Jalandhar, January 23
For a district which brags of the largest number of hospitals in South Asia, Jalandhar is a bustling medical city.

But while many hospitals mean many options for patients, they unfortunately also mean tonnes of irresponsibly discarded medical wastes.

Conservative estimates put the number of total medical establishments (including clinics and hospitals) in the city at about 1,200 to 1,500, but of these a mere 359 are registered with the Punjab Pollution Control Board.

In fact in the four district (Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr) in the region only 691 medical establishments are registered with the PPCB. Out of these, 91 rural units have been issued notices for violation along with two hospitals in Jalandhar.

While there are about 600 to 800 clinics (run by BAMS and GAMS doctors) in the district, the number of medical establishments being run by qualified doctors in the district are about 500.

Even PPCB employees say 50 per cent of the waste in the city comes from unregistered establishments, "dais" and quacks.

If one is to include the huge number of quacks that have set up shop in every area of the district, the number goes higher.

While the registered, law-abiding medical units pay companies to pick up and treat their bio-medical wastes, the others conveniently dump their medical wastes in empty plots, street corners, public dumps etc, exposing the city population (both man and beast) to huge risks.

In the beginning of January, the PPCB teams' raid on two reputed hospitals - one of them being a government-run tertiary institute and other a charitable institution - caught them irresponsibly disposing of bio-medical waste.

The trigger was an amputated limb found in a nearby empty land. Both the hospitals denied that the limb came from their patient.

Residents of areas have many often complained about carelessly discarded bandages, cotton swabs (some with blood still on them), etc, in local dumps and there have been instances of residents reporting domestic and stray animals clutching blood stained syringes in their mouths.

Speaking about the meagre amount of hospitals listed with them, PPCB engineer Manohar Lal Chauhan said, “Establishments with an OPD of less than 1,000 patients are not registered with us. We are currently authorised to initiate action only against the 359 medical establishments which come under us. There are three others which are listed with us, but their registration has expired and they shall be applying for a new one.”

Talking to The Tribune, Superintending Engineer, PPCB, SP Garg said, “While we are taking requisite action against any registered hospitals violating the norms, we can’t act against unregistered medical units and quacks. The mushrooming of so many medical units is indeed a problem. On that count we also need the help of the Health Department.”

“Quackery should be stopped. They are a major hindrance for us in carrying out our duties effectively. As much as 50 per cent of the irresponsibly discarded medical waste comes from dais (midwifes), quacks, etc. Unless that is checked by the Health Department, the challenge in front of the PPCB will be huge. We can’t initiate action against unregistered establishments which don’t fall under our purview.”

Jalandhar, January 23
The National Disaster Management Authority in association with the district administration will organise a mock drill on acting after an earthquake tomorrow at Jyoti Chowk to test the preparedness to meet any such eventuality in a congested area of the city.

The timing for the drill will be between 2 pm and 4 pm. Officials of various emergency services from the city, including those of fire, MC and hospitals, revenue, block-level, ITBP, Army, CRPF, Punjab Police and other organisations from Jalandhar, Kapurthala and Hoshiarpur, participating in the three-day capacity building programme for disaster management will attend the event.

Brig BK Nanda (retired) addressed the participants of the programme today in the meeting hall of the DC Complex and discussed various techniques that should be followed in the event of an earthquake.

Video clippings on the issue were also shown to the participants.

The event was organised by Daksh and Parminder Singh, both from the Disaster Management Cell of the administration.

Jalandhar, January 23
Every state has to have its own pillars to lean on, in times of a cultural crisis.

Of the few cultural pillars that the masses can count on "to churn out music steeped in the Punjabi tradition" the name of Wadali Brothers is probably the most illustrious.

In the city to release the new album of his son Lakhwinder Wadali, the elder Wadali - Puran Chand - today charmed the city audiences with his sweet rustic wit.

Playing a quaint traditional video ("Jaise meri Eid ho gayi", sung by the Wadali Brothers and Lakhwinder Wadali) from Lakhwinder's new album "Ishqe Da Naam", the father-son duo illustrated their concern for the degenerating music (and visual) sensibilities, which had marred the understanding of Punjab's cultural riches among the young generation.

Commenting on the issue of Honey Singh, Puran Chand Wadali said, everyone was free to make the kind of music they like, but "Musicians have to ensure that they come up with music which families can listen to and 
watch together."

Lakhwinder Wadali, when asked whether he would be taking a plunge in the world of Punjabi cinema, said, "Ik vari panga leya si (I had experimented once) but it has made me wiser. Currently, I have no plans to act."

