Kolleru (Krishna ), Aug. 20: For the past two weeks, people of 26 island villages on the Kolleru lake have remained stranded in the floodwaters. They do not have basic amenities like power, potable drinking water, ration and kerosene. The recent rains followed by the swelling floodwaters have disconnected these villages from the outside world forcing them to stay in knee deep waters.

Hyderabad, Aug. 20: Coal India's decision to allot 10 per cent of its production for e-auction has hit the availability of coal for the thermal stations. Almost all thermal stations in the state are passing through severe shortage and some of them even closed down for few days as there was no coal to operate.

While the Mahanadi Coal Fields (MCF) has diverted nearly 30 million tonnes of coal towards e-auction, state-owned Singereni Collieries has been selling around three lakh tonnes of coal in e-auction, depriving both Rayalaseema and Kothagudem thermal stations.

Hyderabad, Aug. 19: Greater Hyderabad may finally get a comprehensive disaster management plan to contain flooding in the low-lying areas besides tackling disasters. The state government has decided to study the disaster management plans of Mumbai and Ahmedabad before scripting its own plan.

Karimnagar, Aug. 18: Even while various trade unions are trying to ensure the participation of the Singareni coalminers in the ensuing nation-wide strike call on August 20, the Singareni management has launched a campaign to persuade the workmen to desist from the one-day strike.

Kadapa, Aug. 18: Though the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, with a big intention to make the agricultural fields green, had sanctioned Rs 3,402.93 crore for various irrigation projects, the works on various projects were going at a snail's pace, allegedly because of the lackadaisical attitude of the government officials.

Hyderabad, Aug. 17: The stench from Musi river cannot be ignored. It is unbearable, thanks to the "lackadaisical" attitude of the authorities towards the sewage system which is channelled into the river. The dumping of garbage along the banks of the river is worsening the situation.

The Andhra Pradesh State Government, headed by Chief Minister Dr. Rajasekhara Red has transformed the state by implementing fundamental changes at the grass root leving been in politics for more than three decades, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy came in closest contact with the grim living conditions of the poor during the 1500-km 'padayatra' he undertook before he became Chief Minister in 2004.

The monsoons came late over the semi-arid regions of central India this year.

While several farming villages suffered from drought, Kothapally village in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh had water in their wells for drinking and irrigating crops.
Empowering people

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and a consortium of partners including international, national, governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) empowered the people of Kothapally to cope with drought for more than nine years through community watersheds.

Visakhapatnam, Aug. 13: The wildlife wing of the state forests department decided to seek conservation plan for highly endangered species from all the forest conservators on the Andhra Pradesh coast. Responding to a report appeared in these columns,