Lalita Vaswani, vice-president of World Birdstrike Association (South Asia), and Raman Emani, Director of BirdGard India Pvt Limited, briefing the media in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam
The first regional South Asian conference of the World Birdstrike Association (WBA) will be held in Visakhapatnam from Dec 11 to 13.
The conference, supported by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, will deliberate on the problem of birds and wild animals posing a threat to aircrafts, particularly during landing and take-off of flights, Lalita Vaswani, Vice President of WBA-South Asia and WBA Member Raman Emani told the media here on Wednesday.
They underlined the importance of creating awareness on the issue of bird strike among all stakeholders including farmers, town planners, organisations for the protection of nature and environment, apart from civil aviation authorities, military, aircraft and aerodrome operators at the regional, national and global levels.
The stakeholders or their representatives from various countries would participate in the conference and deliberate on the issue and the measures being taken in their respective countries to tackle the problem. The meeting would provide a platform for exchange of ideas and practices being adopted at various airports across the globe to eliminate or minimise the risks.
Ms. Lalita said that the deliberations made at the conference would be sent to the authorities concerned for implementation. The WBA conference in Mexico in 2014 had decided to strengthen regional cooperation with all stakeholders within a global framework in close cooperation with the national authorities. The Bird Strike Committees of Australia, Central and South America, Europe and North America were already cooperating on a regional level.
Replying to queries, Mr. Raman said that the measures to reduce bird hits include: passive measures like prevention of dumping of wastes in the proximity of airports, not to allow tress close to the airport as they attract birds and keeping the grass low. The active measures include: bird repellents and lasers.
“The water bodies, marshes and trees, close to the airport, provide the perfect setting for birds and other animal species to feed and rest,” he said.
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source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / December 07th, 2017
A file photo of INS Sindhukirti, seventh Sindhughosh-class submarine of Indian Navy, being towed in the channel for undertaking sea trials in Visakhapatnam. | Photo Credit: arranged
On December 8, 1967, when Commander K.S. Subramanian read out the commissioning warrant in freezing -15 degree Celsius at Vladivostok, submarine base in Russia then USSR, little did he know that he was heralding a force that would one day be a nuclear force and will complete the nuclear triad for the country. Cdr Subramanian commanded the first submarine of the Indian Navy INS Kalvari.
The submarine arm or the silent arm of the Indian Navy is celebrating its golden jubilee this year, and in the last five decades it has grown from a couple of Foxtrot class submarines to possess the Arihant class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) to the state-of-the-art Scorpene-class submarines.
The proposal to form a submarine arm was first envisaged in 1959 and a draft plan to acquire four submarines from UK at a cost of ₹16 crore with a recurring annual cost of ₹ 2 crore was moved. But it did not materialise, and it was again moved in 1962 and the government approved the proposal. A nine- member team led by Captain B.K. Dang was sent to UK to undergo training at HMS Dolphin. But the purchase proposal did not again materialise, as India wanted to buy the Porpoise or Oberon class and the British government offered the old ‘T’ class.
It was only in 1964 that the Soviet government agreed for transfer by purchase for four ‘F’ class or Foxtrot-class submarines.
About 16 officers and over 100 sailors received training at Vladivostok and a beginning was made when Cdr. K.S. Subramanian sailed into the Visakhapatnam harbour, braving 16,000 km of rough sea from Riga to Visakhapatnam, on June 6, 1968.
The submarine arm of the Indian Navy came into operation at Visakhapatnam with the then Chief of Naval Staff Admiral A.K. Chatterjee laying the foundation stone for the submarine base.
The silent arm grew with the induction of four more Foxtrot-class submarines such as INS Khanderi, Karanj and Kursura. All the four constituted the 8th Submarine Squadron and have played a key role during the 1970-71 Indo-Pak war. Today, all have been decommissioned and INS Kursura is transformed into a submarine museum and stands on Visakhapatnam beach.
The first full-fledged submarine base had come into existence in the shape of INS Virbahu on May 19, 1971 at Visakhapatnam.
The force grew with the acquisition of four more Foxtrot-class submarines from the then Soviet Union. INS Vela, Vagir, Vagli and Vaghsheer formed the formidable 9th Squadron with the base at Bombay now Mumbai.
From the Foxtrot class, the navy graduated to procure and produce the German-based HDW 1500 class or also called as the SSKs attack submarines, in mid 1980s. Referred to as the Shishumar class, four of them Shishumar, Shankush, Shalki and Shankul formed the 10th Squadron of the arm, based in Mumbai.
