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Tiryani mandal reels under drinking water crisis

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Dwellers of a few villages are struggling to quench their thirst following pumps and pipelines of Mission Bhagiratha going defunct.

Published Date – 3 April 2024, 06:40 PM


Tiryani mandal reels under drinking water crisis


Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Residents of hilly areas and villages on the forest fringes in Tiryani mandal of Kumram Bheem Asifabad district are reeling under an acute Kumram Bheem Asifabad.

Dwellers of a few villages are struggling to quench their thirst following pumps and pipelines of Mission Bhagiratha going defunct.

For instance, villagers in the remote Gundala in Tiryani mandal depend on an old well and hand-pump.

The well and hand-pump are the only sources of drinking water for the village and surrounding hamlets. Villagers transport water on bullock carts, facing sweltering heat wave conditions.

Similarly, dwellers of Bheemrala village in this mandal rely on the neighbouring Thoyareti village for drinking water.

Vedma Venkatesh, a social media influencer, who shared a video of tribals fetching water from a spring found in a rock near this village, said: “Aboriginal tribes are still witnessing hardships due to lack of drinking water facility.”

People of Govena, Kolamguda, Bheemgondi, Solarguda and Samathulagundam villages are also left with no option but to extract water from pits dug in local streams, risking their health.

Many other villages situated on hillocks, valleys and edges of the forest in this mandal continue to experience severe drinking water crisis.

The tribals regretted that the crisis was not addressed even after submitting petitions to officials several times.

The dwellers of these villages alleged that the pumps and pipelines belonging to the prestigious Mission Bhagiratha scheme were not properly functioning at regular intervals, affecting the supply of water to the habitations situated in hilly terrains, valleys and forests.

They said that the crunch of funds to maintain the scheme and to pay wages to watermen was hitting the initiative. When asked, Sirpur (U) sub-division deputy executive engineer Khaleel said efforts were being made to avoid the drinking water crisis by working in tandem with various departments.

He admitted the villagers witnessed problems due to snags in pumps a few days ago. He claimed that the water was being supplied to villages at least 2 to 3 hours a day.

Hyderabad

Laxman demands CBI probe into phone tapping

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BJP Rajya Sabha Member K Laxman has accused both the Congress and the BRS of orchestrating drama surrounding the issue of phone tapping.

Published Date – 3 April 2024, 06:29 PM


Laxman demands CBI probe into phone tapping


BJP Rajya Sabha Member K Laxman has accused both the Congress and the BRS of orchestrating drama surrounding the issue of phone tapping.

Hyderabad: Accusing the Congress and the BRS of enacting drama over phone tapping issue, BJP Rajya Sabha Member K Laxman demanded the State government to order a CBI probe into the phone tapping.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Laxman accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of trying to protect the people behind the phone tapping. “Government is trying to use the phone tapping issue to divert the attention of the people from the core issues. Both the parties are working in tandem and misleading the people on the issue,”he alleged.

Stating that allegations of phone tapping came up during the 2018 Assembly elections, 2019 Parliament elections, Dubbaka and Munugode by-elections, he said a CBI probe into the issue would help in bringing the persons behind it to justice.

World

NATO set to announce $100 bn military aid package for Ukraine

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The financial package is set to be included in a wider effort to encourage allies to back Kyiv, given that a $60 billion US military aid package is currently facing delays in Congress.

The proposals will be debated upon in a two-day conference in Brussels, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and gearing up for a summit of alliance leaders in Washington in July.

“We need to shift the dynamics of our support,” Secretary General Stoltenberg said as he arrived at the meeting on Wednesday.

“We must ensure reliable and predictable security assistance to Ukraine for the long haul, so that we rely less on voluntary contributions and more on NATO commitments. Less on short-term offers and more on multi-year pledges.”

The UK’s foreign minister David Cameron, meanwhile, is urging member states to invest more in defense and increase industrial production, saying it is necessary if the alliance wants Ukraine to defeat Russia.

In a speech, Cameron is expected to encourage NATO allies to step up support for Kyiv and ramp up defense industrial production.

“75 years after its creation, we are celebrating a NATO that has never been stronger or more important, especially following Sweden’s accession last month,” Cameron said.

“With Ukraine closer to NATO than ever, we must sustain the critical support Ukraine needs to win the war,” the foreign secretary stressed, adding that “Allies need to step up and spend more on defense in the face of continued Russian aggression and a more dangerous world.”

