Hyderabad discussions

[pding]

http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmor...rains&id=90486

AP farmers worried over scanty rains

Farmers in Andhra Pradesh are chanting prayers to the rain Gods to as time is running out for their crops.

Ramulu, a farmer from the state, is worried as his hope is quickly turning into despair.

When the monsoon came early this year, he borrowed money to sow cotton and turmeric. But if it doesn't rain soon, the cottonseed will die and the turmeric plant will dry up.

"We planted our seeds in the first week of June but there has been hardly any rainfall and the crop is dry. We have put in close to Rs 60,000. Don't know what to do," said Ramulu.

Deficit rainfall

There is deficit rainfall all through Andhra Pradesh and in the northern Telangana district where agriculture is mainly rain fed the shortfall is almost 50 per cent.

"For the past three years, rainfall has been very erratic as a result we have to bear the losses," said another farmer.

"They have planted seeds in 28 lakh hectares out of which 3.5 lakh hectares has withered away. As of today, if it rains the contingency plan would be to supply seed to replant on the dried up fields," said the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Already, seed has withered away in lakhs of acres and seedlings are drying up.
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after three years of relatively good amount of rainfall, it seems like this year is not gonna be a good one for AP farmers. i honestly hope and pray that situation revives. if agri gets screwed, then not just farmers, but other sectors too will get effected and it will drastically effect the growth of the state. let's pray

[Babji]

Rains likley in AP
Webindia123.com: Hyderabad | July 23, 2006 10:41:29 PM IST

Light to moderate rain are likely to occur at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Isolated rain or thunder showers are likely to occur over Rayalaseema in the next 24 hours.

According to officials of meteorological department here, rain occurred at many places over Telangana and at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and isolated rains over Rayalaseema.

Rainfall recorded in cms are Utnoor 5, Kunavaram and Nuzvid 4 each, Chintalapudi, Koyyalagudem and Polavaram, Dowlaiswaram, Kaikalur, Kaleswaram, Metpalli and Koida 3 each, the Met department said.

UNI AP ROY PA KP1854

Thanks PDING! Your heart is pure.
Your prayers are answered!.
Thanks to the Rain Gods!

[Babji]

http://www.deccan.com/City/CityNews.asp

Osmania flyover by November

Hyderabad, July 25: The flyovers at Greenlands and Punjagutta are likely to be delayed, MCH officials said on Tuesday. But there was good news on other fronts: Work was on schedule on the Chandrayangutta and Nalgonda flyovers, and the long pending road overbridges (ROB) at Jamai Osmania and Sitaphalmandi will be completed soon.

MCH additional commissioner, transport and traffic, N.V.S. Reddy told this correspondent that work on the flyovers were hit because of difficulties in land acquisition. Officials expect to open it by May next. The MCH expects to complete the eight-year-old Jamai Osmania ROB by November.

MCH additional commissioner, projects, Dhanunjay Reddy told this correspondent that 19 of the 23 slabs had been put up, and construction on the Tarnaka side had been completed. One abutment and all the 22 piers have been constructed. “The approach on the Adikmet side will be completed in a month,” he said.

The bridge is being constructed to reduce traffic on the University road and to provide an alternative link to the Uppal road. Work began in 1998 but was abandoned two years later following disputes between the contractor and MCH. The corporation later awarded the project to a new contractor. One pier needs to be completed on the seven-year-old ROB at Sitaphalmandi. “The deadline is January 2007,” he said.

the eight-year-old Jamai Osmania ROB by November 2006.
the seven-year-old ROB at Sitaphalmandi: January 2007.
The flyovers at Greenlands and Punjagutta: May 2007.

[Babji]

Is Hyderabad a sport?
CHARUDUTTA JENA
[ 30 Jul, 2006 2050hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
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We have played host to several international and national sporting events, but do we have what it takes to lure the World Cups and Commonwealths?

India is ready to claim a large share of the international sports map. It has already hosted the Afro-Asian Games and a WTA Open apart from numerous national championships, and is now looking forward to hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2010, the Cricket World Cup in 2011, and the World Military Games in October 2007.

