Well, new variants of COVID keep emerging and positive cases are again on the rise, but they say, the variants aren't hazardous. But it is still the COVID family, and it is best to avoid crowds and miss out on gatherings. But when you are tired of working and want a whiff of fresh air, then you should take time to check out the beautiful lakes around Hyderabad city.An ideal pick would be Shamirpet Lake. Of course, there are some restrictions out here. But it is an ideal destination to see the sunrise and the migratory birds that flock here. The lake is about 24km from Secunderabad and is close to resorts like Leonia and Alankrita. But it’s best to make a picnic out of it by carrying some home-cooked food.As is already known, Ameenpur Lake is heaven for bird-watchers. Those interested in photography can spot flamingos, kingfishers, egrets, and more. The artificial lake is beautiful during the night and early mornings. One can also plan a star-gazing night out here with friends.Then there is the Laknavaram Lake, 260 km from Hyderabad. The hanging bridge by the lake is a good spot to click some Instagram-worthy pictures. You will also get to see 13 mini islands surrounding the lake. There are attractions here: night camping in the tents, jungle safari, forest cycling, boating, kayaking, trekking, bullock cart ride, and a deer park.Then there is the Pakhal Lake situated in Pakhal sanctuary about 50 km from Warangal. Osman Sagar Lake is another ideal picnic spot 20km from Hyderabad. Snacks are available here and are a good place for bird photography. While there, one can also visit the Chilkur Balaji temple.One can take up kayaking at the Nagasamudram Lake near Anantagiri Hills and have a good break at Deccan Trails, which is close. Katta Maisamma temple is located on the shoreline of Safilguda lake, in old Neredmet. The place has thick trees, and one can spot many migratory birds.Narsapur lake is in the center of the Narsapur forest and has the best sunsets and sunrises.

Chill Out At These Serene Lakes For Perfect Weekend Getaway

The Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will start on August 31st this year, and the GHMC has already started its initiative to promote the cause of eco-friendly Ganeshas. Already, a Ganesh idol made of clay has been installed at GHMC LB Nagar zonal office, and an idol will be installed at Secunderabad Zonal Office in the next couple of days.With the festivities scheduled to commence on August 31st, the artisans are slowly preparing for the festival. Hence GHMC has decided to step up its awareness drive by coordinating with Ganesh Pandal Organisers, Resident Welfare Associations (RAW), and NGOs to help citizens choose eco-friendly clay Ganeshas.The whole idea is to discourage the usage of PoP and synthetic colors, a GHMC official said. In addition to this, the GHMC, along with Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), will distribute the clay idols ahead of the festival, and the usage of clay idols will be encouraged all across the state.Also, awareness is being spread against immersing PoP idols in water bodies. All idols being immersed in Hussain Sagar will be closely monitored, say officials citing the directives issued by the High Court.This year, clay idols will be installed at key locations apart from the premises of GHMC zonal and circle offices.

GHMC Steps in Early to Promote Eco-friendly Ganeshas

Ramkrishna Mukkavalli is a name that sounds like that of many Telugu people. But he is no ordinary man. He has come up with a technology that could help us to overcome the problem of water scarcity. Incidentally, the system makes water from the air. Using the technology of atmospheric water generation, his company Maithri Aquatech has generated over 100 million liters of fresh water from the air.Now, Ramakrishna Mukkavalli has another achievement to his credit. The Hyderabad-based start-up founder has become the first Indian to be recognized by the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) as a Global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) pioneer for water stewardship. In the past, he was selected as India’s SDG pioneer by the UN Global Compact Network India and has now been recognized as one of the ten new SDG Pioneers for 2022.And it’s not just in India; Mukkavalli has worked towards building water security with nature-based solutions across 27 countries. The company’s solution to the issue, Meghdoot, is an alternative water concept wherein it converts air into water. The technology helps various stakeholders meet requirements that include top Fortune 500 companies, large public sector companies, hospitals, schools, and underserved sections of society.His mission has saved 200 million liters of groundwater resources from exploitation. “This recognition will empower my efforts in mitigating the water crisis across the planet, and I urge others to do the same,” says Mukkavalli.The UNGC has announced ten new SDG pioneers who are doing an exceptional job in the implementation of the UN Global Compact Ten Principles on Human Rights, environment, labor, and anti-corruption, selected from various continents.

Hyderabad’s Start-up Founder 1st Indian to Get UN Recognition

Inspired by MBA chaiwala? Well, not directly. But Mohammed Arif Hussain started his business instead of looking for a job. He could have easily settled for a cushy job in an air-conditioned office. But Arif chose to sweat it out on the streets of Hyderabad to make a living on his own.Of course, initially, when he started the business, it was not received nicely by his extended family. There were many who did not like the idea of what he wanted to do. But seeing the success stories of many such people, Arif did not give up.&nbsp; He started his MBA Limbu Pani Wala in February 2021.The 26-year-old thought it was best to start a street-side stall selling fresh lemonade. While the city’s streets are full of nimbu-paniwalas, Arif says his stall uses mineral water and is clean and hygienic, which is exactly what you need on a hot day.Arif’s smile and his demeanor are winning him, customers. He sells three variations of nimbu pani – soda nimbu pani, plain nimbu pani and dry ice nimbu pani. They come in sweet, sour, and masala flavors. Apart from lemonade, he also sells mocktails which cost between Rs 30 and Rs 60.The MBA Limbu Pani Wala totally believes in his vision and says he studies MBA, which is all about running a business, and is happy that he is running his own. Already, the popularity of his stall on social media has got him offers of investment. Arif is also ready for franchises now.

