Author: Indmedia

Hyderabad: Easy access to Hyderabad and relatively affordable prices is turning Ooty’s suburbs such as Lovedale and other hill stations in the Nilgiris, including Coonoor, Kotagiri and Hullathy, into go-to destinations for Telugu families. They are no longer looking to spend their vacations there but buying their second homes.Although the numbers are hard to come by, many from the Telugu states, especially high net worth individuals (HNIs), are said to be building homes there, where they spend nearly two to three months every year. And since the Covid-19 pandemic their numbers have only increased.”The Nilgiris is full of Telugus,” said…

Chennai: City motorists may have to contend with narrowed roads, blocked stretches and slow-moving traffic for at least one more year, as Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) targets completion of nearly 40km of elevated corridors under Phase 2 by March 2027.Including the nearly 28km planned for commissioning this year, close to 90% of the 74km elevated alignment of the 116.1km Phase 2 network would be operational. If CMRL’s construction plan stays on schedule, several major arterial roads could be cleared of barricades by next year, marking completion of more than 50% of the overall Phase-2 project. Key elevated stretches scheduled…

Ahmedabad: Gujarat’s equity mutual fund assets under management (AUM) clocked their slowest annual growth in three years in 2025. Data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) shows that equity AUM in the state rose 16.1% year on year to Rs 3.67 lakh crore in Dec 2025, a sharp deceleration compared to 45.7% growth in 2024 and 39% in 2023. The last comparable slowdown was recorded in 2022, when equity AUM grew 16.6%.Market participants said the moderation reflects frequent market swings and global uncertainty, which made investors wary of deploying fresh lump sum capital. Concerns around geopolitical tensions,…

Prayagraj: Sangam city is set to receive a major boost in inclusive sports infrastructure as 2 of its largest sporting facilities — Madan Mohan Malaviya Stadium and the Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex — are being upgraded to become fully accessible for differently-abled athletes.Under the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign), launched by the department of empowerment of persons with disabilities to create a barrier-free environment for divyangjans, over Rs 4.1 crore was approved for the project. Of this, over Rs 1.98 crore was allocated for Madan Mohan Malaviya Stadium and Rs 2.14 crore for the Amitabh Bachchan Sports Complex, district…

Bhubaneswar: The Mahanadi water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh has triggered a fresh political row, with leader of opposition and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik accusing the state govt of lacking sincerity and commitment to protect the “lifeline”. Odisha advocate general Pitambar Acharya strongly refuted the charges. Naveen criticised the state govt after Acharya did not attend a crucial hearing before the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal. Naveen said it was deeply disappointing that Odisha’s side was not presented at a time when people of the state pinned high hopes on the proceedings. “What could be more important than protecting the…

Coimbatore: Open dumping and burning of waste at an abandoned stone quarry behind a temple at Pattanam and near a waterbody along the Vellalore–Pattanam main road have drawn the ire of a section of local people, who say the same has been posing various health hazards to them and polluting the environment.A group of residents of Pattanam village panchayat in Sulur block have been dumping unsegregated biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste near the waterbody and the abandoned stone quarry behind the Vasudevan Temple for the past three years. “While garbage is being dumped by a section of local residents, the panchayat…

Gurgaon: In a shocking incident, a newborn baby boy was found abandoned inside a cement bag dumped in a heap of garbage in the Camera Museo area of DLF Phase 4 on Friday morning.A passerby heard the baby’s cries, which led him and others to a nearby trash site, following which the infant was rescued and cops were alerted. A team reached the spot and took the child to Max Hospital for treatment and a manhunt for the person who abandoned the infant was launched. An officer said they are yet to ascertain how long the baby remained trapped inside…

Silchar: With Assam assembly elections just weeks away, BJP has stepped up its organisational push in Cachar district, putting sharp focus on booth-level mobilisation and grassroots coordination.The party held a key organisational meeting to fine-tune its poll strategy at its district office in Silchar on Saturday. The meeting was attended by Rajya Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh Kavita Patidar, senior leader Nitya Bhushan De and other office bearers.Discussions centred on election preparedness, organisational strengthening and future action plans, with leaders stressing the need to further streamline the party’s structure at the grassroots. Improving coordination among booth-level workers was identified as…

Hubballi: In order to ensure comfortable and hassle-free travel for passengers during the forthcoming Holi festival, South Western Railway (SWR) is already operating 47 special trains across various routes to cater to the increased passenger demand during the festive season. SWR said in a press release that, further enhancing passenger convenience, it proposed the operation of 14 additional Holi special trains, subject to approval. These proposed services will connect various stations across the SWR network to destinations such as Dhanbad, Narangi, Malda Town, Yog Nagari Rishikesh, Jaisalmer, Kannur and Varanasi. The operation of these Holi special trains aims to effectively…

Ludhiana: A tense standoff has developed in Khaira Bet as farmers and villagers established a “Pukka Morcha” (permanent protest front), accusing the government of masking large-scale illegal mining as routine river desilting.While district officials maintain the work is a legally sanctioned flood-mitigation project following the devastating 2025 floods, protesters have vowed to block all heavy machinery, claiming the operation is a “looting of natural resources.” The Ludhiana district administration issued a detailed statement Saturday, asserting that the site is a sanctioned “desilting complex” essential for protecting local settlements.The 2025 floods deposited heavy silt layers along the river embankments (bandhs), threatening…