Anti-dengue operations have been intensified in Tirunelveli district even as the death toll mounted to 29. The outbreak of dengue, whose impact is seen in other southern districts, has put public health officials on their toes.

Director of Public Health R.T. Porkaipandian is in Tirunelveli with a team of officials to supervise the operations. In neighbouring Tuticorin district, four cases were under treatment at Tuticorin Medical College Hospital.

Urban local bodies (ULBs) have drawn up an action plan for revival, rehabilitation and maintenance of rain water harvesting (RWH) structures, Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister K.P. Munusamy said on Monday.

Initiating a debate on the demands for grants of his departments, Mr. Munusamy said that the ULBs had taken up various measures for the rehabilitation of the structures. Wherever they were under repair, the ULBs had been asked to restore them. The awareness programme on RWH was being continued in all ULBs.

Energy-related engineering and manufacturing enterprise Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has approached the Tamil Nadu government to reconsider its decision on cancelling a joint venture (JV) for the Rs 8000-crore Udangudi power project in downstate Tuticorin.

"We have written to the state government that we have enhanced our capacity to 20,000 Mw. So, considering our order-book size, we can complete the project within the set target of December 2015 if the job is given to us,"

Tiruneveli and Tuticorin districts to benefit; cost estimated at Rs.369 crore

Work on the first phase of the Tamiraparani-Karumeniyar-Nambiyar river interlinking project is likely to be completed by the year-end. Nearly three-fourth of the work, covering two stages of the project, has been carried out. In three years of execution, Rs.160 crore out of the sanctioned Rs.213 crore was spent, said sources.

The Centre has slapped showcause notices on three more NGOs on charges of diversion of foreign contributions to uses other than declared purposes registered under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). It has also sent questionnaires to 9 other NGOs. All 16 NGOs against whom action has been initiated are based in Tamil Nadu and are suspected of routing funds from foreign donors to fuel the agitation against the Kudankulam nuclear power project.

Denying charges of funding the anti-nuclear protests at Koodankulam, representatives of three of the four NGOs facing government action — Nagarcoil-based Rural Uplift Centre (RUC), Tuticorin Diocesan Association (TDA) of the Latin Catholic Diocese of Tuticorin, and the diocese’s social service wing, Tuticorin Multi-Purpose Social Service Society (TMSSS) — traced their intervention in the area to post-tsunami relief activities.

* Tuticorin Diocesan Association

New Delhi: When the government approves a project, it is to be awarded in one go. But the Tuticorin Port Trust (TPT) decided to go against the established norm and split a contract. It is only after four years that the port trust is making amends, and the shipping ministry has sought the Union Cabinet’s approval. Sources in the ministry said that substantial portion of the project has been released by the port.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government's decision to have the state electricity board implement the 1,600 MW power project at Udangudi in Tuticorin district may not necessitate another environment impact assessment (EIA) and public hearing, said industry officials. Senior industry officials said that the Udangudi power project may not require fresh EIA and public hearing just because the source of coal -- imported as against the earlier plan of domestic coal -- is sought to be changed and the project is to be implemented by another organisation.

Jayalalithaa reverses DMK regime’s decision on the 1,600-megawatt project

Reversing the previous Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government's decision on the 1,600-megawatt (MW) Udangudi super critical thermal power project, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Friday announced that her government would implement it as a State sector project, ensuring the availability of the entire power generated to the State.

With Tamil Nadu reeling under acute power shortage, the Chief Minister, Ms J. Jayalalithaa, today said that the state would take up the Rs 8,000-crore Super Critical Thermal Power Project at Udangudi (Tuticorin district) on its own in the face of continued delay.

Recalling that a joint venture, Udangudi Power Corporation Ltd for the 1,600-MW project (2x800 MW) between TNEB and BHEL had been formed as early as in December 2008 during DMK regime, Ms Jayalalithaa however said many factors had rendered the coal-fired project a non-starter.