MBA Limbu Pani Wala Is a Must Try This Season

It has been almost six months since 2022 started and in Hyderabad, various commercial activities have been taking place with a lot of tie-ups, acquisitions, and growth in the realty sector. If one looks at all of India's progress, the last month of 2021 had seen positive growth in retail, hospitality, education, and other sectors. But the good news is that Hyderabad has surpassed Bengaluru when it came to recruitment with 12% growth.If one were to compare the figures with those of 2020, the fag end of 2021 saw far more recruitments in metro cities and other big cities of India. While the IT recruitments continued to happen, the overall economy was in good shape due to recruitments in the hospitality, travel, retail, and realty sectors. In the last quarter of 2021, there was a growth of 22% in recruitments in the hospitality sector, while retail saw 20% growth and education saw 12% growth.As compared to 2020, Hyderabad saw 12% growth in recruitments, while Bengaluru came next with 11%, Mumbai was at 8%, Pune was at 4%, and Chennai was at 6%.On the other hand, while Delhi's figures remained static, Kolkata saw a cut down by 3%.On the other hand, Ahmedabad topped the list of developing cities with 21% recruitment. IT, pharma, and banking sectors backed the robust growth. The demand for those with 4-7 years of experience remained stable, demand for those with 8-12 years of experience reduced by 4%, while demand for those with 13-16 years of experience reduced by 9%.

Hyderabad Beats Bengaluru in Terms of Recruitments

Other mottos or philosophies drive different people to progress in life. Rahul Kanuganti’s motto happens to be – the only way one can live is to grow, and the only way one can grow is if we grow. Well, he has followed the popular saying to the T and happens to be a successful entrepreneur today.But Rahul’s journey did not happen by chance. In 2012, while pursuing his BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Hindustan University, he was inspired to explore space, and he happened to build India’s first Mars Rover along with Mars Society USA and NASA. Then he ‘grew’ once again and enrolled himself at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and made a total shift to explore his interest in intelligent mobility platforms.And that’s how his company Flytta was born in 2017. The Hyderabad-based start-up helps enterprises with their relocation needs and is incubated by Nasscom 10,000 start-ups. Flytta enables seamless employee and asset relocation with a one-stop solution driven by machine learning (ML) and the Internet of Things (IoT).Rahul shares that while building the Mars Rover taught him about outer space and the movement of objects in that zone, his experience with MIT taught him about entrepreneurship from a global perspective. So, after working for a few years, he decided to have a firm that would simplify things for other firms.Flytta was born out of the personal travails he had to face when he wanted to relocate his office from Chennai to Hyderabad. After much research and realizing how fragmented the segment was, he started as a consumer-centric platform and eventually shifted focus to corporate in 2019.They completed 2500 relocations in 2019, and the company went live with its enterprise platform. Meanwhile, the company built physical hubs in 28 states and trained 200 professionals in asset packaging. During the pandemic, many companies wanted their assets shifted to their employees’ homes, and Flytta not only facilitated it but also tracked the assets through IoT by embedding them into the company’s transport management system.Incidentally, Flytta also launched a first-of-its-kind operating system (OS) for the transport industry through which it helps transport companies with the digitization process. Apart from working with 30-plus MNCs and nine Fortune 500 companies, Flytta has also worked with the armed forces.The company now has about 40 employees, 200 teams in 25 states, and eight city offices in different states.

Corporates Depending On Flytta for Asset Relocation

Sardar Mahal, a gift of love built by the sixth Nizam Mir Mahboob Ali Khan for one of his consorts Sardar Begum. It was never lived in as the queen, well, did not like the building. However, the building remains to be crucial as far as historians go. Now, GHMC has decided to develop it into a cultural center on a private-public partnership model.Just a little distance away from the Charminar, Sardar Mahal hasn’t got its due yet. MA &amp; UD minister KT Rama Rao has already laid the foundation stone for restoring the structure, and tenders have been invited. The building that was taken over by the government in 1965 due to outstanding property taxes was declared a heritage building by the Heritage Conservation Committee and INTACH.GHMC now wants to develop the building to maximize the historical, cultural, and tourist potential in the Charminar area. The project will be taken up on a build, operate, and transfer (BOT) concept, for which it has invited tenders. The detailed project plan would consist of broad context studies such as tourism, arts, and culture, including the Charminar Pedestrianisation Project (CPP), positioning of the heritage property in the overall tourism potential of Charminar and its vicinity, formulation of a detailed master plan for its development as a cultural center and identification of various activities based on the master plan and allocation of space for each activity.The concerned agency must also prepare a valuation report, a feasibility study report including project structuring, and a financial model for the project. The conversation has to be done in such a way that it does not disturb the facade of the building. Once the Heritage Conservation Committee approves the plan, the agency will then have to undertake restoration works.

