Hyderabad, July 20: The Chief Minister's Office is busy trying to crack the mystery of the missing Malaysian magnate. He first met the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, earlier this year to explain his proposal to set up a 2000-MW thermal power plant near any upcoming port in Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad, July 20: Taking strong exception to the Andhra Pradesh government's aversion to displaced tribals from Chhattisgarh, the Human Rights Watch organisation has charged the state police and forest officials of direct involvement in destroying nine tribal habitations. A 182-page report titled, Human Rights Watch documents how since mid-2005, the state government has failed to provide indigenous tribal communities displaced from Chhattisgarh with basic assistance, including food, water, shelter, medical services, sanitation, and livelihood opportunities.

KOLKATA: Gujarat NRE Coke, which has coke units in India and coking coal mines in Australia, on Friday announced its plans to set up a greenfield one-million tonne coke plant in Andhra Pradesh at an investment of Rs. 450 crore.

Adilabad, July 18: Not only the farmers, but the forest officials of the Kawal wildlife sanctuary are praying to the rain gods to stop the tribals from the felling of trees as part of the ongoing second phase of the Bhoo poratam led by left parties. It is alleged that tribals in some parts of the Jannaram division (wildlife management) are felling trees and encroaching upon forest land in anticipation that they may acquire these plots if they begin cultivation.

Hyderabad, July 18: Majority of city hospitals are generating biomedical waste exceeding the limits prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards. A study by the AP Pollution Control Board found that Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences was generating the biggest amount of biomedical waste followed by Gandhi and Osmania General Hospitals.

Power shortage in Andhra Pradesh has started affecting water supply in several cities and towns, including Hyderabad. The crisis has also led to an acute shortage of diesel as the demand has gone up due to increased use of generators.

Hyderabad is reeling under drinking water shortage with residential areas in the heart of the city and suburbs receiving water once in two days.

Home to one of the wettest regions in the world, Meghalaya is facing shortage of rainfall this monsoon, along with Gujarat and southern parts of the country.
Though southwest monsoon had covered the entire country by July 10, five days ahead of the average date, southern peninsula, several states in Northeastern India, Gujarat and central Maharashtra have witnessed scanty rainfall. Regions facing scanty rainfall also include North Karnataka, Telengana in Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Lakshadweep.

Visakhapatnam July 17: The district collector, Mr Sanjay Kumar, told the officials to speed up the land acquisition procedures for various projects that are being coming up in the city.

Visakhapatnam July 17: The district administration is yet to take up the cloud seeding project for the region though it has been cleared by the state government recently. Cloud seeding would be carried out in Raiwada region as per the government orders. In its order the state asked the collector to consult Prof. T. Sivaji Rao, director of Environmental studies, and his associates who had earlier carried cloud seeding successfully in the district.

Hyderabad July 17: Oil marketing companies on Thursday said power cuts imposed by the state government were responsible for the acute shortage of diesel in several parts of Andhra Pradesh including Hyderabad. Construction companies, commercial complexes and various other establishments which use generators are keeping heavy stocks of diesel fearing that it may not be available in the coming days. Normally, 1.5 lakh litres of diesel is consumed every day in the twin cities, but the consumption has gone up to 2.2 lakh litres in the last few days because of the power-cut induced