Keeping the tempo up, India negotiated with Russia to procure the Kilo-class or the Sindhughosh-class attack submarines. Equipped with the 3M-54 Klub (SS-N-27) anti-ship cruise missiles with a range of 220 km, for the first time India was on the offensive side of submarine warfare.
While Sindhughosh, Sindhudhvaj, Sindhuraj, Sindhuvir , Sindhuratna and Sindhurakshak (exploded and sank in Mumbai harbour on14 August 2013) were based in Mumbai to form the 12th Squadron. Sindhukesari, Sindhukriti, Sindhuvijay and Sindhurashtra were based in Visakhapatnam to form the 11th Squadron.
Nuclear era
The submarine arm entering the nuclear era began with the leasing of INS Chakra an Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) from Russia in 1988 and it was based in Visakhapatnam.
Sources in the navy said Chakra was taken on lease to train officers and men with the futuristic idea to build its own nuclear fleet. After the lease of INS Chakra expired, a second Akula Class nuclear submarine INS Chakra II was taken on lease from Russia in 2012.
India built its first nuclear submarine INS Arihant under the Advanced Technology Vessel project at the Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam.
INS Arihant the first of the expected five in the Arihant-class is indigenously built with Akula-class technology.
Completing a full 50 years cycle, the Scorpène-class submarine is now being built for the Indian Navy at Mazagon Dock in Mumbai with French design, and they are named after the Kalvari class. The subs will be named after the first batch that served the navy such as Kalvari, Khanderi and Karanj.
President to present colours
As part of the celebrations, President Ram Nath Kovind will be awarding Presidential Colours to the Submarine Arm of the Indian Navy at a Colour Presentation ceremony to be held in Visakhapatnam on December 8.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Visakhapatnam / by Sumit Bhattacharjee / Visakhapatnam – December 07th, 2017
Boost to tourism: President Ram Nath Kovind and other dignitaries after the inauguration of TU-142 Aircraft Museum in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam
The attraction in Vizag is the first of its kind with a walk-through for visitors
President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday inaugurated the TU 142 Aircraft Museum, the first such museum in the country, on the Beach Road here in the presence of Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He later went through the cockpit, machinery, bombs and gunner compartments of the aircraft.
Mr. Naidu presented TU 142 souvenirs and Pedana “kalamkari kanduva” to the President.
Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, Civil Aviation Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of ENC Karambir Singh, Lok Sabha members K. Haribabu and Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, Ministers Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu and N. Chinarajappa, ZP chairperson Lalam Bhavani, Port Trust Chairman M.T. Krishna Babu, Principal Secretary, Tourism, Mukesh Kumar Meena and VUDA Vice-Chairman P. Basanth Kumar, MLAs and MLCs participated.
The museum is the first of its kind with a walk-through for visitors. The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) oversaw the execution of the ₹14-crore project comprising the museum complex, TU flight simulator, an audio-visual room and souvenir shop. The project, seen as a major tourist attraction with the Submarine Museum across the road, is funded by the AP Tourism. The VUDA will run the museum, set up on one acre of the Andhra University, in coordination with the Navy and the A.P. Tourism. The decommissioned TU 142 was flown in from the Arakkonam base of the Navy, dismantled, transported and reassembled into the museum.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Visakhapatnam – December 08th, 2017
A team of Andhra Hospitals doctors addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Thursday. | Photo Credit: V RAJU.
‘Every year 7,000 newborns in State are suffering from heart ailments’
Andhra Hospitals is all set to launch Andhra Children’s Heart Institute to treat heart diseases prevalent among infants especially the new borns, according to P.V. Rama Rao, Chief of Children’s Services here on Thursday.
Speaking to media persons he said that India-born paediatric cardiologist Vikram Kudumula, who had spent more than a decade serving the Glenfield Hospitals at Leicester in the UK, has agreed to join Andhra Hospitals as a full-time consultant.
“We have started treating heart ailments in children for the past two years and had performed around 215 surgeries with 100 per cent success rate. For every for two months we are having a team of doctors coming to city from various parts of the world performing complicated surgeries. This initiative is a team effort”.
“As many as 40 professionals along with local paediatricians and cardiologists are striving hard to bring children back to normal”.
He said for one week until December 2, thirteen doctors from United Kingdom have come to city and they will perform 14 free heart surgeries. “The team include paediatric interventional cardiologist, paediatric cardiac surgeons, paediatric cardiac intensivists, anaesthetist, perfusionists and nurses”.
Dr. Rao said the team was performing complicated surgeries which include Atrial septal defect with complications, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage and fallot’s tetralogy.
