CHENNAI: The Institute of Town Planners India (ITPI), Tamil Nadu chapter, has urged the state government to constitute a technical advisory group of eminent citizens for Chennai Municipal Corporation, and other major cities, to advise on sustainable development.

ITPI secretary R Shivakumar told Express after the release of a newsletter ‘Planners’ that the recommendations had been submitted to the government after a workshop was held to mark the golden jubilee of the institute.

CHENNAI: This weekend, the lake at Mudichur in Tambaram, which usually wears a deserted look, saw an unusual clean-up crew at work. Along with students in T-shirts and caps scouring the water like treasure hunters, were 42 Marines from the guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker that is currently docked at Chennai for a joint Indo-US military exercise.

Armed with cleaning implements, the marines and students — over 60 of them from various schools and colleges across the city – fished out polythene, rubber, thermocol and other environmentally harmful materials from the highly polluted lake.

CHENNAI: The Union government is looking into Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s demand for allocation of entire power to be generated from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) to Tamil Nadu, Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy, said here on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, Narayanasamy said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is considering the representation and added that he would also take up the issue with him. “I am aware of the power shortage in Tamil Nadu,” he said. However, he did not say when a decision could be expected.

After securing first rank in providing potable water to rural habitations along with a special bonus, Tamil Nadu has been rated number one by the Water Resources Ministry in implementing rain water harvesting projects.

According to the Ministry data, TN has had the maximum chunk of recharging structures implemented during the XI plan. The State has 273 recharge structures, the highest among all states.

A 65-year-old farmer from Tirupur is being treated for swine flu (H1N1) in the isolation ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

Pommu Naiker of Nathakattupudur in Ward 19 of Tirupur Corporation was confirmed to be infected by the H1N1 virus at a private hospital in Coimbatore on Tuesday night. He was brought to the CMCH around 10 p.m. The test was done at a private laboratory.

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will get only 200 MW of power from Gujarat against the demand of 500 MW due to the non-connectivity of the southern grid with the new grid and the state’s power woes will come to an end once the connectivity is established by 2014, said a source connected to the project.

“The state has sought 500 MW power to tide over the crisis, but currently it will be getting only 200 MW of power through the HVDC link and it will not be able to avail of 300 MW of additional power due to lack of connectivity between the southern and the new grid which can come into being only in 2014 after the laying of 765 KV line between Raichur in Karnataka to Solapur in Maharashtra,

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government is working towards producing around 183 MW of electricity from bagasse acquired from 12 sugar mills in the state from February next, State Industries Minister P Thangamani said today.

CHENNAI: After giving green signal to the Koodankulam nuclear power plant, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today demanded that the entire 2000 MW power to be generated by its two units be given to the state in view of the "severe power shortage."

In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, she said it would be "proper and justifiable that the entire power to be generated from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant is made available to Tamil Nadu."

CHENNAI: With the Cauvery water sharing row escalating, Tamil Nadu government today made it clear that it would not allow construction of a new dam by Karnataka at Mekedhatu across the river under "any circumstances."

Replying to a special mention on the water dispute in the Assembly, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa accused Karnataka of not honouring the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award.

A day after leaders of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) called off their indefinite fast, anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant Project (KKNPP) protestors started a relay fast at Idinthakarai on Wednesday.

After the government gave its nod to commence work at the Plant on March 19, 13 persons, led by PMANE coordinators S P Udaykumar and Pushparayan, started an indefinite fast at Idinthakarai.