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.

B Krishna Mohan / Chennai/ Hyderabad August 26, 2008, 3:00 IST

The state may strike it rich if the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC) succeeds in its efforts in evolving a process for exploring fullerenes, commonly known as C-60 and associated with barytes, from the mines at Mangampeta in Kadapa district.

The product is used for defence purposes and makes solar cells more efficient. Besides, it can make missiles invisible to radars.

Khammam, Aug. 24: The farmers of the Nagarjunasagar project left canal second zone ayacut wanted the government to announce the date of releasing water to their zone. The government started releasing water to the first zone on August 13 but did not announce the details of the second zone water release. The farm operations started under the ayacut area of various minor and medium irrigation projects inclu-ding Bayyaram tank, Peda-vagu, Taliperu, Wyra, Palair and Kinnerasani.

Hyderabad, Aug. 24: Hyderabad on Sunday became the second largest city in India

Hyderabad, Aug. 24: Residents of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board have been waiting for an additional supply of 15 lakh gallons of drinking water for the last four years. The SCB presently supplies 38 lakh gallons per day but the demand is for 50 lakh gallons. Residents of over 60 localities were to be the main beneficiaries of the additional water to be supplied from the Angadi Water Project which as grounded at a cost of over Rs 2.7 crore.

August 22, 2008

Hyderabad, Aug. 22: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, on Friday stressed the need for improving the green cover, particularly in urban areas, as part of the overall objective of transforming the state into "Haritandhra Pradesh.' The Chief Minister planted saplings at the Air Force Academy, Dundigal and launched the ambitious programme of one lakh tree plantations in a day taken up by Hyderabad Urban Development Authority (Huda).

HYDERABAD

Andhra Pradesh is emerging as the uranium and thorium hub of the country with new reserves of these rare minerals being unearthed in Chittoor and Warangal districts. Uranium has been found in Kadapa and Nalgonda districts while thorium reserves have been discovered in Visakhapatnam , Prakasam and Nalgonda districts.

Warangal Aug. 21: Rampant felling of trees in the name of podu cultivation is threatening the Eturnagaram forests. Smugglers have been cutting down trees in large numbers and have been transporting them illegally to neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

Hyderabad Aug. 21: Over 20,000 encroachments dot the 250-odd lake beds in and around the city. And this is all happening because the officials prefer to turn a blind eye to the illegal construction activities. The problem has been further compounded with the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority failing to demarcate the Full Tank Level (FTL), the dry area that submerges during rains. Sources said nearly 200 lakes in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district do not have the FTL markings.