Mountaineer Neelima Pudota at book release function.
Mithali Raj’s book Unguarded soon
Neelima Pudota, the first woman from Hyderabad to climb Mount Everest launched her book ‘From Everest with Love’ in an event at Dr.Y.S.R. National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Gachibowli recently.
Neelima, who penned her experience of scaling the peak in her book said it consisted of letters she wrote to her mother from the Everest. The objective behind compiling the letters into a book and publishing it is to share her experience with everyone, she said. The book would give the readers a virtual climb of the mountain, she said.
Mithali Raj, Captain of Indian Women’s Cricket team, released the book along with former MD and Vice Chairman of SAAP G. Rekha Rani. The SAAP had supported Neelima’s expedition to the Mount Everest.
Neelima’s mountaineering equipment on display got a lot of curious audience followed by a book signing session by the author.
The book is available for purchase on Amazon.in and Flipkart. Mithali Raj whose book ‘Unguarded’ due for release in October, shared her own journey.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 11th, 2018
The association set up by M Saibabu feeding at least 10 persons daily since 2014
This 26-year-old youth, Maddukuri Saibabu, has set an example for peer group and students with his active and regular participation in social service, which fetched him two best youth awards at the district level and one best youth award at the State level. He has also secured the best achievement award.
Recognizing his services, Nehru Yuva Kendra of the Union Ministry of Youth Services presented the awards to him. Born into a farmer’s family (his father is Govind Rao and mother Vijayalaxmi), in Dharmaram (B) of Dichpally mandal, he, along with a few friends, established a social service organisation, Induru Yuvatha Association (IYA) immediately after his Intermediate education in 2011.
The immediate motive behind floating the organisation was to help his friend Laxman, who had suffered a serious health problem owing to failure of both kidneys. Then, he conducted a two-day cultural event at Rajiv Gandhi Auditorium here and raised ₹28,000, which was given to Laxman, who belonged to Nyalkal village, for his treatment. However, Laxaman passed away in 2012.
From then, Saibabu has never looked back and has been continuing his activities of feeding the poor and roadside beggars, conducting funeral to unclaimed bodies, organising health camps and Swachh Bharath camps. One member of his association gives food packets containing two curries and curd to at least 10 destitute persons in the Gouthamnagar, Kanteswar and railway station areas every day. They have been doing it since 2014.
The association members, who adopted Borgam village located just outside the town, embarked on the Swachh Bharath with a missionary zeal on May 1. Since then, they have been spending a few hours every day for clearing clogged drains, washing toilets at schools, and removing garbage and bushes.
They are also holding camps to enlighten children and illiterate persons on the importance of cleaning hands for keeping health. “To date, we have completed 80 hours in the implementation of the Swachh Bharath and our mission will come to an end by July 25. By then, the village will have become spick and span. We will conduct the same programme elsewhere later,” said Saibabu, who did his Bachelor of Physiotherapy with the financial support of Mandava Nalini Devi, wife of former Minister Mandava Venkateswar Rao.
The IYA consists of 38 members, almost all of them being artistes. They render cultural programmes at marriage and birthday functions and keep aside 5% of the remuneration for social service, said Saibabu.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by P. Ram Mohan / Nizamabad – July 08th, 2018
NTPC Ramagundam received the Golden Peacock award on energy efficiency at the 20th World Congress on Environment Management and Climate Change organised by the Institute of Directors, New Delhi, on Friday.
Ramagundam Group general manager Ravindra and DGM (EEMG) Manoj Kumar Jha received the award.
Recognition of efforts
This award recognises NTPC-Ramagundam’s contribution towards reducing the greenhouse gas emission into environment through well-developed energy efficiency management system at the power station as well as actions taken for system performance improvements by system modifications, augmentations and promotion of new technologies towards climate change.
NTPC-Ramagundam in last 20 years has avoided almost 15 millions tonnes of carbon-dioxide from emission into environment due to its performance/efficiency improvement initiatives.
Upon receiving the award, GGM Ravindra expressed his happiness and said this award will not only bolster NTPC-Ramagundam’s image but also motivate them to give their best.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Peddapalli – July 08th, 2018
Saplings being watered by a worker at a forest department nursery at Tekulapalli in Khammam. | Photo Credit: G. N. Rao
Govt. wants to plant toddy-giving ‘eetha’ as part of Telanganaku Haritha Haaram
A Herculean task awaits the Forest Department to meet the target of planting around six lakh ‘eetha’ (Phoenix sylvestris) palm saplings in the coming fourth phase of the Telanganaku Haritha Haaram (THH), the State government’s flagship afforestation programme.
The State government has accorded utmost priority to planting of toddy-giving saplings, mainly ‘eetha’ plants, along the foreshores of tanks and other water bodies as part of a multi-focal strategy to improve green cover, augment income for toddy tappers and check the menace of spurious ID liquor and toddy in the State.
However, the well-intended initiative is beset by some bottlenecks such as lack of proper institutionalised provision for protection of toddy-giving saplings after the plantation drive and adequate government lands to take up plantation of saplings on a massive scale in the district, sources said.