Hyderabad has played a significant role in inspiring confidence in the country's ability to host international sports events. The city has successfully hosted the Afro-Asian Games and the World Women's Squash Championship. It is surging ahead to host the World Military Games. But then, it also lost an opportunity to host the World Women's Boxing Championship recently, due "official apathy", according to the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation.

Is the city ready to shoulder the responsibility of being India's premier sporting destination ahead of the World Military Games and the Commonwealth Games? Hyderabad Times assesses...

Sports infrastructure: Here Hyderabad scores over other big cities like Chandigarh, Delhi and Kolkata. The city has world-class facilities for athletics, cycling, sailing, basketball, badminton, gymnastics, swimming and shooting.

"The city's sports infrastructure is ready for international events. I had a talk with the chief minister about sporting infrastructure and he asked us to come out with new projects without getting concerned about the funds," says BK Harnath, joint secretary, AP Olympic Association.

Apart from stadiums, the Hyderabad International Convention Centre also offers worldclass facilities for indoor games, including indoor tennis and badminton.

"Gachibowli Stadium and LB Stadium have state-of-the-art facilities for sports," says Kamalavardhan Rao, vice-chairman and managing director of SAAP. The stadium at Uppal is Hyderabad's answer to Eden Gardens of Kolkata, Wankhade Stadium of Mumbai or Chinnaswamy Stadium of Bangalore.

"The city also has good infrastructure for football but did not find the opportunity of hosting the India vs Japan qualifying match of the Asian Games.

It will be held in Karnataka in August," says Ghulam Jeelani, state secretary of the football association. "We also have very good facilities for volleyball, hockey and basketball," he says.

Accommodation for players : The inadequacy of accommodation facilities for sportspersons became evident during the Afro-Asian games in which visiting athletes had to be put up in hotels across the city – some far from the stadiums.
BK Harnath says, "Lack of accommodation facilities for players in and around stadiums is an impediment to the city's aspirations to host more international events."

In a bid to solve the accommodation problem, SAAP is planning to build a sports village near the Gachibowli Stadium. Kamalavardhan Rao, says, "The sports village will solve the accommodation problem ahead of the World Military Games to be held in 2007.
The sports village will accommodate 600 people and will have seminar halls, gymnasiums, saunas, jacuzzis and medical facilities. But will the village fall short in accommodating more than 5000 sportspersons that every international event attracts?

Rao believes that a temporary sports village can supplement the permanent one to accommodate sportspersons during international events.

International visibility: Former national hockey player P Kantaia says, "For Hyderabad to emerge as an international sporting destination, it needs to have more visibility.

The onus is on sports associations to conduct events in which sportspersons from other countries can participate." SAAP believes, "The key to increasing the city's visibility across the world is organising more events, improving training capacities by bringing in good coaches and keeping other countries updated about sports activities and infrastructure in the city.

We have conducted eight international and 14 national sports events." Events, other people in the know, believe have to be planned four to 12 years in advance.

Connectivity : Traffic commissioner AK Khan, who was the mayor of the national games sports village and involved with the Afro-Asian Games, says, "Air, rail and road connectivity to the city is very good.
About 150 international flights ply to Hyderabad. National Highways 5 and 7 pass through the city, and the Secunderabad station connected well to both Northern and Southern states."

But he suggests that roads inside the city connecting Gachibowli stadium and LB stadium to the railway station and airport falls short of international standards.

The outer ring road will make connectivity between Secunderabad railway station and Gachibowli stadium better. "Roads in the city need repair work at some places," he adds.

Rail connectivity to Gachibowli Stadium is good – thanks to the Secunderabad-Lingampally MMTS service. The international airport that's under construction in Shamshabad will give Hyderabad an added edge.

"Once completed, the international airport will be a real boost for the city to host international events," says Jeelani.

hyderabadtimes@indiatimes.com

[Babji]

Suggestions to improve ridership on MMTS

Hyd Folks,
It appears that SCRly finally woke up and trying to promote ridership on MMTS.
How about some suggestions to improve ridership on MMTS?

