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.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
State evicts 17 families from Paigah Tombs site
About 17 families staying on the premises of Paigah Tombs at Ghouse Nagar were evicted from their houses and the government took possession of the land.Descendants of the 17 families, to whom the plots were sold by the nobles of the erstwhile Nizam state, have been residing at the Paigah Tombs site.
The property came under government control following court intervention.“Without notice, we were evicted from our homes in which we have been staying for the last 25 years. We bought these plots long ago and have all the papers with us. The government promised to provide us with flats, but single room units were provided at Ghouse Nagar.
These dwellings lack basic amenities,” said Mr Lateef Anees, one of the evictees.“I was allotted a dwelling six years ago. We had paid the amount to the government. We have not shifted to the dwelling as it lacks basic amenities. We locked the house. We were shocked to find the locks broken and others in there,” said, Ms Rehmati Bi.
“We have shifted the families to Ghouse Nagar Colony temporarily. Basic amenities will be provided soon. It’s not our fault that the plots were sold to them decades ago by the Paigah nobles of the Nizam state. The Paigah Tombs are under the control of state archaeology and museums department,” said, Mr Naveen Mittal, the district collector.
Meanwhile, the museums department has begun the demolition of houses in the Paigah Tombs. “We have been trying to evict these people for decades. The families will be rehabilitated after eviction and this takes time. We have already started demolition of Paigah Tombs. Once the demolition is completed, restoration will be taken up,” said Mr P. Chenna Reddy, the director of state archaeology and museums department.
The property came under government control following court intervention.“Without notice, we were evicted from our homes in which we have been staying for the last 25 years. We bought these plots long ago and have all the papers with us. The government promised to provide us with flats, but single room units were provided at Ghouse Nagar.
These dwellings lack basic amenities,” said Mr Lateef Anees, one of the evictees.“I was allotted a dwelling six years ago. We had paid the amount to the government. We have not shifted to the dwelling as it lacks basic amenities. We locked the house. We were shocked to find the locks broken and others in there,” said, Ms Rehmati Bi.
“We have shifted the families to Ghouse Nagar Colony temporarily. Basic amenities will be provided soon. It’s not our fault that the plots were sold to them decades ago by the Paigah nobles of the Nizam state. The Paigah Tombs are under the control of state archaeology and museums department,” said, Mr Naveen Mittal, the district collector.
Meanwhile, the museums department has begun the demolition of houses in the Paigah Tombs. “We have been trying to evict these people for decades. The families will be rehabilitated after eviction and this takes time. We have already started demolition of Paigah Tombs. Once the demolition is completed, restoration will be taken up,” said Mr P. Chenna Reddy, the director of state archaeology and museums department.
Elephant carvings on Tank Bund wall
The state archaeology and museums department has found carvings of elephants and lions on the abutting wall of the Tank Bund. These carvings were found on two sides of the wall.The department, however, is yet to ascertain the origin of these carvings.
“We have started the verification process. It may take some time to find out the origin of these carvings. As of now, we can say that these carvings must have been brought from some other place to be incorporated into the wall,” said P. Chenna Reddy, the director, state archaeology and museums department.
The officials say that there is no specification of these carvings. They may even belong to the 14th century they say. A sweeper, who saw these carvings, informed the department.
“We have started the verification process. It may take some time to find out the origin of these carvings. As of now, we can say that these carvings must have been brought from some other place to be incorporated into the wall,” said P. Chenna Reddy, the director, state archaeology and museums department.
The officials say that there is no specification of these carvings. They may even belong to the 14th century they say. A sweeper, who saw these carvings, informed the department.
Fire department to crack whip on towers
The state fire and emergency department has issues with cellphone towers being installed on residential buildings. The department along with the GHMC has decided to come up with rules for putting up towers in the city.
According to the officials, at present there are no rules which deal with tower installation in the city and there is no provision for taking No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the GHMC or the fire department.On Wednesday, a fire broke out on a Vodafone cell tower at Ashoknagar due to short circuit.“We have taken up this issue on priority basis as these cell towers can prove to be dangerous to people residing there. Wednesday’s fire accident would have turned into a major mishap if the fire fighters had failed to put off the flame in time” said, Mohan Reddy, additional district fire officer.
We will also ask the telecom authorities so as to formulate rules for installing cellular phone towers on vacant land, taking into consideration proper structural standards with proper fire safety measures, added Mr Reddy.Meanwhile, the residents of Ashoknagar have decided to cancel their lease with the authorities of Vodafone cell tower.
Many cell towers in city are erected in the residential areas or in commercial areas. The towers were not constructed in such a way that it is difficult to facilitate free movement of fire service vehicles in case of any emergency.
According to the officials, at present there are no rules which deal with tower installation in the city and there is no provision for taking No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the GHMC or the fire department.On Wednesday, a fire broke out on a Vodafone cell tower at Ashoknagar due to short circuit.“We have taken up this issue on priority basis as these cell towers can prove to be dangerous to people residing there. Wednesday’s fire accident would have turned into a major mishap if the fire fighters had failed to put off the flame in time” said, Mohan Reddy, additional district fire officer.
We will also ask the telecom authorities so as to formulate rules for installing cellular phone towers on vacant land, taking into consideration proper structural standards with proper fire safety measures, added Mr Reddy.Meanwhile, the residents of Ashoknagar have decided to cancel their lease with the authorities of Vodafone cell tower.
Many cell towers in city are erected in the residential areas or in commercial areas. The towers were not constructed in such a way that it is difficult to facilitate free movement of fire service vehicles in case of any emergency.
Two more days of heat for city
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a heat wave warning in Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Warangal districts.Officials from the city Meteorological department predicted similar weather conditions in the rest of the state for the next two days.
There would be no relief from the scorching sun with temperature likely to touch 41 degree Celsius.The strong north-westerly winds are said to be the reason behind the increase in temperatures in the state.The maximum temperatures rose at one or two places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and changed little over Telangana and Rayalaseema.
They were significantly above normal at one or two places over Coastal Andhra, above normal at many places over Rayalaseema and at many places in the remaining districts of Telangana.The maximum temperature of 46 degree Celsius was recorded in Adilabad and Rentachintala.However, for the past one week the state has been recording five degrees above normal temperature. This has led to heat wave conditions.
On Thursday the maximum temperature recorded in city was 42 degree Celsius.Meanwhile, the department also issued a warning of severe heat wave conditions in some parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha and Delhi, some parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, south Uttar Pradesh, north Madhya Maharashtra, interior Orissa, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir and isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
There would be no relief from the scorching sun with temperature likely to touch 41 degree Celsius.The strong north-westerly winds are said to be the reason behind the increase in temperatures in the state.The maximum temperatures rose at one or two places over coastal Andhra Pradesh and changed little over Telangana and Rayalaseema.
They were significantly above normal at one or two places over Coastal Andhra, above normal at many places over Rayalaseema and at many places in the remaining districts of Telangana.The maximum temperature of 46 degree Celsius was recorded in Adilabad and Rentachintala.However, for the past one week the state has been recording five degrees above normal temperature. This has led to heat wave conditions.
On Thursday the maximum temperature recorded in city was 42 degree Celsius.Meanwhile, the department also issued a warning of severe heat wave conditions in some parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha and Delhi, some parts of Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, south Uttar Pradesh, north Madhya Maharashtra, interior Orissa, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir and isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.
City sweats out at 43.1 degrees
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.
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.
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.
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