This paper deals with two mangrove habitats reported for the first time from the East Coast of Andhra Pradesh. Four mangrove associates and two Seagrasses are reported here for the first time from these habitats. These species form additions to the flora of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh.

while the Andhra Pradesh government is yet to recognize salt makers as farmers, two recent government orders mention

Undi, Aug. 29: Nirmal Grama Puraskar team appreciated the maintenance of sanitation in rural areas. The team comprising sanitation co-ordinator A. Shanmugam and arasampatti village panchayat sarpanch S. Chinakarpan from Kudikotti district from Tamil Nadu inspected the Pedapulleru village of this mandal on Friday.

Hyderabad, Aug. 29: There are fears that the proposed bauxite mining by the state government would bring the

Karimnagar, Aug. 27: In an effort to expedite the ongoing development works in the vast Manthani division comprising several backward villages, which hitherto remained the citadels of the Naxal outfits, the district administration has laid focus on executing works including the soon-to-be launched lift irrigation scheme at Kaleshwaram in Mahadevpur mandal on a priority basis.

The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, is likely to launch the lift irrigation scheme at Metpalli near Kaleshwaram in the next fortnight, sources said.

Eluru, Aug. 27: West Godavari collector G. Jayalakshmi called for efforts to realise total sanitation in the district by 2010. The collector held a review meet on sanitation with the officials here on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Jayalakshmi said that individual sanitary latrines were sanctioned to 2.29 lakh families living below poverty line in the district and added that nearly 1.91 lakh ISLs were constructed so far. Out of 2,514 schools, toilets were constructed at 2,481 schools.

Rajahmundry, Aug. 27: The AP High Court directed the Krishna district collector to stop the clearance of mangroves and mud flats at Polatitippa village of Machilipatnam mandal and asked the latter to send a detailed report on the development following a public interest litigation filed by former secretary of Government of India Dr E.A.S. Sarma recently.

Hyderabad, Aug. 27: Experts of IIT Mumbai have asked the government to put in a place a disaster management plan for the city since floods would become common owing to climate change. They were speaking at a meeting organised by the GHMC to tackle floods and water stagnation. Hyderabad, which used to get an average rainfall of 806 mm till 1988 now gets 840 mm. Encroachments of lakes, ponds, nalas have led to a situation in which there is no drainage for rainwater. Prof Kapil Gupta of IIT Mumbai said that the government should prepare a disaster management plan.

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: The country is in the grip of a severe spell of communicable diseases, with over 270 people having died of malaria and 15 of dengue. Chikungunya cases have also increased over last year's figures.

The government says it is prepared to deal with any adverse situation.

"We have revamped our Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme and are focussing on endemic districts. The budgetary allocation for dealing with these diseases has also been enhanced,' Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss told The Hindu on Monday.

Kurnool, Aug. 25: Farmers once again came on to the streets demanding supply of fertilisers. They alleged that the government had totally failed in the supply of fertilisers in adequate quantities. They staged a rasta roko in Kurnool and Kallur mandals protesting the lackadaisical attitude of the officials in the supply of fertilisers. They alleged that their crops are withering in the absence of fertilisers in time. The farmers who stormed the market yard in the morning, came out in large numbers by raising slogans.

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