Dolphins fall prey to mechanised boats

RAJAHMUNDRY: Dolphins coming near the coastal areas of East Godavari district are facing threat from the mechanised boats.
According to people of Katreni Kona and adjacent areas of fishermen colonies, the dolphins come near the mechanised boats in the sea. Taking advantage, the fishermen are selling dolphin meat in the market.
Unless the officials act tough and take necessary steps to ban the sale of dolphin meat and stop fishermen from harming the dolphins, whatever little of their population living near Konaseema coastline would vanish in no time.Dolphins are known to be very friendly towards human beings.
Corporators foxed
The Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC) corporators seem to be a confused lot about Godavari Pushkarams. They seem unaware of things going on in RMC.
Several corporators of both Congress and TDP expressed that they were jubilant when several of their proposals found place in the Pushkar Package worth Rs 48 crore. The council approved to take up 514 proposals.
However, the corporators now have come to know that about 50 per cent of the schemes approved in the package have been considered non-priority ones. So only those schemes considered urgent for the Pushkarams would be taken up.
Among themselves, the corporators cutting across the party lines are whispering among themselves that RMC administration had cleverly silenced them by including all the schemes proposed by them. But now the reality is that the schemes will be done only after Pushkarams. “But who knows whether funds would be available for their schemes?’’ said one senior official of the RMC.
Trying to hog limelight
Political parties in Rajahmundry are taking pride in keeping up the self-respect of the dalits and minorities, claiming that they were the ones behind the peaceful settlement of the row between dalits and Muslims in the city over installation of Ambedkar statue.
The issue began when dalits of Azad Chowk had tried to install the Ambedkar statue on a road divider of about two feet without permission from the Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation (RMC). However, the Muslims of the locality have objected to its installation.
As both groups tried to show their strength, the dalits had began a relay fast demanding for the closure of a slaughter house run by the Muslims. The stand off was likely to become a potential law and order problem.
The police have posted a picket. While dalits have agreed that it was illegal to install the statue on a road divider and on the other, Muslims too accepted it was wrong on their part to take the issue in to their hands instead of reporting to the officials.
After six days, the district collector intervened and made it clear that administration would not wait any longer and wished to handle the issue if the warring groups fail to settle it amicably. Things have fallen in line. But the political parties projecting the issue as their victory patted themselves by paying tributes to the architect of the Constitution. But the leaders were preaching that Muslims were part of dalits. But the row proved that once again politics is a game of possibilities.