B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Cancer: BFUHS, Canadian varsities hunt for answers
Faridkot, November 7
At a time when the prevalence of cancer in the Malwa region of Punjab has been hitting the headlines, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), in collaboration with three Canadian universities, has started a joint venture to find a solution to the problems relating to quality of water, fly ash and infrastructure that affect public health.

Scientists from Canadian universities along with BFUHS Vice-chancellor SS Gill (second from left), vice-chairman of Punjab State Planning Board Rajinder Bhandari (centre) and Faridkot MLA Deep Malhotra (extreme right) in Faridkot on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Sewerage Woes
PWSSB engineers visit Abohar after HC rap
Abohar, November 7
Engineers of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) visited the localities in this sub-divisional town along with some Congress councillors who had been pursuing a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the past three years. The engineers told the local municipal council inspectors to remove the garbage that had accumulated around the sewerage main holes.

Five injured as car, tractor collide
Barnala, November 7
Five persons sustained injures when a car and a tractor collided in an accident on Barnala-Raikot road near Mehal Kalan village this evening. Station House Officer (SHO), Mehal Kalan, Sardara Singh said this evening that the accident took place when the occupants of the car were returning after attending a marriage at Mehal Kalan while the tractor was crossing the road.

 Cancer: BFUHS, Canadian varsities hunt for answers
Balwant Garg
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, November 7
At a time when the prevalence of cancer in the Malwa region of Punjab has been hitting the headlines, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), in collaboration with three Canadian universities, has started a joint venture to find a solution to the problems relating to quality of water, fly ash and infrastructure that affect public health.

BFUHS today started an international-level workshop on “Water for Health” in collaboration with the India/Canada-Centre for Innovative Multidisciplinary Partnerships to Accelerate Community Transformation and Sustainability which is a joint venture of the BFUHS and the University of Toronto, University of Alberta and the University of British Columbia of Canada.

This joint venture with a $ 30-million partnership, has the target of identifying collaborative projects between India and Canada, specifically Punjab, which intends to focus on the problems related to water and on how the public can benefit from recent technological advances, said Roy Maclaren, chairman of the Board of Directors of IC-Impacts. Maclaren was accompanying a 14-member delegation from Canada, including Nemy Banthia, scientific director and CEO, IC-IMPACTS and Dr Stewart Aitchison, ASD, IC-IMPACTS.

The workshop was today inaugurated by Rajinder Bhandari, vice-chairman, Punjab State Planning Board. Bhandari was accompanied by Deep Malhotra, MLA, Faridkot. During the two-day workshop, the Canadian delegates along with their counterparts from the BFUHS, will inspect the drinking water sources, sewerage disposal arrangements and how the huge quantity of fly ash generated by the thermal plants in the Malwa region is being disposed of.

Without proper protection, fly ash which contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium and arsenic, associated with cancer and other ailments, can leach into groundwater and other drinking water sources, posing significant public health concerns.

"Water has a profound impact on health and access to safe water is basic to public health. Enhancing access to safe water can decrease the incidence of water-borne diseases," said Dr SS Gill, vice-chancellor, BFUHS.

Blaming the source of polluted drinking water as the main reason for the high prevalence of cancer in Punjab, Dr SS Gill said the state was once known for the high quality of its canal water and it even derived its name from five rivers. But gradually, the excessive use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture and the high flow of industrial effluents in the water sources polluted the groundwater and canal water, he said.

“We are hopeful that our joint venture with Canada will restore the water glory of the state and improve the people’s health,” he said.

 Sewerage Woes
PWSSB engineers visit Abohar after HC rap
Raj Sadosh

Abohar, November 7
Engineers of the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) visited the localities in this sub-divisional town along with some Congress councillors who had been pursuing a PIL in the Punjab and Haryana High Court for the past three years. The engineers told the local municipal council inspectors to remove the garbage that had accumulated around the sewerage main holes.

Notably, the HC had yesterday pulled up the state government for the delay in forwarding the Rs 66.65 crore project report to the Central Government for the renovation of the sewerage and water supply system at Abohar.

Justice MMS Bedi has directed the principal secretary of the local bodies department to appear on November 21 along with the executive officer of the local municipal council to explain the reason for the delay besides presenting the status report.

As the counsel for the petitioners, Surinder Pal Singh Tinna, produced the latest photographs before the High Court to ascertain that there has been no improvement in the sewage system at Abohar, the court pulled up Ramesh Verma, executive engineer, PWSSB, for the negligence.

The petitioners regretted that the Director-cum-Secretary, Local Bodies Department, Priyank Bharti had on August 22 assured the HC that the proposal for renovation of the sewerage system will be forwarded to the Central Government but it continues to gather dust.

Under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for small and medium towns, the Central Government has to bear 80 per cent of the cost while the state government and the local municipal council will contribute 10 per cent each.

 Five injured as car, tractor collide
Tribune News Service

Barnala, November 7
Five persons sustained injures when a car and a tractor collided in an accident on Barnala-Raikot road near Mehal Kalan village this evening. Station House Officer (SHO), Mehal Kalan, Sardara Singh said this evening that the accident took place when the occupants of the car were returning after attending a marriage at Mehal Kalan while the tractor was crossing the road.

The injured had been taken to the Civil Hospital, Barnala, he added.

In the accident, two occupants of the car, Mandeep Singh (Kasba Bharal) and Dalbir Singh (Fojewal), tractor driver Chamkaur Singh (Mehal Kalan) and his two minor sons sustained injuries.

Senior Medical Officer (SMO) of the Civil Hospital, Barnala, Dr Jasbir Singh Aulakh said one of the injured had been referred to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, while three were under treatment at the Civil Hospital here.