‘Jurassic Park’ nearing completion

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel

The posh locality of Jubilee Hills in the city is all set to get a park with representations of species dating back to millions of years. As part of its chain of theme parks across the city, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is completing work on a ‘Jurassic Park’ close to the Lotus Pond and the facility will be thrown open to the public in a couple of months.

Jurassic Park project at the Lotus Pond in Jubilee Hills is nearing completion after delay in execution of works by GHMC resulting in escalation of cost. / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu
Jurassic Park project at the Lotus Pond in Jubilee Hills is nearing completion after delay in execution of works by GHMC resulting in escalation of cost. / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu

The innovative aspect of the park is life size models of creatures that roamed the earth some 150 million years ago and went extinct. The urban biodiversity wing of the GHMC is setting up nearly 21 models of dinosaurs of varying sizes and designs, which help recreate the aura of a lost era.

“But for three models, the rest have been received and installed,” said the GHMC Biodiversity Director, Y. Ramesh. Plans are also afoot to have a giant-sized dinosaur model that will be spread across 60 feet and tower to a height of 20 feet, he said.

Jurassic Park project at the Lotus Pond in Jubilee Hills is nearing completion after delay in execution of works by GHMC resulting in escalation of cost. / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu
Jurassic Park project at the Lotus Pond in Jubilee Hills is nearing completion after delay in execution of works by GHMC resulting in escalation of cost. / Photo: Mohammed Yousuf / The Hindu

The ‘Jurassic Park’, which so far cost around Rs.19 lakh, apart from models of the fauna that flourished millions of years back, will also put together a rich collection of flora from the period. According to officials, these are the plant species that are usually referred to as living fossils having survived the ages and threats of extinction.

The plant species will be selected based on Palaeobotany studies and will include cycads, tree ferns and certain palms and gymnosperms. “We already have some varieties of cycads and more varieties will be acquired soon,” Mr. Ramesh said.

The officials plan to complete the works at the earliest after equipping the rest of the dinosaur models and adding the flora. The city is scheduled to host the Metropolis World Congress and around 2,000 delegates from across the globe are expected to visit the city for the international meet. “We plan to have the ‘Jurassic Park’ ready before the Metropolis meet gets going,” an official added.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by T. Lalith Singh / Hyderabad – July 06th, 2014

The alluring waters of Gandipet

Agriculture, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Nature, Records, All, Science & Technology

One of the most lasting legacies of the Deccan has been the water management policy formulated by the Kakatiya dynasty, which relied mainly on small tanks for its irrigation and drinking water requirements. There was a time when the Telangana countryside boasted of thousands of tanks which ensured a perennial supply of water for settlements across the region. The Qutub Shahi rulers continued the practice by adding numerous tanks of their own, especially in the areas abutting the citadel at Golconda. A majority of those tanks continued to serve the population till post-reorganisation exploitation of the region’s resources led to their being either rendered dry or unusable due to pollution.

Following the great floods of 1908, Mahboob Ali Khan, the then Nizam of Hyderabad, sought long-term and effective solutions to the perennial inundation brought on by a recalcitrant Musi. Initiating the process of ‘improvement’ with a search for the right person to handle the future planning of Hyderabad, the Nizam refused the recommendations of Lord Curzon in offering the services of Sir Michel Esthesol, director general of irrigation, Government of India. Ignoring the availability of T D Mackenzie, chief engineer of the Nizam’s Dominions, he chose the native expert Sir M Visvesvarayya for the job. This was not just a pointed snub at the British, who had already antagonized the Nizam with their unreasonable attitude in dealing with the state, but an informed decision if one takes into account the renowned engineer’s role in influencing policy at the irrigation commission. Visvesvarayya’s ingenious flood control proposal for Hyderabad led to the creation of Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, the two ‘balancing tanks’ located upstream of the city. The twin reservoirs, based on the Kakatiya model, served the dual purpose of taming the Musi and at the same time providing an assured water supply to the city.

It is said that 16 villages were submerged to create this sprawling lake, which once spread over 45 square kilometres. The painful displacement of ancient settlements was, however, amply justified by the immediately-apparent benefits of the scheme. Foremost among these was the delivery of safe potable drinking water directly to homes.