1) Improve parking facilty and security at the MMTS stations
2) Encourage riders to use bicycles/ mobikes to reach the stations.
3) Permit carrying bicycles on the MMTS (it is allowed in many countries).
4) Reduce fares (until March 2008) to encourage more people to use MMTS
5) Provide feeder services (free of cost) during peak hours.
6) Encourage building working mens/womens hostels withing walking distance from MMTS stations.

Please feel free to donate your suggestions
and would some one please find a way to forward these suggestions to SCRly officials.

[kashyap3]

try to expand already existing lines into high traffic areas

or wait till the metro proposal comes in

[Babji]

Now that Falaknuma is connected to the city by MMTS (and 2009-2010) MRTS,

Should MMTS or MRTS be extended to SHAMSHABAD?
which (MMTS/MRTS) is preferable and why?

[harsh1802]

Obviously MRTS.....no one wants a second grade feeder servcie to be connected to a world class interantional airport right!Tht wld look crappy.

[Naga_Solidus]

Frankly, they should use a new 200km/h-250km/h HSR link to Shamshabad, using the ORR's paralell railway lines and sharing them with the MMTS in a manner similar to KLIA Ekspres.

[kashyap3]

that would be a waste of money

is the plan for hyderabad metro already being implemented? or does it still have to be approved?

if it has, which sections are going to be underground?on ground?elevated?

[Luckystreak]

Originally Posted by kashyap3

that would be a waste of money

is the plan for hyderabad metro already being implemented? or does it still have to be approved?

The bids were supposed to be closed in August and the work has to start by the year end.

Originally Posted by kashyap3

If it has, which sections are going to be underground?on ground?elevated?

There are no proposed underground sections, most of it is elevated.

[kashyap3]

metros on ground level are eyesores
they should always be on seperate levels to roads, hence the point of rapid transit

[Babji]

Originally Posted by kashyap3

metros on ground level are eyesores
they should always be on seperate levels to roads, hence the point of rapid transit

they have plans to barricade the tracks with 6-8 feet high metal mesh on either side, wherever it had to run at ground level. the barricade will help provide security and also prevent any distraction for the road traffic.
also,this may only happen at places like Miyapur and Falaknuma, which are less crowded and close to the MRTS depots/yards.

[kashyap3]

well, anywhere along the metro is now going to get crowded once it starts to function

is there a map?

[Babji]

Originally Posted by kashyap3

that would be a waste of money...

Originally Posted by kashyap3

metros on ground level are eyesores
they should always be on seperate levels to roads, hence the point of rapid transit

Originally Posted by kashyap3

well, anywhere along the metro is now going to get crowded once it starts to function...

on one hand, we don't want to spend too much of money.
on the other hand, we want every thing in state-of-the-art form.
building elevated tracks unnecessarily would escalate the costs.
we also need to keep the common man in mind -
people have to pay the fare on a daily/monthly/usage basis.
it is always a good idea to keep the costs low and standards high.

[kashyap3]

yes but building on ground level will unnecessarily expose it to natural hazards like flooding etc in low lying areas

[Babji]

AP court permits immersions in Hussainsagar
Saturday, August 12, 2006 (Hyderabad):NDTV.com

The Andhra Pradesh High Court gave a green signal to the immersion of Ganesh idols in the Hussainsagar Lake. The High Court had initially expressed unhappiness over the pollution being caused to the lake and has also said that the debris be cleared in 72 hours. The court has asked the government to look for alternate strategies to reduce the pollution burden in future.

Environmentalists have protested for many years now against the practice of immersing the idols in the Hussainsagar. They argue that the plaster of paris and heavy metals used to colour the idols, pollute the lake.

Organisers upset: This year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court suo moto, had asked the idols to be kept away from the Husainsagar, a move that upset the organisers.

"The court says that immersion should not happen and that it causes pollution. It is not true and the court has not been given the correct picture," said an organiser. "Doesn't the amount of garbage and pollutants that are dumped 364 days cause pollution. One day if we immerse our Ganesha, is it pollution? Aren't the illegal housing and uncovered drains around the lake not pollution?'' he further asked.

