The city is sweltering under the summer sun with the maximum temperature touching 43.1ºC on Saturday, the highest in this season.
Officials from the city meteorological department have predicted the possibility of severe heat wave conditions in city if the high temperatures persist for the next two days. The city had last suffered heat wave conditions in 2003 and 2005.
Mercury soared high and is hovering above 40ºC at a number of places in the State as a result of dry north-westerly winds blowing from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan and from Maharashtra.
Districts such as Adilabad, Ramgundam and Rentachintala are already in the grip of heat wave and the maximum temperature may touch 45ºC if the dry winds continue.
Temperatures are two to three degrees above normal in several places in Guntur, Krishna, Prakasam, Nellore, Nalgonda and Warangal districts. Last year, the highest maximum temperature recorded in city was 41.9ºC in May end but this time the temperature had already crossed 43.1ºC on Saturday.
“It is not possible to predict whether there would be any sudden fall in temperature after two days,” said Mr Subbarao, assistant meteorologist of Hyderabad. “Fall or rise in temperature depends on the change in wind pattern.”
On Friday, the maximum temperatures rose at a few places over Telangana, at one or two places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and changed little over Rayalaseema. They were significantly above normal at one or two places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, above normal over Rayalaseema and in the remaining districts of Telangana. The highest maximum temperature of 46ºC was recorded at Adilabad and Rentachintala.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Bid to evict mosque encroachers
The state archaeology and museums department has written to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the state government seeking eviction of ten families residing on premises of the Hayat Bakshi Begum mosque in Hayathnagar.
The encroachments have been hampering the department’s plan to take up renovation works on the mosque, which is in a dilapidated state.The department had faced similar problems when it was trying to renovate the Paigah tombs sometime ago.
Mr P. Chenna Reddy, director, State Archaeology and Museums Department, said the families have been staying illegally in the area for many years.“They refused to move out when they were told to do so. We will take up the renovation work once these people are shifted,” he said.
The department’s restoration work involves clearing wild shrubs and debris, strengthening the foundation of the monuments and the peripheral wall on the mosque’s premises using traditional methods.It will also recast the worn-out ornamental works and remove the decayed plaster on the walls. Other works the department plans to carry out are construction of internal pathways with granite slabs, providing public amenities and rest house and interpretation centre.
Hayat Bakshi Begum mosque is a fairly large mosque with a façade of five arches.It was constructed in 1672 during the reign of Abdullah Qutub Shah. It has a large Caravan Sarai and Hathi Bauli, a very large structure in the north-east of the mosque.
The encroachments have been hampering the department’s plan to take up renovation works on the mosque, which is in a dilapidated state.The department had faced similar problems when it was trying to renovate the Paigah tombs sometime ago.
Mr P. Chenna Reddy, director, State Archaeology and Museums Department, said the families have been staying illegally in the area for many years.“They refused to move out when they were told to do so. We will take up the renovation work once these people are shifted,” he said.
The department’s restoration work involves clearing wild shrubs and debris, strengthening the foundation of the monuments and the peripheral wall on the mosque’s premises using traditional methods.It will also recast the worn-out ornamental works and remove the decayed plaster on the walls. Other works the department plans to carry out are construction of internal pathways with granite slabs, providing public amenities and rest house and interpretation centre.
Hayat Bakshi Begum mosque is a fairly large mosque with a façade of five arches.It was constructed in 1672 during the reign of Abdullah Qutub Shah. It has a large Caravan Sarai and Hathi Bauli, a very large structure in the north-east of the mosque.
Files gutted at Secretariat
Fire broke out in the D-Block of the Secretariat housing finance and information technology departments on Thursday afternoon destroying computers and peripherals.This is the fourth fire that broke out in the Secretariat this year. The Mahakutami was quick to allege that the fire was deliberately triggered by the ruling Cong-ress which wanted to dest-roy “sensitive” documents as it faced electoral defeat.
The senior Telugu Desam leader, Mr Kodela Sivapra-sad Rao, said he suspected foul play behind the fire and demanded a high-level inquiry. “The IT department is under scanner for the Satyam and Maytas deals, forest department for Obulapuram mining and finance department has key papers on the economic situation,” he said.
In the wake of these allegations, the state government asked the CBCID to constitute a Special Investi-gation Team to investigate the fire mishap. The fire broke out in the computer server room in the second floor at 2.30 pm. Soon thick smoke engulfed the whole area, causing suffocation to four employees who were rushed to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) for treatment.
Though the building has been issued no-objection certificate by the Departm-ent of Fire and Emergency Services, it did not even have mandatory fire sprinklers.Firefighters broke the window panes of the second floor to let the smoke out. It took nearly two hours for 12 firefighters to bring the flames under control. Three of them sustained minor injuries in the incident.
It took nearly half-an-hour for the fire department to bring its newly imported snorkel right behind the D-Block where the flames were coming out of windows. “Several employees including women were trapped inside the building and some were caught in lifts,” said Mr G. Jacob, director of the AP Secretariat Employees’ Cooperative Society. “All were rescued.”
