ft. Located along Koyembedu–Poonamallee corridor, Noombal has emerged as one of West Chennai’s most promising residential destinations.
TVS Emerald has signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) for a four-acre land parcel in Noombal in west Chennai to develop a residential project with a potential booking value of approximately ₹1,000 crore and a saleable area of 8.2 lakh sq.ft. The proposed development will comprise contemporary residences.Located along Koyembedu–Poonamallee corridor, Noombal has emerged as one of West Chennai’s most promising residential destinations. Once known primarily for its industrial and warehousing presence, the locality is now witnessing significant transformation driven by improving infrastructure, expanding social amenities, and increasing residential demand, the company said in a statement that it had issued. Sriram Iyer, Director and CEO, TVS Emerald, said: “West Chennai sits at the intersection of strong connectivity and significant growth momentum.” Published - July 15, 2026 12:52 am IST
File photo of a KSRTC bus that operates through the scenic forest route from Pathanamthitta to Kumily via Gavi, inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve. | The move comes amid mounting safety concerns over passengers being stranded deep inside the forest following repeated bus breakdowns.According to KSRTC sources, the service caters not only to tourists but also Forest department personnel, Kerala Forest Development Corporation (KFDC) workers, the police, KSEB officials, and local residents. The heavy rush has made even securing a seat increasingly difficult.The district administration has already written to the KSRTC Managing Director seeking additional services on the route. Officials, however, said any increase in services would require Forest department approval as the buses pass through protected forest areas.Recent incidentsA Priyadarshini bus that left for Gavi from the Pathanamthitta depot on Saturday (July 11, 2026) developed a mechanical fault at Kaattadikunnu, about 30 km from Gavi. The 35-seat bus was carrying around 70 passengers when it broke down. A mechanic travelling in a KSRTC budget tourism bus repaired the fault, enabling the service to resume after a delay.The breakdown came just a day after another Priyadarshini bus on the Pathanamthitta-Gavi-Kumily route had been stranded inside the forest. A Forest department vehicle had to be pressed into service to evacuate the passengers.The back-to-back breakdowns have once again put the ageing fleet on the Gavi route under the scanner. According to KSRTC officials, most buses are over a decade old and routinely groan under loads far beyond their capacity, with vehicles meant for 35 to 42 passengers often carrying nearly 100 during peak hours.With mobile connectivity absent across long stretches of the route that passes through dense forests, a breakdown can leave passengers stranded with little access to help. The intensifying monsoon and worsening road conditions have only added to the danger. Published - July 12, 2026 07:30 pm IST
The Kerala High Court on Friday asked K. Biju, Secretary of the Cashew Department, to modify his affidavit in the cashew import scam and mention there was enough evidence to issue prosecution sanction against INTUC State president and former Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation (KSCDC) Chairperson R. Chandrasekharan and former managing director K. A. Ratheesh.The court also directed the official to mention in the affidavit that he had independently evaluated the materials given by the CBI while deciding on the prosecution sanction.Justice A. Badharudeen issued the directives while considering the unconditional apology filed by Mr. Biju. The court asked the official to file a fresh affidavit making the modifications.An earlier government order clearing the sanction had run into controversy after it was mentioned that the prosecution sanction was issued following the instructions from the court.The court had issued a contempt of court notice to Mr. Biju and directed his personal appearance, noting that the sanction order issued by him on July 2 was accusatory and “intended to malign the judiciary.” Later, this order was withdrawn and re-issued excluding the impugned statements on July 6, on the advice of the Advocate General.The contempt plea was filed after the State refused to grant the sanction order, despite a High Court order directing it to consider the material evidence produced by the CBI. Published - July 10, 2026 06:55 pm IST
Abdul Rahman, Principal of LBS Institute of Technology for Women, has been appointed director of the Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT), an autonomous institution under the State Department of Information Technology.C-DIT is the premier agency responsible for leading the development and maintenance of the Kerala government’s IT projects, web portals of various departments, and digital services. It also provides an online platform for conducting entrance examinations, including those for engineering and pharmacy courses.Dr. Rahman was the first Pro Vice-Chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU). He has also worked as a director at the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) under the Union Ministry of Education. Published - July 08, 2026 10:24 pm IST
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