GHMC Set to Restore Sardar Mahal, Nizam’s Token of Love

They work silently and slip into the shadows. Many of us wouldn’t even bother to look at their faces. Sanitation workers, rag pickers, and scavengers are among the most ignored in society. And they are also the most exploited as they are caught in a vicious cycle. While there are many start-ups in the recycling and waste management segment, there are none to handle the issues of the lowest segment of society. Addressing this very problem is Recykal Foundation.Recykal Foundation is the initiative of Hyderabad-based start-up Recykal. The foundation aims to provide dignity and identity to safai mitras by creating an ecosystem where they are given proper wages. They will also work at their next generation, being given the right skills and education.The foundation that intends to transform the lives of about 1 million safai mitras by 2025 has launched an initiative called Unnati SETU which stands for Social &amp; Economic Transformative Upliftment. It has already impacted the lives of 40,000 safai mitras by providing them one meal a day since Jan 26 this year in Gudimalkapur.Most of the workers are women, and child labor is rampant in this sector. Recykal Foundation wants to provide these workers identity cards which will help them take support from government schemes and open a bank accounts. They will also be provided education and training in vocational skills.The foundation also intends to collaborate with government institutions to expand its Swachhta Kendras, which are centers for waste material collection and channelization.

Recykal Foundation to Provide Identity, Dignity to Safai Mitras

Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid is nearing, and those celebrating the festival are already in a fix with regards to getting a proper butcher on the day. On the first day of the three-day festival, there is a custom of sacrificing a sheep or goat or cattle, and there have been instances where people would be queuing up in front of neighbors’ houses to get the butcher.To address such ordeals, a Hyderabad-based mutton trader has come up with a one-week long course in sheep sacrifice and processing. The course will teach everything from the sacrifice process to skinning to cleaning and cutting the meat into small pieces.Al Amin meat shop in Tolichowki will be conducting this workshop, and when they first advertised on social media, they were flooded with calls asking for various details. Incidentally, the course is open for all above the age of 15. The manager of the Mart, Mir Arshad Ali, says the course is designed for common people. They will be charging Rs 2000, and the sheep and equipment will be provided during the process. Experienced butchers who have been doing it for decades will train the enthusiasts.As the sacrifice is a must during the festival, there is a huge demand for butchers who charge up to Rs 1000 to process one sheep. Butchers from neighboring Vikarabad, Mahabubnagar, Kurnool, Sangareddy, Yadadri Bhuvanagiri, and Nalgonda come to the city during this time to deal with excess demand.

Learn Butchering Skills for This Bakrid

At this point in time, COVID is in control, at least in Hyderabad city. But in the past two years, the corona has impacted the lives of people in a big way. It led to financial and mental distress and took the lives of many. However, one issue that it has created is the increase in vehicles plying the city roads.Well, during the pandemic, there was much stress on social distancing, and given the situation then, many started using their vehicles to commute to the city. Though the pandemic has subsided, now the people are used to commuting in their own vehicles, and this is creating new social problems.There are heavy traffic jams, lots of pollution and less usage of public transport in the city. For example, if 5 lakh people used Metro prior to the pandemic, the number has fallen to 2 lakh right now. The railways have cut down on the number of MMTS trains due to a lack of demand. In the case of RTC, 4000 buses are used to ply the roads. But now, the number has been cut down to 2800.Another issue is that it has become extremely critical for traffic police to address traffic problems. If there is a jam for 10 minutes, the traffic movement is affected for two to three hours. At peak times, the situation is worse. All those who invested in their own vehicles during the pandemic are now reticent to use public transport. About 20 lakh new vehicles have been added to already existing vehicles.The problem does not end here. As of now, of the 6 lakh software employees, only 30 percent have returned to work. The situation would be worse when all of them return to the office!

COVID Causes Vehicular Chaos in Hyderabad City

Technical difficulties are plaguing the Metro Rail project. Metro trains have come to a halt due to a technical glitch. A train plying from LB Nagar to Miyapur was stopped for a while due to a technical fault at Moosarambagh station. Metro trains were delayed for a while due to this.&nbsp;Metro services resumed as usual after the issue was cleared. This happened exactly when people were going to the offices and when all the metro trains were crowded with passengers. Officials say the train has got stalled for a while due to a technical problem. Last year also saw a number of technical issues come up with metro trains.&nbsp;Passengers were put to big inconvenience due to the technical problems with the trains. With the increase in traffic congestion in the city and the increase in dust and dust pollution in the atmosphere, red lights are lit on the route of the Metro trains. Metro officials say that sometimes metro trains suddenly stop due to this. They say measures will be taken to prevent technical problems in the future.