Asked about a possible $107 billion NATO fund for Ukraine, the Polish foreign minister, Radek Sikorski, told reporters: “we support the secretary-general’s efforts.”

Up until this point, NATO has primarily concentrated on providing non-lethal assistance to Ukraine due to concerns that a more active involvement could potentially escalate tensions with Russia. Individual member states have contributed billions of dollars in arms through bilateral agreements.

Diplomats have expressed a growing belief within NATO that it is now necessary to establish a more stable framework for military aid to Ukraine, with NATO being the most suitable entity to fulfill this role.

“100 billion for 5 years looks pretty big, but it is a small effort we have to pay in order for Ukraine to win. Otherwise, the price will be much much higher, I assure you,” one senior European diplomat told the Guardian.

“We haven’t yet figured it out how we build this 100 billion for 5 years. We could get to a solution that would also include the bilateral contributions to Ukraine, which could then be bearable for everyone,” the diplomat added.

According to diplomats, NATO is set to assume certain coordination responsibilities from the Ramstein group, a temporary coalition led by the US, which is intended to mitigate the risk of reduced US support in the event of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Russia on Wednesday accused NATO of returning to a Cold War mindset.

“Today, in relations with Russia, the bloc has returned to Cold War settings,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters, Reuters reported.

She said the alliance has no place in a “multipolar world”.

MNA/PresTV

Top News

Blinken admits Ukraine at ‘critical moment’ as France gives more used materiel

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Ramin Mazaheri

Press TV, Paris

The second phase of the decade-long Ukraine conflict has recently entered its third year, and it shows no sign of slowing down.

France has announced they will send hundreds of old armored vehicles to Ukraine, as a visit from United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken produced promises of more war.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

India

Real Life 'Invisibility Shield' Can Make You Disappear In Plain Sight

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'Science Fiction Into Reality': Real Life 'Invisibility Shield' Hides Users In Plain Sight

The technology creates a slight blur, like a hidden object behind a frosted glass window.

A British startup, Invisibility Shield Co., created something straight out of a ‘Harry Potter’ film. The startup has made a 6-foot-tall “Megashield” sold for $828, which they claim that it can make multiple people invisible.  

According to a report by the New York Post, the startup has made shields by using ultra-large, precision-engineered lens arrays, which form the face of each shield and redirect light that reflects off the person standing behind the shield, away from the observer.

These innovative shields use clever lens design to bend light around an object. By strategically capturing background light and directing it towards the viewer, they create the illusion of whatever’s behind them simply disappearing.

However, it’s not perfect invisibility. The technology creates a slight blur, like a hidden object behind a frosted glass window.

Despite this limitation, the shields offer some impressive features. They’re waterproof, require no power source, and are even eco-friendly, built entirely from recyclable materials.

“The possibilities are endless but most important of all, these shields are great fun. They’re fun to play around with and exciting for us to make,” Invisibility Shield designer Tristan Thompson told South West News Service.

The startup launched its product in 2022 with a 3-foot-tall shield worth $354 and a smaller version standing at 8 inches tall sold for $54.

The startup crowdfunded on Kickstarter in hopes of “turning science fiction into reality” in 2022 and raised a $6,600 goal expecting to ship customers by the end of that year. 

Invisibility Shield Co. updated the Kickstarter funder on Tuesday to announce the updated product. 

The latest version of the invisibility shield can hide multiple people, stand on its own and be packed down to 2.3 inches of thickness, “allowing people to easily take them anywhere they want to disappear,” the company claimed.

“We wanted to see how far we could push this technology. A real working invisibility shield that you can just roll up and sling over your shoulder? Two years ago nobody thought anyone could do that,” Thompson said.

Hyderabad

Telangana Gig Workers union demands crackdown on illegal cab services

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The union members highlighted the need for strict action against illegal cab services and aggregator companies, along with the implementation of uniform fares for city taxis.

Published Date – 3 April 2024, 06:28 PM


Telangana Gig Workers union demands crackdown on illegal cab services

Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union Logo

Hyderabad: The members of Telangana Gig and Platform Workers union (TGPWU) have raised concerns over rampant operation of vehicles from neighboring states without proper permits and payment of taxes in Telangana.

