In an effort to conserve and preserve rare and endangered species of flora and fauna in the Papikondalu wildlife sanctuary, forest authorities will establish a bio-diversity lab and develop the sanctuary at a cost of Rs 36 lakh under a centrally-sponsored scheme in East Godavari shortly.

The prevalence of filaria has declined in East Godavari district as health authorities have intensified a drive to contain it. Its prevalence was recorded at 2.8 per cent in 1995 and it came down to 0.27 in 2006. Health authorities collected 19,640 blood smears from January 1 to April 30 in 2008 and found 26 micro-filaria positive cases coming up to 0.13 per cent and 36 filaria diseases which come up to 0.18 per cent. More filaria cases were noticed in Amalapuram and Rama-chandrapuram municipalities and some cases from Biccavole and other areas in the district.

Various welfare schemes introduced by forest authorities for the benefit of tribals in the Rampachodavaram Agency region in East Godavari have helped improve their standard of living. A section of tribal youth have even purchased two-wheelers with their earnings. Forest authorities have trained a number of tribal people, mainly youth, in various trades like stitching adda leaves, making bamboo furniture and incense sticks, preparing vermicompost and in the ecotourism project.

The East Godavari district planning committee meet, conducted for the second time, witnessed heated arguments between minister Gollapalli Surya Rao and East Godavari Telugu Desam president and local bodies MLC Nimmakayala Chinarajappa on Sunday. The trouble started when the issue of supply of protected water in rural areas was being discussed at the East Godavari zilla parishad meeting hall.

State medical and health director general Dr Ramesh Chandra deplored the poor maintenance of sanitation in villages and municipalities and felt the need to sensitise the general public on cleanliness of environs to keep diseases at bay. The director general chaired a regional task force meeting of officials from the medical and health and other connected departments in both East and West Godavari and Krishna districts here on Tuesday. Speaking on the sidelines of the meet, the director general felt the need for creation of awareness on health and hygiene among the public.

The incidence of waterborne diseases is on the rise in the state. In all, 917 cases of acute diarrhoea were reported from the city in the last four months, of which 80 were detected in the last one week. In this context, the task force of the health department held a meeting and decided to take steps to prevent contamination of water and food. In Anantapur district, 98 cases of acute diarrhoea were reported in the past one week. Waterborne diseases were also reported from Putlur of the same district.

The Coastal Corridor and SEZ Act would deprive the common man of his basic right to life, said the convenor of the Coastal Corridor Nirmana Vyatireka Porata Committee, Mr K.S. Chalam, and the state secretary of the Human Rights Forum, Mr V.S. Krishna. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, they said the 8-day Jagruti Jatha organised by both the organisations seeking scrapping of GO No. 34 and the SEZ Act, 2005, ended on Sunday.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) failed to stop the migration of farm labourers in search of livelihood in East Godavari district. A large number of labourers, especially from Narendrapuram of Rajanagaram mandal, are leaving their village in search of work to Nidadavole, Tadepalligudem and other areas in West Godavari district. More than 100 families, along with their children, are travelling on bullock carts with their belongings like cots, utensils, and clothes to other places to eke out their livelihood.

ALTHOUGH the mighty Godavari river passes through the Telangana region in Andhra Pradesh, it remains parched much of the year.

Poor hygiene, addiction to tobacco, poverty and illiteracy are attributed to be some of the main reasons for the prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) among tribals in the Agency areas and the poor in urban