“We suspect that it was a short circuit in the server room which caused the fire but it needs a full investigation,” said Ms Aruna Bahuguna, DG, Fire and Emergency Services.
Earlier this year, three minor fire accidents took place in B-block. A few weeks ago, another minor fire broke out in the B-block due to electrical short-circuit. The electrical wiring in the block, which was done decades ago, has developed several defects due to voltage fluctuations caused by installation of a large number of air-conditioners.
The senior Telugu Desam leader, Mr Kodela Sivapra-sad Rao, said he suspected foul play behind the fire and demanded a high-level inquiry. “The IT department is under scanner for the Satyam and Maytas deals, forest department for Obulapuram mining and finance department has key papers on the economic situation,” he said.
In the wake of these allegations, the state government asked the CBCID to constitute a Special Investi-gation Team to investigate the fire mishap. The fire broke out in the computer server room in the second floor at 2.30 pm. Soon thick smoke engulfed the whole area, causing suffocation to four employees who were rushed to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) for treatment.
Though the building has been issued no-objection certificate by the Departm-ent of Fire and Emergency Services, it did not even have mandatory fire sprinklers.Firefighters broke the window panes of the second floor to let the smoke out. It took nearly two hours for 12 firefighters to bring the flames under control. Three of them sustained minor injuries in the incident.
It took nearly half-an-hour for the fire department to bring its newly imported snorkel right behind the D-Block where the flames were coming out of windows. “Several employees including women were trapped inside the building and some were caught in lifts,” said Mr G. Jacob, director of the AP Secretariat Employees’ Cooperative Society. “All were rescued.”
“We suspect that it was a short circuit in the server room which caused the fire but it needs a full investigation,” said Ms Aruna Bahuguna, DG, Fire and Emergency Services.
Earlier this year, three minor fire accidents took place in B-block. A few weeks ago, another minor fire broke out in the B-block due to electrical short-circuit. The electrical wiring in the block, which was done decades ago, has developed several defects due to voltage fluctuations caused by installation of a large number of air-conditioners.
GHMC undecided over Pushpanjali
Few months back, when the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) had declared the Pushpanjali Complex in Koti, which houses more than 200 shops unsafe, it had also issued notices to the shop owners to vacate the premises in three days.
However, even after three months the GHMC is still sleeping on the issue.According to the notice, the shop owners were told to vacate as the Pushpanjali Complex was to be sealed off.Since, the building was in a dilapidated condition and did not possess proper fire-fighting equipments, the civic body had ordered for its closure.
The first major fire had broken out in the complex on February 5, 2006 causing severe damage to property and the building. The second fire mishap took place on February 4 this year.After the first incident, a technical committee was appointed by the GHMC to make a report on the structure and take a decision on the restoration.
The report stated that structure was “very weak and unsafe” and suggested its strengthening.But, the GHMC officials are now delaying the matter with their excuses. “Since we were short staffed and busy with election work, Pushpanjali Complex was not on our priority list,” said Mr Purusotham Reddy, the chief planning officer, GHMC.Meanwhile, the shopkeepers too are not ready to vacate their shops.
“We have been running our shop here for several years. We will experience heavy losses if the shops are shut down. We shall seek legal aid if we are forced to vacate,” said Mr Chandhrabhan Singh, owner, Rajhdhani shop.
However, even after three months the GHMC is still sleeping on the issue.According to the notice, the shop owners were told to vacate as the Pushpanjali Complex was to be sealed off.Since, the building was in a dilapidated condition and did not possess proper fire-fighting equipments, the civic body had ordered for its closure.
The first major fire had broken out in the complex on February 5, 2006 causing severe damage to property and the building. The second fire mishap took place on February 4 this year.After the first incident, a technical committee was appointed by the GHMC to make a report on the structure and take a decision on the restoration.
The report stated that structure was “very weak and unsafe” and suggested its strengthening.But, the GHMC officials are now delaying the matter with their excuses. “Since we were short staffed and busy with election work, Pushpanjali Complex was not on our priority list,” said Mr Purusotham Reddy, the chief planning officer, GHMC.Meanwhile, the shopkeepers too are not ready to vacate their shops.
“We have been running our shop here for several years. We will experience heavy losses if the shops are shut down. We shall seek legal aid if we are forced to vacate,” said Mr Chandhrabhan Singh, owner, Rajhdhani shop.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Beware of fancy mobile numbers
Think twice before buying a fancy mobile number since they seem to attract more blank calls and SMSes than ordinary numbers. Though owning a fancy mobile number adds to your status, it comes at a price. And we are not talking about the hefty amount you pay for the number. Service providers get sundry complaints from customers who have fancy or unique numbers about blank calls and SMSes at odd hours.
“I bought a Tata Indicom fancy number paying Rs 1 lakh but now I regret it,” said Mr Vimal Kumar, manager of Hot Tracks. “I am fed up with the daily SMSes and blank calls. I have complained to the service providers but to no avail.”
Vodafone, Spice, BSNL and Tata Indicom have all raked in additional revenues by auctioning VIP numbers. Last week BSNL closed its auction of numbers for pre-paid cellular subscribers. The numbers up for sale were 94928-88888, 94927-44444 and 94927-77777. The auction was closed with highest bidding rate of Rs 1.7lakh for the number 9492888888 against the reserve price of Rs 25,000. The auction was done on SMS.
