Daily Archives: December 30, 2014

NGOs distribute blankets to the homeless in Hyderabad

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Resources of Free Materials

Hyderabad :

With night temperatures dipping in the city, many blanket donation drives are being organised for the poor and homeless. As per GHMC records of January 2014, there are 3,498 homeless people living in Hyderabad.

One such initiative was started by NGO Robin Hood Army, consisting of 70 volunteers, who distributed 1,350 blankets in Banjara hills, Secunderabad railway station and Gachibowli. “Since the temperature is dipping, we thought of giving back to the community something that we have. About six bags of old clothes were also distributed by 12 teams in various areas,” said Spoorthi Reddy, a volunteer of Robin Hood Army.

Observing Boxing Day on December 26, the Joy of Sharing Society distributed about 800 blankets to several homeless people in Madhapur, Kukatpally and Dilsukhnagar. “We observed that many homeless were sleeping using plastic sheets to protect themselves from the cold. Hence, we decided to distribute blankets to them,” said A Raghuveer, president of the Joy of Sharing Society. The NGO will be distributing another 200 blankets to old-age homes and orphanages.

The cold wave is not only affecting people but also animals. Blue Cross Hyderabad has been aiding sick and injured dogs in the city for the past 23 years by conducting blankets and clothes drives.

“We have 200 sick and injured puppies and another 500 animals in our shelter. Like humans, even animals suffer a lot during winter. When wounds are exposed to the cold, it is more painful. In such cases, we ask people to donate blankets and cotton clothes so as to make beddings for the pets,” said N Pravallika, education officer at Blue Cross Hyderabad.

Apart from NGOs, there are companies like Mist n Creams, in association with Youngistan Foundation and Hyderabad Foodies Club, who joined this drive on Boxing Day. They distributed blankets, woolens, socks, mufflers, bed-sheets and food to many underprivileged people in the city.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / December 29th, 2014

Harita Haaram to Commence Soon

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

plantationTELANGANA30dec2014

Hyderabad :

The government plans to employ National Rural Employment Generation Scheme workers in a big way to implement ‘Telanganaku Harita Haaram’, a project conceived to increase the green cover in the state.

Having set itself a huge target of planting 130-crore seedlings outside forest areas in the state, the government, for the first-time, intends to involve even big farmers in the plantation drive.

In the united AP, the plantation drives held on smaller scales were confined to the participation of only small and marginal farmers as the targets set for the purpose were minimal. For instance, last year only 5 crore saplings were planted in 23 districts, officials in the rural development commissionerate pointed out.

As per the modalities worked out, field assistants of the rural development department will identify suitable places for planting the saplings. It can be on government offices’ premises, government-owned vacant lands or even lands owned by individual farmers.

For plantation in fields, each farmer will be given a maximum number of 160 saplings per acre for bund plantation and 600 saplings for block plantation. These saplings, mostly teak, are being raised at government and private nurseries in districts and will be ready by July when the first spell of monsoon is expected.

“Authorities of the concerned government office would be made responsible for a healthy growth of the plantations on their respective office premises,” a senior official in the department added, disclosing the guidelines finalised for the implementation of the programme at a high-level meeting held recently.

To ensure that the planted saplings are taken care of well, the government has laid down strict norms before paying the farmers. As per the rates finalised by the government, farmers will be paid `10 for digging a pit and `4 for planting a sapling. They will be paid `5 per plant at the end of every month for two years. However, this comes with a strict rider: they should ensure that at least half of of the saplings they plant should survive.

“That means there should be proper maintenance. Farmers should water the plants and clear the debris regularly to make sure that they receive the payment for two full years,” he pointed out.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Vikram Mukka / December 29th, 2014

Adivasi Gonds gear up for festivities

About Telangana, Arts, Culture & Entertainment
Mesram Kothmabai, a Gond woman from Keslapur village grinds red gram the traditional way in Adilabad. Photo: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu
Mesram Kothmabai, a Gond woman from Keslapur village grinds red gram the traditional way in Adilabad. Photo: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu

With the onset of the poos or Pushya masam, the sacred period, the Adivasi Gonds in Adilabad have begun preparations for festivities. The period up to January 20 will see jataras of respective clans organised across the district. The most famous of them is the Nagoba jatara at Keslapur in Indervelli mandal.

The Nagoba jatara is organised by the Mesram clan of Gonds at the end of the religious month. The tribal people stick to age old customs and traditions while organising the festivities.

As part of the preparations, the Adivasi people have started collecting foodgrains needed to prepare the sacred offering or naivedyam. The exercise includes grinding on traditional grindstones only the indigenous variety of foodgrains raised in their own fields. The oil used in cooking the offerings is also obtained from indigenous oilseeds ground in traditional mills.

A Gond adivasi woman washes the mud walls of her home with liquid cowdung at Keslapur in Adilabad. Photo: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu
A Gond adivasi woman washes the mud walls of her home with liquid cowdung at Keslapur in Adilabad. Photo: S. Harpal Singh / The Hindu

The Mesram clan messengers, a Gond priest called Kathoda and a Pardhan elder called Pathadi, have set off to inform and invite the clan members and others associated with religious festivities during the Nagoba jatara. The jatara will begin on January 19.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Adilabad – December 26th, 2014

Noted revolutionary poet passes away

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence

Noted revolutionary poet Nellutla Kodanda Rama Rao, popularly known as NK, died here late Saturday night. He was 70 and survived by wife, two daughters and a son. NK was one of the founder members of Viplava Rachayitala Sangham (Virasam) – group of revolutionary poets. He belonged to first generation Naxalbari poets in early 1970s along with Kondapalli Sitaramaiah, K.G. Satyamurthy, Tarimella Nagi Reddy and others.

He was a close associate of noted poet Varavara Rao and took to revolutionary path in writing. His father Nellutla Ramakrishna was also a popular poet in Telangana. Rao worked as Assistant Registrar at Kakatiya University. In 1980s, he wrote a 17 page long poem ‘lal bano, ghulami chodo, bolo Vandemataram’ which punned on the call ‘lal ghulami chodkar bolo Vandemataram’ given by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad asking people to give up Leftist struggles. The poem, which was written to inspire radical students who frequently quarrelled with the ABVP, earned him fame.

NK wrote his autobiography under the title “Amma Sparsha”. He went to jail during the Telangana agitation in 1969 and again during Emergency in 1975.

He was the main singer and poet for all people’s movements in Warangal. He also prepared the tune and sang several songs written by Satyamurthy from jail. On learning about his sudden demise, Kaloji foundation convenor Nagilla RamaSastry, Mithra Mandali convenor V R Vidyarthi and poet Potlapalli Srinivasa Rao visited the hospital to pay tributes.

VaravaraRao expressed shock and grief at his demise.The funeral would be held on Monday on return of his daughters from the US. A procession would be taken from his residence in Kumarpally.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Warangal – Hyderabad / December 29th, 2014

Ali Reza teams up with Muddha Manadaram’s cast

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Ali-RezaMPos30dec2014

Ali Reza, who shot to fame with Pasupu Kumkuma, is eagerly awaiting the release of his upcoming film Gayakudu.

While Pasupu Kumkuma has gone off air, Ali was recently seen at the Zee Golden awards show and now, we hear that he’ll soon team up with Muddha Mandaram’s cast when they visit Kurnool on December 27.

As per the storyline, Akhilandeswari’s family visits Kurnool for an important occasion and all these scenes will be shot at STBC College, Railway Station Road in Kurnool.

More details about the event will be revealed soon.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> TV> News> Telugu / TNN / December 27th, 2014