AP capital plan draws activists'
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh government's efforts to pool thousands of acres of land to build a green-field capital on the banks of Krishna river have come under fire from social activists and opposition parties with questions raised on the land acquisition process and whether such a model is required at all in a predominantly agrarian state.
The government last week notified the areas covering broadly 7,068 sq km as AP Capital Region in Krishna and Guntur districts and 122 sq. km as capital city with the AP Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 coming into being. One-third of the capital city site is irrigated multi- crop area prohibited from being acquired even for public purpose. City/commercial development is not public purpose, says M G Devasahayam, who led a fact-finding team of National Alliance of People's Movement (NAPM), a network of social activists, to some of these 29 villages identified as part of the capital region. Decisions are being taken in a clandestine and arbitrary manner and there is neither expert nor public consultation. With such a high level of population and shrinking land resources, fertile agricultural lands are precious assets essential for food security. Buildings can be built anywhere and such fertile land is God's gift that cannot be replicated by man, Devasahayam told PTI. CRDA Act makes noprovision for publichearing or consultation about theconcept master plan and detailed master plans whereaspublic consultation has been mandated for most projects, especially those impacting thousands of families. Land Acquisition Act (2013) also requires a Social Impact Assessment to be performed, he pointed out. Another rights activist said a totally urban city like Singapore cannot be a model for the capital of a predominantly agrarian state like Andhra Pradesh. Besides, India has good urban planners and designers and it is an insult to ignore them and entirely depend on a small city-state for expertise. The best alternative is to optimise land use, assemble minimum -- about 5000/6000 acres-- of un-irrigated land and utilise the latest urban planning and construction methodologies or technologies to build an administrative capital for million-plus population. Local talent and inputs can be utilised for this, adds Devasahayam, a former IAS officer who was administrator-cum- estate officer for Chandigarh in the 1970s.
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A woman was killed and four other civilians were injured in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district as the Pakistan army intensified artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, officials said, adding that a large number of houses have also been damaged in the cross-border shelling.
Reports state that a Pakistani shell struck the vehicle the woman was traveling in, resulting in her death. The woman was identified as Nargis Bashir, and some of her family members had boarded a vehicle to flee from the Razarwani village in Uri that was hit by the mortar and artillery shells from Pakistan.
In an attempt to educate and make people aware about the consequences of war amid Pakistan's continuous firing in the border states, the Delhi government did a mock drill to test air raid sirens installed at the Public Works Department (PWD) at ITO and asked people to not react out of panic.
District Magistrate (Central) G. Sudhakar also urged people to remain calm and not be alarmed when they hear the sirens.
At least twice, sirens sounded during the drill, which started at 3 pm.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said 40-50 more such sirens will be installed across the national capital, each of which will cover an area of 8 km.
Residents present in Rajouri along the Line of Control have started moving to safer areas after heavy cross-border shelling and attempted drone and missile attacks last night by Pakistan. All drone and missile attacks were intercepted and foiled by India's air defence system.
#WATCH | J&K | Residents of Rajouri living along the LOC have started moving to safer areas after heavy cross-border shelling and attempted drone and missile attacks last night by Pakistan.
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2025
All drone and missile attacks were intercepted by India's air defence system and foiled,… pic.twitter.com/XITK0CsejT
Pakistan has claimed that its Economic Affairs Division account on social media has been hacked and called the post where it appealed for more loans from the international community owing to losses from Operation Sindoor "fake."
In a post on X, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fact Checker shared a picture of the post and mentioned that it was "fake." Additionally, it asserted that the account had undergone hacking.
A missile-like object is found deep inside the Dal Lake after loud explosions were heard on Saturday morning in Srinagar, which is a major tourist attraction. The defense ministry also confirms that Pakistan has intruded into Srinagar's airspace in a press release.
Since the early hours of Saturday morning (10th May), Srinagar has been rocked with multiple explosions, and now electricity is taken off in various places across Kashmir. The reason for this is yet to be determined, as reports indicate multiple places in Kashmir have lost power. The Indian Army released a statement after the press briefing, where they mentioned that they have attacked and neutralized multiple terrorist launchpads in a coordinated fire assault, razing them to cinders.