Kongu Nadu Munnetra Kazhagam (KMK) has threatened to stage a series of agitations if the Centre and the State governments failed to come up with a solution for the issue of discharge of effluents into river Noyyal.
State President of KMK Best S. Ramasamy told journalists that indiscriminate discharge of untreated effluents from dyeing units had affected people in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur districts, causing ailments such as skin diseases, infertility and even kidney failure.
The effluents had also affected agriculture in this region substantially.
As per a Supreme Court order, dyeing units would be barred from discharging effluents into Noyyal from January 6.
The dyeing units have gone on strike citing constraints in complying with the court order. They had been asked to provide compensation to farmers, pay the penalty for effluents discharged so far, and ensure Orathuppalayam Dam was cleaned and de-silted.
The strike would affect lakhs of workers in hosiery and dyeing units as the two were allied industries.
The governments should depute a committee to closely monitor and spell out solutions. The trade was facing problems because of the effluents issue, Mr. Ramasamy said and added that the attitude of both the governments was ‘lethargic.’
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Coimbatore Corporation increases drinking water tariff
After a protracted struggle, the Coimbatore Corporation managed to get the approval of the Council on Tuesday to increase the drinking water tariff. The sanction, however, came with a condition from councillors that the new rates should take effect only when the Corporation made 24-hour supply of water.
The Corporation wanted these to take effect on April 1 next year. But the parties wanted it to wait for more than a year till the 24-hour supply would begin.
The Corporation wanted to step up revenue from water supply to fund the Rs.113-crore Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme.
Official sources, however, said that since the Council had passed the resolution on the tariff, the increase could be effected after the due consent from the Government was obtained, nothwithstanding the condition from the Councillors.
The Corporation on Tuesday did away with the slab system of tariff for one category of residential connections. A flat rate of Rs.100 a month would have to be paid for consumption up to 15,000 litres.
A tariff of Rs.6 per 1,000 litres would be charged for consumption between 15,001 litres to 20,000 litres.
The tariff for 20,001 litres to 1.5 lakh litres was fixed at Rs.8 per 1,000 litres and at Rs.11 per 1,000 litres for consumption above 1.5 lakh litres
The Corporation wanted these to take effect on April 1 next year. But the parties wanted it to wait for more than a year till the 24-hour supply would begin.
The Corporation wanted to step up revenue from water supply to fund the Rs.113-crore Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme.
Official sources, however, said that since the Council had passed the resolution on the tariff, the increase could be effected after the due consent from the Government was obtained, nothwithstanding the condition from the Councillors.
The Corporation on Tuesday did away with the slab system of tariff for one category of residential connections. A flat rate of Rs.100 a month would have to be paid for consumption up to 15,000 litres.
A tariff of Rs.6 per 1,000 litres would be charged for consumption between 15,001 litres to 20,000 litres.
The tariff for 20,001 litres to 1.5 lakh litres was fixed at Rs.8 per 1,000 litres and at Rs.11 per 1,000 litres for consumption above 1.5 lakh litres
Tamil Nadu increasing power generation capacity
The Tamil Nadu Government has initiated several measures to ramp up power generation capacity and in the next 1 to 2 years an additional generation capacity of 7000 MW would be added in the State.
According to Mr MK Stalin deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu said that the Government is also addressing the problem of infrastructure bottlenecks plaguing the Coimbatore region, which apart from being famous for its engineering prowess is now proving its mettle in electronics and IT sectors too.
Speaking at an interactive meeting organised by the CII, Mr Stalin said that hydel power generation, which was 6455 million units during 2007-08, shrunk to 5386 MUs during 2008-09. The generation of wind power and power from the thermal power plants at Neyveli and nuclear plants at Kalpakkam and Kaiga also fell. But while at the all India level, generation fell by 13.8% in Tamil Nadu, it was only by 5.5%.
Mr Stalin further said that cogeneration plants with a capacity of 234 MW were established in 17 sugar mills in the co operative and public sector fold at an investment of INR 1176 crore. Agreements have also been signed for establishing two power plants with a total capacity of 1,200 MW at an investment of INR 4650 crore.
In the Ennore plant, establishing 600 MW capacity unit is nearing completion. In the next one to two years, it is expected that 7000 MW of additional power generation capacity will added.
