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he stage is set for the grand inauguration of the Rayanapadu railway station in Vijayawada. The satellite railway station, developed at a cost of around Rs 35 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 17.Under phase 1 of the ABSS, the station facade, platforms, foot overbridges, circulation area and designated parking facilities were developed for Rs 20 crore.The redeveloped Rayanapadu railway station is currently serving as a halt station for trains operating between Secunderabad and Visakhapatnam and vice versa, helping to decongest the rail traffic at Vijayawada main railway station, which is currently getting overwhelmed with arrivals and departures of around 300 trains daily.Rayanapadu railway station is among the 21 railway stations developed under phase 1 of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme in Vijayawada railway division.According to the railway authorities, Rayanapadu Amrit Station has been given a vibrant new identity with the completion of its upgraded facade. The design integrates the famous Kondapalli art theme, celebrating AP’s rich cultural heritage while presenting a modern architectural face. Traditional motifs and murals inspired by Kondapalli artisan ..

VIJAYAWADA: Farmers in the Krishna Delta are likely to face a delay of at least 15 days in the start of Kharif operations this year, with irrigation water scheduled for release only from July 1. The setback is attributed to El Niño concerns, the late onset of the southwest monsoon and negligible inflows into major reservoirs of the Krishna basin. The government has fixed July 1 as the release date for the 2026-27 water year. Last year, water was released on June 15, while historical records show varying dates: July 10 in 2024, June 7 in 2023, June 10 in 2022 and July 5 in 2021. The delta, spanning Krishna, NTR, Guntur and Eluru districts, covers nearly 1.3 million acres, with paddy as the principal crop. Timely water release is critical for nursery raising and transplantation. In 2025, favourable monsoon conditions and strong inflows into reservoirs such as Almatti, Jurala, Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar enabled early release on June 15. This year, however, inflows remain negligible, prompting authorities to adopt a cautious approach. Although water was released to the Godavari Delta on schedule, officials say hydrological conditions do not support advancing the Krishna Delta release. Data from the Prakasam Barrage highlights fluctuations: 194.75 TMC released in 2025-26, compared with 170.55 TMC in 2021, 194.62 TMC in 2022, 117.45 TMC in 2023 and 170.50 TMC in 2024. Water Resources Department officials have cautioned farmers against premature sowing based on sporadic showers. “Given the prevailing weather uncertainty, the chances of releasing water ahead of schedule are slim. As of now, July 1 remains the official date. Farmers should avoid hasty cultivation and wait until irrigation supplies are assured,” said Gunakara Rao, superintending engineer, Krishna District Water Resources Department, speaking to TNIE.

Three women of a family were found hanging in their house at Pottelegunta village in Guduru mandal of Krishna district on Friday, in what is suspected to be a consequence of prolonged family disputes and domestic violence. The triple suicide has sent shockwaves across the district, with police yet to ascertain the exact motive behind the deaths.Preliminary investigation indicated that frequent family disputes had strained relations in the household, driving Rajini Kumari (60), her daughter Gowri Devi (40), and daughter-in-law Madhubala (35) to end their lives.According to Guduru police, Madhubala was married to Rajini’s son Anumakonda Krishna for nearly 15 years, and the couple has two children. Krishna allegedly suspected his wife of having an extramarital affair and reportedly also approached Guduru police earlier this month over this. Police counselled the couple and sent them back home.Family members told police that Krishna frequently abused Madhubala and his mother Rajini. Upon learning about the disputes, Gowri Devi came to her maternal home two days ago to attempt to resolve the family issues

Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government is providing modern equipment to traditional caste-based artisans to strengthen their livelihoods and ensure long-term financial security, social welfare minister Dr Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy and BC welfare minister S. Savitha said on Wednesday. The ministers inaugurated a LIDCAP leather showroom-cum-outlet in the fourth block of the state Secretariat at Velagapudi in Amaravati and said the coalition government was committed to the welfare and economic empowerment of leather workers through targeted initiatives Addressing the media, Dr Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy said the government was restoring LIDCAP to its former glory while taking concrete steps to improve the welfare of leather artisans. He announced that leather manufacturing units would be established at Yadavalli in Markapur district and G. Konduru in Krishna district to generate employment opportunities for members of the leather-working community. Minister Savitha said the government’s objective was to provide year-round employment and sustainable livelihoods to traditional artisans. Besides extending modern tools to improve productivity, the government was also working to enhance their economic security, she said.