QChennai: Vedanta Seeks Full Access to Sterlite Plant & More

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Natural resources company Vedanta Limited has filed a new petition in the Madras High Court. 

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute) 

1. Vedanta Seeks Full Access to Sterlite Plant

Natural resources company Vedanta Limited has filed a new petition in the Madras High Court claiming that its Sterlite copper smelting plant, which has been under lock and key since May 2018, was in dire need of proper maintenance and that the company should be allowed to carry out necessary work. The petitioner’s counsel is likely to make a mention of the present petition before Justice T S Sivagnanam in the Madurai Bench of the High Court so that the judge could decide upon a date to take it up for hearing by a Division Bench also comprising Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan.

In the petition, Vedanta accused the government as well as Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials of having failed to take care of the plant leading to stagnation of rainwater all over. It estimated that around 750 men would be required to undertake the maintenance and keep the plant free from rainwater.

(Source: The Hindu)

2. 54-Year-Old Gets 5 Years RI for Sexually Assaulting a Minor

the accused took advantage of the victim’s innocence and behaved in a perverted manner, which cannot be taken leniently, the judge observed.(Photo: IANS)

A year after a car driver, aged 54, was arrested under POCSO Act for sexually assaulting a minor girl in the city, a Mahila court has sentenced him to undergo five years rigorous imprisonment and also imposed a fine of `4000 on him. Considering victim’s physical and mental health, the court awarded `25000 to be paid as compensation by State government from Victim Compensation Fund.

According to Special Public Prosecutor L Srilekha, Ganesan was the driver of the 11-year-old victim’s neighbour and was always seen waiting close to her house. The incident occurred on May 23, 2018. Vadapalani All Women Police investigated the case.

(Source: The New Indian Express)

3. HC Calls on Report of Steps Taken to Deepen Reservoirs

Direction issued on PIL petition filed by lawyer.(Photo: IANS)

The Madras High Court on Wednesday called for a status report from the State government on steps taken by it to desilt all major reservoirs situated in and around Chennai. The direction was issued on a public interest litigation petition filed by a lawyer seeking a direction to increase the capacity of the reservoirs by at least 10 ft.

Justices M Sathyanarayanan and N Seshasayee ordered that the report should be filed by December 4. The interim order was passed on the PIL petition filed, and argued in person, by advocate B Jagannath, who said there had been no proper management of water resources in the State the last 50 years.

(Source: The Hindu)

4. ICF Steps Up to Curb Spread of Dengue

The measures includes massive cleaning, door-to-door awareness drive and operation of thermal fogging. (Photo Courtesy: iStock Photos)

The Integral Coach Factory (ICF), one of the largest rail coach manufacturing units in the country, has taken slew of measures to prevent mosquito breeding to curb the spread of dengue fever in and around ICF campus. The measures includes massive cleaning, door-to-door awareness drive and operation of thermal fogging.

The ICF, which has over 10,500 employees, has deployed a team of health and engineering officials to carry out mosquito control activities in its production units and four railway quarters. Larvicidal spray has been administered covering all the areas where rainwater stagnates. In addition, a separate team engaged in thermal fogging operation in four residential colonies to eliminate mosquitoes that may carry dengue virus. Stagnated water was removed and bushes were trimmed as per Directorate of National Vector borne Disease Control Programme guidelines.

(Source: The New Indian Express)

5. Watch: Kamal Haasan - The Ten Off-Screen Avatars You Need To See

Kamal Haasan, the man of many avatars.(Photo: Vikram Venkateswaran)

Kamal Haasan turns 65 today. By the time he made Virumandi (2004) - a film that he wrote, directed and starred in - he was already a legend. Not just in Tamil cinema, but across Indian cinema. While he's a consummate actor, it remains just one of the many talents he displays in any given film.

Here then, are 10 of his off-screen Avatars, that deserve more attention, and definitely a closer look. Of course, there are also some spectacular idiosyncrasies that are worth mentioning, and giggling about!

Watch the interactive video here.