Around 2.30 lakh ‘eetha’ saplings were planted across the district in the previous phase of the THH against odds. Thousands of saplings were given away to the government agencies concerned in Mahabubnagar and a few other districts due to problems associated with identifying suitable open places, particularly around water bodies in the district last year, sources added.
The Forest Department has laid focus on achieving the target in terms of planting the ‘eetha’ saplings in coordination with the Department of Prohibition and Excise during the fourth phase of the THH, likely to be implemented later this month.
The Excise Department has stepped up efforts to actively involve the toddy-tappers’ cooperative societies in the ‘eetha’ saplings plantation drive during the THH’s fourth phase, sources added.
Officials concerned have already held discussions with toddy-tappers, mainly concentrated in Kusumanchi, Tirumalayapalem and other mandals in Palair constituency.
Adequate number of ‘eetha’ saplings are available in several nurseries, including Bathulapally in Kalluru mandal and Cherukapally in Sattupalli mandal in the district, says Sunil Hiremath, District Forest Officer, Khammam.
A wide variety of saplings, mainly of forest tree species, are being raised in 65 nurseries of the Forest Department in the district to fully meet the target of planting 1.97 crore saplings in the fourth phase of the THH all over the district.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by P. Sridhar / Khammam – July 08th, 2018
The Telangana Road Transport Corporation bagged three awards at the fourth edition of the Ashok Leyland and Abhibus India Bus Awards in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The corporation received top awards for Leadership Award in Bus Transport – Strengthening of TSRTC, Excellence in Environmental Initiative – Usage of Alternate Fuels and runner-up for Top Bus Driver award.
Malaysia government’s Tourism Director-General Datuk Seri Mirza Mohammad Taiyba presented the awards. Chief Traffic Manager B. Ravinder and other officials received the awards on behalf of the RTC.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – July 07th, 2018
CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra addressing a press conference in the city on Thursday.
Experiments being carried out on them as they have organs like humans
It’s a tiny fish found in abundance in India that has come as a boon to scientists and researchers here. They no longer need to be dependent on primates or mice for conducting tests that go through strict regulatory controls. To top it all, the Zebra Fish have organs just like humans which they can also regenerate that makes them ideal for carrying out experiments.
Scientists have been carrying out tests such as putting cancer tumours in fish and using a whole lot of medicines that are available to check for their potency and efficacy. “This could help us in getting closer to providing personalised medicine,” said Rakesh Mishra, Director of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR)’s Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB).
Research facility
The CCMB that opened an exclusive state-of-the-art Zebra Fish research facility within its campus here a few months ago, organised a two-day nationwide meet recently. It brought together scientists from top institutes like TIFR, IIT-H, IGIB, IISER, etc., dealing with Zebra Fish as a model system for research to collaborate and discuss the ongoing work in areas of developmental biology, neurobiology, disease biology, behavioural studies and so on.
Dr. Mishra and Megha Kumar, in-charge of the facility here, told the presspersons on Thursday that about 40 labs in the country were currently working with Zebra Fish for it can mimic the human body.
“It has a limited life span and due to its transparent outer layer, you can see the embryo growing and the functioning of its body parts. And, it is 500 times cheaper when compared to working with mice or others which require a lot of facilities,” they said.
As its body parts can regenerate, it opens up “exciting possibilities” and is very efficient for genome editing, explained Dr. Mishra.
At present, the CCMB unit is concentrating on breast cancer research where the tumour is introduced into the Zebra Fish to check for cells’ behaviour and their expansion and controlling it by using the available medicines.
Behavioural studies
Other studies on Zebra Fish include behavioural ones like how the female fish does not produce eggs to fertilise when few drops of alcohol are introduced into a male!
Mr. Mishra said another exclusive research facility for gene sequencing would be operational soon, while a proposal to have a high-end imaging facility was awaiting government approvals.
Discussions were on with the State government for taking possession of land for its new field lab to test for rice varieties, on mosquitoes and others, near Bhongir, he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 05th, 2018
Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao (not in picture) is of the opinion that the extra-mile efforts of the work agencies and engineers made the project’s progress possible.
They find new ideas to overcome challenges faced by them
The execution of Kaleshwaram irrigation project has become a platform to showcase out of the box management skills for work agencies, department engineers and even the Minister concerned to keep the momentum of work and meet deadlines.
Those involved in the execution of the project have been finding new ideas to overcome the challenges faced from time to time in acquisition of land, ensuring availability of required workforce and getting the material moved to work sites.
“Unlike in other projects the engineers working for Kaleshwaram project have gone beyond their mandate and convinced people to give up their lands identified for the project needs, after the revenue department failed to make headway. We visited villages, met elders and convinced them about the larger benefits the project is going to derive,” a senior engineer supervising the project work said seeking anonymity.
As all the work agencies engaged in the project have mobilised 90% of the workforce from other States such as Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for “strategic” reasons, holding them back from returning to their native places during major festivals has been a major headache. Holi festival and local bodies’ elections in West Bengal during the recent summer season were testing times, the engineer said.
