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Farmer takes to organic farming in cancer belt
Cement plant to come up on the green plains at Gholia Kalan village in Moga district |
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State function on World TB Day
Kin of SAD sarpanch held for cultivating poppy plants
Agriculturists urged to shun use of chemical fertilisers
ICU soon at civil hospital, says Chawla
Martyrs emerge as source of inspiration for youths
Woman among five held for killing husband
Suspected thief falls prey to bullet, dies
Newly-wed commits suicide, in-laws booked
Save environment campaign
Clash over common path proves fatal for farmer
Woman gives birth to triplets
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Farmer takes to organic farming in cancer belt
Kalalwala (Talwandi Sabo), March 28 To set an example for others, Rajinderpal has said goodbye to chemical fertilisers and was reaping a bumper harvest of organic crops on his 58-acre landholding. He has become a role model for other farmers by setting apart six acres of land on which he has introduced rose cultivation from which he was earning anything around Rs.3.50 lakh for each litre of rose oil produced in his indigenously developed boiler system. His organic crop of basmati paddy, wheat, pulses and mustard oil fetch him more than double the price of the grains that are cultivated with chemical fertilisers. Those who do not want to carry home the chemical crop, book the grains of his field in advance, Rajinderpal says. He believes that the organic farming could help remove the stigma of the area being the cancer capital of Punjab. Chemicals have contaminated the groundwater and it was time that the farming community should revert to the traditional system of farming. His concern was that the Talwandi Sabo area has in particular come to be identified as the cancer zone and people from other parts of Punjab were reluctant to take brides from here. This village with a population of about 2,500 has over 15 cancer patients, he said. Outsiders refuse to even drink water in two nearby villages of Jhajjal and Gyana where prevalence of cancer was the most. He has now persuaded his uncle Jagdev Singh to follow his footsteps of reverting to organic farming. Rajinderpal says that he has already booked his forthcoming wheat crop for Rs 2,600 per quintal. After April 15, he would sell the grain for Rs 3,000 per quintal. Last year, his organic crop of wheat fetched Rs 2,500 per quintal against Rs 1,080 earned by other farmers, who used chemical fertilisers. Management of the famous Baru Sahib gurdwara in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh lifted 50 quintals of organic wheat from him. He says that his per acre yield of wheat was seven to eight quintals against 16 to 20 quintals of the chemically treated area. However, people willingly pay higher amount for his organic grains. His organic basmati paddy fetched Rs 3,600 per quintal against Rs 2,400 by others. He says another advantage of organic farming was that it requires lesser irrigation. |
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Cement plant to come up on the green plains at Gholia Kalan village in Moga district
Moga, March 28 Concerned over its possible impact on the environment on this village which has a population of about 7,657 persons living in around 1,386 households and in the nearby areas, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has decided to hold a public hearing on April 9 in the village situated in Baghapurana sub-division of the Moga district. It has invited suggestions, views, comments and objections, if any, on a cement plant proposed to be set up by M/s. New Tech Cement Industries in this village. An application for grant of environmental clearance for this cement plant having a grinding capacity 30 TPD was considered in a meeting of the state expert appraisal committee of the union ministry of environment and forests in its meeting held on July 18, 2009 subject to the condition that the project proponent should submit an environment impact assessment study report for final nod to the project. The committee laid down certain conditions for final nod that includes all the coordinates of the plant site should be provided with toposheet, the study area should cover an area of 10 km radius around the proposed site, the industry should submit a copy of change of land use from the competent authority, land use pattern of the study area as well as the project area, topography of the area should be given clearly indicating whether the site requires any filling, if so, details of filling, quantity of filling material required, its source and transportation; impact on drainage of the area and the surrounding area, information regarding surface hydrology and water regime and impact on the same, if any, due to the project, sustainability study for groundwater in the existing tubewells and quality of ground water, one season site-specific meteorological data (except monsoon), one complete season ambient air quality data. The committee has asked the company that environment monitoring should be carried out for at least six different locations all around the project within 10 km radius of the proposed site. The location of the monitoring stations should be decided so as to take into consideration the pre-dominant downwind direction, population zone and sensitive receptors. There should be at least one monitoring station in the upwind direction. Further, the air quality contours should be plotted on a location map showing the location of the site, habitation nearby and sensitive receptors, if any, keeping in view that concentration suspended particulate matter (SPM in the stack Emissions) should be less then 150 mg/Nm3. The committee has also directed the company to prepare an action plan to address the issues raised during the public hearing and the necessary allocation of funds for the same should be provided along with adequate measures of socio-economic influence to local community. For the impact on local infrastructure such as road network and whether any additional infrastructure needs to be constructed, the agency would be responsible for the same within a given time-frame. |
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State function on World TB Day
