Most Family Members of Saudi Bus Tragedy Victims Return

Hyderabad Book Fair to Be Held Dec 19–29 at NTR Stadium

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Book Fair, will be held from December 19 to 29 at NTR Stadium. Unveiling the logo of the 38th edition on Thursday, tourism and culture minister Jupally Krishna Rao urged organisers to set up a special stall and hoardings to create awareness among youth and students. He also recommended establishing promotional stalls showcasing Telangana’s tourist destinations and cultural programmes. The minister assured that the government would extend all necessary support for the event.

CSIR-IICT hosts Curtain Raiser for IISF 2025

Hyderabad: The CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) hosted the Curtain Raiser for the India International Science Festival (IISF) 2025 on Thursday, marking the formal launch of preparations for the 11th edition of India’s largest annual science outreach event. This year’s festival, themed Vigyan Se Samruddhi: For Aatmanirbhar Bharat, will be held from December 6 to 9 at Punjab University, Chandigarh.

IISF, organised every year by the Government of India in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati, aims to celebrate scientific achievements and promote public engagement in science and technology. The festival brings together researchers, students, industry professionals and the general public for exhibitions, discussions, innovation showcases and outreach activities.

CSIR-IICT Director Dr D Srinivasa Reddy and special guest Dr Abhey Ram Bansal, Chief Scientist at CSIR-NGRI, addressed the gathering on innovation, scientific temperament, Nari Shakti and India’s rise as a global science and technology leader. Their remarks set an encouraging tone for the upcoming festival and highlighted the value of scientific collaboration and creativity.

Dr Bansal outlined the key components of IISF 2025, including scientific exhibitions, plenary talks, panel discussions, interactive sessions, student engagement programmes, startup showcases and conversations featuring experts across disciplines. He underscored that the festival provides a vibrant platform to inspire young minds and showcase India’s capabilities in science and innovation.

Certificates Distributed to Civil Defence Trainees at Purani Haveli

HYDERABAD: Certificates were distributed to volunteers who completed a course conducted by the Civil Defence Training Institute at Purani Haveli here. DCP City Armed Reserve, Headquarters, DCP Rakshitha K. Murthy, who distributed the certificates, said civil defence volunteers are deployed during disasters, emergencies and relief operations. Interested citizens may contact the institute at 8712589153.

The institute, since 1977, trains citizens aged between 18-45 years with a minimum qualification of Class 10, in civil defence. It has trained 4,340 volunteers since June 2014, in emergency response, basic firefighting, first aid, rescue operations and dealing with explosives.

BJP protests faulty Rs 250 Crore STP location in Uppal, demands relocation near Musi River

HYDERABAD: BJP activists, led by senior leader N.V.S.S. Prabhakar and supported by civil society members, staged a protest in Uppal against the allegedly flawed site selection for a Rs 250 crore sewage treatment plant (STP) under the Centre's Amrut scheme. They charged that the Uppal Hills location, distant from Nallacheruvu and the sewage nala feeding into the Musi River, was deliberately chosen to inflate project costs for commissions.

Prabhakar accused authorities and contractors of collusion, claiming the remote site failed to serve its purpose of treating wastewater before it reaches the Musi. He demanded immediate relocation of the plant to a site nearer the river, which could halve costs and ensure effective treatment. He criticised the government for the incomplete Nallacheruvu beautification and sewage nala widening works despite heavy spending.

The protesters urged a thorough probe into the tender process and site decision amid ongoing concerns over Hyderabad's sewage infrastructure.

Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao discusses tourism policy with German Delegation

Hyderabad: Tourism minister Jupally Krishna Rao said that the state government is working to position Telangana as a leading destination for both tourists and investors, in an interaction with a delegation from the German Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Foundation. Discussions with the delegation, including Dr Sabine Fandrych, Mirko Gunther, and Christoph Mohr, centered on the state’s tourism policy, prospects for investment in the tourism sector, and opportunities for long-term sustainable development partnerships.

The FES, according to its India website, is a non-profit German foundation committed to the values of democracy and social justice. The minister explained the key features of the new Tourism Policy, including investor-friendly incentives and simplified procedures that promote ease of doing business.