In a letter addressed to the Transport Commissioner and District Transport Offices, the union members highlighted the need for strict action against illegal cab services and aggregator companies, along with the implementation of uniform fares for city taxis.

Thousands of vehicles from states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and others are reportedly operating in Hyderabad and surrounding areas using temporary permits and paying only border taxi fees. These vehicles are engaged in app-based ride-hailing/sharing services such as Ola, Uber, and Rapido, as well as with IT companies, and continue to operate illegally even after their permits expire.

The union called for authorities to conduct special checks in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Sangareddy, and other areas to ensure that all vehicles have the necessary permits and pay appropriate taxes.

Furthermore, the TGPWU urged the Telangana Transport department to implement uniform fares for both city taxis and app-based taxis, similar to measures taken by the Karnataka Transport Department.

“A crackdown on hotspots like Uppal, LB Nagar, Aramgarh, BHEL cross road and airport areas etc. will help in protecting the passengers, support registered cab drivers, and boost state revenue,” Shaik Salauddin, the Founder President of TGPWU, stated.

The union also pointed out that illegal cabs compromise insurance claims in accidents, further underscoring the need for stringent enforcement measures.

Top News

IPL 2024, GT vs PBKS: Preview, Fantasy Picks, Pitch And Weather Reports

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Gujarat Titans have played three matches in the ongoing tournament and are ranked fifth on the points table, while Punjab Kings have also played three matches and are ranked eighth on the points table. In the last match played by Gujarat Titans against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Titans beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets. The top fantasy player for Gujarat Titans was Mohit Sharma who scored 85 fantasy points. The other top point-getters for Gujarat Titans are David Miller with 64 match fantasy points and Sai Sudharsan with 59 match fantasy points.

In their last match in this series against Lucknow Super Giants, Lucknow Super Giants beat Punjab Kings by 21 runs. The top fantasy player for Punjab Kings was Shikhar Dhawan who scored 105 fantasy points.

The other top point-getters for Punjab Kings are Sam Curran with 83 match fantasy points and Jonny Bairstow with 77 match fantasy points.

GT vs PBKS, Pitch Report And Weather Conditions

The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, will allow for good stroke play and the batters will find it easy to bat on the surface. It will not allow much assistance to the bowlers and wicket-taking is not going to be easy. The average first-innings score at this venue in the last 20 matches is 174 runs.

Pace or Spin?

The pacers have taken 80% of the total wickets at this venue. Hence, picking up pacers for your fantasy team should be a good idea. Based on the stats available, we predict that the pitch will continue to assist the pacers.

Weather Report

The temperature will hover around 32 degree Celsius with 19% humidity. Winds at a speed of 3.31 m/s are expected. Cloudy weather is expected during the match, this may help pacers with movement.

GT vs PBKS, Head-To-Head

Both teams last played against each other in Match 18 of the Indian Premier League, 2023, where Shubman Gill scored the highest fantasy points for Gujarat Titans with 106 match fantasy points while Sam Curran topped the fantasy points leaderboard for Punjab Kings with 72 match fantasy points.

In the three matches played between these two teams, Punjab Kings’ bowlers have earned the most fantasy points for their team, while the batters have earned the most fantasy points for Gujarat Titans.

GT vs PBKS, Top Captain And Vice-Captain Picks

Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is a bowler with an average of 65 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.8 and is a fairly consistent player in terms of fantasy points. Rashid bowls leg-break googly and in the recent three matches, he has taken three wickets at an average of 35.

Sam Curran

Sam Curran is an all-rounder with an average of 63 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.4 and is a consistent player in terms of fantasy points. He is a left-handed batter. In the recently played three matches, he has scored 86 runs at an average of 28.67 per match. Sam is also a handy bowler, bowling left-arm medium-fast and in recent matches, he has taken four wickets at an average of 17 per match.

Sai Sudharsan

Sai Sudharsan is a batter with an average of 50 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 9.3 and can be a good pick for your Fantasy XI Team. This player is a batter who bats left-handed. In the recently played three matches, he has scored 127 runs at an average of 42.33 per match.

Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma is a good-to-have player for your Fantasy XI Fantasy Team. Mohit has an average of 50 match fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 9.2. He bowls right-arm medium and in the last three matches, he has taken six wickets at an average of 15.50.