“We offered double wages to stop the workers going home for Holi and succeeded in holding back at least half of them to keep the momentum of work for meeting June-July deadlines,” explained Director of Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd B. Srinivas Reddy during a visit to the project works recently. Adding to Mr. Srinivas Reddy’s views, Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao said some engineers were deputed to West Bengal to bring back workers from areas where the local polls held in phases were either over or postponed.
Airlifted
Stating that some parts of pumps for Package 6 and 8 were airlifted from Austria to meet the deadlines, Mr. Harish Rao narrated how they faced difficulties in moving some other equipment brought to Mumbai port from Finland. “It reached Mumbai in 20 days but it took 30 days to bring it to the work site (Medigadda) as construction of a flyover in Mumbai obstructed its movement. Its journey through an alternative route took a week’s extra time even with the cooperation of Maharashtra government,” he explained.
Dealing with five countries, a few neighbouring States and several departments at the Centre for getting clearances has been no mean task, he said and it was the extra mile efforts of both work agencies and engineers that have made project’s progress, as it stands now, possible.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by B. Chandrashekhar / Hyderabad – July 03rd, 2018
An all-terrain wheel chair, a vehicle mounted wind turbine, an underground cable fault detection system, a solar-based automatic drainage cleaning system were among several interesting projects developed by the graduating officers at the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME), Secunderabad.
Governor E S L Narasimhan who conferred engineering degrees to 20 Officers of Technical Entry Scheme Course (TES-29) urged the graduates to harness technologies for the army.
“Rapid advances in technology are relentlessly fuelling changes at a rate that is both awesome and exhilarating. Your challenge is to harness these technologies for the Army and ensure that each and every one is touched by this change,” he said.
The ceremony was attended by a host of senior dignitaries from military and civil administration and gathering of more than 300 Service personnel and their families.
Delivering the inaugural address, Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh, Commandant, MCEME said the institution had not only excelled in the field of technology and training but has also left its indelible mark in the field of sports and adventure activities.
The GOC-in-C ARTRAC Trophy, Best student book prize and DGEME Gold medal were awarded to Lieutenant Siddharth Siwal for standing best all round student officer of the course. Lieutenant Aayush Vatsal (Electronics) and Lieutenant Nitin Dabas (Mechanical) were awarded Commandant’s silver medals. The chief guest, Governor Narasimhan appreciated the Best project “Vehicle mounted wind turbine” designed by Lieutenant Nitin Dabas, Lieutenant Bhupendra Singh Rathore, Lieutenant Jai Prakash Saraswat and Lieutenant Gaurav Chaudhary.
The Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Secunderabad was established in 1953. Over the years, the College has developed into a premier training institution of the Indian Army. The training standards of the College have been recognised and College has been rewarded with Prime Minister’s Awards for various Students Projects. The MCEME trains technical capital for providing sustainment and engineering support to the complete equipment of the Indian Army.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Hyderabad News / by Ch. Sushil Rao / TNN / June 28th, 2018
A new building dedicated to the Materials and Metallurgical Engineering department on the National Institute of Technology (NIT) campus here has been adjudged second best constructed institutional building in the south zone.
Constructed by the the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) at a cost of about ₹70 crore, it has selected for the second prize under the Civil Stream Best Completed Projects in south zone. The department, set to mark the 164th CPWD Day, selected buildings constructed in different zones of the country to present awards in various categories. The award would be presented to the concerned engineering wing on July 12 on which the CPWD Day celebrated, NIT director N.V. Ramana Rao.
The building houses state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories, computer facilities and a modern conference hall. It will also accommodate the physics and chemistry departments of the institute.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Warangal, Urban Dt- July 03rd, 2018
Paintings are believed to be from the Chalcolithic (copper age)
Hyderabad :
In a rare find, rock art with sexual scenes were discovered on a hill at Timmareddypalli in Kondapaka village of Siddipet district. The paintings of people dancing and animals are believed to be from the Chalcolithic (copper age). This is the third place in Telangana where lovemaking scenes from an early age were found, after Mattamralla Tanda and Yadaram.
“The rock art site has been discovered east of Timmareddypalli on a hill called Edaragutta. It is located 200 feet above ground where a cave is located nearby the hill. We found around 30 Reddish paintings on the rock canvas. Some of the painting are monkeys, genitals of wild buffalo, an old couple getting ready for hunting, sun, demanding people, a serpent with fangs and a fox. The lovemaking scenes of a couple were also among the paintings,” Historian Sriramoju Haragopal of Telangana Jagruti told TOI.
He added, “According to historian VV Krishna Shastry, the paintings depicting genitals belong to Chalcolithic age. The rare sexual scene paintings were earlier found in two more locations in Telangana. The rock paintings appear to be skilled. There are pictures with men holding the spare.”
In a separate finding, historians found cave Kondapapa too in which several pottery and beads of Satavahana era were found. Vemuganti Murali Krishna, another historian who was part of the team said, “A hillock is located near Kondapaka. It is called Mallanna Gutta. There are traces of prehistoric man living here. A Siva temple is located nearby. We found Sathavahana era potteries and beads in the nearby fields.”
Historians said the sites are located in between agriculture fields and asked the government to protect the sites by acquiring the land.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Hyderabad News / by U. Sudhakar Reddy / TNN / July 02nd, 2018