Dr. Vikram said that every year 7000 newborns in Andhra Pradesh were suffering from heart ailments and appreciated Andhra Hospitals for coming up with the idea to launch a children’s heart institute.
Andhra Hospitals Managing Director P.V. Ramana Murthy said that Healing Little Hearts, a team UK team, has come more than ten times to city and was planning to more surgeries with the support of the Andhra Pradesh Government.
Dr. Sanjiv Nichani, Dr. Guido Oppido, Dr. Giovanbattista Capozzi, Dr. Capucine, Dr. Sharmila, Dr. Muntaz Alessandra, Dr. Srimannarayana and Dr Dilip were present.
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source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent – Vijayawada / December 01st, 2017
This is first major recurve medal for Volga Archery Academy
There is a significance attached to the silver medal won by Vijayawada archer Bommadevara Dhiraj at the Asian Continental tournament in Dhaka (Bangladesh) last week to select Asian archers for the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (Argentina) in 2018.
The teenager, honing his skills at the city-based Volga Archery Academy, lost to his fellow Indian Akash 4-6 in the cadet boys’ final in recurve segment and helped India bag both the eligible slots for the World Youth Olympics Games.
In fact this is first major recurve medal for Volga Archery Academy after the management decided to concentrate more on recurve segment.
Dhiraj, who is pursuing Intermediate at SRR & CVR College, flew to Ahmedabad from Dhaka to be part of the State team at the School Games Federation under-19 National archery championship and went on to win five gold medals to emerge as the best archer and overall champion of the event.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by J.P Shridharan / Vijayawada – December 06th, 2017
The Assembly on Saturday passed a resolution approving the appointment of Guntur-born Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth as Deputy Collector.
The Council of Ministers resolved, vide resolution CR No. 429-2/2017, dated November 2017, to provide employment to him in a post in Group 1 services (Deputy Collector) of the State in appreciation of his outstanding performance in badminton.
Four titles
Srikanth won four super series titles – Indonesian Open, Australian Open, Denmark Open, and French Open – in one year, and he was the only Indian and fourth player in the world to achieve the feat.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – December 02nd, 2017
VIJAYAWADA, ANDHRA PRADESH, 03/12/2017 Indian Archer Vennam Jyothi Surekha in action in Vijayawada on Sunday. Photo: Ch.Vijaya Bhaskar | Photo Credit:
Prestigious event will be held at Jakarta in next August
City archer and Arjuna awardee Vennam Jyothi Surekha ended her international assignment for the year 2017 in a triumphant note clinching three medals at the recently-concluded 20th Asian Archery Championship at Dhaka (Bangladesh).
She won gold in team event, silver in mixed and bronze in the individual event in the tournament, which saw Indians giving a tough fight to the numero unoteam – Korea.
“We are equal to Koreans in all respects including equipment and technique. The archer who gets adjusted the conditions well emerged winner because what separates a winner and loser is a wafer-thin margin,” Surekha told to The Hindu, on her return from Dhaka.
Twenty-one-year old management student of Koneru Lakshmaiah University is eagerly looking forward to 2018 in which the prestigious Asian Games will be held at Jakarta (Indonesia) in August.
“We do not know how many events would figure in the compound segment. But I am mentally preparing for all three events – team, mixed and individual. Soon both Archery Associaiton of India and Sports Authourity of India will decide about the coaching camps”.
Surekha said arriving at the venue, especially in alien countries, one day before the official practice gave the archers to chance to get used the weather conditions and the ambiance.
The early part of 2017 was not significant for the ace archer as she could not a win medals in the Asia Cup (Bangkok), World Cup Stage One (Shanghai), Two (Antalya), Four (Berlin) and at World Universities at Chinese Taipei.
But she had a memorable world championship at Mexico when she won silver medal in her mixed event partnering Abhishek Varma. “In the individual ranking round, I lost in the pre-quarterfinal narrowly. I was tied with a Korean 146-146 and in the single arrow shootout we both hit the 10 points but her arrow was close to the X enabling her to advance”.
Incidentally she has been representing the country for the past of seven years. Surekha also received the coveted Arjuna award for her contribution to the archery.
The Andhra Pradesh State government announced a reward of ₹ 1 crore, a 500-square yard house site in Vijayawada and a government job for achieving the prestigious Arjuna award.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Othe Sports / by J.K. Shridharan / December 03rd, 2017
Moment to cherish:Members of Andhra u-19 women’s team in a cheerful mood during a felicitation programme in Vijayawada on Friday.V. RAJUV RAJU.
