Hyderabad, May 18, 2013: A clean makeover awaits tracks and railways stations in the state as South Central Railway has decided to replace existing excreta disposal systems in trains with environment friendly bio-toilets.
This venture was jointly developed by Railway Research Design and Standard Organisation (RDSO) and Defence Research Development Establishment (DRDE).
This January SCR installed 48 bio-toilets in two city bound trains.Kacheguda-Bangalore Express and Hussainasagar Hyderabad-Mumbai Express.
Satisfied with the function, the authorities are going to fi

Vijaywada, May 5, 2013: Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh today said that 4,000 towns from different parts of the country are to be brought under the ambitious 'PURA' (Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas) project.
Addressing a meeting after inaugurating a 'PURA' project along with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Ramesh said that small towns in the country are still treated as major panchayats and they need basic amenities like roads, drinking water, sewerage treatment, street lighting.

Visakhapatnam, Apr 17, 2013: Noted defence analyst Commodore (retd) C.

Hyderabad, Mar 29, 2013: Activism in India these days have become a style statement but very few care to put their feet in the filth of manual scavenging, or dare to act to eradicate the worst kind of human and civil rights violation.
Millions of Dalit’s across India are employed and often forced due to their caste hierarchy to clean animal or human waste/excreta (night soil) using brooms, tin plates and baskets from dry latrines.

Visakhapatnam, Mar 26, 2013: The Visakhapatnam railway station, with a footfall of 20,000 passengers and at least 87 trains from various parts of the country stopping there everyday, lags in providing basic toilet facilities on its platforms.

Eugene, Ore., Mar 19, 2013: In the state of Andhra Pradesh in southeast India, villagers are learning the basics on clean water, bad hygiene and why that's a bad combination.
"Most of the time they are defecating out in the open. They don't have latrines. They don't really understand the need for latrines," said Kaytie Fiedler, team leader with India Partners.
For millions of people in India, lack of clean water is a constant battle.

Hyderabad, Jan 20, 2013: One-third of schools in rural areas of the state do not have provisions for toilets for girls, while another third has toilets that are either locked or unusable.

This is despite several orders by the Supreme Court over the last two years to ensure provision of toilets in all schools and a deadline of March to comply with. According to the Annual Status of Education Report 2012, only 38 per cent of schools in rural Andhra Pradesh have toilets that can be used by girl students.

Hyderabad, Dec. 26, 2012: “State has over 2.45 lakh dry latrines where manual scavenging is still continuing”

The number of people engaged in manual scavenging work could exceed two lakh in the State as against the figures projected in Census 2011, which put the figure at 21,025, representatives from the Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan said here on Tuesday.

New Delhi, Nov. 25, 2012: Showing the way in implementing the much-talked about convergence of schemes for better results, the Andhra Pradesh government has initiated a unique integration of programmes across key departments to improve health, nutrition, water and sanitation services offered to women and children.

New Delhi, Nov. 14, 2012: Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi [ Images ] plans to visit Papasanipalli village in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district on November 17 to witness rural development programmes.

 Suu Kyi will be accompanied by Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh [ Images ] and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will visit, official sources said in Hyderabad on Wednesday.