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan can be a good pick for your Fantasy XI Team. Dhawan has an average of 43 match fantasy points in the last 10 games and a fantasy rating of 9.1. He is a top-order, left-handed batter. In the last three matches, he has scored 137 runs averaging 45.67 per match.

Azmatullah Omarzai

Azmatullah Omarzai is an all-rounder with an average of 47 match fantasy points in the last 10 games, a fantasy rating of 8.8 and can be a good pick for your Fantasy XI Team. Azmatullah is a top-order, right-handed batter. In the last two innings, he has scored 28 runs at an average of 14 per match. This player also bowls decently, bowling right-arm medium-fast and in recent matches, he has taken 3 wickets, averaging at 27 per match.

GT vs PBKS, Squad Information

Gujarat Titans (GT) Squad: Shubman Gill (c), Kane Williamson, Wriddhiman Saha, Umesh Yadav, David Miller, Jayant Yadav, Vijay Shankar, Mohit Sharma, Abhinav Manohar, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Rashid Khan, Joshua Little, Sai Kishore, Darshan Nalkande, Azmatullah Omarzai, BR Sharath, Kartik Tyagi, Spencer Johnson, Sai Sudharsan, Manav Suthar, Sushant Mishra, Matthew Wade and Noor Ahmad.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) Squad: Shikhar Dhawan (c), Chris Woakes, Rilee Rossouw, Rishi Dhawan, Harpreet Singh, Harshal Patel, Tanay Thyagarajan, Jonny Bairstow, Sikandar Raza, Shashank Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Sam Curran, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Atharva Taide, Ashutosh Sharma, Vidwath Kaverappa, Prabhsimran Singh, Nathan Ellis, Harpreet Brar, Shivam Singh, Vishwanath Singh and Prince Choudhary.

GT vs PBKS, Fantasy XI Team

Wicket-Keepers: Wriddhiman Saha and Jitesh Sharma

Batters: Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan and Shikhar Dhawan

All-Rounders: Azmatullah Omarzai and Sam Curran

Bowlers: Mohit Sharma, Harpreet Brar, Rashid Khan and Arshdeep Singh

Captain: Shubman Gill

Vice-Captain: Mohit Sharma

Topics mentioned in this article

Hyderabad

Watch: Man trampled to death by elephant in Asifabad

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The wild male elephant from the forests of of Chhattisgarh and Odisha reportedly strayed into Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra before stepping into Telangana for food and water.

Published Date – 3 April 2024, 06:16 PM


Watch: Man trampled to death by elephant in Asifabad


Kumram Bheem Asifabad: A farmer was trampled to death on Wednesday by an elephant that strayed into the district crossing the Penganga River from the neighboring Maharashtra. The farmer, Alluri Shankar, was working on his farm at Burepalli village in Chintalamanepalli mandal.

The wild male elephant from the forests of of Chhattisgarh and Odisha reportedly strayed into Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra before stepping into Telangana for food and water. It then attacked Shankar when he was working on his chilli crop on the outskirts of the village on the banks of Pranahita river. Locals shot a video of the animal, which went viral on social media platforms.

District Forest Officer Neeraj Kumar Tebriwal said efforts were being made to divert the animal back into the forest and to avoid further human loss. A rescue team was pressed to tackle the elephant. He advised the public not to confront the animal in its path. It would go back to its territory after having food and quenching its thirst, he said.

“A herd of elephants usually migrate from Chhattisgarh and Odisha to Maharashtra in search of habitat, food and water every year. A male and female elephant are temporarily staying in Choudampalli wildlife sanctuary and Aheri forest range, Wadsa and Brahmapuri forests of Maharashtra for the last 20 days. They originally hail from Assam,” a forest official said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra forest official have launched a search for the elephant using drone cameras in Choudampalli forest range.

Top News

Who Was Savannah Graziano? Kidnapped US Girl Shot Dead By Cops

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Who Was Savannah Graziano? Kidnapped US Girl Shot Dead By Cops

The incident took place in September 2022.

A 15-year-old girl in California whose father was believed to have kidnapped her in September 2022 was fatally shot by police officers as she followed their command and didn’t appear to be wearing tactical gear, as previously claimed by cops, a new footage shows. According to The Guardian, Savannah Graziano was abducted by her father, Anthony John Graziano, after he allegedly killed his wife and Savannah’s mother on September 27, 2022. An Amber Alert was issued for the 15-year-old after the homicide was discovered. When the deputies found Mr Graziano’s truck, a car chase and a shootout followed, resulting in the deaths of Savannah and her father. 

