it seems. Government sources said there were discussions between Delhi Metro and the Delhi government earlier last month about handing over the Shastri Park-Trilokpuri monorail project to DMRC. Delhi Metro will have a meeting with Bombardier in a few days to discuss monorail technology and, specifically, the 10.8km project set to come up in east Delhi, said a source.

NABARD extending big assistance

The government has sanctioned Rs.1,000 crore for the Public Works Department (PWD) to take up works of road and construction of bridges.The funds have been made available for the Rs.701-crore projects announced in the last budget and for the Rs.291.33-crore road development project being implemented with the financial assistance of NABARD.