There was a time, not long ago, when the lake was filled with debris and algal growth. All sides of the lake had garbage dumps, and mosquitoes swarmed all over. No wanted to be near Malkam Cheruvu. Today, in its rejuvenated glory, it has become a favorite spot to hang out for neighboring families.The lake which is along the Gachibowli stretch of road is bustling with activity, and it is hard to miss its new-found beauty. The evenings are busy on the lakeside, with the space filled with ice cream bandis, chat bandis, and snack trucks.The civic authorities have integrated children’s play areas, walking and cycling tracks, a bird island, play lawns, a jetty area, an open gym, an amphitheater, view deck bridges, and a boulder park in the rock boulder conservation zone.A rather attractive entrance, patches of greenery, and an artificial pond amidst the lake make it more attractive. The entire lake has been fenced, and trees have been planted to add to its scenic beauty. Water hyacinth has been done away with, and inlets and outlets have been improved apart from de-silting the bed.Aparna Infra Housing partnered with civic authorities as a part of their corporate social responsibility, and the lake was thrown open to the public by MA &amp; UD minister KT Rama Rao.

Malkam Cheruvu: New Space for Instagrammable Pics

In this time and age when everything is posted on social media and just about every moment needs to be captured on camera for posterity (?), new places are popping up around the city to give you ample options for photo shoots.It could be your pre-wedding video shoot, baby shower shoot, birthday party shoot, or just about anything… you can land at The Nawab’s Garden and have an amazing photo shoot. The place has various settings for various occasions, and it is up to you to make the most of it.There are royal backdrops, too, as the name suggests, and Nawab’s Garden has about 50 sets in all, be it Nizami style old-world architecture or floral settings. The space can be booked on an hourly basis. If you want a morning vibe, book the morning slot. If you want amazing night shots, the place is illuminated accordingly. There is also the option of booking the evening slot to make use of the golden sunshine for sunlit pictures.The package includes a changing room, decorative lights, and sungun sets for photographers. Drones are also allowed in certain areas of the Garden.

Want memorable pictures, check out Nawab’s Garden

The city has yet another public park, and this time it is right in the heart of Jubilee Hills, facing KBR Park. The place has been developed recently and has already become a favorite chilling spot for many.Hyderabad might be getting unexpected showers, but that hasn't stopped nature-lovers from coming to the park to spend some quality 'me' time. The park faces the Starbucks in Jubilee Hills on Rd No 93, making it more appealing to those wanting to have a pleasant time.A gigantic pillar stands as a viewpoint, and one must climb a stairway that runs alongside a boulder, from which the park's name has been derived. The GHMC has named the park Monolith Park and created a fountain that flows on the rock like a waterfall. In fact, due to the soothing sound of the waterfall, the traffic on the adjoining road gets drowned, and one can hear the music from Blue Block Club and the birds chirping.And in keeping with the latest obsession of GHMC to have almost all public spaces filled with murals, the wall that holds the viewpoint also has funky, kaleidoscopic murals that showcase Hyderabad and its culture. While some love to simply stroll or laze around, some bring in their coffee and chill with their friends.But what is interesting to note is that the park has been developed on an erstwhile dump yard.

Chill at Monolith Park With Coffee at Starbucks 

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.

Technical Glitch: Metro Train Stopped At Moosarambagh Station

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has come up with another innovative idea. Buses are already plying in the city of Hyderabad to areas where there is a capacity after midnight. Now, the corporation has announced free battery-operated vehicles from Secunderabad Railway Station to the nearby bus stops.Arrangements are being made to reach the Alpha Hotel, Rathifile Bus Stand, Uppal Bus Stop opposite Blue Sea Hotel, Mettuguda, Chilakalguda, and Gandhi Hospital. Information centers on RTC electric (battery) vehicles will be set up on the platforms on either side of the railway station.If the passengers get off the train and go to the respective information centers and tell them where to go, the battery vehicles will be made available there. They are boarded into battery vehicles and taken to the city bus stop where they are supposed to go. If you want to go by metro train, they will be taken to the metro station. RTC officials said the free vehicle service would be available in another fortnight.