Harish Rao Seeks Removal of KNRUHS VC

HYDERABAD: Former health minister and senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao on Thursday urged Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and the National Medical Council to immediately remove Dr Nandkumar Reddy from the post of Vice Chancellor of the Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS), Warangal, alleging serious irregularities at the university.

In a letter to the Governor and the NMC, Harish Rao said: “There was unprecedented manipulation of PG medical exam results which has since been confirmed by inquiries by the health and the vigilance departments, which found that the Vice Chancellor intervened to ensure some failed candidates were passed.”

In addition, there are serious allegations of even undergraduate results being manipulated, of fake inspections of medical and nursing colleges and bribe taking, he said. Harish Rao urged both the Governor and the NMC to immediately remove the Vice Chancellor, make public the vigilance and health departments reports, register criminal cases on those involved in the irregularities, and order a full-fledged forensic audit of server logs, access trails, examiner logins, scanned answer scripts, and all evaluation data.

Veterinary Officers Urge Inclusion of Lightning Deaths Under SDRF/NDRF Compensation

Hyderabad: District veterinary and animal husbandry officers from five disaster-affected districts — Warangal, Khammam, Suryapet, Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mahabubabad — have urged the government to include animal deaths caused by lightning strikes, fires and electocution under the ex gratia criteria of the state and national disaster response force (SDRF, NDRF). They said farmers suffer heavy losses as large numbers of cattle and livestock die during natural disasters.

Speaking at a conference on animal-inclusive disaster risk reduction organised by Unicef and Humane World for Animals, Dr Balakrishna, Warangal district veterinary and animal husbandry officer, said, “We do provide ex gratia for animals that die in disasters, but we need budgetary support. Farmers lose multiple animals during these incidents. We request that lightning be included as a natural calamity under SDRF and NDRF, as we record around 300 to 400 animal deaths due to thunderbolts every year.”

Experts also recommended issuing pre-disaster alerts to help small farmers who keep cattle near streams or confine hens and sheep in sheds that are prone to flooding. They suggested creating dedicated animal relief shelters away from water bodies to prevent casualties.

Dr D Srinivasa Rao from Suryapet noted that although the district had fewer water bodies, overflow from the Sriramsagar Project had led to significant loss of cows and sheep. He highlighted that pre-disaster management, trained veterinary teams, medicines, relief measures and separate disaster funds would reduce the impact.

An officer from the disaster management department responded that ex gratia in such cases is paid if a proposal sent through a proper channel from the collector.

Dr Venkateshwarlu from Bhadradri Kothagudem said many mandals lay close to rivers and lakes, making animals highly vulnerable during floods. “During last year’s floods, 100 animals died before we could shift them to relief centres. Dedicated rescue teams would greatly help. We provided feed for a week until the situation stabilised,” he said.

Dr B Srinivasa Rao from Khammam added that animals dying due to electrocution during rainfall were re not covered under ex gratia norms, causing hardship to small farmers. He highlighted that livestock deaths in road accidents receive no compensation. “Animals are natural swimmers; we should not tie them during floods,” he cautioned.

HMWSSB's new Software system to track non-revenue water

Hyderabad: The HMWS&SB said it had prepared a detailed project report (DPR) and developed software capable of identifying and reducing water loss. The not only tracks missing water but also help convert previously unaccounted water into billable revenue. Board managing director Ashok Reddy on Thursday reviewed the water audit process with ED (projects) Mayank Mittal and transmission wing officials, as well as a presentation by a Pune-based company on advanced water-audit technology.

The company explained that a significant portion of water supplied by various water works was going unaccounted for as non-revenue water (NRW). To address this, the firm had prepared a DPR.

Ashok Reddy, explaining the water audit, said that the board had installed flow meters from reservoirs to end consumers which would allow it to track every drop and accurately detect transmission losses. “Identifying wastage will enable us to take corrective steps to prevent water loss,” he said.

He added that the technology was designed to minimise, monitor and control losses in the water-supply network, assess water quality, and ensure equitable distribution across all areas. The system offers real-time monitoring from source to consumer covering raw-water pumping stations, water-treatment plants, clear-water pumping stations, transmission lines, distribution lines and reservoirs.