Category Archives: Science & Technology

Rich tributes paid to Sir Arthur Cotton

Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Leaders, Science & Technology, World Opinion
IN REMEMBRANCE: Lieutenant Murthy Jasti of River Bay Resorts performing Abhishekam to the statue of Sir Arthur Cotton on the occasion of his birth anniversary in Rajahmundry on Friday.
IN REMEMBRANCE: Lieutenant Murthy Jasti of River Bay Resorts performing Abhishekam to the statue of Sir Arthur Cotton on the occasion of his birth anniversary in Rajahmundry on Friday.

Felicitations to former chief engineer and others mark his 206th birth anniversary

His contributions to the irrigation recalled

Documentary on Sir Arthur Cotton sought

Kakinada:

Rich tributes were paid to Sir Arthur Cotton at JNTU-Kakinada on Friday on the occasion of his 206th birth anniversary by Vice-Chancellor Allam Appa Rao and retired engineers of the Irrigation Department. Prof. Rao also felicitated former chief engineer (irrigation) A. Rameswara Rao and others who made valuable contributions to the irrigation engineering.

Relentless efforts

Addressing the gathering, Prof. Rao said India would not have witnessed the green revolution but for the relentless efforts of Sir Arthur Cotton to realise the full potential of the arable lands by building a network of canals and drains in major river basins. Unfortunately, Sir Arthur Cotton was identified with only the Godavari canal system and Dowleswaram barrage whereas he had played an instrumental role in the construction of the Ganges canal.

He had also envisaged the Gannavaram aqueduct and several other projects that helped farmers increase productivity by leaps and bounds.

Sir Arthur Cotton was basically a military man who had the penchant for engineering which eventually led him to design and execute some of the world’s best irrigation schemes in India. However, he did not get the due recognition in spite of his great accomplishments though his memories were relived every year on his birth and death days.

Prof. Rao suggested to the Civil Engineering Department to make out a documentary on Sir Arthur Cotton and make it an integral part of the irrigation engineering course planned to be offered in the varsity.

The innovative concepts of Sir Cotton have to be studied in detail and scrupulously followed upon to find new ways of augmenting the potential of India’s irrigation systems.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / May 16th, 2016

A helping hand for the visually-challenged

Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology
Cost-effective navigation system:The visional system fixed to the pair of shoes of a visually-challenged person, which is part of the app developed by students of Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science .
Cost-effective navigation system:The visional system fixed to the pair of shoes of a visually-challenged person, which is part of the app developed by students of Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science .

MITS students develop an Android app ‘Blind Vision’

Students of Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science (MITS), Madanapalle, have designed a system called ‘Blind Vision’ that helps the visually-challenged to tread easily even in crowded spaces.

M. Guru Prasad, P. Asha, S. Bhavya, M. Gunasekhar, Reddy Prasad and Samarasimha Reddy, final year ECE students, have replaced the canes that guide the visually challenged in detection and avoidance of obstacles. Unlike the scores of similar guiding systems developed at exorbitant costs for people with vision impairment, this seemingly simple, portable and cost-effective alternative navigation system focuses on two things, viz., sensing the immediate environment for them to travel and navigating to destinations beyond the immediate perceptible environment, by making use of GPS, voice, Bluetooth and ultrasonic sensor for obstacle detection.

The system has a visional system fixed to the pair of shoes that takes care of the obstacle detection, while the android application named ‘Blind Vision’ receives the signal. Once the application is activated, it automatically opens the Google Maps, traces the present location of the user and seeks his destination. When the user feeds the information, it tries to find the path to reach the destination and gives directions in the form of voice. The app will interface the maps and the obstacle information signals. The Google Maps will then guide the person through voice.

The device has also been selected for the ‘Motorola Scholar Award’ for final presentation. Principal C. Yuvaraj, ECE head A.R. Reddy and guide R. Velmani congratulated the students on their accomplishment.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by A.D. Rangarajan / Tirupati – May 06th, 2016

In a first, city-based corporate hospital completes knee implant surgery on 125-kg patient

Records, All, Science & Technology

Visakhapatnam:

Claimed to be the first time in Andhra Pradesh, a city-based corporate hospital has successfully undertaken total knee implant surgery on a 57-year-old patient weighing 125 kgs. Called Attune Knee, it’s a knee joint replacement procedure. The prosthesis was implanted in both knees of the patient in Seven Hills Hospital.

Explaining the procedure, Dr Sushant Kumar Mallik, consultant joint replacement surgeon, said the patient Ch Sanjeev Reddy from Visakhapatnam was suffering from severe degenerative arthritis of both knee joints and was unable to walk since the last five years. “His X-rays revealed badly damaged condition of both knees and reduction in joint space in both knee joints. After necessary investigations, the patient underwent total knee replacement in both knees 10 days ago during an operation that lasted for four hours. The patient is stable and is walking normally post surgery.”

