Groundwater levels in the state are receding at an alarming rate. While groundwater in many areas was already in the ‘critical’ category earlier, village after village in the state is now nose-diving into the ‘over exploited’ category when it comes to harvesting groundwater.

This perilous status of groundwater in AP has been conveyed to the authorities by the groundwater department. What is worrying the experts is that while on one hand, despite the rains, there is little recharge of groundwater due to massive urbanisation, on the other hand, rampant deep borewell drilling continues to lead to depletion of groundwater resources.

AgSri Agricultural Services Private Limited, the Hyderabad-based social enterprise, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the US-based Driptech Inc, the makers of low-cost drip irrigation systems, to help small farmers in Andhra Pradesh. Priced at Rs 12,000 per acre, the system scores high in acceptance due to its easy installation and maintenance.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday expressed concern over the increasing water woes in the state.

India now has the largest number of green buildings after the US, with one billion sq. ft. The US is ahead with over three billion sq. ft under green building cover.

Many areas in Secunderabad Cantonment are reeling under a severe water scarcity. The cantonment civilian population requires over 75 lakh gallons of water every day against the present supply of less than 40 lakh gallons. Citizens and elected ward members said a major water supply pipeline laid between Mahindra Hills and Karkhana for the supply of additional 10 lakh gallons water per day had been awaiting the release of water for two years.

These firms were allotted hundreds of acres of land at a pittance. Many have been promised jobs but few have actually got them,” he said. Since the factories did not honour their commitments, the government should take over the lands and return them to farmers,” he warned.

The cement factories were also causing environmental havoc, making life miserable for locals, he added. Farmers who are suffering from the negative effects of cement factories within a radius of 10 kms should be paid compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre annually.

The CAG in its latest report on land allotments in Andhra Pradesh, related to the Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy government tenure, found fault with the allotment of land for his school “in violation of Andhra Pradesh Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Rules 1960,” which prohibits alienation of lands forming part of historical sites.

With the AP High Court’s ban on sand quarrying coming into force across the state on Sunday, the real estate sector has sent an SOS to the government, asking it intervene and tackle the “crisis”.

According to buil-ders, the construction costs will go up by about 15 per cent in the short term, as sand constitutes between 8 and 11 per cent of the total building cost.

Making it clear that it cannot allow the devastation of the state for the sake of benefiting a few individuals, the High Court on Wednesday imposed a ban on sand mining in AP with effect from April 1. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Noushad Ali pointed out that the authorities are not at all interested in protecting either the river beds or the environment or even willing to assess the impact of digging and quarrying of sand along the river beds.

The Andhra Pradesh Government and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation are planning a series of initiatives to improve the civic infrastructure and deck up the city ahead of the mega global Biod