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The Hindu
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Plus One seat shortage: KSU activists picket DDE's office in Kozhikode
Activists of the Kerala Students Union (KSU) on Wednesday picketed the office of the Deputy Director of Education (DDE), Kozhikode, seeking more Plus One batches for north Kerala districts. The activists alleged that even after the completion of three rounds of allotment for admissions, 35% of applicants had not been allotted merit seats in these districts. When V.T. Sooraj, KSU Kozhikode district president, and others reached the office at around 10 a.m., the police blocked them outside the gate. The activists then staged a sit-in protest there. The police subsequently tried to take them into custody. However, some of the activists broke off the police cordon and barged into the DDE office. Later, the police detained all of them.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Residents block highway at Kannamaly in Kerala's Ernakulam protesting sea incursion impact
Residents of the sea incursion-affected areas of Chellanam panchayat along the coastal Ernakulam district in Kerala laid siege to the Fort Kochi-Alapuzha State highway 66 at Kannamaly for the second day running, bringing traffic to a standstill on Tuesday (June 17, 2025). A country boat and logs swept in by the waves are being used to block the highway. The police are diverting traffic on either side of the blockade, leaving the highway stretch through Kannamaly deserted except for the protesters. This follows the highway blockade for over two hours on Monday evening after the sea incursion turned the worst since the onset of the monsoon and marauding waves swept into hundreds of households in Chellanam panchayat. The spontaneous protest is being organised by the residents and not under the aegis of any particular organisation. People hit the streets after water rose hip-high in many areas. 'Nearly 2,000 households across 10 wards in the panchayats remain affected, and at least half are flooded. Sea erosion was worst in Chellanam panchayat on Monday, and the situation remains grim today,' said V.T. Sebastian, general convener of the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, which has been spearheading the protest demanding a permanent solution to sea erosion in Chellanam for several years. The Vedhi had to intervene when long queues of vehicles, including buses to and from Alappuzha, were formed on either side of the blockade on Monday evening. The blockade, which started at 4.30 p.m., was called off around 7 p.m. Traffic diverted The blockade resumed around 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Traffic from Chellanam to Thoppumpady is being diverted from Kandakkadavu via Kumbalanghi, and from Thoppumpady to Chellanam from Kattipparambu via Kumbalanghi. The Kochi and the Alleppey archdioceses have pledged their support to the people's protest demanding a permanent solution to the sea incursion. The decision was taken at a Care Chellanam-Kochi meeting convened by archdioceses on Monday. Hunger strike by priests Rallies declaring the decision will be held across the coastal areas on Wednesday (June 18, 2025), followed by a one-day hunger strike by priests at the Thoppumpady BOT Junction on June 20, 2025. The Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi has also called for a hartal on June 30 in protest against the delay in erecting tetrapods and groyne series in the remaining stretches of Chellanam to stave off sea erosion.
The Hindu
07-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Kisan drones brought in revolution in agriculture, says A.P. MSME Minister
Minister for MSME Kondapalli Srinivas on Saturday said that 'kisan drones' brought in a revolution in agriculture with the reduction in usage of fertilizers and seeds. He urged the farmers to use the drones collectively to minimise the investment in agriculture. He handed over the kisan drones and distributed seeds to the farmers in a programme organised at Gajapathinagaram in Vizianagaram district. He said that 24 drones were sanctioned to the district and the first one was handed over at Gajapathinagaram as the farmers contributed ₹4.8 lakh of the ₹9.8 lakh total value of the drone. He said that the government would provide subsidy to the farmers under Rashtriya Kisan Vikas Yojana scheme. Vizianagaram District Agriculture Officer V.T. Ramarao said that as many as eight drones would be delivered soon as the farmers paid their contribution with the support of bankers. He urged them to use the drones under the supervision of drone operators at the initial stage. The Minister added that the maintenance cost was also very little when it came to kisan drones.
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
Call to deploy volunteer groups to monitor sea fury in Chellanam
The Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi has called for volunteer groups to monitor the sea's changes and the intensity of the high tide-induced seawater intrusion associated with full moon, anticipated around June 11 as per the moon phase calendar. A message to this effect has been issued to panchayat ward members and other youth and voluntary organisations in Chellanam to enlist volunteers. During full moon-induced high tide, the intrusion of waves into the shore is likely to be greater at night than during the daytime. Hence, the volunteers must stay up through the night and keep vigil to monitor the situation. 'If the high tide-induced wave intrusion takes a turn for the worse when everyone is asleep, it could pose a grave threat. Besides, these volunteers should monitor the sea even during the daytime through all eight days when the impact of the full moon is likely to last. They should keep an eye out for oceanic currents, wind direction and speed, whether the water is murky, and the movement of clouds,' said V.T. Sebastian, general convener of the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedi. The volunteer groups should collect the contact numbers of all households along the vulnerable stretch of the coastline. Alerts, if any, should not be restricted to WhatsApp messages, since late-night messages may go unnoticed. Phone calls should be made whenever necessary rather than relying on messages. Personal visits should be made to households without phones. People should be asked to keep their mobile phones fully charged. Vehicles, valuables like home appliances, and documents should be shifted to houses, which have so far not been affected by seawater intrusion. Volunteers should extend special attention to the elderly, the sick and those living alone, Mr. Sebastian said. 'Increased depth along the shore has made Chellanam highly vulnerable to sea erosion. There is no solution other than reducing the depth along the shore,' he said. Out of the 19 wards of the Chellanam panchayat, all except three wards are vulnerable to varying degrees of coastal flooding, while wards 2 to 10 remain the worst affected. He said the new moon-induced tides since May 25 did not cause much havoc, thanks to the movement of the oceanic current from the north to south and the north-west wind direction, both of which were a rare phenomenon. The Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedi staged a protest in the sea on May 24, demanding a comprehensive package for coastal protection amid rising sea levels and the threat of coastal flooding during the rainy season.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
16,250 tenant farmers to get Crop Cultivators Rights Cards
VIZIANAGARAM With the Southwest monsoons expected to arrive in the first week of June, Vizianagaram district agriculture officials have stepped up preparatory works for storing fertilisers and seeds. They have also stepped up efforts to expand the area of cultivable land and have assured tenant farmers that crop loans and insurance coverage in case of damage due to natural calamities will be easily accessible. Awareness programmes on the programmes are being conducted for farmers in various mandals. In the current Kharif season, 16,250 tenant farmers will be issued Crop Cultivators Rights Cards (CCRC) in the district as against the earlier 15,000. For farmers, these cards are crucial as they ensure their inclusion and access to government-supported agriculture schemes. On Thursday, a few select tenant farmers from Ramavaram village in Vizianagaram received CCRC cards from Vizianagaram District Agriculture Officer V.T. Ramarao. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Ramarao said: 'These cards empower farmers to access farm loans and insurance facilities, vital to investing in crops. The department will distribute 50,000 quintals of paddy seeds and other crops in a phased manner. And to avail these seeds at subsidised prices during the season, farmers should enrol their names at the Rythu Seva Kendrams.' With the Indian Meteorological Department issuing a favourable rainfall forecast for the coming three months, the crop area is expected to increase to 4.3 lakh acres, as against the previous year's 4.1 lakh acres. The demand for fertilisers is projected to be around 88,000 metric tonnes, for which the department plans to procure a higher quantity of seeds and fertilisers this year.