According to Mr MK Stalin deputy chief minister of Tamil Nadu said that the Government is also addressing the problem of infrastructure bottlenecks plaguing the Coimbatore region, which apart from being famous for its engineering prowess is now proving its mettle in electronics and IT sectors too.
Speaking at an interactive meeting organised by the CII, Mr Stalin said that hydel power generation, which was 6455 million units during 2007-08, shrunk to 5386 MUs during 2008-09. The generation of wind power and power from the thermal power plants at Neyveli and nuclear plants at Kalpakkam and Kaiga also fell. But while at the all India level, generation fell by 13.8% in Tamil Nadu, it was only by 5.5%.
Mr Stalin further said that cogeneration plants with a capacity of 234 MW were established in 17 sugar mills in the co operative and public sector fold at an investment of INR 1176 crore. Agreements have also been signed for establishing two power plants with a total capacity of 1,200 MW at an investment of INR 4650 crore.
In the Ennore plant, establishing 600 MW capacity unit is nearing completion. In the next one to two years, it is expected that 7000 MW of additional power generation capacity will added.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Exterro to double headcount in India
Exterro, a US-based $12 million privately held legal enterprise software company is looking to double its headcount in India and triple
its revenue in 2010. The company headed by an Indian-born US citizen has set up a development centre here.
"We are planning to book space in the upcoming Tidel Park in Coimbatore to house around 250 to 300 employees. In the first phase, we will expand our operations here by doubling the head count to 90 in 2010," Exterro’s president & CEO Bobby Balachandran told ET.
The company started in 2004 at Portland, Oregon in US by four Indian-born promoters with an investment of $1.5 million is looking to finance its expansion plans through private equity and venture capital. "We are in process of infusing around $15 million to increase revenue by three times in 2010. We will go for an IPO by the end of 2012," he added.
Exterro has two offices, one each in Portland and Chicago and a third one in Coimbatore. Mr Bobby said the Coimbatore centre is treated as an extended arm of the US offices and not as a separate offshore development centre. "India is strategic for our growth and we chose to set base in Coimbatore due to the city’s entrepreneurial nature and huge talent available," he added.
It is currently focused on product development with four unique products namely Genome (data mapping), Legal Hold (preservation of data), Discovery Workflow Management (process data) and FusionGo (snapshot of everything). They are priced in the range of $ 250,000 to $ 150,000 and the company charges 20% on a yearly basis as maintenance cost.
"We are looking to innovate and develop two additional products a year in the electronic discovery platform, whose market is currently pegged at $4.5-$5.5 billion a year," Mr Bobby said, adding software with limited functionality will be launched in the Software as a Service (SaaS) mode from February 2010 for companies in the low and mid market ranges.
"We are doing business in the enterprise software space but we see a growing market in SaaS mode and we expect it to eclipse the enterprise software space by 2012," he said.
Basically a link provider between business and technology, Exterro has specialised in software solutions pertaining to legal governance, risk and compliance management.
"The executives in the West are under lot of regulatory pressure and they need to store, preserve and process data regularly. We help them with our software in managing data for legal enterprise," Mr Bobby added.
Walt Disney, Visa, Pfizer, Hershey’s, Fidelity, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Oracle and Intel are its clients, he said, adding the company is also in discussion with Mittal group and Reliance in the US. Apart from US, the company has set its sights on European Union and is scouting for office space in London. "Asian countries including India are also in our plans, but corporate governance and market regulations are still not mature here," he added.
its revenue in 2010. The company headed by an Indian-born US citizen has set up a development centre here.
"We are planning to book space in the upcoming Tidel Park in Coimbatore to house around 250 to 300 employees. In the first phase, we will expand our operations here by doubling the head count to 90 in 2010," Exterro’s president & CEO Bobby Balachandran told ET.
The company started in 2004 at Portland, Oregon in US by four Indian-born promoters with an investment of $1.5 million is looking to finance its expansion plans through private equity and venture capital. "We are in process of infusing around $15 million to increase revenue by three times in 2010. We will go for an IPO by the end of 2012," he added.
Exterro has two offices, one each in Portland and Chicago and a third one in Coimbatore. Mr Bobby said the Coimbatore centre is treated as an extended arm of the US offices and not as a separate offshore development centre. "India is strategic for our growth and we chose to set base in Coimbatore due to the city’s entrepreneurial nature and huge talent available," he added.
