Latest news with #AlexVarghese
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Debris from fire-hit cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 washes ashore in Kerala, ET Infra
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. A container and a lifeboat from the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503 , which caught fire off the Kerala coast a week ago, washed ashore in Alappuzha district on Monday, raising concerns that more debris may reach the coast in the coming said the container, believed to be empty, and the lifeboat were found near the Kakkazhom District Collector Alex Varghese, who visited the site, said the State Disaster Management Authority and the shipping company had been informed. The items will be removed by a salvage authorities have been alerted and will carry out the necessary formalities, officials development has sparked fears that additional containers could drift ashore along the Alappuzha and Ernakulam coasts on June 17 and defence sources said that the cargo vessel is currently being towed by professional salvors appointed by the ship's MV Wan Hai 503 is now about 45 nautical miles off the coast, in open waters approximately 1,000 metres deep. Minor fires are still visible in two or three areas of the vessel, with smoke continuing to rise, they Navy and Coast Guard ships remain on the scene, monitoring the situation closely and ready to provide assistance if Singapore-flagged ship caught fire last Monday after one of its containers exploded. Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 were rescued, while four remain missing.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 days ago
- General
- Business Standard
Debris from burning Singapore flagged cargo ship washes ashore in Kerala
A container and a lifeboat from the Singapore-flagged cargo ship MV Wan Hai 503, which caught fire off the Kerala coast a week ago, washed ashore in Alappuzha district on Monday, raising concerns that more debris may reach the coast in the coming days. Officials said the container, believed to be empty, and the lifeboat were found near the Kakkazhom area. Alappuzha District Collector Alex Varghese, who visited the site, said the State Disaster Management Authority and the shipping company had been informed. The items will be removed by a salvage team. Customs authorities have been alerted and will carry out the necessary formalities, officials added. Meanwhile, defence sources said that the cargo vessel is currently being towed by professional salvors appointed by the ship's owner. The MV Wan Hai 503 is now about 45 nautical miles off the coast, in open waters approximately 1,000 metres deep. Minor fires are still visible in two or three areas of the vessel, with smoke continuing to rise, they said. Indian Navy and Coast Guard ships remain on the scene, monitoring the situation closely and ready to provide assistance if required. The Singapore-flagged ship caught fire last Monday after one of its containers exploded. Of the 22 crew members on board, 18 were rescued, while four remain missing. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Hindu
13-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nehru Trophy Boat Race on August 30
The 71st edition of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) will be held on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha on August 30. The date was finalised in a meeting of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS) executive committee and general body held on Thursday. District Collector Alex Varghese, who is also the chairman of NTBRS, said the government had approved the decision taken by the executive committee regarding the date of the race. The accounts and audit report of the 70th NTBR were presented at the meeting by Sub-Collector Sameer Kishan, who is also the secretary of NTBRS. The executive committee approved the income and expenditure statement, which showed a revenue of ₹2.51 crore and an expenditure of ₹2.85 crore. An additional amount of ₹34.20 lakh had to be spent. Mr. Varghese said that the last-minute postponement of the boat race last year due to Wayanad landslides led to the excess expenditure. The meeting also discussed ways to make the starting and finishing systems flawless from this year's race onwards. P.P. Chitharanjan, MLA, District Police Chief M.P. Mohana Chandran, Alappuzha municipal chairperson K.K. Jayamma and others attended the meeting.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- The Hindu
Alappuzha District Collector warns of strict action as FSTP sees low usage
Despite making the district's first Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) at Anatharaveli in Cherthala operational, the illegal dumping of toilet waste along roadsides and into waterbodies continues unabated in Alappuzha. District Collector Alex Varghese says toilet waste from the district should be transported to the FSTP for scientific processing. He warns of strict action, including fines, against those illegally collecting and dumping waste in violation of the law. The FSTP has a capacity to treat 250 kilolitres of waste per day. However, currently, only 2–3 loads are being processed daily. 'A total of 68 tankers are registered with the Cherthala municipality for toilet waste collection, but only eight of them have delivered loads to the plant so far,' the District Collector said. Mr. Varghese has directed the police and the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) to collect details about the remaining vehicles and where they are transporting their loads. He has also directed that action be taken against vehicles collecting waste illegally. Register via app Residents have been asked to register for septic tank cleaning services through the Chelotha Cherthala app or at Akshaya centres to ensure that household septic waste is scientifically treated at the plant instead of being dumped by the roadside. Officials say legal action will also be initiated against individuals who contact tanker owners to dispose of septic waste illegally. 'If vehicles are caught dumping waste on roadsides or in waterbodies, legal action will be taken against both the person who handed over the waste and the vehicle. A fine of up to ₹25,000 will also be imposed,' says an official. People can register for the service by visiting or by contacting- 7356812811. The Cherthala municipality opened the FSTP two months ago. It was constructed by the civic body on a parcel of land in Thaneermukkom grama panchayat, which is under the possession of the municipality, at a cost of ₹7.33 crore under the Rebuild Kerala Initiative. The plant, according to officials, is operated based on the Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor technology, which recycles toilet waste and converts solid waste into fertiliser. The FSTP was established at a time when the district was facing severe environmental and water pollution issues due to the lack of scientific septage treatment systems. The Mumbai-based company that built the FSTP has signed an agreement with the civic body to maintain the plant for 10 years. Rate charged by the municipality (amount payable by tankers to the plant in brackets) Up to 5,000 litres - ₹4,000 (₹1,000) Between 5,000 - 6,000 litres - ₹5,000 (₹1,000) Between 6,000- 8,000 litres - ₹6,000 (₹1,500) Between 8,000- 15,000 litres- ₹8,000 (₹2,000)
New Indian Express
06-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
Rs 188 crore plan to rejuvenate Kerala's Vembanad lake rolled out
ALAPPUZHA: The Alappuzha district administration has rolled out a Rs 188.25-crore project to breathe new life into Vembanad lake. The comprehensive project is aimed at cleaning, deepening and restoring the fragile ecosystem of the lake. Designed as a five-year action plan, the initiative is spearheaded by District Collector Alex Varghese and being executed in partnership with local self-government bodies. The blueprint of the project — christened the 'Vembanad Lake Rejuvenation Project' — was recently presented to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. It outlines both immediate interventions and long-term ecological goals. Alex said the cost estimates may undergo revisions following a detailed assessment by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, which is currently examining the region's water resources and irrigation potential. 'Short-term measures include removal of plastic debris, eradication of invasive weeds, construction of bio-shields to protect agricultural lands and the development of 31, one-km-long bio-bunds across as many as grama panchayats. Additional efforts such as fish ranching and waste collection drives are also on,' Alex said. The long-term strategies envision a more sustainable future for Vembanad and surrounding areas. These include dredging the lake to increase water retention, encouraging organic farming to curb chemical run-off, restoring local biodiversity and establishing sewage and faecal sludge treatment facilities, particularly in flood-prone Kuttanad. There are also plans to explore the economic potential of the water hyacinths by converting those into value-added products, alongside promoting tourism and boosting inland fish production. Already, significant progress has been made, said officials. In a recent largescale clean-up backed by the district administration, 28.72 tonnes of plastic waste and an even higher quantity of water hyacinths were removed from the lake. However, the officials admitted that rejuvenating the waterbody will be an uphill task requiring extensive financial resources, advanced machinery, skilled manpower and inter-agency coordination.
