Decks have been cleared for reviewing the Parambikulam-Aliyar Project (PAP) agreement in a manner beneficial to Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

With Tamil Nadu responding positively to Keralas demand to set up a new hydropower project using waters from the Anamalayar, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has directed officials to initiate the long-overdue review process. Consultations in this regard have already begun.

In response to Tamil Nadus permission to generate electricity, Kerala will release 2.5 tmcft water from the Anamalayar through a new dam to water-starved regions of Coimbatore and Tirupur districts in Tamil Nadu.

The PAP accord, which came into force in 1958, pertains to the sharing of water resources of rivers in the Bharathapuzha, Chalakudy, and Periyar basins and needs to be reviewed periodically.

The accord was formally signed in 1970 with retrospective effect and was due for review in 1988.

Though discussions were held at that time, no review or modification was done due to lack of unanimity over contentious issues.

The Anamalayar (Periyar basin), Sholayar and Parambikulam (Chalakudy basin), and Aliyar (Bharathapuzha basin) come under the agreement.

As per the agreement, Tamil Nadus entitlement had been fixed at 30.5 (tmcft) and Kerala around 20 tmcft. Though the Anamalayar scheme was part of the PAP accord, it had not been implemented despite Tamil Nadus demand for more water.

Sources said Tamil Nadu had agreed to implement the Anamalayar scheme hoping the goodwill gesture would prompt Kerala to approve the Nallar scheme proposed by Tamil Nadu. Kerala was maintaining that no review was possible in the case of the Nallar as it was not under the ambit of the PAP.

After a Minister-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on April 28, Kerala had sent a possibility report on diverting Anamalayar river to Tamil Nadu. A review of the PAP accord was mandatory for diverting the river waters.

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Decks cleared for reviewing PAP accord

MEADVILLE Deferring maintenance for years on two adjoining parking decks in downtown Meadville has led to structural damage so severe an estimated $2.9 million in repairs is needed now to save them, according to the citys consulting engineer.

Ashley Porter of Porter Consulting Engineers gave Meadville City Council a walking tour of the Mill Run parking ramp Wednesday, pointing out both deteriorated columns and column seats that hold support beams as well as deteriorated parking decks themselves. Porter said the earthquake the region experienced several years ago also contributed to damage.

The Mill Run parking ramp is two separate structures built about 15 years apart, but joined.

The three-story Water Street section was built in 1978 as part of a redevelopment project along Water Street, while the three-story Market Street section was built in 1993. The upper decks of the Market Street section are accessible by the ramps of the Water Street section.

Years of exposure to the elements without proper sealing of the concrete has caused water to seep into the concrete, causing the concrete to pop or chip as the water expands and contracts with the temperature, Porter said.

Periodic work has been done over the years to brace columns and even replace some, but additional work needs to be done to either save or replace others, Porter said.

Porter estimates about $1.8 million worth of work is needed to save the Water Street portion of the parking deck, while about $1.1 million is needed for the Market Street portion.

The annual debt payment on the Mill Run parking ramp is $157,000, but the last payment is this year, according to Andy Walker, interim city manager.

The citys 2012 capital budget borrowing included $600,000 for parking deck repairs including the Mill Run parking ramp. Stairs on the northeast corner of the Market Street section were reconstructed completely this year at $73,000 with additional deck repairs also made.

About $482,000 remains in the capital budget, Walker said.

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Walking tour: Parking garage needs $2.9M in repairs

It was about 15 months ago, and we weren't really sure what instigated the discussion, or more accurately, the impetus behind a passionate statement released by Qualicum Beach Coun. Dave Willie.

We have a better idea now, although Willie will not, cannot, and could not then, elaborate or provide details as to the origin of his concerns.

It was May, 2013 and Willie sent an e-mail to The NEWS, expressing his frustration regarding what was happening behind closed doors at town hall.

"Over the last 16 months, this council has endured endless hours of in-camera meetings," Willie wrote, being careful not to provide the in-camera details. "Although many of those meetings were reasonable and the results were good for the town, in my view many were not. The sometimes endless discussions centred on important town issues that required a consensus of four of the five members of council. I believe that some of the results protected private interests more than public interests."

He made a motion at the next council meeting to direct staff "to find a method of paying out unused holidays, older than the one year to ensure a clear policy is in effect to prevent accumulation in the future. The banking of unused sick days should also be explored to see what policy exists in neighbouring municipalities. Over the last number of councils, holiday time, time given for extra hours, etc. has been allowed to accumulate with the result being hundreds of hours banked, at costs exceeding $100,000. More importantly, staff needs to take time off to enjoy with their family, friends and community. It's also crucial that the town receive the full-time efforts of staff on a full-week basis, not reduced by banked holidays from 10 years ago."

The staff report related to that motion will be in front of council this coming Monday, which is coincidentally six days after our reporter Lissa Alexander's exclusive story about the town paying severance, holiday pay and sick leave pay totaling more than $370,000 to two senior staffers in the past 10 months.

