KOCHI: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has cleared the Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore pipeline project. Though the MoEF has given the ‘go ahead’, the details are yet to be received, a top official with the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) said.“The implementation of the project is a joint effort involving different departments. Clearance by the MoEF is a primary step towards the realisation of the project,” Vandana Chanana, general manager, (corporate communication), GAIL, told Express.

Groundwater in the entire areas has turned saline, say protesters

Residents of Neendakara and Ezhupunna in the northern tip of the district have joined hands to protest against the large-scale aquaculture farms in their region, which they say has not only brought paddy farming to a halt in the area, but also rendered the entire groundwater table there saline.

KOCHI: The attempt of the Kochi Corporation to set up a bio-gas plants for decentralised treatment of biodegradable waste has failed to yield results despite spending Rs 61.61 lakh. This was owing to the lack of proper monitoring and timely remedial action.

NEW DELHI, 3 FEB: As Air India promised to pay Rs 28 crore dues by this evening, state-owned oil companies have resumed jet fuel supplies to the national carrier today. All the three oil companies ~ Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum ~ had jointly stopped aviation turbine fuel (ATF) supplies to Air India in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Trivandrum and Kochi from 4 p m on Thursday.

The State Government has given the nod for installing garbage processing units based on modern technology in all the districts of the state. Local bodies will have to provide the necessary land and the full expenditure of installation of units will be borne by the State Government.

Briefing mediapersons on the cabinet decisions here on Thursday, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that the government had succeeded in identifying four effective models for garbage treatment.

Laying of pipelines for carrying regassified LNG (liquefied natural gas) from Puthuvype to Kochi and beyond is on schedule and no hitch is expected, according to GAIL (India) Limited officials here.

There have been some enquiries from the Forest Department about certain patches of land in Palakkad where the pipeline is to pass through. These are normal queries and are being replied to, a senior official of GAIL told The Hindu on Tuesday.

The drinking water supply augmentation scheme for Edavanakkad and Kuzhipally panchayats remains a non-starter despite the allocation of the funds.

The delay in finalising the Memorandum of Understanding between various government agencies has in turn delayed the scheme by nearly one-and-a-half years.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday held that the government of India should think of prohibiting the import, manufacture and use of asbestos to prevent health hazards. “Asbestos, including the fibre and its products, is banned in all developed countries as it is known to be hazardous to health and is one of the causes of lung cancer. So India should think of its prohibition,” the court said. The court also asked the Central Government and the Customs Commissioner to file a report in this regard.

KOCHI: Rising levels of pollution caused by plywood manufacturing units in Kuttippadam village in Perumbavoor is slowly forcing the residents of the area to abandon their homes in search of a healthier place to live. The once-serene and peaceful neighbourhood of Kuttippadam, a village at Vengola Panchayat of Perumbavoor, is now a nightmare for its residents owing to the toxic fumes and waste water expelled by the 30-odd plywood factories in the area.

Extension of metro up to Nedumbassery under consideration

Executing the Kochi Metro Rail project as a Centre-State joint venture scheme has numerous advantages over implementing it as a public-private partnership project. Elaborating on the disadvantages of including private stakeholders in the construction, experts in the mass-rapid transportation sector,