Cyclone Ockhi makes landfall, affects Lakshadweep islands, Kerala and Tamil Nadu

Cyclone Ockhi intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and made landfall in the Lakshadweep islands last Friday. It further moved to coastal areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu causing heavy rains in the two states. The death toll due to the cyclone has reached 20 in the southern states while as many as 1,540 people, including fishermen, affected by the cyclone have been rescued by various agencies. The cyclone has already passed the Maharashtra coast causing heavy rains in Mumbai and is forecasted to make landfall near Surat and the Gulf of Khambhat in Gujarat. The state is likely to experience a wet spell during the next four days. 

Panic triggers in Arunachal as Siang river turns black

The Siang river in Arunachal Pradesh with crystal clear water has turned black due to the presence of a cement-like thick material. The East Siang district authorities have cautioned people that the river water is no longer fit for consumption. Officials are blaming China for this and suspect that some major cement work is being carried out in the upper reaches of the river in China. There are also fears that China is planning to dig a 1000-km tunnel, the world's longest, to divert the river water. China has, however, denied having any such plans. 

Thousands of dead fish wash ashore of Adyar estuary in Chennai

Last week, thousands of dead fish have washed ashore at the mouth of the Adyar estuary in Urur Olcott Kuppam, a fishing village in south Chennai. While the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture has claimed pollution in the estuary to be the reason behind the fish death, Tamil Nadu’s fisheries minister D. Jayakumar has blamed the excess amount of freshwater in the estuary for it. As per the residents, however, it was the result of high amount of pollution from the release of chemical waste into the Adyar river. 

A year after its repair, shutter breached at Krishnagiri dam 

A shutter at the Krishnagiri reservoir in Tamil Nadu breached last week letting out over 4,000 cusecs of water from the reservoir, triggering a flood alert in five districts along the Thenpennai river. The breach has happened just a year after all the eight shutters were repaired at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore. The water level in the reservoir prior to the breach was 51 feet which remained consistent for the last three months. 

Centre approves setting up of National Nutrition Mission

To address the issue of malnutrition and stunted growth in India, the Centre has approved setting up a National Nutrition Mission (NNM). A total of Rs 9,046.17 crore has been allocated for the next three years for the mission that would map various schemes and monitor them real time. The mission aims to benefit over 10 crore people in the country in a phased manner--315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and the remaining districts in 2019-20. 

This is a roundup of important news from November 28 - December 5, 2017. Also, read the policy matters this week.