“Three months ago, I bought a postpaid premium number from BSNL by paying Rs 1.12 lakh thinking that it will add to my status but unfortunately it gave me sleepless nights with continuous calls,” said Mr Suman Kumar, proprietor of Suman chit fund. “Finally I deactivated my number.”
Mr. G. P. Reddy, general manager, Cell One, said that high-class consumers were going for fancy numbers since owning a mobile was no more a status symbol.
“I bought a Tata Indicom fancy number paying Rs 1 lakh but now I regret it,” said Mr Vimal Kumar, manager of Hot Tracks. “I am fed up with the daily SMSes and blank calls. I have complained to the service providers but to no avail.”
Vodafone, Spice, BSNL and Tata Indicom have all raked in additional revenues by auctioning VIP numbers. Last week BSNL closed its auction of numbers for pre-paid cellular subscribers. The numbers up for sale were 94928-88888, 94927-44444 and 94927-77777. The auction was closed with highest bidding rate of Rs 1.7lakh for the number 9492888888 against the reserve price of Rs 25,000. The auction was done on SMS.
“Three months ago, I bought a postpaid premium number from BSNL by paying Rs 1.12 lakh thinking that it will add to my status but unfortunately it gave me sleepless nights with continuous calls,” said Mr Suman Kumar, proprietor of Suman chit fund. “Finally I deactivated my number.”
Mr. G. P. Reddy, general manager, Cell One, said that high-class consumers were going for fancy numbers since owning a mobile was no more a status symbol.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
No machines to clean lake
Though the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has allocated Rs 300 crore for cleaning the Hussainsagar lake, the authorities do not have machinery to clean the algae. They are depending on workers to clean it. Infested with water-hyacinths and aquatic weeds, the lake not only emanates a terrible odour, but has also turned into a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
However, the HMDA authorities squarely blame the algae. Mr Chandra Mohan Reddy, OSD for the Buddha Poornima Project, HMDA says, “The foul smell is due to the sudden bloom of the blue-green algae in the lake water. We are cleaning the lake water on alternate days. The workers have started the cleaning process that includes a simple skimming operation to remove the algae.”
“It may take more than two years to complete the Hussainsagar cleaning project. Till then, we are taking care of untreated sewage coming from nalas for better maintenance. Also, we are going to manually remove the hyacinth and other floating garbage from the lake as we don’t have specialised machinery,” he added
The senior environmental engineer, Mr Rajendar Reddy, said, “Some blue-green algae produce toxins that could pose health risk to people when they are exposed to them in large quantities.”
However, the HMDA authorities squarely blame the algae. Mr Chandra Mohan Reddy, OSD for the Buddha Poornima Project, HMDA says, “The foul smell is due to the sudden bloom of the blue-green algae in the lake water. We are cleaning the lake water on alternate days. The workers have started the cleaning process that includes a simple skimming operation to remove the algae.”
“It may take more than two years to complete the Hussainsagar cleaning project. Till then, we are taking care of untreated sewage coming from nalas for better maintenance. Also, we are going to manually remove the hyacinth and other floating garbage from the lake as we don’t have specialised machinery,” he added
The senior environmental engineer, Mr Rajendar Reddy, said, “Some blue-green algae produce toxins that could pose health risk to people when they are exposed to them in large quantities.”
Former firemen in big demand
Many builders in the city are employing retired fire officers for designing fire safety measures and for maintenance of equipment as there is a shortage of fire engineers in the city.
According to the National Building Code, every commercial complex such as malls should have a fire safety manager or a fire officer.
“There are very few colleges which offer courses on fire-engineering. Even the few graduates from the National Fire Service Colleges prefer to work in the private sector due to higher salaries,” said an official.
The National Fire Service College at Nagpur is the only institute in the country offering a bachelor course in engineering (fire) and it has an annual intake of only 30 students. There are, however, some institutes which offer diploma or certificate courses in fire safety.
In the city many buildings provide fire safety equipment but they do not have experts to help in case a situation arises.
“According to the statistics of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the state fire and emergency department, more than 300 buildings in the city lack adequate means of access, escape routes and other fire safety norms,” said Mr P.V. Ramana, the regional fire officer.
According to the National Building Code, every commercial complex such as malls should have a fire safety manager or a fire officer.
“There are very few colleges which offer courses on fire-engineering. Even the few graduates from the National Fire Service Colleges prefer to work in the private sector due to higher salaries,” said an official.
The National Fire Service College at Nagpur is the only institute in the country offering a bachelor course in engineering (fire) and it has an annual intake of only 30 students. There are, however, some institutes which offer diploma or certificate courses in fire safety.
In the city many buildings provide fire safety equipment but they do not have experts to help in case a situation arises.
“According to the statistics of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and the state fire and emergency department, more than 300 buildings in the city lack adequate means of access, escape routes and other fire safety norms,” said Mr P.V. Ramana, the regional fire officer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
