Latest news with #RTC
New Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Food safety norm violations galore in Andhra's Nellore district
NELLORE: Several hotels and eateries in Nellore have been under scrutiny for violating food safety norms, with officials uncovering unhygienic conditions including rotten meat and pest infestations during recent inspections. The crackdown was intensified after a customer found a cockroach in their food at a hotel near the RTC bus stand. In a subsequent raid near the Madras Bus Stand, food safety officials discovered fungus-infested and rotten meat in a non-vegetarian restaurant. Nellore has nearly 25,000 hotels and street food vendors, more than half of which are operating without proper licences or approvals, as per officials. In recent checks, 296 establishments were inspected, leading to criminal cases against 15 hotels for severe violations. Notices were served to 20 others for failing to meet basic safety standards. Another 15 vendors were booked for not displaying mandatory information about the food being sold. A major challenge in enforcement remains the lack of a food testing laboratory in AP, forcing authorities to send samples to Hyderabad — a delay that hampers swift action. 'The absence of regular inspections is encouraging unsafe food practices. Immediate action is needed to safeguard public health,' a spokesperson from consumer rights group said. The Food Safety Department has issued guidelines to all food set ups, stressing the need for sanitation, pest control and clean water usage storage. Assistant Food Controller G Venkateswara Rao warned that negligence could lead to severe health risks and strict legal action under the FSS Act.
Hans India
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
MLA Yennam: 'We Will Make One Crore Women Millionaires'
Mahabubnagar: In a grand celebration of Indira Mahila Shakti Vijayotsavam held at Shilparamam in Mahabubnagar, local MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy declared that the government's goal is to empower one crore women to become millionaires. Speaking at the event as the chief guest, he said that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is working with the vision of standing as an elder brother to women and is sincerely striving for their upliftment. He recalled that within just three days of taking charge as Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy fulfilled the promise of providing free RTC bus travel for women. In addition to that, the government has launched various initiatives such as subsidised LPG cylinders, Mahila Shakti canteens, petrol bunks, and ownership of RTC buses by women, to create income-generating avenues. He stated that women are fully capable of taking up responsibilities and achieving success. As proof, he highlighted that last year, the responsibility of managing Amma Adarsha Schools was entrusted to women's self-help groups, and this resulted in excellent outcomes. This academic year alone, over 1.9 lakh children were newly enrolled in government schools — a clear testimony to the efforts and success of women. Yennam Srinivas Reddy further said that the government is committed to its promises. As per its assurance, proceedings for 3,500 Indiramma houses have already been issued to eligible beneficiaries this year, and another 3,500 houses will be allotted next year. He proudly claimed that Mahabubnagar is transforming into a 'Mahila Nagar' because of the success stories of local women. With 30,000 women self-help groups active in the district, he directed officials to immediately prepare reports for establishing the Mayuri Co-operative Society to further strengthen women's economic participation. The MLA noted that as part of his vision to develop Mahabubnagar as an educational hub, Law and Engineering colleges have been established at Palamuru University. This progress has attracted students from across the united Mahabubnagar district to pursue their education in the city. He also requested the District Collector to allocate one acre of land for the construction of a hostel exclusively for BC girl students, to be managed by SHG women. He expressed his hope that women should be partners in every business and wished that Mahila Sangha members of Mahabubnagar would become role models for the entire Telangana state. As part of the program, interest-free loans worth ₹1.67 crore were distributed to women SHG members, and another ₹7.90 crore in loans were arranged through banks. The families of two SHG women members who died in accidents were handed over ₹10 lakh each in financial assistance. The event also honoured successful women leaders from various SHGs, including Lahari, Anita, Varalakshmi, Hemalatha, and Irfana Begum. Later, the MLA, along with District Collector Viziendira Boi, inaugurated a Food Festival organised by the Mahila Samakhya. Other dignitaries present included Additional Collector Shivendra Pratap, MUDA Chairman Lakshman Yadav, Market Committee Chairperson Bekkari Anita Madhusudan Reddy, DRDA PD Narsimhulu, DRDO Additional PD Sharada, SERP Director Kashi Vishweshwarayya, Municipal Corporation Commissioner Praveen Kumar Reddy, DCC General Secretary Siraj Khadri, former Municipal Vice Chairman Shabbir Ahmad, ex-Municipal Councillors, and hundreds of women from various SHGs.
