700 Join Eye Donation Awareness Rally in Vizag

Visakhapatnam: An awareness rally highlighting the importance of eye donation drew 700 participants on Sunday, as part of the 40th National Eye Donation Fortnight celebrations in the coastal city.

The rally began at 6 a.m. from RK Beach Kalimata Temple and concluded at YMCA. Dr V. Meenakshi, Superintendent of the Government Regional Eye Hospital and Programme Manager of the District Blindness Prevention Organisation, flagged off the event.

“One person’s eye donation can brighten the lives of two others,” Dr Meenakshi emphasised, urging greater public awareness about eye donation. She noted that thousands continue to suffer from preventable blindness.

Medical experts explained that corneas must be harvested within 6–8 hours of a person’s death to remain viable for transplantation, making timely family consent and awareness critical.

As part of the fortnight-long campaign (August 25 – September 8), various awareness programmes are being held across the region. On Sunday, eye donation counsellors distributed pamphlets at RK Beach to educate pedestrians on the process and its life-changing impact.

Police tighten arrangements for Ganesh immersion in Nizamabad

Nizamabad: The police department is making comprehensive arrangements for the upcoming Ganesha idol immersion Shobha Yatra in Nizamabad district. As part of this, commissioner of police P. Sai Chaitanya personally inspected the main procession route, road repair works, and the immersion ghats at Gundla Cheruvu in Armoor town on Sunday.

He reviewed the barricading works being undertaken by contractors along the procession route, road repairs, and the security arrangements. He instructed the concerned officials to ensure proper barricading for the smooth movement of devotees and to immediately repair roads damaged by the rains.

Similarly, he directed that in areas where large crowds are expected during the Shobha Yatra, the traffic diversion plan must be strictly implemented and special teams should be deployed at key junctions for effective traffic management.

On this occasion, Chaitanya said that heavy crowding is expected at the immersion ghats. He directed officials to ensure strong barricading, adequate lighting, life jackets, and the deployment of rescue teams at the site.

Armoor ACP J. Venkateshwar Reddy, SHO Satyanarayana Goud, municipal staff, and other police personnel were present.

One girl drowns, five rescued during Ganesh immersion at Chennayapalem beach

Nellore: A Ganesha idol immersion turned tragic at Chennayapalem beach in Kavali mandal on Sunday evening, when a 16-year-old girl, Puli Lakshmi, accidentally drowned in the sea during the immersion ceremony.

Local villagers rushed to her rescue and shifted her to the Government Hospital in Kavali, but doctors declared her brought dead.

She was identified as the daughter of Govindaraju and Polamma, residents of the Vaikunthapuram PG Centre area.

Meanwhile, Marine Police acted swiftly and rescued five others from drowning in the same incident, averting further tragedy.

Kavali Rural Police have registered a case and taken up an investigation.

Seven tourists rescued from drowning at Rushikonda Beach

Visakhapatnam: Seven young tourists were rescued from drowning at Rushikonda Beach on Sunday evening by lifeguards of the Tourism Blue Flag Beach and the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC).

In the first incident, six visitors from Chhattisgarh found themselves in distress while bathing in the sea. The group — Chandrakar (24), Anju Bagal (26), Kushboyadav (33), Gaurav Sahu (24), Arshi Singha (23), and Rohan Chandrakar (23) — had travelled to the coastal city for a vacation when they were caught in strong waves.

Alert lifeguards noticed the struggling swimmers and immediately launched a rescue operation, successfully bringing all six to safety. The rescued tourists were given basic medical treatment at the beach before being cleared by medical personnel.

In a separate incident at the same beach, two residents from the Allipuram area of Visakhapatnam city were also saved after being caught in rough waves while bathing. Lifeguard D. Sai (22) led the rescue. The duo was counselled about beach safety protocols and released under the supervision of the Marine Police.

Tourism officials, GVMC authorities, and police personnel commended the lifeguards for the

Two dead, six injured as vehicle ploughs into devotees

Visakhapatnam: A tragic incident during Ganesha idol immersion celebrations on Sunday evening left two people dead and six others injured when a four-wheeler ploughed into a group of devotees participating in the ceremony at Chintala Veedi village in Paderu

The deceased were identified as Korra Sitharam (50) and K. Konda Babu (38). Among the six injured, two are reported to be in a serious condition and are receiving medical treatment.

Paderu police have arrested the driver, identified as Krishnam Naidu, in connection with the incident. A case has been registered and an investigation is under way.

SRM University-AP hosts Global Social Entrepreneurship & CSR Summit 2025

Vijayawada: SRM University-AP’s Centre for Social Entrepreneurship hosted the Global Social Entrepreneurship & CSR Summit 2025, bringing together leaders and innovators to discuss the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and social entrepreneurship in building sustainable communities.

Prof. Sidharth Tripathy, Director of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, emphasised the need to shift CSR from compliance-driven activity to conscience-led efforts that transform beneficiaries into venture builders.

The summit featured four panel discussions focusing on CSR as a lever for systemic change, the role of higher education in nurturing social ventures, the power of multi-stakeholder partnerships, and youth empowerment for inclusive entrepreneurship.

Highlighting the university’s impact, Prof. Tripathy presented results from SRM-AP’s flagship CSR initiative Aditri, which has empowered over 2,500 rural women, trained 570 participants, and fostered 100 sustainable micro-enterprises.

On the occasion, Vice Chancellor Prof. Manoj K. Arora launched The Red Book of Inspiration, showcasing 100 stories of rural women entrepreneurs.