-NDTV.com The electricity workers are protesting against the privatisation of the electricity department. Chandigarh: Large parts of Chandigarh have been left without electricity and water for over 36 hours after a major power outage following a three-day strike by electricity department workers. Thousands of homes have been without power and water supply since Monday evening and traffic lights are not working in many areas in the city. Government hospitals have rescheduled surgeries. The Chandigarh...

-India Climate Dialogue It does not depend on erratic electricity supply from the grid Sandeep Alse, a farmer who grows fruits and vegetables in Marathwada, a drought-prone region in Maharashtra, found it difficult to reach the market with his produce on time, due to poor infrastructure. The lack of cold storage facility in the vicinity added to his woes and much of his harvest was spoiled, making it difficult for him to...

-The Hindu The shutdown of the 220 MW Unit-1 of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station located in Gujarat’s Surat district following leakage of heavy water used to cool the nuclear reactor, on March 11, the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster in Japan, is at once a reminder of the inherent risks associated with operating nuclear reactors and the importance of augmenting safety mechanisms. Unlike the Fukushima accident,...

-Press Information Bureau (Ministry of Panchayati Raj) Government of India is providing funds to States/UTs under e-enablement component of Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Sashaktikarn Abhiyan (RGPSA)and Rs. 40,000 is given to each Gram Panchayat for computer, Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), printer etc. subject to eligibility conditions. Ministry of Panchayati Raj has also provided 10 software applications under e-Panchayat Mission Mode Project (MMP) that seek to transform the functioning of Panchayati Raj Institutions...

-The Hindu Researchers at IIT-Madras have developed a hybrid solar-powered desalination plant that can serve areas suffering from severe drinking water shortage but have sea or brackish ground water. A solar photovoltaic panel is dovetailed to a power grid or a backup diesel generator that will power up during periods of weak sunshine and at night and keep producing water through a reverse osmosis plant. When the sun shines, the RO...