Tag Archives: tamil nadu

Elections 2024: Tamil Nadu remains strong bastion for INDIA bloc

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Lok Sabha elections will be held in Tamil Nadu in a single phase on April 19.  All 39 seats in Tamil Nadu and one seat in Puducherry will vote in a single phase on April 19 and the counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Ahead of the April 19 Lok Sabha polls, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK appears to be confident after implementing several welfare measures including the Rs 1,000 per month assistance to women.

Led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, the DMK and its other key constituent of the INDIA alliance, the Congress are approaching the polls in good humour with full confidence to win at least 35 out of 39 seats of the Lok Sabha in Tamil Nadu, and Congress retain its lead in Puducherry’s single seat.

Since the major regional rival AIADMK, shadowed by infighting, walked out of the BJP alliance, it’s likely to split the NDA-vote seen in the 2019 elections. The BJP is, however, hopeful of reversing the fortune under an aggressive K Annamalai who is the state BJP head.

Since the Congress’ alliance with DMK and other Left parties under INDIA bloc is going strong in the state, the results may upset all other rival candidates in the state.

 

Scientists fix GPS device to pelican’s wings in Karnataka’s Mandya district

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Mandya (Karnataka), Sep 12 (IANS) Scientists on Monday successfully fitted a GPS device to a pelican bird in Kokkare Bellur in Karnataka’s Mandya district.

A team of scientists attached to the Dehradun Wildlife Institute carried out the experiment for the first time in the country, according to the local officials.

The experiment was carried out to study the abodes of pelicans, food habits and international routes that these migratory birds traverse.

Sources said that the GPS device was imported from Greece. The animal lovers and scientists have described the experiment as historical.

Spot-billed pelican birds

The GPS device will help ascertain the route, including countries the pelican’s travel through besides recording their activities. The scientists have also stated that they would be able to find out the origin place of the bird through this experiment.

Pelican birds travel across India, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The GPS device will get charged automatically through sun rays. The device is designed to send all the information regarding various travelling routes for a period of four years.

Attractive pelican birds arrive in Kokkare Bellur in October and disappear after two months. This breed of birds are found in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Myanmar.

Tuticorin protests beginning of anti-corporate outrage in India?

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Vedanta-owned Sterlite copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu has evoked an outrage unparalleled in Indian history, especially against corporate plants. Tamil Nadu has been the hub of several plants ranging from nuclear energy to underground Neutrino tunnel but rarely was the opposition evident as in the case of anti-Sterlite protests.

The culmination to protests after three months of protests resulted in unexpected state-sponsored firing on peaceful protesters killing nine people in Tuticorin or Tuthkudi, making it evident that the state governments are playing hand-in-glove to emerging corporate dominance on social lives.

From Narora nuclear plant to Narmada dam, several environmental protests in northern India were met with prolonged negotiations but the Tuticorin firing sends out the message that the weak state governments are made to bend it like Beckham to the Centre’s diktats. Retorting to the police firing, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said, “Citizens are not criminals.” But the state government has treated protesters exactly like street criminals.

The brewing anti-Sterlite sentiments in Tuticorin is not without reason. Ever since March 2013 episode when hundreds of local people encountered health issues from breathing difficulty, nausea and throat infection following an alleged gas leak, the plant was shut down only to be allowed by the National Green Tribunal, indicating the heavy corporate lobbying against inconsequential local people’s lives.

Instead of addressing the core issue of closure of the demonic copper smelting plant, the ruling AIADMK government’s Chief Minister E Palaniswami dared to defend the unprovoked Jalianwala Bagh-like police firing on unarmed citizens. “The police had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property,” and the words echoed similar statements made by the British Raj against protesting people at the infamous Jalianwala Bagh a century ago.

The fact that more than 20,000 people have participated in the protests made no difference to the state government, which has behaved like their predecessors who behoved their British masters before the Independence. Unlike the British rule, it is the Corporate Raj that is dictating terms against all those who oppose their sinister designs of ecological damage.

The fact that it employs 3,000 people should not come in the way of protecting the health of tens of thousands of people who live in the ancient coastal city.

What is Cyclone Sagar?

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Indian Met Department has issued an alert to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharasthra and the Lakshadweep over the cyclone ‘Sagar’, which is building up over the Arabian Sea with potential to hit the coastal region of northern Indian Ocean on Saturday.

Formerly known as 01A, Tropical Cyclone Sagar, quickly formed in the Indian Ocean and strengthened into a tropical storm on May 16 at 3:35 a.m. IST as shown in the resolution imaging captured by the spectroradiometer aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite.

It showed thunderstorms at minus 80 degrees Celsius, which means very strong storms with a potential for heavy rainfall in the Arabian Sea with maximum sustained winds near 46 miles per hour (40 knots). Located near 13.0 degrees north latitude and 48.6 degrees east longitude, or approximately 229 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen.

When captured NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite appeared more organized and has been strengthening since May 17. On Friday, May 18 the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Sagar showing the center above the Gulf of Aden, affecting Yemen and Somalia.

At 1:30 p.m IST, the Tropical Cyclone Sagar was centered near 11.6 degrees north latitude and 45.9 degrees east longitude, approximately 89 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, registering maximum sustained winds up at 69 mph (50 knots/111 kph). Currently, Sagar is moving to the west-southwest at 6.9 mph (6 knots/11.1 kph).

Sagar is likely to threaten Yemen, Somalia and Djibouti with waves as high as 17 feet, before hitting the Indian west coast on Saturday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an advisory that said: “Strong winds reaching upto 75-85 kmph and 95 kmph covering the Gulf of Aden and adjoining south-western Arabian Sea area are very likely duting the next 12 hours. It may then gradually decrease ato 65-75 kmph during the next 12 hours.”

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the high seas of the Gulf of Aden or west-central and south-west Arabian Sea in the next 48 hours.

Post-Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu Braces Cyclone Vardah, Schools Closed

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In less than a week after the demise of J.Jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu is bracing for the worst storm on Monday, Dec. 12, called Cyclone Vardah with heavy rains and strong winds lashing the coast, forcing shut down of schools and cancellation of flights.

In Andhra Pradesh, the storm is feared to damage the paddy crops and orchards in Ongole and Nellore districts. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu reviewed the situation through teleconference on Sunday evening and advised the officials to keep food and other essential commodities ready.

The storm is likely to hit both Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh coasts with the Indian Navy and the National Disaster Response Force on standby. The expected winds are in the range of 80 to 100 km an hour.

The government has not begun evacuation as the storm is expected to weaken by Monday afternoon. "Arrangements to be made for evacuating people in low lying and vulnerable areas. Relief centres to be kept in readiness along with necessary food, water and other arrangements. Army, Navy, Air-force and Coast Guard have been alerted to be on standby for deployment as and when necessary," a statement from the CM office said.

The Met office said the storm has weakened from very Severe to Severe storm. Already transportation was badly hit and 15 flights have been cancelled and 25 have been diverted so far with 9 of them reporting delay. All schools have been closed in coastal Tamil Nadu cities of Chennai, Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur, and Villupuram. Private firms have been advised to give a holidya to the staff or allow them to work from home on Monday.

The fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea for the next 48 hours and people in low-lying areas have been advised to move to safer zones.

National Disaster Management Authority, in a tweet, asked people "to remain in safe places and cooperate with state government officials and disaster management agencies".

The Navy said it is ready with relief materials including additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopters and relief material including food, tents, clothes, medicines and blankets to rescue more than 5,000 people.