“The patient underwent bilateral total knee replacement in a single sitting with Attune knee replacement implant. The surgery was done for the very first time in AP. The surgery team was headed by Dr SK Mallick, the joint replacement surgeon at our hospital with anaesthesia support from Dr V Kuchelababu and team,” said Dr M Dinakar, medical superintendent of Seven Hills Hospital, Visakhapatnam.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / May 06th, 2016

Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project Wins International Information Prize

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

United Nations :

An Andhra Pradesh project to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS has won the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in the e-Agriculture category.

International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Secretary-General Houlin Zhao announced the prize Tuesday in Geneva.

The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Hyderabad developed the project, which is having a pilot run in Anantpur district. WSIS said the organisation had an e-strategy for implementing it at the national level.

“The WSIS Prizes recognize all players in the effort to improve global connectivity, from governments and global ICT (information communication technology) companies to grassroots NGOs leading innovative ICT-oriented projects at the local level.” Zhao said.

A total of 18 prizes were awarded in categories ranging from international cooperation to information ethics. The prize in the e-Agriculture category was the only one won by an Indian organisation.

The project, Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda- Precision Technology for Agriculture or HARITA-PRIYA, uses wireless sensor networks (WSN) to collect micro-climate information from farms, according to WSIS.

This data is used to create advisories and alerts on irrigation schedules and pests and plant disease. Based on them state agriculture officers send out personalised crop advisories in Telugu to farmers by SMS.

The Andhra Pradesh government, the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) station and the Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University in Anantapur partnered in the project.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by IANS / May 04th, 2016

‘Telemedicine facility ready’

Leaders, Records, All, Science & Technology

Telemedicine facility is ready with Apollo Hospitals which is ready to put it in operation once the State Government sanctions it permission to construct a hospital in the Vijayawada-Amaravati area, said chairman of Apollo Hospitals Prathap C. Reddy.

“With Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu all set to provide bandwidth to homes, telemedicine connectivity is possible and people can be in constant touch with medical experts. We are ready and waiting for the nod from [the] Government on the site for hospital,” Dr. Reddy told The Hindu on Friday. The plan is to establish a 300-bed super speciality hospital with an investment of around Rs. 200 crore.

Apollo Hospitals have made the best use of IT and is the first to introduce telemedicine in the world, in 2003. Its hospitals are connected to 200 TV stations in 35 countries.

On the Government’s plan to engage specialists of corporate hospitals to perform surgeries at its hospitals on payment, Dr. Reddy said the specialists and hospitals were ready but the doctors would like the Government hospitals to follow the process and protocol of surgeries and treatment.

He said more cancer hospitals were needed as the disease was spreading. Holistic treatment is also needed since a cancer patient will be having other health problems. While 2000 high end radiation machines are needed in the country, only 200 are available, he noted. Seven out of the 60 hospitals of Apollo are having true beam cancer treatment equipment and nine more would be provided the equipment in two years. The Chennai hospital has Asia’s first Proton equipment, which costs Rs. 350 crore.

He has adopted 115 villages in his native mandal in Chittoor district and is taking care of health of their 69,000 inhabitants in all respects, Dr. Reddy said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / G. Narasimha Rao / Visakhapatnam – April 30th, 2016

Piramal Group launches mobile health project in Andhra

Business & Economy, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

Vijayawada :

A mobile health project to provide medical services to the poor in villages of Andhra Pradesh was today launched.

“Chandranna Sanchar Chikitsa”, started by Piramal Swasthya and supported by the state Government, was launched by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at a function here.

Naidu flagged off 275 mobile medical units, provided by the trust, equipped with basic medical equipment and also teams of healthcare professionals.

These mobile units will travel to villages in the state everyday to provide health services to the poor who are unable to get qualitative medical aid, Piramal Swasthya said in a statement.

The project will focus on maternal health, medical issues related to neonatal, infants, reproductive health and contraceptive services and management of chronic communicable diseases. Basic OPD, management of common non-communicable diseases & mental illness, dental & eye care and geriatric care, among others, too will be covered, it said.

More than 300 doctors and 900 paramedics, trained in clinical domain and IT, have been drafted for the project to deliver the services in villages, the statement said.

Anand Piramal, Executive Director, Piramal Group and member of Governing Board of Piramal Swasthya, said, “Only 30 per cent Indians have access to modern healthcare. Our foundation’s vision is to deliver healthcare using technology, healthcare workers and with Government support.

“We are privileged to partner with the government of Andhra Pradesh to provide high quality healthcare at significant scale to the people of the State.” COR RSY DBS

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home / PTI / April 20th, 2016

IIHM celebrates Hahnemann’s birth anniversary

Education, Science & Technology

Father of Homoeopathy Samuel Christian Hahnemann’s 261 birth anniversary was celebrated here on Monday by the Indian Institute of Homoeo Physicians.

A meeting of all Homeopathic physicians was organised and Dr. Anuradha presided over the meeting.

Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Venna Veerabhadra Rao, Principal of Allu Ramalingaiah Government Homeopathic Medical College and Hospital, urged the government to give more funds, facilities to the local government college to produce quality doctors and also appealed to philanthropists to support the college.

After the meeting, all the physicians felicitated Dr. V. Subrahmanyam for his services.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Rajamahendravaram – April 12th, 2016

Solar boat makes its debut in Andhra Pradesh

Green Initiatives / Environment, Records, All, Science & Technology
The pontoon shaped solar-powered boat all set to be launched in River Krishna on Ugadi day in Vijayawada. Photo: V. Raju
The pontoon shaped solar-powered boat all set to be launched in River Krishna on Ugadi day in Vijayawada. Photo: V. Raju

The 12-seater pontoon-shaped vessel can cruise at a speed of 7 knots.

An eco-friendly solar-powered boat was launched on the pristine waters of River Krishna here on Friday.

There are only a handful of such boats operating on solar power in the country. The 12-seater pontoon-shaped boat can cruise at a speed of 7 knots for an estimated range of over 35 miles.

“We chose to launch the boat in River Krishna on the occasion of Ugadi festival on a trial run. While the boat may not change water travel, it is an effective and attention-grabbing demonstration of the sun’s power. We wanted to include an eco-friendly boat in our fleet of water sports operating in Krishna since Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is keen on bringing into use green energy,” said Subhakar Rao Surapaneni, CEO and Managing Director of Champions Yacht Club, a Goa-based yachting and boating service company which is launching the new facility.

Imported from China

The solar boat, facilitating clean and efficient cruise, has been imported from China.

Solar-powered boats get their energy from the sun. Using electric motors and storage batteries charged by solar panels fitted to the roof, these boats can significantly reduce or eliminate use of fossil fuels.

“Unlike conventional boats that operate using diesel engines which are fuel-guzzlers causing air and noise pollution and disturbance to the local habitat endangering the ecological balance of the surrounding areas, the solar boats are uniquely suited to transform light energy into movement,” said Sri Ranga Sai, Champion Yacht Club’s Vijayawada unit manager (Operations).

The boat will be rented out on hourly basis for kitty parties and other parties by small groups, says Mr. Sai.

The firs solar boat designed in India was named Surya, a 25-seater, by Kerala-based TeamSustain in 2008. It operated in the backwaters of Kerala ferrying passengers and in 2010, it was included in the Limca Book of Records as Asia’s largest solar-powered passenger boat.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News>Cities> Vijayawada / by P. Sujatha Varma / April 09th, 2016

City startup wins award

Business & Economy, Education, Inspiration /Positive News and Features, Records, All, Science & Technology

Genius Edulabs bags the award under social impact category

Genius Edulabs, a city-based startup which was incubated at Startup Moksha, Rushikonda, has received an award from Hyderabad Software Exporters Association (HYSEA) for its innovation.

The award was presented by Telangana IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao at a function organised recently at Hyderabad.

Genius Edulabs got the award under social impact category for their innovation — Nano Science Lab — which is a 3ftx3ft modular cabinet with wheels that can store 415 varieties of lab apparatus and chemicals to perform 250 science experiments for the Classes VI to X under CBSE/ICSE/State syllabus.

“A science teacher can walk into the classroom with Nano Science Lab and create lot of excitement among students ,” Startup Moksha CEO Thumati Vasudeva told The Hindu .

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam –  April 05th, 2016

Nori’s statue to be unveiled today

Education, Leaders, Science & Technology

The Forum For Better Bapatla is instal the statue of Padmabhushan Nori Gopalakrishnamurthy, a famous hydroelectric engineer, in Bapatla as a token of gratitude for him for bringing name and fame to the town. The statue will be unveiled at Patelnagar on Saturday by former dean, Acharya Nagarjuna Universuty, S.R Parimi. His son Kesav Nori and other guests will attend the function.

Born in Bapatla on February 16, 1910, Nori studied in Bapatla Board School and secured first rank in SSLC examination in 1924. Later he joined Guindy College of Engineering,Madras from where he graduated in Civil Engineering in 1930. In 1931, he joined the prestigious Indian Service of Engineers.

Starting his career as assistant engineer in Solapur district, Maharashtra, he worked in various capacities as Chairman, Bhakra Nangal Management Board, Managing Director of Water and Power Consultancy Organisation, Chairman, Bombay Metropolitan Region Development Authority.

He was president of Central Board of Irrigation and Power during 1967-68 and authored number of technical papers which won him awards.

Mr. Gopalakrishnamurthy is instrumental in setting up Koyna Hydoelectric Project in Maharashtra and served as chairman of Bhakra Nangal Project. He received Padmasri in 1963 and Padmabhushan in 1972 from Government of India.

During second world war, he designed and constructed aerodromes at Pune and Belgaum as well as Noval Engineering Centre at Lonovala.

He served as chairman of Indo-Bangladesh Joint River Commission and Vice-Chairman of International Congress of Large Dams.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Bapatla – April 02nd, 2016