Popularly known as Gandipet, Osman Sagar has found a unique place in the hearts of a grateful public, who swear by the curative properties of its waters. It is claimed that the Gandipet waters provide a panacea for almost all known ailments. No wonder then that Gandipet ka Pani, along with the equally notorious Hyderabadi Biryani, has been traditionally blamed for luring visitors into settling down in the city once they acquire a taste for these two cherished commodities.

Understandably, the Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan remained ever suspicious of Gandipet water, refusing to drink even a single drop from the reservoir named after him! This abhorrence is generally believed to have stemmed from an ingrained preference for the waters of Bam Rukn-ud Dowla, the traditional source of drinking water for Hyderabadi Royalty. The fact that the Nizam never let his personal preferences stand in the way of progress is abundantly manifest in the fact that King Kothi remained unconnected to the state-of-the-art water supply and sewerage network that was commissioned for the city. There is a popular belief that this resolute stand against modernisation arose due to an assurance given by the Nizam to his palace staff that change would not deprive them of their jobs.

Hyderabad was once famous for its gardens and the suburbs of the city were referred to as the ‘Baghaat’ or Garden district. However, by the time of the 1908 floods, most of the historic water bodies in the city and its periphery had been commandeered to cater to the drinking water requirements and minor cultivation needs. The lush gardens of Hyderabad were but a distant memory. With the two major reservoirs providing for the water needs of the city, older water bodies were free to cater to parks and gardens proposed under the city improvement scheme. In certain areas, lakebeds were to be drained and reused as open spaces and parks. Though the implementation of CIB proposals was abandoned post re-organisation, the Hussainsagar continued to irrigate the gardens of Osmania University and downstream localities till industrial effluents rendered it into a cesspool.

The proposal of the Telangana government in favour of protecting lakes is a welcome move and signals a return to the maliciously abandoned schemes of the CIB. Emulating the Kakatiyan legacy bore fruit during the Asaf Jahi period, especially during the reigns of the last two Nizams. Revisiting Visvesvarayya’s proposals and reverting to traditional water management systems will undoubtedly prove to be immensely beneficial for Telangana.

The writer is a well-known conservation activist.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / by Sajjad Shahid, TNN / July 06th, 2014

Underprivileged children sail with ease

Sports
P Leela Sagar leading the Optimist Nationals in progress at the Deloittte Monsoon Regatta 2014 on Friday, organised by Yacht Club of Hyderabad. Photo: By Arrangement
P Leela Sagar leading the Optimist Nationals in progress at the Deloittte Monsoon Regatta 2014 on Friday, organised by Yacht Club of Hyderabad. Photo: By Arrangement

A group of youngsters from modest financial background, many of whom orphans, are literally making waves and earning a reputation of being fine sailors from Hyderabad. About 15 such youngsters, supported by The Yacht Club, Secunderabad, have started to make a mark by stringing together notable performances in the country’s sailing circuit.

On Friday, a youngster from this group, a class eight student, Leela Sagar, performed exceptionally on the fourth day of the ‘Monsoon Regatta’ being held in Hussain Sagar in the Opti National category. Often described by experts as a sailor with great promise, Sagar has already sailed in many cities, including Mumbai, Cochin and Chennai.

The remaining 14 youngsters in the group include Rajanikanth, Nikhil, Prabhakar, Nagarjuna, Bharath, Vishnu, Praveen Kumar, Shivram, Raju, Prasad, Srikanth, Saibaba and Lokesh. “We give infrastructure support to these children. All of them are from humble background and many have lost their parents, but they have determination to get noticed in the sport,” says founder, The Yacht Club, Suheim Sheikh.

Among the top performers is Nikhil Kumar, who recently attended a coaching camp held by Marek Nostitz Kackowski, who coached Hong Kong Olympic team for Sydney and Athens in 2000 and 2004. Another young performer is Ragi Rajanikanth, who came third in Toppers’ National and also won bronze medal on Thursday in the ongoing Monsoon Regatta, 2014.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Staff Reporter / Hyderabad – July 05th, 2014

Software exports from ‘T’ put at Rs. 57,000 cr.