The organisers say many Ganesh idols are already being immersed in other lakes but the bigger ones will have to come to Husainsagar, the biggest lake in the city. "Immersion without any doubt will also happen in traditional lakes, Himayatsagar and Husainsagar Lake. No force can stop us," Bhagvanth Rao, Gen Secretary, Ganesh Utsav Committee.

The administration also seemed reluctant to stir a hornet's nest.: The date for Ganesh Immersion has come very close already, so the immersion should be allowed to take place this year in Hussainsagar itself. And from next year, a bund should be identified and created for this purpose," said T Krishna Reddy, Mayor of Hyderabad. The court has also asked the government to submit a report by October 9 on what long-term plans it has to reduce the burden on the lake.
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may be they should address this issue in a phased manner.
may be they should also put a height restriction on the idols of Ganesh.
they could instead have larger images on canvas or wooden/cardboard cutouts.
lets hope, they would do some thing for the next year at least!

[Babji]

http://www.cyberabadtimes.net/reader.asp?id=2
Seetaphalmandi and Jamai Osmania (Since 1997).
While all eyes are on the four new flyovers coming up at some of the busiest roads in the twin cities, everyone seems to have forgotten about the sluggish work on road overbridges (ROBs) at Seetaphalmandi and Jamai Osmania.

The Work started in 1997 and still going
These ROBs are located away from the main roads. Nevertheless, they are key link to nearby residential localities. But, construction has been painfully slow. Undue political interference, delay in property acquisition, opposition from locals, contractor problems, etc., have led to many stoppages.

Jamai Osmania ROB will be completed by October, says Additional Commissioner (Planning and Projects) K. Dhananjaya Reddy.

Seetaphalmandi ROB will take some more time as 32 properties are yet to be taken over. Land acquisition route has been resorted to as owners are not only happy with the compensation package, but want reduction in service road widths.

Work began in 1997 and the ROBs were to be ready within two years. But when the contractor (NBCC) delayed work, the Government cancelled the work order and brought in another contractor two years ago before running into the properties' acquisition issue.

Mr. Reddy says road-widening on the Liberty-Himayatnagar road (26 properties taken under land acquisition, 40 more left) and the Dar-us-Salam-Ek Minar masjid road (19 properties acquired of 40) has commenced.

[Babji]

URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/17/s...1722080100.htm

Digvijay endorses Government stand on ORR
New policy on decent compensation for land oustees on the anvil

HYDERABAD: AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh on Wednesday appreciated the Rajasekhara Reddy Government for "addressing all contentious issues" raised in the last few months, particularly land acquisition in Hyderabad over which the Opposition kicked up a row.

"The Government is concerned about the issues raised by farmers and others, whose lands are being acquired for major projects in and around the city," Mr. Singh said. In fact, the Government would soon come out with a policy that would help the land oustees to get a decent compensation.

Mr. Singh made this statement after discussing with Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and APCC president K. Keshava Rao the representation he received earlier from two city Congress MLAs Janardhan Reddy and M. Sashidhar Reddy. These MLAs drew his attention to the recent auction of Government lands at Kokapet and land acquisition for the Outer Ring Road and other mega projects by displacing the poor. They also complained about diversion of Krishna water to Rayalaseema from the Pothireddypadu head regulator.

On right track: Mr. Singh, who chaired the three-hour-long Manifesto Implementation and Coordination Committee meeting at Gandhi Bhavan, told reporters later that the Government was on the right track in executing major irrigation projects and launching the Indiramma programme. Without naming the two Congress MLAs, he pointed out that a land acquisition policy was on the cards to benefit the oustees. On Pothireddypadu, he said Dr. Reddy had categorically stated that the interests of Telangana and Krishna delta would not be affected. The regulator was meant only to divert surplus floodwater to Rayalaseema.
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looks like they arrived at consensus within Congress circles on ORR land aquisition issues.
a battle won for YSR but the war is still ahead in the assembly.

[kashyap3]

the first phase of the ORR compared to the rest is like comparing a mouse to an elephant

if they take so long to complete the first phase, how long will it take to get the rest done?