Free Battery Vehicles From Secunderabad Station To Nearby Bus Stops

Government agencies are not paying electricity bills. Four government agencies owe large sums to TSSPDCL and TSNPDCL. The electricity bill arrears were hundreds of crores by the time of the state's formation, but now it has reached thousands of crores. The arrears have been rising at over Rs 3,000 crore annually for three years. 18,000 crores were accumulated in these 8 years.&nbsp;Electricity officials have recently calculated the arrears. Of this, the arrears of four government agencies were found to be over Rs 18,000 crore. Electricity consumption for lift irrigation projects, street lights of Panchayati Rajs, Municipalities, Corporations, Water Supply, and Hyderabad Metro Water Works Company has been found to be high in electricity consumption. These had arrears of Rs 1,302.03 crore as of March 31, 2014.&nbsp;However, in the last 8 years, it has reached thousands of crores due to non-payment of bills. Most of the lift irrigation scheme bills are pending. As of March 31, 2014, the electricity arrears used for lift-irrigation schemes were only Rs.106.92 crore. Later with the Kaleswaram lift irrigation Scheme and the power consumption for other lifts increased tremendously. As of March 31, the Irrigation Department had arrears of up to Rs 8,000 crore in electricity bills.On the other hand, street lights used in rural and urban areas and electricity bills for water supply are also pending. Electricity bills for street lights in Panchayati Raj have gone up by more than Rs 3,800 crore. Electricity arrears for rural water supply have increased by over Rs 1,800 crore as part of the RWS scheme. In total, the Panchayati Raj department owes over Rs 5,600 crore. The municipal administration, the urban development department, the electricity consumption, and the electricity bills of the street lights are over Rs 1,200 crore today. Of this, high-tension electricity bills reached another Rs 350 crore. The arrears of Hyderabad Metro Water Works also reached Rs 2,750 crore.

18,000 Crore Pending Electricity Bill

Pandemic time is when many in the city began exploring their artistic side and took it up as a serious vocation. Sandhya Madhuri, an IT professional based out of Hyderabad, is one tapestry artist who dabbled in various art forms before settling on the tapestry.Sandhya’s tapestry website, The Weaving Bird, is a one-stop shop where she sells exquisite hand-woven tapestries that she makes by herself. A self-taught tapestry artist, Sandhya tried her hand at various art forms such as photography, music, and pottery, before she accidentally stumbled upon tapestry weaving about three years ago.The budding artist shares that her interest in the art form kicked off when she got interested in the samples posted on Pinterest. She says the weaves captivated her, and she decided to take it up herself. So, after months of research, exploration, and watching lots of tutorials online, Sandhya started making tapestries.Sandhya’s inspiration comes from Baya Weaver Bird which she learned about in school. The bird intricately weaves its nest, which also happens to be the inspiration behind the name of her website.However, it was not easy going for her during the initial days. Sourcing resources was one huge issue, she says, adding that she went through several tapestry artists’ profiles globally, read through many blogs, and made a lot of trial and error before she finally made her first piece of tapestry.Sandhya says there are no rules in art. She weaves whatever her mood tells her, and for the dovel used to hang these tapestries, Sandhya uses anything from a paintbrush to a wooden spatula. This makes it therapeutic, she reveals.Presently, Sandhya is also conducting online workshops to tell people the ease with which they can start this art form. Though she started with an expensive loom, one life hack that Sandhya learned is to use an old photo frame for the purpose. As for the fabric, she says one can use rope and old sarees cut into strips, cotton twine, or anything suitable.

