If a research project of the IIT-Madras bears fruit, clean drinking water might just become an affordable commodity for the poor. The project, aimed at coming up with a low-cost, low-maintenance water filtration system to filter water and remove pathogens from it, seems to have achieved just that. What’s more, researchers say their solution is so simple that every household can build its own unit.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced a comprehensive special package worth `790.18 crore for farmers in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts, the worst affected in Cyclone Thane. While `65.22 crore has been allotted for agricultural crops, `724.96 crore will be givenfor horticultural crops.

CHENNAI: In a move that could end the impasse over the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday announced that an expert committee would be constituted by the State government to study the safety aspects of the plant as well as allay fears of locals about the project.

Replying to the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the Assembly, she said that the committee would submit its report to the government at the earliest and based on that, further course of action would be decided.

CHENNAI: Manithaneya Makkal Katchi on Friday said the argument that the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant would augment the power availability in Tamil Nadu was based on “wrong information”.

Participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address, MMK leader MH Jawahirullah said the Unit I of the KKNPP was estimated to generate 1000 MW. However, actual power generation would be only around 700 MW, he claimed. Of this, 35 MW would go to the power requirements of the plant, residences of those working there and the neighbouring areas, he said.

The Central Experts Committee set up to allay the fears of the people protesting against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), decided not to hold any more talks with the State panel as the latter’s members boycotted the fourth round of discussions on Monday following an attack on them by a group of pro-Koodankulam activists at the Collector’s office.

On a day of high drama, a group of protestors, who are sitting on a agitation at Idinthakari coastal village, close to the power plant since August, clashed with members of Hindu Munnani (HM).

Tamil Nadu is already a leader in renewable energy in the country and will seek further increase in such power production over the next five years, said Sudeep Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), here on Wednesday.

Speaking at the inauguration of a three-day International Multi-disciplinary Conference on Solar Energy at the Meenakshi College for Women, Sudeep Jain said that currently, Tamil Nadu accounts for 36 per cent of renewable energy produced in the country.

CHENNAI: The contribution to the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund to undertake cyclone Thane relief work touched Rs 24,27,42,932 on Wednesday.

On Wednesday alone, Rs 4.15 crore was donated by various institutions.

CHENNAI: With a view to checking rain water from flowing into the sea and storing water received from Krishna River for the residents of Chennai and its surrounding areas, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday ordered the creation of a new reservoir in Tiruvallur district by merging Kannankottai and Thervoykandigai lakes at an expenditure of Rs 330 crore.

An extent of 1,252.47 acres of land, including 560.05 acres of government land, will be acquired for the project and the new reservoir will be in place within two years.

MADURAI: In the midst of protests against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, Union Minister G.K.Vasan today said a decision on its early commissioning would be taken at a public meeting here next month, in which Union Ministers from Congress will take part.

"The meeting on February 4 will be the first step for early commissioning of the plant," he told reporters on the sidelines of a book release function.
KNPP was the safest among nuclear plants in the world with maximum security and safety features and the country was expecting it to generate power, he said.

THOOTHUKUDI: In what is being dubbed as an attempt to muzzle the anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) movement, the Union Home Ministry has begun an ‘audit’ of foreign funds received by six non-Governmental organisations, all linked to the protestors.