NZ Herald
18 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Brynderwyns slip adds uncertainty for Northland businesses and motorists
The lane reopened about 2.30am on Friday. Road crews would continue to monitor the area, he said. Northland Regional Transport Committee (RTC) chairman Joe Carr admitted confidence in past work to repair the Brynderwyns, done during a four-month closure last year, was low. 'We're worried about the level of risk,' he said. 'Every time we get heavy rain, everyone's praying it doesn't hit the Brynderwyns. 'Everyone's anxious about it.' While Northland leaders, including Carr, are rapt with continued progress on the four-lane Northland Expressway from Auckland to Whangārei, bad weather has motorists frequently worried about the Brynderwyns' endurance. Northlander Eve Lawrence said the repeated Brynderwyns closures were hurting businesses, particularly in tourism. Many take to social media - particularly the Northland Road Closures, Flooding and Hazards Facebook page - asking about the state of the road. Apart from Thursday's slip, another slip badly damaged cars and blocked part of SH1 over Easter when Northland was battered by heavy rain. Northlander Eve Lawrence, who lives in Waipu, said the repeated closures were hurting businesses, particularly those in tourism. Lawrence, a former board member of the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand, used to run Haka Tours and travel to and from Auckland. Factoring in closures at the Brynderwyns was 'frustrating', Lawrence said. 'That road is a key point in the infrastructure network to get to Northland. 'There are other routes, but businesses need to consider their fuel spend and driving hours,' she said. 'When the Brynderwyns close, they either don't run those tours, or they're cut short. 'The local economy misses out.' The Government announced it was accelerating a four-lane highway between Auckland and Whangārei last July. The first stage of the project – 26km from Warkworth to Te Hana - is expected to be finished by 2034. Phase two includes Te Hana to Port Marsden – including the alternative to the Brynderwyn Hills - and phase three is Port Marsden to Whangārei. Slips on SH1 over the Brynderwyns are not uncommon during heavy rain, like this one that happened over Easter. There is no timeline for these sections. However, Transport Minister Chris Bishop revealed in April that the preferred route over the Brynderwyns will go from Warkworth east of SH1 and over the Brynderwyn Hills. Lawrence said she didn't feel confident that the alternative route would be finished. She pointed out that the 18km stretch of highway from Pūhoi to Warkworth took seven years to build. 'That was relatively simple; the new one up north ... there's more to consider. 'The likelihood of it taking longer is high.' Lawrence believed it would take more than 15 years to complete. 'With changes of government, who knows if it'll get finished at all.' However, Carr believes construction of the Brynderwyns section could be finished by the end of the 2027 construction season, which was in 2028. Northland Regional Transport Committee chairman Joe Carr [left] says work on the alternative Brynderwyns route could be completed sooner than expected. 'We're [the RTC] pushing to get construction from Warkworth to Te Hana, then the Brynderwyns section done concurrently. 'By mid next year, they'll be going full bore on doing geotech assessments of the Brynderwyns. 'I believe we will see a commitment before the next general election.' Carr said any Brynderwyns closures came at a huge economic cost to Northland. 'People think we're not reliable for business up here. 'Getting this done is pretty important to us.' Grant Harnish, owner of Salt Air in Paihia, said he was surprised at the recent Brynderwyns slip as it hadn't rained much that night. 'No-one' had confidence in the current state of the Brynderwyns, Harnish said, though he felt better about it now than before four months of repair work was done. 'It's incredibly difficult, but I don't know what else they can do in the meantime. 'It's all about risk and reward. 'We could spend $100m on that, and everyone's going to have to pay for that somehow.' The Northland Expressway, one of the Roads of National Significance, will be delivered as a public-private partnership (PPP). Three groups of construction and infrastructure companies will bid to build the next section from Warkworth to Te Hana after the shortlist was confirmed in June. Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and animal welfare issues.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Flash flooding possible across Las Vegas valley as triple-digit temperatures begin to drop
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – As triple-digit temperatures begin to decrease for the second half of the week, a flood watch in effect for the Las Vegas valley wrapped up Thursday night. However, chances for more rainfall are expected by Friday. The chances for storms that could bring flash flooding include the Las Vegas valley, Lincoln County, and Mohave County through 11 p.m. Rain, flooding cause closure near I-15, Primm A few pop-up showers were seen west of Mountain's Edge and near Mt. Charleston around 4 p.m. The northwest and east valley saw the most rainfall in the Las Vegas area. Over one inch of rain fell near Primm Thursday night, according to 8 News Now Meteorologist Tedd Florendo. 'With any of these storm chances, flooding is possible, because it could bring heavy rain along with the wind and, of course, vivid lightning,' 8 News Now Tedd Florendo said. RTC of Southern Nevada reported flooding around 5 p.m. along the I-15 northbound on-ramp and off-ramp near Primm, causing a full closure in the area. Flash Flood Warning for Primm and I-15 near Stateline until 8 p.m. due to flooding from over an inch of rain in 20 minutes. Portions of I-15 remain closed shortly after 5:30 p.m. A Flood Advisory for Primm, Jean, and Mountain Pass until 7:45 p.m. due to minor flooding in low-lying areas. Flood Watch for Clark, Lincoln, and Mohave County until 11 p.m. due to the threat of flash flooding from any thunderstorms. There are still more chances of severe storms and rainfall throughout the Las Vegas valley for Friday. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
GMA Network
a day ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Senate probe into commercial fishing within 15-km municipal waters sought
Senator Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan has filed a resolution seeking for an investigation into the impact of commercial fishing within the country's 15-kilometer municipal waters on small-scale fishermen, marine resources, and national food security. Under proposed Senate resolution no. 11, Pangilinan called on the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform to conduct a comprehensive inquiry, in aid of legislation, into such impacts and the scientific basis—or lack thereof— for the 15-km municipal water delineation and the 12.8-meter depth restriction. To recall, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld a regional trial court (RTC) ruling that declared certain provisions of the Philippine Fisheries Code and its implementing rules and regulations unconstitutional. The RTC had permanently barred authorities from enforcing the 15-kilometer municipal waters limit. Pangilinan pointed out that the 15-kilometer municipal water zone for small-scale fishers is 'crucial for the sustainability of marine ecosystems, the preservation of fish stocks, and the food and livelihood security of millions of Filipinos living in coastal areas." He said the proposed probe would thus explore possible legislative interventions and amendments to existing laws and policies to protect the rights and welfare of small-scale fishers. 'This is about more than boundaries,' the returning senator said. 'It's about protecting the very communities who have long been the stewards of our seas—and ensuring that our oceans remain a source of life and livelihood, not a battleground for survival.' Several fisherfolk groups have been protesting against the SC ruling to allow commercial fishing within the 15-kilometer boundary of municipal waters. The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has also filed a motion for reconsideration before the SC to reconsider its ruling. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