A Self-made Tapestry Artist Making a Difference

If one watches travel shows, the presenters often go to local markets and spend quite some time there understanding the local food and even tasting food at the outlets. Well, we are yet to go a long way to be featured in travel vlogs, but the Telangana government is nevertheless taking the first steps to modernize two markets in Punjagutta and Ameerpet.The GHMC is planning to build two modern markets, one in Ameerpet at the cost of Rs 13.2 crore and another in Punjagutta at the cost of Rs 6.7 crore. Both the markets will be four-storied and will have a cellar and stilt floor for two-wheeler and four-wheeler parking. The same was approved by GHMC standing committee on May 11.Ameerpet market will be spread across 1174 sq yards, and the Punjagutta one will be spread across 801 sq yards. The Ameerpet market will have 19 shops and two rooms on the first floor, while the second, third and fourth floors will have 21 shops each.In Punjagutta, there will be 45 shops, with eight shops and two office rooms on the first floor and 13, 11, 13 shops on the second, third, and fourth floors. The old buildings will be demolished, and the new facilities will come up with stalls, bulbs, fans, and parking spaces, to name a few. The buildings will shield the vendors from harsh climate, flies, and other pollutants.

GHMC Plans To Build Two Modern Markets

The summer holidays are coming to an end, and in about two weeks, children will return to school full-time post-pandemic. Naturally, it is a time of anxiety for teachers, parents, and children. Having gotten used to the computer and mobile screens, it remains to be seen how the kids will react to the new normal.The teachers, too, are worried about how children would cope with this new change and are doing their best to be prepared for an interactive and friendly classroom. Many teachers in the city feel while some children like verbal communication, many of them would love activity-based, practical teaching methods.A school principal of an international school says that their teachers are preparing to mix methods taking bits from the Montessori method of education and the new guidelines issued through the revised National Education Policy. He adds that they want the children to grow both intellectually and creatively.Meanwhile, one of the clinical psychologists from the city shares that not all kids are keen to get back to school as they have lost touch with in-person interactions. Seeing and meeting can cause anxiety and emotional disengagement among children, which could reflect in their performance, says she.So, the schools are planning for a method wherein they will first monitor a child’s attention span, energy levels, and appetite. Then they will work on increasing their attention span and, lastly, work on teaching them good manners and social skills before taking them into the subject.Parent and teacher coordination is of utmost importance at this time, say the teachers.

Schools Prepping to be Cool

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Hyderabad on the 26th of this month. He is the Chief Guest for the ISB's 20th anniversary in the city. He along with Governor Tamilisai Soundarajan will be heading the convocation of the ISB that day. Sources say that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is going to skip the PM's visit.The Chief Minister is on a North India tour which many believe is intentionally chalked out in a way to avoid the PM's visit due to ongoing political conflicts. The Chief Minister is also not in talking terms with the Governor, her excellency, Tamilisai. So this plan will avoid both of them.Despite it being an official tour, the BJP state unit is making big arrangements to make it successful. Speaking about, the VVIPs invited for the twentieth anniversary, the ISB dean told the media, "The PMO has confirmed. However, the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has wished ISB all the best. A minister from the Telangana Cabinet will attend the convocation".

CM KCR To Skip PM Modi's ISB Visit

Scent of a Woman is a well-known film by Al Pacino. While it has nothing to do with perfumes, it definitely has something to do with the sensory element of smell. In fact, fragrance, many a time, is the signature of a person. So, it is elementary to make sure one wears the right scent.Rajesh Sharma happens to be a secret perfumer in his alchemical lab in the old city, who experiments with over 1200 ingredients to make custom fragrances. At one time, he labored in the streets of Grasse, France, to learn to sniff the minute nuances of perfume, including the Chanel No 5, to blend custom perfumes that suit personal tastes.Perfumers say scents can retrieve memories faster than a sense of sight, more vividly. In fact, the perfumes carry various notes that make for an exciting study. Rajesh shares that each perfume has three redolent or three notes that can be sensed after the application of a perfume. There is a ‘top note’ which one smells instantly, a heart note remains the core of the scent, and then there is the least volatile ‘base note.’Like all perfumers in the business, Rajesh trained his nose to memorize thousands of scents while working in France. “It’s imperative to analyze the ingredients in their mind to understand which note is to emit which kind of fragrance. I am at that stage now, though it takes more than a lifetime to understand the scents,” says he candidly.Rajesh now has a collection of over 1200 ingredients from across the world and is now into making customized perfumes for his customers in Mumbai. He is also experimenting with coming up with his own brand of perfume. Wrapping up, he shares that musky and citrus notes are the season's fragrances.