Krishna Chaitanya

Human-caused climate change, rather than the naturally occurring El Nino climate pattern, has been the primary driver behind every global coral bleaching event over the last four decades, according to a new international study that warns the world's coral reefs could disappear without rapid cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

Concrete has fallen from ceilings, termites damaged beams, plaster is peeling, and the restrooms are dilapidated, with one toilet collapsed.

CHENNAI: Amid a war of words between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the controversial Mekedatu project, the Central Water Commission (CWC) has returned the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka, saying the proposal does not conform to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award and the Supreme Court's 2018 judgment.

The Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir cum Drinking Water Project is proposed on the Cauvery river in Karnataka. It has been the subject of a long-running dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Karnataka says the project is needed to meet Bengaluru's future drinking water needs and improve management of the Cauvery basin. Tamil Nadu says it could alter downstream river flows and undermine the Cauvery water-sharing framework. The project has also raised environmental concerns because it is proposed inside the ecologically sensitive Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday announced an ambitious programme to restore and expand mangrove forests across 2,500 hectares under the World Bank-assisted TN-SHORE project.

Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay fiercely defended his Cauvery water strategy in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, rejecting opposition demands for an all-party meeting. Responding to Udhayanidhi Stalin, Vijay stated that their stringent opposition to Karnataka's Mekedatu dam was already conveyed to the Prime Minister. He urged political rivals to avoid "cheap politics" over the state's livelihood. To justify diplomatic efforts, Vijay invoked 1969, when Karnataka began building its major dams. In a pointed jab at Udhayanidhi's grandfather—who served as the Water Resources Minister at the time—Vijay recalled that past leaders favored dialogue. He argued that if enemy nations can negotiate, neighboring states must also seek peaceful talks. Declaring his unwavering commitment, Vijay insisted he was willing to endure personal insults for the sake of peace. However, he assured lawmakers that Tamil Nadu's rights would never be compromised, confirming the government's readiness to wage a stringent legal battle in the Supreme Court.

CHENNAI: Actor Vikram's playful video with a Lar Gibbon, posted on Instagram and subsequently taken down, has spotlighted the illegal trade and transfer of exotic wild animals in Tamil Nadu, with state forest department officials launching an investigation into how the animal reached a private residence in Injambakkam, Chennai.

CHENNAI: The Lar Gibbon controversy, after actor Vikram shared a video of him playing with one of the animals, has deepened with the Forest Department finding that one of the three gibbons acquired by an Erode breeder had died without the department being informed.

When the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act was enacted, followed closely by its draft rules, India's financial sector reacted with a familiar playbook.

CHENNAI: The forest department is set to seize the Lar Gibbons from an exotic-animal breeding facility in Erode, with officials issuing a show-cause notice to the breeder amid questions over the source and documentation of the primates.