It is currently focused on product development with four unique products namely Genome (data mapping), Legal Hold (preservation of data), Discovery Workflow Management (process data) and FusionGo (snapshot of everything). They are priced in the range of $ 250,000 to $ 150,000 and the company charges 20% on a yearly basis as maintenance cost.
"We are looking to innovate and develop two additional products a year in the electronic discovery platform, whose market is currently pegged at $4.5-$5.5 billion a year," Mr Bobby said, adding software with limited functionality will be launched in the Software as a Service (SaaS) mode from February 2010 for companies in the low and mid market ranges.
"We are doing business in the enterprise software space but we see a growing market in SaaS mode and we expect it to eclipse the enterprise software space by 2012," he said.
Basically a link provider between business and technology, Exterro has specialised in software solutions pertaining to legal governance, risk and compliance management.
"The executives in the West are under lot of regulatory pressure and they need to store, preserve and process data regularly. We help them with our software in managing data for legal enterprise," Mr Bobby added.
Walt Disney, Visa, Pfizer, Hershey’s, Fidelity, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Oracle and Intel are its clients, he said, adding the company is also in discussion with Mittal group and Reliance in the US. Apart from US, the company has set its sights on European Union and is scouting for office space in London. "Asian countries including India are also in our plans, but corporate governance and market regulations are still not mature here," he added.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Do not lower guard on A (H1N1) flu
Public health authorities in Coimbatore seem to be having a bit of relief now with fewer cases of A (H1N1) influenza being reported now than a month ago. But, this is no reason for the public to lower their guard, the authorities warn.
The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital had only three persons quarantined in its 20-bed isolation ward on Wednesday. And, one of them who tested positive in Mumbai tested negative in Coimbatore. “We are discharging him tomorrow,” Dean of the hospital V. Kumaran said.
“Close to a month ago, the two private laboratories approved by Government for conducting flu tests used to report nearly 30 positive cases a day. Over the last one week, the number dipped to 10 or 15. Now, it is even less,” Dr. Kumaran said.
Of the seven persons who underwent tests at one of the laboratories on Tuesday, only two tested positive. One of these persons was from Erode and another from a rural area in Coimbatore. “Cases being reported from the city are steadily decreasing. One inference is people are following the treatment protocol and the other is that the community is developing immunity,” the Dean said.
More in Hindu....
The Coimbatore Medical College Hospital had only three persons quarantined in its 20-bed isolation ward on Wednesday. And, one of them who tested positive in Mumbai tested negative in Coimbatore. “We are discharging him tomorrow,” Dean of the hospital V. Kumaran said.
“Close to a month ago, the two private laboratories approved by Government for conducting flu tests used to report nearly 30 positive cases a day. Over the last one week, the number dipped to 10 or 15. Now, it is even less,” Dr. Kumaran said.
Of the seven persons who underwent tests at one of the laboratories on Tuesday, only two tested positive. One of these persons was from Erode and another from a rural area in Coimbatore. “Cases being reported from the city are steadily decreasing. One inference is people are following the treatment protocol and the other is that the community is developing immunity,” the Dean said.
More in Hindu....
Coimbatore Passport Office plans SMS alerts
The Coimbatore Passport Office plans to launch Short Message Service (SMS) alerts to passport applicants. The service is expected to become operational by January 2010, said B. Balamurugan, Passport Officer, Coimbatore.
The new services include SMS alerts on various stages of processing of applications and ‘first-in and first-out’ concept of seniority-based processing. All district passport cells would be computerised with online application facility. The SMS facility would enable the applicants to enquire about the status of their applications, Mr. Balamurugan said.
He held preliminary discussions with P.V. Raju, senior systems analyst from the Kochi Passport Office, where the SMS system is already operational, on the creation of the required infrastructure. During the process of applications, the passport office might raise queries on police verification details, original documents, previous passport etc. These queries are at present sent by post which consumes time. On receiving the SMS alert, the applicants could respond to the queries promptly.
The ‘first-in and first-out’ system would help eliminate attempts to bypass the seniority of applications. Once the police verification report is attached to the application, it will be serially numbered and processed only on that basis. In emergency cases, only the four designated Passport Issuing Authorities could assure early issuance of passport. The Coimbatore office which has a staff strength of only 21 as against the sanctioned 55 is overburdened. It has asked the district passport cells in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem and Namakkal to become online so that the workload could be minimised.
