The office of the Water Board was flooded with complaints regarding the tariff hike and the poor quality of water, during the Prajavani programme held in the main office at Khairatabad on Monday. During the two-hour programme, around 70 grievances were collected, a majority of which were regarding the tariff hike. Consumers complained that they were not aware of the increase in tariff and were shocked on receiving such huge bills.

Hyderabad is staring at a drinking water crisis as Osmansagar and Himay-atsagar are fast drying up. The water available in the two reservoirs will be sufficient up to May only through gravity . After May, water will reach dead storage levels forcing officials to use high power motors to pump water. However, the water quality is not good at the dead storage level as citizens had complained of foul odour and coloured water supply from the two reservoirs.

Despite predictions of a good rainfall in 2012, the present water crisis in Hyderabad, especially relating to groundwater levels, may deteriorate in the absence of preventive measures.

The haphazard and rapid growth of the city has nearly exhausted the groundwater resources. This information was presented to the state authorities by experts at the department of Groundwater.

For the first time in about five years, India will have data on district-level malnutrition. The data has been collated by Hyderabad-based Naandi Foundation in a report titled HUNGaMA (hunger and malnutrition) which will be released by Prime Minister manmohan Singh Tuesday.

Owning a house in the city will remain a pipedream for nearly two lakh families because there are no large chunks of government land left in Hyderabad district or the core area for mass housing projects. Over 1.30 lakh families have applied for houses in the two rounds of the Rachchabanda programme conducted so far, and another 34,000 families are waiting for homes for the last four years after having paid the initial Rs 1,000 each under Rajiv Gruha Kalpa scheme.

Hyderabad Not too long after the delisting episode of Shanta Biotech’s pentavalent hepatitis B vaccine Shan5, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now suspended the supply of hepatitis B vaccine (Revac-B+) manufactured by Bharat Biotech International (BBIL). It has also terminated the prequalification procedures for current applications for other vaccines from Bharat Biotech International.

Andhra Pradesh which has 75 notified special economic zones (SEZs), which is the highest number of SEZs in any State in the country, has attracted investment of about Rs 15,000 crore. These SEZs registered exports of Rs 13,000 crore during the financial year 2010-11 and exports are expected to double during the current financial year, according to statement.

Apart from attracting investment and helping create new infrastructure, these SEZs provided direct employment opportunities to nearly 1.20 lakh people and many more have gained indirect employment.

GMR Infrastructure is close to winning a Rs 1,500-crore highway project in Andhra Pradesh. The company, based in this city, is bidding aggressively for this 145-km project connecting Hyderabad with Sangareddy, a district headquarters to the northwest, on the route to Mumbai.

The CBI on Wednesday issued notice to YSR Congress chief and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, directing him to appear before it for questioning in the illegal iron ore mining case.
Sources said the CBI, probing alleged nexus between Jagan and jailed Obulapuram Mining Company owner Gali Janardhana Reddy, asked former CM Y S Rajashekhara Reddy’s son to present before it on Friday.

The Andhra Pradesh Government through Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) is preparing a comprehensive transport plan for Hyderabad metropolitan development area with the assistance of Canadian consultant LEA International Ltd. This plan will be prepared with the support from the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India.

A Comprehensive Transportation Study is being conducted in the entire HMA covering Hyderabad District, substantial parts of Ranga Reddy District and portions of adjoining areas in Medak, Nalgonda and Mahaboobnagar districts.