The elder Wadali narrated precious experiences from his childhood saying, "Success comes through two things only, either shauq (interest) or dar (fear). I would have remained a bodybuilder if it wasn't for my father's beatings as a child. He beat me up and wouldn't spare me even if I hid behind my mother. The fear of him has made me what I am. It's fear that took me from a man singing at a dargah to a Padmashree Awardee."

With charming rustic simplicity, the senior Wadali reiterated that he never went to school, nor to the movies ("never even saw Lakhwinder's film") but was happy about the love that Bollywood gave him.

He also narrated how the "kids" took him to see Govinda once and how he told the actor that he was fond of his mother Nirmala Devi's classical treasure.

"We had heard her at Durgiana Mandir. She was very good. Govinda was very happy to hear about her from me," the senior Wadali said.

In a lighter vein he added, "At Mumbai the man who everyone calls 'lamboo' (tall man) came to me and said he was fond of my music," as Lakhwinder Wadali blushed.

"I later asked the children who that man was, they said Amitabh Bachchan," he said as everyone broke into peals of laughter.

I can only say, "Jab tak bika na tha, koi puchta na tha, tune mujhe kharid kar, anmol kar diya (no one cared for me as long as I wasn't sold, you bought me and made me priceless," quipped Wadali.

With a sweet rendition of the "Heer" in his husky, Sufi-tinged voice, which brings back associations of mud villages and earthen lamp-lit Sufi shrines, the senior Wadali signed off.

"Ishqe Da Jaam" is Lakhwinder's 10th album. Its music has been given by Jatinder Jeetu.

Phagwara, January 23
The police has arrested a drug peddler, identified as Rupinder Singh of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar locality, and recovered 10 gm of heroin and 100 gm of intoxicant powder from his possession.

The police said the accused was nabbed during a naka near Gobindpura locality here yesterday.

Phillaur: The police has arrested a drug peddler and recovered 25 kg of poppy husk and 10 gm of intoxicant powder from his possession yesterday.

The accused was nabbed during a naka when he was coming in a Maruti car (PB-02-1611). The car was also impounded.

Nakodar, January 23
The police has arrested a youth, identified as Sunny, on the charges of abducting a minor girl of Chanian village.

Jalandhar, January 23
The North Zone Inter-University Lawn Tennis (Men) Championship ran into its second day today at Dr BR Ambedkar National Institute of Technology. As many as 30 teams are competing in the tournament.

The match between MDU Rohtak and PTU Jalandhar displayed a lot of zeal and set the tone going for the day. After a fierce battle, the boys from MDU Rohtak got the better of PTU Jalandhar by 3-2.

Thapar University, Patiala, kept alive the zeal and made maximum use of their physiological advantage to beat DCRUST, Murthal 3-0. University of Allahabad Beat Kumaun University, Nanital 3-0. LPU, Phagwara, got walkover PEC Chandigarh. MDU Rohtak beat JMI New Delhi by 3-0. GNDU Amritsar defeated MJPRU, Bareilly by 3-0.

Dr GS Dhaliwal, director, sports and director of NIT Dr SK Das were present on the occasion.

Students of BD Arya Girls’ College take training in self-defence in Jalandhar Cantonment on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Malkiat Singh

Constituency-level functions have also been planned at Government Senior Secondary School, Phillaur, for the Phillaur assembly segment, Senior Secondary School, Nakodar, for Nakodar assembly, Public Senior Secondary School, Shahkot, for Shahkot, Government Senior Secondary School, Kartarpur, for Kartarpur assembly, Swami Sant Dass School for Jalandhar West, office of deputy director, Local Bodies at Mota Singh Nagar for Jalandhar North, Government Senior Secondary School for Girls Model Town for Jalandhar Cantonment, and Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School Patara for Adampur.

Declamation contest

An inter-class declamation contest was organised at Hans Raj Mahila Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar, to celebrate the birth anniversary of Subhash Chander Bose Jayanti. Many students participated in the contest. Dilpreet and Heema of BA-III were adjudged best speakers in English and Hindi, respectively. Principal Dr Rekha Kalia Bhardwaj appreciated the efforts of the participants and gave prizes to winners.

Poster gallery

A poster gallery ‘What women need from the society: A tribute to Damini- A brave soul’ was organised by the Department of Biotechnology of KMV College. Issues relating to women, including crime against them were highlighted.

More than 30 posters were exhibited by the students showcasing the problems faced by women like eve-teasing, dowry deaths, illiteracy and female foeticide. Dr Atima Sharma, Principal KMV, lauded the students for their efforts.

Dr Updesh Kaur, Dean Academics, Prof Sadhna Tandon, Head Life Sciences, and Dr Prashant Chauhan, Head, Biotechnology Department, coordinated the event.