Latest news with #ThangamThenarasu
The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu notifies Greater Flamingo Sanctuary at Dhanushkodi
The Tamil Nadu government has officially declared a Greater Flamingo sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram district. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the sanctuary via video conferencing on the occasion of the World Environment Day event organised by the Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests in Chennai on Thursday (June 5, 2025). Thangam Thenarasu, holding additional charge as Minister for Environment, R.S. Rajakannapan, Minister for Forests, and Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to Departments of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, participated in the event. The move aims to preserve a critical stopover point along the Central Asian Flyway for thousands of migratory wetland birds. The sanctuary spans 524.7 hectares and encompasses both revenue and forest lands within Rameshwaram taluk. The designated area, part of the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, is home to a variety of ecosystems, including mangroves, sand dunes, mudflats, and marshes. These unique features support a rich biodiversity, from migratory birds and marine life to nesting sea turtles. A Government Order (G.O.) issued on June 4, 2025, by Ms. Sahu, noted that according to the recent 2023-2024 wetland bird survey, the Dhanushkodi region recorded over 10,700 wetland birds, representing 128 species including herons, egrets, sandpipers, and both Greater and Lesser Flamingos. Mangrove species such as Avicennia and Rhizophora dominate the Dhanushkodi lagoon, providing essential breeding grounds and natural defenses against coastal erosion. The sanctuary status is expected to encourage responsible ecotourism, generate local employment, and raise public awareness about wetland conservation, the G.O. said. T.M. Anbarasan, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Srinivas Reddy, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force), Rakesh Kumar Dogra, Chief Wildlife Warden, also participated.
New Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Need collective resolve to back forces: Tamil Nadu Governor
CHENNAI: Governor RN Ravi on Saturday called for national unity and collective resolve to support the armed forces during an all-faith meeting held at the Bharathiyar Mandapam in Raj Bhavan. The event was attended by Environment Minister Thangam Thenarasu on behalf of the state government and leaders of various faiths. In his address, Ravi strongly condemned Pakistan's continued acts of aggression and terrorism, referring to it as a 'rogue, terrorist state.' He said India had shown restraint for years despite repeated terror attacks, but after the killing of 26 innocent tourists - including 25 Indians and one Nepali - in Pahalgam, India was compelled to respond. 'When they attacked in Pahalgam, we responded with strong actions. There has to be a price to pay for such acts,' he asserted. The governor warned that although a ceasefire was announced, it has not altered the ground reality. 'We are dealing with an unreliable adversary whose intent is to destabilise our country through misinformation and internal discord,' he said. The meeting was also attended by the Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali.
Reuters
14-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Indian state to subsidise e-scooter purchases by some gig workers
CHENNAI, March 14 (Reuters) - India's southern state of Tamil Nadu will offer a subsidy of 20,000 rupees ($230) to select gig workers to buy e-scooters, a minister said on Friday, as more young people sign up with online platforms to deliver food and groceries. Gig workers, or those outside traditional employer-employee relationships, are set to play a key role in the world's fifth-biggest economy, spurred partly by high unemployment after COVID-19 pandemic curbs fuelled growth in the sector. Tamil Nadu is also introducing an insurance scheme for nearly 150,000 gig workers to compensate for accidental deaths and disability, its finance minister, Thangam Thenarasu, said while unveiling the budget. "A new scheme will be launched .... to provide a subsidy of 20,000 rupees each to 2,000 internet-based service workers to buy a new e-scooter," the minister said, adding that workers registered with a state welfare body would be eligible. Further details of the scheme will be revealed later, Labour Secretary Veera Raghava Rao told Reuters. The prices of electric scooter maker Ola's products start at 79,999 rupees, while those of rival Ather sell from 99,999 rupees. The state will also set up lounges for the use of such workers in large cities, such as Chennai, its capital - where summer temperatures often exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees F) - and Coimbatore, a textile hub. The head of the Tamil Nadu Food and Allied Products Delivery Workers Union, K.C. Gopikumar, welcomed the subsidy and welfare efforts but urged the government to extend them to more workers as well as give them better conditions, such as paid leave. Swiggy and Zomato, two of India's biggest delivery providers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