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

The software exports from Telangana during 2013-14 are estimated at Rs. 57,000 crore, Secretary of Information Technology Department Harpreet Singh has stated.

In a statement on Friday, the IT Secretary quoting the figures compiled by the Software Technology Park of India (STPI) and Development Commissioner SEZ, said IT and ITES had grown by over 14 per cent compared to 2012-13. The software exports for 2012-13 were 49,831 crore, he stated.

The official stated that the direct employment generated by software exports was 3,23,691 for 2013-14 and the revenue estimate did not include the domestic software sales and electronic hardware industry.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 05th, 2014

Thank you Sania Mirza

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Sports

Guess why people didn’t want Mirza to play tennis growing up? Ans: Tan

Sania Mirza. Photo: Chris Hyde/ Getty Images
Sania Mirza. Photo: Chris Hyde/ Getty Images

Babyjaan’s dear friend got into the car and they began their typical chatter.

I’m wearing pink tights, even I’m wearing pink tights; my T-shirt is nice it has Dora. My T-shirt is also nice it has a picture of a rainbow. You like my shoes? Do you like my shoes? They’re shiny. You washed your shoes? Even I washed my shoes.

And then, bam, without warning, her beautiful friend, always a calming, extremely sensible influence on my rowdy livewire of a daughter, held up her arm to Babyjaan’s and said: My skin is lighter than yours.

I always knew I would have to give Babyjaan the Dark is Beautiful pep talk. Our obsession with skin colour is so pervasive and so predictable it almost makes me yawn. Babyjaan’s faced it on the playground forever, except she doesn’t know it yet. Example: Your daughter’s so pretty (compliment to fair girl). Your daughter has beautiful hair (compliment to Babyjaan).

I’m not worried. I’ll just add it to the list of monsters she needs to know she will encounter in The Indian Girl’s Battle to Grow Up Sane. Note to self: Figure out a way to link it to Maleficent, her current favourite bad girl.

Thankfully, Babyjaan gets comebacks. At 3 I had coached her to respond to idiotic children who say “Your mama’s got funny hair”, referring to my uncoloured, more salt less pepper, more frizz less curls, with traces of gold. My well-trained bot simply replies: “Her hair is interesting. It’s cool, not boring (like your mama’s).” Ok, strike the brackets.

In fact, I had already planned a couple of rejoinders for this dark skin thing. She could say: “That’s because I have more melanin than you, go look it up.” And “Colourism is racism, surely you know that? Or hasn’t your vocabulary gone past four-letter words like dark and fair?”

But I must confess that every Girl Boss who talks about this issue gives me some measure of relief, and revives the belief that we are all in this battle together and that we will eventually wrest back our Right to Colour from the uppity fair and lovelies.

This week’s hero was Sania Mirza for me and Babyjaan (though she doesn’t yet know it). Mirza told reporters that one of the earliest obstacles she faced on her journey to become an international tennis champ was colour prejudice. So many people advised Mirza’s parents not to enrol her in tennis classes because she would __ (that three-letter word most feared and dreaded among parents of girls in India. Ans: Tan). This in turn would affect Mirza’s marriage prospects, never mind that she was then only a couple of years older than Babyjaan.

The international media obliged by retelling stories about India’s disgusting skin colour hang-ups; the national media buried the news on the sports page (even sports fans don’t read the sports pages these days, they are too busy watching Wimbledon and the World Cup). A woman talking about prejudice is hardly newsworthy here, right?

But don’t mind that you didn’t make it to page 1 Sania Mirza. Keep sharing and thank you so much. I think it’s time to introduce Babyjaan and her friend to your growing-up battles.

source: http://www.livemint.com / Live Mint & The Wall Street Journal / Home> Leisure> First Cut / by Priya Ramani / Saturday – July 05th, 2014

Telangana filmmakers press for split of AP film chamber

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Hyderabad :

Filmmakers from Telangana on Friday demanded the bifurcation of the AP Film Chamber of Commerce (APFCC) and strongly opposed the move to change its name to Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce.