At the time, police claimed that it was unclear whether the 15-year-old was shot by deputies or her father. They also said that deputies didn’t realise it was her when she got out of the vehicle, and they refused to release the footage of the shooting. 

This incident sparked a national concern, with people questioning how officers wound up killing the unarmed teenage girl they were tasked to rescue. Now, nearly two years after the incident, the department disclosed a dozen video files to the independent journalist Joey Scott. The video, which has also surfaced on social media, shows the deputies shooting at Savannah as she followed their instructions to move towards them. 

As per The Guardian, the clip suggests that police officers shot her after two other cops remarked that it was the girl who exited. It also makes it clear that the deputies and not her father fatally shot the 15-year-old. 

The California Department of Justice is now investigating the case under a law requiring inquiries into police killing of unarmed people. 

Also Read | US Court Awards $35 Million To Woman Who Suffered Brain Injury After Glass Door In Office Collapsed

Notably, the search for the 15-year-old started on September 26, 2022, when her father allegedly shot and killed his estranged wife and Savannah’s mother. He reportedly also shot at a father and his child outside a school in nearby Fontana. 

Speaking to the outlet, CJ Wyatt, Savannah’s uncle, said he understood it was a confusing and chaotic situation for officers to manage, but that his niece should not have been shot: “There needs to be better training so that unarmed people aren’t killed. Hopefully this video can be used for training – something has to be done differently. She didn’t have to die”. 

Mr Wyatt also said blame ultimately lay with Savannah’s father, who he described as “abusive and manipulative”. As her parents were separating in the weeks prior, the 15-year-old had been living in her father’s truck. “She was a really sweet girl at her core, and she didn’t deserve this,” he added. 

Hyderabad

Karimnagar DCCB earns Rs 100 crore profit in 2023-24

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He said that the KDCCB was the third largest bank in the district in terms of doing business and extending financial assistance to the farm sector after SBI and UBI.

Published Date – 3 April 2024, 06:02 PM


Karimnagar DCCB earns Rs 100 crore profit in 2023-24


Karimnagar: Karimnagar District Cooperative Central Bank (KDCCB) earned gross profit of Rs 100.10 crore during the financial year 2023-24.

Bank staff celebrated the achievement of highest profit in DCCB main branch here on Wednesday. Participating in the celebrations, bank Chairman Konduru Ravinder Rao congratulated the entire DCCB team and CEO N Satyanarayana Rao for reaping highest profits and achieving NPA of 0.74 per cent.

Karimnagar DCCB, which is making strides on all fronts, has emerged as a brand in the country. The DCCB, which was running in losses to the tune of Rs 70 crore in the year 2005, has made a turnaround in the year 2011 due to the reforms such as digitalization, good governance and diversification of business activities.

Now, it managed to earn gross profit of Rs 100.10 crore during the year 2023-24, he said and informed that KDCCB model is being implemented throughout the country as ‘Telangana model’.

Moreover, the Karimnagar DCCB had become study centre for several cooperative banks in the country and others to visit the bank and PACSs and study its functioning and adopt its good practices, he said and added that the NITI AYOG had written to the union government to adopt the Karimnagar model of digitalization, good governance and diversification of the business activities to ensure that all the cooperatives run successfully.

He said that the KDCCB was the third largest bank in the district in terms of doing business and extending financial assistance to the farm sector after SBI and UBI.

Stressing on the need to strengthen the PACS, which are backbones of the cooperative structure, he said that the technology should reach PACS and convert them as extension bank counters to provide all banking services at the doorstep and increase business of the DCCB.

He also informed the branch managers to delegate the work to ensure accountability among all the staff members. With regard to the employees request for providing incentives for earning profits continuously, the DCCB chairman said that they would take a decision in the board of directors meeting.

Similarly, he also said that they were also examining to provide a dress code to all the employees by providing uniforms to give a new look to the employees.

CEO N Satyanarayana Rao appreciated the employees for their extra-ordinary work and achieving good results. Congratulating the staff for crossing the business turnover of over Rs 6,500 crore during the year 2023-24, he informed the branch managers to set the target of doing business for the year 2024-25.