Ferozepur, March 28 Satish Chandra, secretary, health department, Punjab, who was to formally inaugurate the function in the capacity of chief guest, did not turn up. The director, state health services, SPS Sohal, reached the venue of function when it was nearing its end. Official sources said that in absence of the chief guest and other senior functionaries of the state health department, JP Singh, director, family welfare, Punjab and PK Shridhar, state TB officer, Punjab, conducted the proceeding of the function held in the premises of the local Dev Samaj College of Education. Information gathered by TNS revealed that state-level function in connection with the World TB Day was to be held at Jalandhar and Punjab health minister Laxmi Kant Chawla was to be the chief guest. However, the authorities concerned took the decision about two days ago to shift it to Ferozepur and Satish Chandra was asked to be the chief guest on the occasion. Messages were flashed to the media persons, district officials and staff members of different health centres
dotting this district to attend the function positively as Satish Chandra would be its chief guest. A senior functionary of the Punjab Health System
Corporation (PHSC) was also supposed to attend the function. Those attended the programme included M. Chatwal, deputy State TB controller and GS Dhillon, district in-charge, TB Control Programme. Duleep Kumar, civil surgeon, when contacted, said senior functionaries could not attend the function as they were busy in the cabinet meeting, which was held at Chandigarh today. He said that function was held at the Dev Samaj College instead of in any slum area because of the fact that para medical staff, who attended the same, was to be given tips in connection with the new innovation in the TB Control Programme. While claiming the fact that function was successful, he added that a rally to bring awareness in connection with TB and its control among the people was taken out from civil hospital to the college premises. He added that the state government had decided to make ASHA workers as DOT provider for the TB patients. He said that more sputum collection centres would be set up throughout the state for intensifying the TB Control
Programme. |
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Kin of SAD sarpanch held for cultivating poppy plants
Bathinda, March 28 Acting upon a tip-off, the team conducted a raid at the fields of Darshan Singh, brother of SAD Sarpanch Joginder Singh, located just at the backside of his house in the village. During the raid, officials found a large number of plants, meant for extracting opium and poppy husk, standing along the plants of grams. Uprooting the plants, police took them in custody and arrested the accused Darshan Singh under sections 15, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act. In the FIR, police showed the uprooted plants that weighed about 41 kg. However, villagers informed the media that the number of plants was very large but due to political pressure, police concealed disclosing the actual weight of the plants. SHO Maur police, Satish Kumar denied such allegation and claimed that he did not even know about the political affiliation of the accused and his brother. Speaking to media, Sarpanch Joginder Singh, brother of the accused, denied having information about such illegal farming before the police conducted the raid. “I apprehend that it could be the handiwork of our farm labourers or some rival,” he claimed. |
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Agriculturists urged to shun use of chemical fertilisers
Bathinda, March 28 Farmers of Faridkot and neighbouring areas were urged to undertake agriculture with compassion, love for ecology and making farming a venture of social equity and economic justice. Subhash Sharma, an organic farmer, gave tips to farmers on natural farming techniques in the Chaina village. Sharma will address the farmers in eight different workshops during his Punjab visit. While addressing the farmers, he recalled how as a farmer he had been inducted into the methods of a purely “destructive science”. “In the process of farming with chemicals,” he confessed, “I destroyed almost the entire micro-organism population in the soil, trees, birds, seeds and water and that is what caused the reduction in the yield.” However, in 1994, he turned to natural farming. He recommended farmers to plant atleast five trees in one acre to provide a resting place to birds. He also advised them to increase their water efficiency. Umendra Dutt, executive director of the KVM, stressed that pesticide use in the region should be phased out. |
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ICU soon at civil hospital, says Chawla
Abohar, March 28 Legislator Sunil Jakhar in a memorandum submitted to Chawla during a meeting at Chandigarh last evening informed her that the hospital was running short of staff including physicians, surgeons, staff nurses and class Intriguingly, the post of radiographer too remained to be filled. Claiming that Abohar leads in eye donation, he urged the minister to make arrangements for cornea transplantation in the local hospital that attracts patients from about 100 villages. Besides accepting these demands, she also assured to get old cardiac monitor replaced, Jakhar said. |
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Martyrs emerge as source of inspiration for youths
Hussainiwala (Ferozepur), March 28 The fact came to light after the TNS spoke to a number of people, who descended here on March 23 to pay their homage to the national martyrs, Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, at their memorial, the place where they were secretly cremated after the British rulers hanged them, on Martyrs Day. Shaminder Singh Dhillon, a resident of village Kotli Ablu of the Muktsar district, who led a group of about 20 youths drawn from various parts of the Malwa region, while talking to TNS said that every year they would come to the Samadhi of the three martyrs to light the candles in the evening and take pledge that they would not leave any stone unturned to take the message of the martyrs to the grassroot. “We come to Hussainiwala on Enfield motorcycle from Jaitu town of Faridkot district. We wear white kurta- pyjama with yellow turban in the same style which was used by Shaheed Bhagat Singh,” he said. Manjeet Singh, who is barely 18 years old, said that he had been coming to this place for the past two to three years along with his parents. The slogans ‘Inquilab Zinabad’ which he would hear at this place, made him to take the pledge to do something positive for the country. Bhupinder Singh, another youth, said he would love to come to this place again and again as he considered it a pilgrimage. The three martyrs laid the foundation stone for the independence of the country and hence they must be the hero of every one, who had been taking breath in an independent India, they said. People of this area said that every year, they had been witnessing an increase in the number of youths who visit the memorial. Some of the youths even come on routine days to pay homage and to take pledge to work for the betterment of the country. Not only this, a number of organisations including the All India Student Federation, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Vichar Manch, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sports Club, Kapurthala, various village level clubs would also hold their function here on the occasion to propagate the philosophy of the martyrs. Meanwhile, Jagdish Bhagat Singh, a resident of Panchkula, who dresses akin to Bhagat Singh wearing a hat, has been visiting this place for the past two decades regularly. |
