Ibrahim Hafeezur Rehman

Emphasis on promotion of biofuels can be useful for solving rural energy problems.

Rajahmundry, Sept. 15: Environmentalists are up in arms against authorities from the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (APIDC) for giving clearance to set up industrial units in ecologically sensitive areas, violating environmental norms.

Vijayawada, Sept. 14: The minister of state for health and family welfare, Ms Panabaka Lakshmi, announced that the Union Cabinet has approved the allocation Rs 600 crore to encourage medicinal plantations by tobacco farmers in the country. She laid a foundation stone for Advanced Ayurvedic Research Centre for vector-borne diseases at Payakapuram Rajivnagar in the outskirts of city on Sunday.

KOLKATA: Maithan Alloys, a company engaged in manganese and ferro alloy mining and exports, is planning to invest Rs. 275 crore in setting up a 1.2 lakh tonne capacity ferro alloy unit in Andhra Pradesh.

Subhas Chandra Agarwalla, Managing Director, said at a press conference here on Wednesday that the project would be completed by 2011. The financial closure is expected by March 2009.

Vijayawada, Sept. 10: The number of vehicles using compressed natural gas (CNG) is on the rise in the city with several advantages attracting the users of three-wheelers and four-wheelers.

But supply of CNG is not in proportion to the demand. "The first advantage is the price. There is a difference of Rs 16 in the price between diesel and CNG. But the mileage is the same in both cases. This was the reason I have converted my autorickshaw to CNG," said Raju, an autodriver in Patamata.

Hyderabad, Sept. 10: The race to bag the Musi beautification project has narrowed down to two consultants

Hyderabad, Sept. 10: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy has been selected for the prestigious "leadership award as best performing state in agriculture."

The Agriculture Leadership Awards Committee chose Andhra Pradesh for its excellent progress in the field of agriculture. The award will be conferred on the state at a ceremony in New Delhi on September 19.

Dr A.R. Kidwai, Governor of Haryana and chairperson of the awards committee informed this through a letter to the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy.

Kakinada, Sept. 10: The wildlife divisional forest officer (DFO), Mr K. Govinda Rao, claims the department has been taking all necessary precautions for the safety of the turtles during the nesting season. "We post guards along the coast in the nesting season to curtail the menace of foxes and dogs," he said.

Kakinada, Sept. 10: There has been a sharp decline in the number of sea turtles in the coastal areas and there are fears that proposed coastal corridor may drive them to extinction. As such, the rapid industrialisation along the coast, poaching and consumption of eggs and meat are posing a huge threat to the sea turtles, including the rare Olive Ridley species. A large number of turtles also die after being trapped in the nets of fishing trawlers and big mechanised boats.

Vijayawada, Sept. 9: The Congress government claims to be focused on irrigation projects, but poor water management is compounding the woes of farmers in the Krishna and Godavari delta. Despite the tall claims about irrigation projects, several lakh cusecs of water from Krishna and Godavari rivers is going waste into the sea. At the same time, flooding also occurs, damaging the crops in several hundred acres. The same fields dry up during drought and yearn for water even for a single crop.