At a meeting held some time ago, the executive committee had decided to change the name of the body, which would deal with the industry in both the states. Friday’s general body meeting was called to ratify the decision, but saw major opposition from the Telangana members, who attended in huge numbers. They contended that the APFCC should represent only the 13 AP districts while the new Telangana Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) should represent the interest of the industry in the new state.

“The demand is very clear. Telangana filmmakers should have a separate body since a new state has been formed. There is no compromise on that,” M Vijayendar Reddy, an exhibitor and president of TFCC, told TOI.

After the initial volley of arguments, APFCC president NV Prasad brought the meeting to order and said a committee comprising five representatives each from the two states would be formed to discuss the issue. The decision made by this committee would be discussed at the next general body meeting.

Meanwhile, Friday’s meeting also saw a few students, reportedly from Osmania University raising ?Jai Telangana’ slogans pressing for the bifurcation of the film chamber outside the meeting venue at Filmnagar.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / July 05th, 2014

More doctors for Telangana hospitals

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

DoctorsTELAN05jul2014

Counselling being conducted for giving postings to 124 in-service doctors. Ninety-eight of the in-service doctors opted for Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad hospitals.

In one of the first appointments taken up by the government after the formation of Telangana, the medical authorities on Friday conducted counselling for giving postings to 124 in-service doctors who recently completed their postgraduate courses in different specialisations.

The counselling at the auditorium of Directorate of Medical Education was confined to clinical duties in gynaecology, paediatrics, general medicine, anaesthesia, ophthalmology, dermatology and pharmacology. Ninety-eight of the in-service doctors opted for Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad hospitals and twenty others for Directorate of Public Health institutions in the State, including primary health centres. There were six absentees.

On Saturday, counselling will be held for non-clinical posts. The doctors will be re-designated as Civil Assistant Surgeons (Specialist) after they resume duty. The counselling on Friday witnessed the obstruction of a woman doctor from Visakhapatnam, A. Kavitha, by members of Telangana Doctors’ Association on the ground that she belonged to Andhra Pradesh. Dr. Kavitha was issued “order to serve” in Telangana by the Central government, applying the 52:48 principle of distribution of officers between the two States.

But the association members refused to allow her posting which forced counsellors to look for an alternative candidate. However, Dr. Kavitha was later posted to a hospital in Hyderabad after she protested that her service would be terminated if she did not have a job in either State.

The shutdown of power added to the confusion. The Director of Public Health, Champa Naik, was present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Telangana / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 04th, 2014

Telangana Rashtra Samiti sweeps civic polls

Leaders, Records, All
Telangana Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Photo: DC)
Telangana Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad:

Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which took complete control of the Legislative Council and won the Chairman’s post, has made an equally stellar performance in the corporation and municipal elections.

It has bagged the entire three Mayors’ posts of Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Ramagundem municipal corporations. It also won 23 municipalities, followed by the Congress 17, Telugu Desam 4, BJP 3, MIM 2 and Independent 1 in the state.

Elections were held for 50 of the 52 municipalities. Elections to Nalgonda and Suryapet chairpersons’ posts have been postponed.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, closely monitored the elections and put IT minister K.T. Rama Rao, irrigation minister T. Harish Rao and other ministers, MPs and MLAs to oversee the polls across Telangana.

In fact, the Chief Minister asked several ministers, MPs and Legislators who planned to attend the ATA convention in the US, to cancel their visits and focus on the polls. “The TRS is moving forward towards making a Golden Telangana. People have reposed faith in the TRS and the Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, yet again. We will develop all the municipalities, ensure basic and modern amenities un-der the leadership of KCR,” said B. Vinod Kumar, the TRS MP and politburo member.

Mr Vinod Kumar said the state government would strive to ensure some cities in Telangana to be among the 100 major cities planned by the Modi government.