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Do not adopt politics as profession: Jakhar
Abohar, March 28 The leaders who were adopting politics as profession must understand that they would meet a fatal end if they continue amassing wealth by indulging in unfair practices, he warned. Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a school here , he revealed that during a meeting with the Prime Minster Dr Manmohan Singh, he had urged the latter to deal with the separatists/subversive forces firmly as scores of ‘Jai Chands’ were raising their heads again to repeat the history of Maharana Pratap Singh’s period. Earlier, local MLA Sunil Jakhar lighted the lamp. |
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Woman among five held for killing husband
Sriganganagar/Abohar, March 28 BSF jawan Dharamveer Singh was stabbed to death on his way back to residential quarters in the sector headquarter after night duty last Sunday. Sriganganagar SP, Umesh Chander Sharma, had formed an investigating team comprising ASP Rajan Dushyant, DSPs Rajinder Singh and Hari Ram Gehlot. The police was initially reluctant in questioning Sheela, wife of the deceased, as she was inconsolable. However, by damaging her mobile phone and throwing it on the rooftop of the quarter, she emerged as a suspect. As per details, the investigating team succeeded in procuring the SIM from the damaged mobile phone. Investigation indicated that frequent calls were made to one Vijender Bhardwaj. Interestingly, Vijender Bhardwaj, a clerk in the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi assisted the police in investigation posing as a family friend. However, during the investigation, he reportedly confessed having hired contract killers Sushant Balmiki of Muradabad and Naveen Thapliyal of Chamauli. Vijender Bhardwaj reportedly revealed during the interrogation that he had established relations with Sheela when she had to stay in Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in connection with treatment of her sister a few years back and now conspired to get rid of her husband to spend rest of the life with her. |
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Suspected thief falls prey to bullet, dies
Abohar, March 28 As per details, a trader Lalit Bansal noticed at midnight that lights in the adjoining room were on. He became suspicious and took out .12 bore double barrel licensed gun from the other room. As he challenged the inmates to come out, three persons reportedly ran helter-skelter in separate directions. However, Lalit opened fire and a bullet hit one of the culprits in the shoulder and he fell down in the street near the entrance of the house. DSP Tarun Rattan Sharma along with city police SHO Harjit Singh and duty official Satwant Singh ASI visited the spot and got the body shifted to the Civil Hospital. ASI Satwant Singh has been asked to investigate, sources said. —
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Newly-wed commits suicide, in-laws booked
Ferozepur, March 28 As per the information, Gurpreet got married to Sukhwinder Singh, a resident of Jalandhar, last year in November. Gagandeep Singh, the brother of the deceased, said that right after the marriage of his sister, her in-laws allegedly started putting pressure on her to bring more dowry and even locked her up in bathroom several times. Gagandeep said that his father Parduman Singh had died 11 years ago, and their mother had brought up the three siblings including him and her sisters. He further said that as they could not fulfill the demands of his sister’s in-laws, they turned her out of the house, and she came back to Ferozepur yesterday in the morning. However in the evening yesterday, when he was at his shop and his mother along with his younger sister had gone out for some work, Gurpreet apparently perturbed over the entire sequence of events, hanged herself. She was taken to the Civil Hospital but was declared brought dead. The police registered a case under sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against her husband, father-in-law and two sister-in-laws. Her post-mortem was conducted today at the Civil Hospital, the report of which is awaited. |
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Farmers take oath not to burn wheat, paddy straw
Our Correspondent
Fazilka, March 28 The agriculture experts apprised the farmers of the consequences of burning wheat and paddy straw on the occasion.
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Clash over common path proves fatal for farmer
Bathinda, March 28 In his statement to the police, the injured, Paramjit Singh, alleged that he along with his father Bachittar Singh was going to their fields when they saw the owner of an adjacent field, Kulbir Singh, and his helper Boota Singh ploughing the common path with the intention of merging it with their land. “We warned them against doing so. Irked, Kulbir hit my father in the head with a sharp-edged agricultural tool while Boota inflicted a deep injury on my arm with a shovel,” he alleged. The injured father-son duo was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Goniana, where the doctors declared Bachittar dead. The Nehianwala police has booked Kulbir Singh and Boota Singh under sections 302, 323 and 34 of the IPC. However, the accused could not be arrested. —
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Woman gives birth to triplets
Fazilka, March 28 Jagtar Singh, a labourer, talking to the correspondent said that though he is not financially sound yet he is happy that he has been blessed him with three children which marks the completion of his family with a single delivery. |
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In this area that is identified as the cancer capital of Punjab, a lone farmer, Rajinderpal Singh, has taken up the challenge to make fellow farmers revert to organic farming and shun chemical
fertilisers.
