Rajahmundry, Sept. 5: In an effort to ensure coverage of all children in the age group of zero to five years in the pulse polio immunisation drive, health authorities are targeting high risk areas where the children often left uncovered in the immunisation drive to administer the vaccine in East Godavari.

Hyderabad, July 23: It will be a double bonanza for farmers and their children. While irrigation projects under the Jalayagnam banner will help the farmers to draw water, the state tourism department's initiative to develop tourism centres at the irrigation project sites will help the wards of the farmers earn a livelihood.

All the irrigation projects would be developed as regional centres of tourist attraction by creating modern entertainment amenities. Of 72 irrigation projects that are under construction in different districts, 34 projects have been identified as tourism centres.

Rajahmundry, July 16: In an attempt to tap the increasing tourism potential, forest authorities came up with plans to promote tourism in the Coringa wild-life sanctuary in East Godavari district from August. The authorities prepared plans to press into service two diesel-run 20-seater boats acquired at a cost of Rs 3 lakh each.

Rajahmundry, July 8: In a major shift, upland farmers find it more remunerative to rear a special breed of cows which gives more milk instead of farming in East Godavari. Farmers from upland areas always find it difficult to raise crops as their sources of irrigation are mainly borewells and rainfall.

Rajahmundry, June 29: The loan waiver announced by the Central government will benefit 2.76 lakh farmers to the tune of Rs 540 crore in East Godavari district. Details of the waiver were announced by the district agriculture department at a review meet organised on Sunday at the local roads and buildings guest house.

THE lush green hill tracts of the Eastern Ghats may soon be blighted by smoke belched out by two bauxite units, each worth Rs 4,000 crore. While one refinery unit with a capacity of 1.4 million tonnes per annum is being set up by JSW Alumina Limited at Boddavara village bordering Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts, the other, almost with the same capacity, is being established by the Dubai-based Ras al Khaima at Ramannapalem and Rachapalli villages in Makavarapalem mandal in Visakhapatnam district.

Agricultural authorities have taken up measures to ensure proper supply of seeds and fertilisers following a recent directive from the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, in both East and West Godavari districts. In East Godavari, paddy is expected to be raised in about 2.42 lakh hectares for the kharif. With the arrival of an early monsoon and resultant rainfall, farmers have started preparing the ground for taking up cultivation. A section of farmers have already started raising paddy nurseries, and by mid-July, transplantation will be taken up.

Operation Godavari Clean-up programme was taken up by Puducherry minister for tourism Malladi Krishna Rao on Sunday. Mr Krishna Rao brought about 500 volunteers of the Yanam Pourula Sankshema Sangam and took up the cleaning. The programme started at 7 am and continued till 5 pm. Volunteers picked up all floating waste material like polythene bags, plastic and other materials from the various Godavari ghats.

The state government needs Rs 430 crore for the first phase in the acquisition of zerayati land spread over 9,237 acres around Kolleru lake in Krishna and East Godavari districts. The land is situated in fifth contour of Kolleru lake that is being restored after the Supreme Court's directions.

With humans invading and capturing their habitats to erect their high-rises, big cats are entering towns and cities as if to demand their due. Panthers once roamed in the Hitec city area of Madhapur, but they lost their habitat after the scrub jungle was levelled for erecting a cyber city. Similarly, scrub jungles in the fringes of Visakhapatnam, Rajahmundry and other urban areas were also destroyed for construction. These scrub jungles were the connecting links (marginal habitats) between the thick forest and human habitations. For long years, the borders were inviolate.