“The Chief Minister would certainly take up the matter with the Modi government to include some cities in Telangana for focussed development and make it like one of the international cities,” he said.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Policits / by DC Correspondent / July 04th, 2014

What’s your wall update

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Travel

Restaurants are roping in mural and graffiti artists to amp up Hyderabad connect and showcase popular sights, right on their walls

What do some of the new eateries in town have in common? No, it’s not the cuisine. It is their decision to showcase snapshots of the city in murals that are framed and mounted on their walls or make up most of one wall. In a new trend, several new eateries in town are opting to highlight popular city landmarks. From the Golconda Fort, Charminar, Falaknuma Palace, Hussain Sagar to the bustling food culture in these parts of town, it is all translated onto the canvas, or in this case on the wall.

PAINT WARS: City murals are fast becoming popular. The work at Plaza Fiesta. Photos: Nagara Gopal
PAINT WARS: City murals are fast becoming popular. The work at Plaza Fiesta. Photos: Nagara Gopal

Take for instance the Plaza Fiesta restaurant at Paryatak Bhavan. The restaurant boasts of quite a few works synonymous with the Deccan region. In fact, some of the 3D relief works have been created by popular Hyderabadi artist Aziz. “We wanted to create a unique ambience that would be distinctly different from what other restaurants offer. Also, we wanted to showcase some of our popular landmarks to visitors; so what better way to do so than art,” says Surya Prakash, officer on duty at Plaza Fiesta.

The works in this restaurant include images of the Golconda, the city’s unique rockscape and a banyan tree. “We have works by six artists on display — Aziz, Chinna Shripathi, Supretha Ghosh, Palash Paul, Agacharya and Madhu Kuruva,” adds Surya Prakash. While some of the works are displayed within the restaurant, others are mounted near the entrance to welcome guests.

PAINT WARS: City murals are fast becoming popular. The work at TenHill. Photos: Nagara Gopal
PAINT WARS: City murals are fast becoming popular. The work at TenHill. Photos: Nagara Gopal

Hyderabadi fine dining restaurant TenHill also proudly displays city landmarks as part of its décor. It has gone beyond mounting paintings in the restaurant, to have an entire wall that displays the mural. “We had city-based artist Rekha create the mural for us; it is quite impressive. My aim was to portray the culture of the city, and I asked her to create something that showcases not just landmarks synonymous with Hyderabad but also the bustling life around these areas. So we have a Charminar, Golconda, Qutb Shahi Tombs etc forming the mural along with images of skilled chefs whipping up the famous Hyderabadi Biryani, haleem and sheermal,” explains Amar Chowdhary, proprietor of TenHill. The black and white mural, which took a week to complete, is the perfect foil for the restaurant’s otherwise bright décor.

PAINT WARS: City murals are fast becoming popular. The work at Hyderabad Times Café Photos: Nagara Gopal
PAINT WARS: City murals are fast becoming popular. The work at Hyderabad Times Café Photos: Nagara Gopal

The newly-opened Hyderabad Times Café (HTC) in Jubilee Hills has a wall mural in black acrylic against a white background in one of its dining areas. “Keeping with the name of our café, we wanted to do something with the décor that would have a city connect. Hence, we had artist Aamira Hussaini create a sketch of all the popular landmarks in the city including Taj Krishna and the Hussain Sagar to cover one wall in our café,” says Rizwan M., manager operations at HTC.

Aamira, who has created murals for several office spaces and hospitals in the past, says that this was her first stint with a commercial establishment. “Zeeshan, the owner, is a friend and he wanted something done on one particular wall. He gave me a free hand and I thought why not do a city-specific mural. So what I created is an abstract that highlights various monuments and sights in the city. It took me around two days to complete it,” she says.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review> Art / by Ranjani Rajendra / Hyderabad – July 02nd, 2014

City swimmers put up a good show

Sports

Swimmers from Hyderabad put up a creditable performance winning four gold, 11 silver and seven bronze in the National Life-saving Pool Championship–cum-training with focus on life-saving techniques in Pune, according to a media release here. The swimmers were initially given training in different forms of life-saving techniques. They were also taught how to respond to crisis calls.

For the 14 swimmers from the city, trained at the SAAP swimming pool at Police Control Room here, it was an experience to remember. “It is a creditable performance given the fact that this was the first exposure trip for all the Hyderabadis who actually joined the pool here as a recreation sport initially,” says coach Hajira Abbasi.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / by Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 03rd, 2014