Untimely rains and hailstorm in Andhra Pradesh have killed 18 persons and damaged agricultural and horticultural crops in 2.50 lakh hectares in the last two days.

An innovative solar-powered advertising vehicle developed by an entrepreneur, was launched by Prakasam District Collector G.S.R.K.R. Vijaykumar here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said ''solar energy is the energy of the future''. He stressed the need for developing easy-to-use appliances by tapping the renewable energy to meet the ever-growing power requirements.

Crops, mostly paddy, in 76,980 hectares are in water

As heavy rains continued to lash Andhra Pradesh due to 'Nilam' cyclonic storm, standing crops in about 77,000 hectares have been affected. "Crops, mostly paddy, in 76,980 hectares are in water. It is not that all of that crop is damaged. Once the water recedes, the district officials would enumerate and send reports," state Revenue Minister N Raghuveera Reddy said in a briefing today.

New Delhi Hit by an acute shortage of land for growing eucalyptus, the paper industry is now banking on agro-forestry to meet the rising demand of wood pulp. Started by paper major ITC, more than 1,500 acres of land is covered under the agro-forestry plan in areas such as Khammam, west Godavari, Prakasam and Nizamabad districts of Andhra Pradesh.

In these areas, eucalyptus is planted on the same land where other agricultural crops such as cotton, chili, sunflower, maize and tobacco are grown.

A Division Bench, comprising Justice V.V.S. Rao and Justice G.

The Justice M.B. Shah Commission inquiring into illegal mining across the country has finally landed in the state which has been emerging as the epicentre for the loot of minerals and ores by mining barons.

Though delayed, the commission will probe illegal mining in various districts including Anantapur where Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy’s Obulapuram Mining Company allegedly plundered precious ore worth thousands of crores of rupees and exported it. Mr Janardhan Reddy was arrested by the CBI along with then mines secretary Y. Srilakshmi and then mines director V.D. Rajagopal in the mining scam.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation is funding a pilot project to enable the state’s farmers to reverse the environmental degradation and rural poverty in the state by applying scientific methods to groundwater management.

Baseline studies jointly conducted by the FAO, Centre and state government have identified seven districts in Andhra Pradesh to effectively implement the best practices in sustainable cropping patterns to combat climate change.

Almost 10 per cent of villages in the state have been freshly earmarked to receive notifications under the Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002.

The villages have been identified by the groundwater department here that has asked the state government to strictly check deep-bore drilling in about 2,500 villages that are to be notified in a fresh move this year.

Ground water levels are depleting fast in the State. Latest studies by the ground water department reveal that all districts in the state have witnessed a critical fall in the water table. Dr K.

Twelve thousand trees will be felled to make way for the three proposed radial roads — Nagole-Gouralli, Tarnaka-Keesara Jeedi-metla-Dundigal — connecting to the high speed corridor Outer Ring Road