Rs. 10 lakh cash award presented to the team
Andhra Cricket Association on Friday felicitated the victorious Andhra under-19 women’s team with Rs. 10 lakh cash award for emerging as national champion in the limited overs segment defeating Mumbai in the final at Guntur on Thursday.
Several administrators, coaches and players, including National Senior Selection Committee chairman MSK Prasad took part in the function and congratulated the team.
This is the second time Andhra under- 19 women’s team had won a national title. Earlier it won its maiden title at Cuttack in 2015.
Speaking on the occasion ACA secretary Ch. Arun Kumar said that owing to progressive steps taken by the association under the stewardship of Narasapuram Member of Parliament Gokaraju Ganga Raju, the results have started to trickle in.
“ACA has spent BCCI funds in a productive manner by sprucing up infrastructure in all 13 districts and the setting up of women’s academy at JKC College (Guntur) paved way for the development of the women cricket in a big way,’ he said. “The results are not instant. There is a sustained effort for more than six years which is helping Andhra teams win big tournaments,” said National Senior Selection Committee chairman M.S.K. Prasad
Women’s team coach Srinivas Reddy said that this team defeated the top teams in the country. Players like Durga, Sindhuja, E. Padmaja, Pushpa Latha and others played well. “The players should learn how to take singles. With no singles coming they are getting under pressure and going for big unproductive strokes,” he observed. ACA administrators recollected the services of late J. Narendranath, who strove hard for the development of the women’s cricket in Andhra.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – December 02nd, 2017
A new species of gecko belonging to the genus Hemidactylus has been discovered in the Eastern Ghats in northern Andhra Pradesh.
Locally named ‘Mahendragiri Gecko’ it is endemic only to the rocky areas of Eastern Ghats namely Araku, Tyda, Simhachalam Hills, Mahendragiri Hills in Andhra-Odisha border.
The reptile has been confirmed as a new species by scientists who conducted research in the Eastern Ghats for almost a decade after discovering it in Tyda near Araku in 2009.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Visakhapatnam News / TNN / November 26th, 2017
Vizag Fest chairman K.V. Ramana, right, and secretary A. Aja Sarma releasing a pamphlet on the festival in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.
A series of programmes are lined up for the 10-day event
With a promise to combine entertainment and knowledge, Vizag Fest 2017, comprising book exhibition, literary talks, short film shows and science and technology, will begin at AU Engineering College grounds on Friday. There is no entry fee.
“The ten-day fest, being organised in association with the Department of Culture of Andhra Pradesh, intends to provide wholesome entertainment and relief to citizens caught in mechanical life,” fest secretary A. Aja Sarma said.
HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao will inaugurate the festival. The Youth Festival will be inaugurated by Minister for Sports and Youth Kollu Ravindra on December 2.
Festival chairman and former Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University K.V. Ramana on Wednesday released the catchy theme song of the festival. The song was written by Jana Vignana Vedika State president Challa Ravi Kumar and sung by R. Rajesh.
Mr. Ramana recalled that when K.V. Gopala Swamy was the registrar of Andhra University, youth festival and drama festival were organised coinciding with the convocation. Vizag Fest was registered as a permanent trust. While other cities had exhibition grounds, Visakhapatnam lacked a permanent ground, he pointed out.
Focus on youth
The focus is on women, youth and children and as many as 2000 youth would be made part of the science exhibition displaying 100 projects. “To make the experience total, we dropped a proposal to hold the short film show at a separate auditorium and got a mini theatre ready to screen 70 films,” he said. Telugu Short Film Association honorary president and actor L.B. Sriram would participate in it. Cartoon and photo exhibitions and food stalls would also be part of the fest.
The first fest in 2015 was a big success and even top officials appreciated it and wanted it to be organised again, Mr. Sarma said.
A total of 200 cultural programmes would be organised.
Literary talks, release of books would be organised at Gurajada Sahitya Vedika.
At the book exhibition to be organised by Andhra University, Vignan University, Visakha Book Festival and Vizag Fest, 100 stalls would be set up.
Mr. Sarma said every day film personalities would address meetings and the stress was not on glamour. On the inaugural day, writer Suddala Ashok Teja would attend the programme. Chandra Bose, Goreti Venkanna, C. Uma Maheswara Rao, R.P. Patnaik and others would part in the fest.
Fest members N. Ramanachalam, A. Ramakrishna, K. Subhashini, Yellaji, P.V. Gopala Rao, Dandu Nageswara Rao and B.B. Ganesh were present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Visakhapatnam / by Special Correspondent / November 30th, 2017
