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.

Nellore, Sept. 8: Poor and downtrodden people living in Nelatoor, Krishnapatnam, Sembunithopu, Nakkalamitta and Ayyavarikandriga in Muthhukur mandal are struggling for survival after 4,500 acre land in the area was handed over to Reliance Power and AP Genco for setting up thermal power plants.

While alternative arrangements are being made to shift people from small habitations like Nakkalamitta, Ayyavarikandriga and Sembunithopu in the wake of acquisition of villages apart from lands, there is no word from authorities with regard to major villages like Nelatoor and Krishnapatnam.

Kadapa/Kurnool, Sept. 8: The displaced persons of the Gandikota project face a threat of floods due to the overflowing of the Kundu and Penna rivers. The two rivers are overflowing following heavy rains in the catchment areas for the last few days in the district. Due to heavy rains in the adjacent Anantapur district and moderate rains in Kadapa district, a heavy quantity of floodwater is flowing into the Kundu and Pennar rivers, giving a tough time to displaced persons of the Gandikota project.

Hyderabad, Sept. 8: The state Cabinet on Monday cleared two thermal power projects in Srikakulam and okayed the extension of exclusive rights of the Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited (KPCL) on the northern side of the proposed Vanpic port in Vadarevu in Prakasam district.

The East Coast Energy Company

Hyderabad, Sept 8: The state government on Monday kept in abeyance the orders reducing buffer zone near lakes across the state. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy was believed to have directed the Municipal Administration and Urban Development department not to implement GOs issued by former MAUD principal secretary Mr S.P. Singh till further orders. He also asked new principal secretary Mr C.V.S.K. Sarma to circulate the file concerned to him.

Mihir Shah & Pramathesh Ambasta

The success of NREGA social audits in Andhra Pradesh covering 12 million people is a brilliant example of civil society action enriching mainstream politics.

Hyderabad, Sept. 7: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekar Reddy, on Sunday asked the Union minister for human resource development, Mr Arjun Singh, to set up the Indian School of Mines (ISM) university campus in Khammam district.

Thanking the ISM university, Dhanbad, for agreeing to establish an ISM campus in Andhra Pradesh, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy proposed that Khammam district was the most suitable to house the campus.

Hyderabad, Sept. 7: Four years after the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, promised daily water supply to the city, the Water Board is finally making arrangements to provide two-hour drinking water supply every day to the citizens in the core city from November 1. However, lakhs of citizens in the erstwhile 12 surrounding municipalities on the outskirts will continue to get supply only twice a week even after it.

Visakhapatnam, Sept. 7: Visakhapatnam would soon become another Chennai at the rate in which the groundwater in the district is turning salty. Residents of coastal battery near the collectorate, Kota Veedhi, the old post office and the port areas in One Town, Mulakuddu and Nagarapalem besides, parts of Thagarapuvalasa in the rural areas were in distress recently after it was found that the water they drew from their wells tasted salty.