The silver lining in all of this? The decks are being cleared of old business just before the Sept. 2 arrival of new town hall boss Daniel Sailland.

Editorial by John Harding

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EDITORIAL: Clearing the decks

THE HINDU 06/08/2014, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. Nellore Mayor Abdul Aiziz is said to have decided to quit YSR Congress Party and join Telugu Desam Party soon.

The decks have been cleared for Mayor Abdul Aziz to officially join the Telugu Desam Party in the presence of the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Hyderabad on Sunday or Monday.

The mayors followers have started making arrangements for this with efforts being made to get the support of as many corporators as possible. They are expecting support from a sizeable group of corporators, who want to sail with the ruling party for the sake of ushering in development in their respective divisions.

Mr. Aziz has got considerable support from Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister P. Narayana in clearing all hurdles for his joining the ruling party. Now with the help of the TDP leadership, the mayor is making moves to convince the YSR Congress corporators to win them over to his side.

Meanwhile, the YSRC city leadership has started damage control exercise by ensuring that their party corporators are not disturbed in this crucial phase. At the time of the mayor election also, the party had to hold special camps outside the Nellore district to ensure unity among the party corporators.

On his part, Mr. Aziz said he had nothing against the YSRC central leadership except that they did not intervene to solve the differences when he made a special request for the same in the past.

He asserted that he wanted to make the best use of this chance to ensure proper development in the city as it was after 54 years that a minority candidate became the municipal corporation mayor here.

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Nellore Mayor to join TDP in 3 days

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The West Australian

Chris Harris decked out his house last year with items from _The West Australian's _ Click2Bid auction.

The Roleystone resident successfully bid on more than 20 items from the online auction, which is in its sixth year.

Among his prized pieces were a display cabinet, bird bath and numerous garden ornaments.

He also bought vouchers to cake shops and restaurants for him and his family.

Mr Harris said he was pleased to be part of the auction, which raised money for Telethon.

"I'm sure I saved money, plus it goes towards a good thing," he said.

"I have been doing it for a few years, but last year I bought more than I ever have."

Mr Harris said the products offered on the vouchers he bid for would help him renovate his home.

"We have lived here for a while but have decided to do things up, like our bathroom and granny flat," he said.

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Bidder decks out house

Gainesville, GA (PRWEB) August 06, 2014

The Birkenhead Bridge in Adelaide, South Australia, was built in 1940 to allow river traffic to proceed further upstream. The original hinge section substructure of The Birkenhead Bridge was constructed mainly with timber to reduce weight and to assist engine when opening and closing.

74 years later it was clear a new solution was needed for the bridge when the timber actually started becoming heavier when wet and suffered from long term corrosion. AridDek Aluminum Decking by Wahoo Decks offered a lightweight and waterproof answer to the bridges timber problems.

Due to the road surface being difficult to seal, the timber substructure was always becoming saturated which caused extra weight and long term deterioration, said Andy Holland, Director of DS Agencies Pty Ltd. They [engineers] needed a light weight, waterproof surface to be installed on the hinged part of the bridge.

Manufactured with exacting precision, AridDeks interlocking lightweight boards securely and easily lock into place. The engineering of AridDeks aluminum decking boards result in a completely watertight surface that is made to last.

As well as needing improvements made to the bridges road surface, the bridge also needed to incorporate a dual use path for walkers and bikers using the bridge. With the promotion of bicycle use, it became obvious that a dual use path was needed to handle the increased traffic, this is where AridDek was viewed as a solution, said Holland.

AridDek was designed and engineered for high traffic use in the most demanding applications. It is also naturally resistant to the deteriorating effects of direct sunlight and water. AridDek is extremely resistant to staining, impervious to insects and wont splinter, decay, or rot.

AridDek is ideal for new construction or remodeling of existing outdoor structures, such as The Birkenhead Bridge. AridDek provides a lifetime of low-maintenance benefits while creating a gapless, skid free, single layer watertight surface. Its easy installation adds both value and space in a single system.

About Wahoo Decks

Headquartered in Gainesville, Georgia, Wahoo Decks is a leading manufacturer of award-winning outdoor products. Wahoo products have been engineered to be uniquely low-maintenance and more resistant to natural elements than traditional decking products. Wahoo Decks offers AridDek, a waterproof aluminum decking product and Fortis, a non-watertight aluminum deck board. Additionally, Wahoo Decks offers DryJoist and DryJoistEZ, a revolutionary waterproof and structural aluminum joist system; Wahoo Rail, a complete line of aluminum railing kits; and Wahoo Complete, an all-in-one pre-fabricated aluminum balcony product. For more information about Wahoo Decks, visit http://www.WahooDecks.com.

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Bascule Style Bridge in Adelaide, South Australia Replaces Timber Walking Surface with AridDek Aluminum Decking by ...