The new services include SMS alerts on various stages of processing of applications and ‘first-in and first-out’ concept of seniority-based processing. All district passport cells would be computerised with online application facility. The SMS facility would enable the applicants to enquire about the status of their applications, Mr. Balamurugan said.
He held preliminary discussions with P.V. Raju, senior systems analyst from the Kochi Passport Office, where the SMS system is already operational, on the creation of the required infrastructure. During the process of applications, the passport office might raise queries on police verification details, original documents, previous passport etc. These queries are at present sent by post which consumes time. On receiving the SMS alert, the applicants could respond to the queries promptly.
The ‘first-in and first-out’ system would help eliminate attempts to bypass the seniority of applications. Once the police verification report is attached to the application, it will be serially numbered and processed only on that basis. In emergency cases, only the four designated Passport Issuing Authorities could assure early issuance of passport. The Coimbatore office which has a staff strength of only 21 as against the sanctioned 55 is overburdened. It has asked the district passport cells in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode, Salem and Namakkal to become online so that the workload could be minimised.
Coimbatore college students develop robotic vehicle
Three engineering students of a city college today claimed to have developed a multipurpose unmanned robotic vehicle which they believe would be useful for ISRO, in exploring the lunar surface in the next unmanned moon mission, besides Army and police in various activities.
The vehicle, which uses artificial intelligence with digital image processing sans any sensors, would do multi-various activities like car chasing, reading book and driving, the students of the Government College of Technology told reporters after a demonstration.
Ranganathan, S R Anantha Krishnan and S Rajesh Kannan, who developed the vehicle, said it was designed to ply on the road automatically and detect both moving and stationary objects such as other vehicles and human beings.
Since the vehicle fitted with a camera can also be controlled through wireless transmitter, it can be added to ISRO-2012 space programme for exploring moon, they said.
The vehicle, which uses artificial intelligence with digital image processing sans any sensors, would do multi-various activities like car chasing, reading book and driving, the students of the Government College of Technology told reporters after a demonstration.
Ranganathan, S R Anantha Krishnan and S Rajesh Kannan, who developed the vehicle, said it was designed to ply on the road automatically and detect both moving and stationary objects such as other vehicles and human beings.
Since the vehicle fitted with a camera can also be controlled through wireless transmitter, it can be added to ISRO-2012 space programme for exploring moon, they said.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Lakshmi Mills shifts operations from Coimbatore
The Coimbatore-based Lakshmi Mills Company has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that in view of the recessionary trend in the market and considering the condition of the machinery in its Coimbatore unit, a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) has been given effect. Hence, the unit here stopped production since December 18.
The company, which was started in 1910, has units in Coimbatore, Kovilpatti and Palladam. The one in Coimbatore has 31,968 spindles and 114 looms. The installed capacity at the Palladam unit is 56,112 spindles and at Kovilpatti 62,928 spindles.
A company source told The Hindu that it was only shifting operations to Palladam and Kovilpatti from Coimbatore. The workers were given the option of shifting to the units in these two places or taking the VRS, which was open till the end of this month.
M. Arumugam, general secretary of the Coimbatore District Mill Workers’ Union, affiliated to the AITUC, said the unit here had 325 permanent workers. Of this, 125 had opted for the VRS and 45 opted to shift to the units in Palladam and Kovilpatti. “Our demand is to run the Coimbatore unit,” he said.
The company, which was started in 1910, has units in Coimbatore, Kovilpatti and Palladam. The one in Coimbatore has 31,968 spindles and 114 looms. The installed capacity at the Palladam unit is 56,112 spindles and at Kovilpatti 62,928 spindles.
A company source told The Hindu that it was only shifting operations to Palladam and Kovilpatti from Coimbatore. The workers were given the option of shifting to the units in these two places or taking the VRS, which was open till the end of this month.
M. Arumugam, general secretary of the Coimbatore District Mill Workers’ Union, affiliated to the AITUC, said the unit here had 325 permanent workers. Of this, 125 had opted for the VRS and 45 opted to shift to the units in Palladam and Kovilpatti. “Our demand is to run the Coimbatore unit,” he said.
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