PETA India Seeks Action To Rescue 1,200 Animals from Palamur Lab

HYDERABAD: PETA India on Friday demanded that the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA) take action on its inspection report that had advised the rescue of more than 1,200 animals from Palamur Biosciences on June 17.

The NGO held a protest along with Glendale International School, Vegans of Telangana and Deven’s Hope Society at KBR National Park on Friday. “PETA India is calling on CCSEA to shut down this house of horrors and to facilitate the rescue of surviving animals that desperately need care,” said PETA India scientist and research oolicy adviser Dr Anjana Aggarwal.

Ujjwal Agrain, senior policy adviser at PETA India, said the CCSEA inspection was conducted after whistleblowers sent photographs and videos showing dogs “lying in the pool of blood”, animals with untreated wounds and experiments being carried out without pain relief.

According to PETA, CCSEA-appointed inspectors recorded that the facility “confined far more dogs than were approved by CCSEA and couldn’t provide an inventory of any animals”, and that beagles, monkeys, cows and pigs were all in poor condition.

Participants at Friday’s protest wore beagle masks and raised their hands painted to look bloodied to point to the condition of 73 beagles whom Palamur Biosciences has placed under what it calls rehabilitation. Agrain said, “In the name of rehabilitation they have put them inside of enclosure without proper rehabilitation.”

PETA says these 73 beagles are no longer used for breeding or experiments and that the facility marked them for rehabilitation instead of allowing them to be sent to NGOs or homes. They added that CCSEA “has not ordered” their rescue even after confirming that they are no longer needed for experiments.

The CCSEA report listed repeated violations. It noted that dogs, monkeys, pigs and cows lacked suitable medical records, painful procedures were repeated on the same animals and sedation was skipped before killing. “The operational deficiencies observed at PBPL are not isolated incidents but indicative of entrenched structural, procedural and ethical failures,” the report said. Agrain said whistleblowers described cramped cages, untreated injuries and frequent use of animals in experiments without pain management. “Painful experiments were being done without pain reliefs and a lot of other problems,” he said.

Questions about next steps remain open. Agrain said PETA’s representation to CCSEA triggered the inspection and the organisation expected action once the findings were officially recorded. He added that a case related to the issue is before the Delhi High Court. PETA says dogs with treatable conditions are “reportedly killed”, wild monkeys “who have been abducted from their forest homes are experimented on” and pigs are poisoned.

Protest in JNTU After Student Dies by Suicide

Hyderabad: The Students Protection Forum held a protest at the JNTU on Friday alleging that the college was responsible for the death by suicide of a student named Divya from the electrical and electronics engineering department. They said Divya had been unwell and could not attend classes for several days but the college refused to budge on the matter of attendance. She died by suicide at her home on Thursday, they said.

“Her family showed medical documents. Still, she was denied attendance. That humiliation pushed her into depression,” said student leader Erravelli Jagan. The university is yet to respond to the allegation.

They accused faculty members of creating pressure on students with health concerns by refusing basic attendance relaxation. “If rank-holding students are struggling to reach 65 per cent attendance, something is broken. Are teachers unable to bring students to the classroom,” said Sagar Naik, a protester.

Student groups demanded immediate suspension of those responsible and payment of `1 crore compensation to Divya’s family. They said the university must take responsibility for her death and implement safeguards for students with medical conditions. “If the university fails to respond, we will intensify our agitation,” said a protestor, J. Dilip.

Hyderabad's First Multi-Level Smart Parking at KBR Park

HYDERABAD: The city’s first multi-level smart parking system in a public space will open on Friday at the KBR Park. The GHMC hoped that the new automated rotary facility would reduce illegal roadside parking on the busy road.

According to GHMC, the facility was built through a public-private partnership with Nava Nirman Associates. The system is vertical, which keeps the footprint small. It can take 72 cars, has space for two-wheelers, and will run from 5 am to 11 pm. Officials said that the parking unit will support EV charging points.

The entry and exit will be RFID-based. The facility carries load-balance sensors, locking systems, CCTV monitoring, and emergency response arrangements. These are meant to make the system safe for users while allowing it to move cars efficiently.

A press release noted that the corporation views this as a practical answer to chronic complaints from commuters and residents about lanes getting blocked by parallel parking, especially during mornings and late evenings when the park sees peak activity.

Indiramma Canteens Open in Bagh Lingampally, Kavadiguda

HYDERABAD: Indiramma Canteens opened their doors in Bagh Lingampally and Kavadiguda on Friday. Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who inaugurated the facility said the city’s welfare programmes would move in step with urban expansion, adding, “Hunger-free Hyderabad is our commitment,” soon after the inauguration.

Present at the event were Secunderabad Congress MP Anil Kumar Yadav and MLA Mutha Gopal. They spoke with beneficiaries at the Bagh Lingampally facility. Prabhakar said Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy had asked GHMC to set up these centres across Hyderabad so that no one struggled for basic meals.

Prabhakar said the canteens provide breakfast and lunch for `5 each. He said more localities would be picked for the Indiramma Canteens.

Breakfast is served from 7 am to 9.30 am and lunch from 12 noon to 2 pm. The GHMC bears `14 for every plate of breakfast and `24.83 for every meal. According to officials, a person who depends on the canteen every day may save about `3,000 a month. HKM Charitable Foundation runs the centres.