Secunderabad railway police foil massive ganja operations with strict enforcement

Hyderabad: With an aim to plant 30 lakhs sampling in the Greater Hyderabad municipal corporation (GHMC) limits, state government started Vanmahotsav program on Monday. Hyderabad Incharge Minister Ponnam Prabhakar along with GHMC Mayor Vijayalakshmi, launched the Vanmahotsav program in Ramanthapur.

Going further into details, As part of this initiative, the government aims to plant a total of 3 million trees in the city. GHMC has prepared more than the required number of saplings to meet this target.The program will not only provide free saplings to those in need but will also deliver them door-to-door. The trees planted in previous years have earned the city the prestigious ‘Tree City Award’ of the United Nations Food and Agriculture organization(UNFAO), an international award. The United Nations, ‘Tree City of the World’ programme provides direction, assistance, and worldwide recognition for communities’ dedication to its urban forest, and provides a framework for a healthy, sustainable urban forestry.

According to the Forest Survey of India, Hyderabad’s forest cover has increased by 147% over the past decade, growing from 33.15 square kilometers to 81.81 square kilometers in 2021.

Further inspired by this success of earlier program Harithaharam started by the BRS regime, GHMC has planned to plant trees in parks, along medians, and on both sides of the roads throughout the city. The Van Mahotsav program will officially began on July 8 throughout the state.The public representatives will plant 7,135 trees at 56 locations across the city as part of Vanmahotsav, said GHMC official statement.

Minister for BC Welfare and Transport Ponnam Prabhakar, Mayor Vijayalakshmi, Deputy Mayor Srilatha Shoban Reddy, Commissioner Amrapali, and Uppal MLA B. Lakshma Reddy jointly planted saplings at Government Polytechnic College in Ramanthapur and launched the program.

Hyderabad: A manhole on the Beeramguda-Krishna Reddy Pet Road in Hyderabad is in danger of collapsing due to stagnant water and a weakened retaining wall. This has damaged the surrounding concrete road and the manhole itself. Local residents have been urging the Ameenpur Municipality authorities to take immediate action to address the issue before any accidents or untoward incidents occur.

Citizen Koushik (@sai_koushika) on July 7, highlighted the problem on a social media platform, previously known as Twitter. He tagged the official accounts of the Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration, State Mission Director MEPMA, Government of Telangana, and IAS officer Gautham.

@cdmatelangana this is not addressed by the team and now the manhole is about to collapse
regarding Stagnant Water On The Road with Ref No : 621528 Status is Completed, Monitoring Cell ,Ameenpur -TSCDMA@VpGautham_ias sir can you please intervene pic.twitter.com/QGlvaJJPJ7

— Koushik (@sai_koushika) July 7, 2024

Koushik’s post pointed out that a previous complaint regarding stagnant water on the road (reference number: 621528) was marked as ‘completed’ without any resolution. He urged the authorities to intervene and prevent the imminent manhole collapse.

The Ameenpur Municipality acknowledged Koushik’s tweet and replied that they would address the problem as soon as possible.

This is not the first time Koushik has raised this issue. On June 17th, he had requested the deployment of a monsoon emergency team to clear stagnant rainwater on the same road, specifically near ICRISAT Phase 2 Colony and Raghavendra Colony. However, his complaint was closed with the status ‘completed’ despite the problem persisting.

Dear Citizen, Thank you for bringing our notice, we will solve the problem as soon as possible.

— AMEENPUR MUNICIPALITY (@AmeenpurM) July 7, 2024

It’s important to note that opening manholes in Hyderabad requires permission from the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) due to safety concerns, especially during the rainy season. According to the HMWSSB ACT – 1989, Section 74, tampering with manhole covers is an offense and can lead to fines or even jail time.

Residents are advised to report any damaged or open manholes, or any other water supply or sewerage issues, by calling the Water Board’s Complaint number 155313.

Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) will be organizing a three-day tree plantation drive starting tomorrow, July 9th (Tuesday), at the National Skill Training Institute located on Shivam Road, Amberpet, Hyderabad. The initiative, part of the Van Mahotsav Programme, aims to plant 150-160 saplings each day.

While speaking to the Hyderabad mail, Santhosh Kumar, a resident of Vidyanagar, Hyderabad, informed, “I am one of the volunteers for the program. This plantation program is being spearheaded by GHMC’s Urban Biodiversity Manager, Bhasker Devaraya, and his 10-member team. I am volunteering because I believe in building a better tomorrow. If my efforts can contribute even a fraction of a percent, I would be happy and content.”

Santhosh Kumar’s motivation for participating stems from the scorching summer Hyderabad experienced this year. “The heat this summer was unlike anything I have ever felt in my nearly 20 years living here,” he explained. “Both temperature and humidity were at record highs compared to previous years. This wasn’t unique to Hyderabad; it was the reality for most metropolitan cities. Planting trees is one of the simplest ways we can combat rising temperatures and global warming. Trees provide shade, which helps lower temperatures. Just look at Osmania University – the abundance of trees there creates a noticeably cooler and fresher environment. I want to see that replicated throughout Hyderabad.”

The event is expected to see participation from the local corporator and Amberpet MLA Kaleru Venkatesh. Organizers are encouraging citizens to come forward and join the tree plantation drive.

Santhosh Kumar, @skv8801, took to ‘X,’ previously known as Twitter, and posted by tagging a few handles and said, “If anyone is interested in volunteering. Please get in touch with me immediately. The program has been postponed to tomorrow July 9 (Tuesday) and shifted to National Skill Training Institute, Shivam from Indira Park, Domalguda.”

Today there is a Tree plantation drive in Indira park,Domalguda
If anyone is interested for volunteering,
Pl contact me immediately.@Ilovehyderabad @CoreenaSuares2 @vinay_vangala @krishna_avs @manreddy @NeelimaEaty @asiyakhantrees @amksocialwork @UNTGAPS @vata_foundation pic.twitter.com/VQXltrPjH0

— Santosh (@skv8801) July 8, 2024