The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has closed the public interest litigation petition filed in 2019 by Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M. Appavu who had sought a direction to the authorities concerned to clean a high level water supply channel situated in a reserve forest area.

Mr. Appavu had sought a direction to the authorities to clean the channel that connected Alanthurai river and Suravali dam in the Western Ghats. The petitioner said that the water channel passed through a reserve forest in Kanniyakumari district.

Alanthurai river ran through Kanniyakumari district for most part. In 1969, the State government formulated a scheme for using its water. A small dam was constructed across the river at Kanjipparai. The high level channel connected Alanthurai river and Suravali dam, from where water was distributed to tanks in Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts in the ratio of 60:40, he said.

With the channel not having been cleaned up, free passage of water to the village tanks was disrupted, he said. If the channel was not cleaned, the livelihood of the farmers would be affected, the petitioner added.

A Division Bench of Justices G. R. Swaminathan and B. Pugalendhi took note of the status report submitted by the authorities which stated that the works had already been executed and completed. The court observed that nothing survives for further adjudication and closed the petition.

Justin Bieber Gets Spiritual: Cryptic Post Sparks ‘Kanye Vibes’ Debate

Justin Bieber’s recent appearance at Coachella 2025 has sparked major concern among fans. Viral clips of the pop star smoking, dancing erratically, and wearing extremely low-rise pants set the internet ablaze, especially one video showing him smoking in front of his younger brother while Hailey Bieber seemingly tries to step in. The backlash was swift, with critics slamming his “reckless behaviour.” In a surprising turn, Bieber responded by posting a cryptic message on Instagram, reflecting on feelings of being “too flawed” for God’s plan and embracing divine love over public approval. Captioned “We got nothing to prove. God loves us purrriud,” the post drew both praise and speculation, with fans comparing his state of mind to that of Kanye West. As divorce rumours with Hailey swirl, Bieber’s emotional state and spiritual tone have left many wondering what’s next for the singer.

343 views | 4 hours ago

Visakhapatnam: Residents of hilltop Neredu Bandha in Chimalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal in Anakapalli district have sought establishment of a special medical camp in their village to deal with the rising cases of fever among children.

At least 13 kids are suffering from fever in this difficult-to-access village belonging to Kondu tribals, one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the agency area. One of the children, Kilo Prabhas, had to be shifted to the Narsipatnam Area Hospital for treatment.

There is no ASHA worker or Anganwadi centre available in the area, leaving the children vulnerable to untreated illnesses. Apart from the medical camp, concerned villagers have sought anti-mosquito spraying in the village, as they feel the fever among children is due to malaria.

It is said officials declined to do so, citing that the village is not listed in revenue records. Such lack of preventive measures has raised fears among residents about the worsening health conditions.

Among the children reported ill during the past three days are Pangi Abhishek, Killo Sundar Rao, Dippala Shivaji, Killo Kamala Sedari, Ratnam Pangi Sai, Golluru Bhaskara Rao, Pangi Ankita, Sedari Rusa, Sedari Banji Babu, Dippala Vishnu, and Pangi Vasantha.

Local tribal leaders, including Tribal Association president Pangi Chandrayya and PVTG Association president Gemili Vasu, have urged the state government to take immediate action and set up a medical camp in the Neredu Bandha village.

They warned that they would otherwise stage a protest at the Primary Health Centre.