Bus passenger safety rules flouted
By Sanjeev Singh Bariana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — Safety of passengers takes a backseat in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana buses with absence of first aid kits and fire extinguishers. This flouts Sections 141 and 159 of Punjab Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Almost all buses plying from Chandigarh bus stand do not have fire extinguishers or first aid kits for passengers. The Chandigarh Roadways Undertaking, Haryana Roadways and Punjab Roadways authorities do not bother about these mandatory provisions.

Section 141 of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Act says that "every public service vehicle shall carry a first aid box with glazed front of dimensions suitable to accommodate the following items — a leaflet containing first aid instructions, a set of ordinary splints, four triangular bandages, sterlised lint cotton and sterlised body dressing (12 in number), apart from many other first aid items".

A cross-section of personnel from different state bus services say most of the buses lack these facilities. The boxes are devoid of medicines and certain boxes contain medicines beyond the expiry date.

Mr Dilbagh Singh, a driver with the CTU, says the first aid boxes are absent in buses and there is no guarantee of fire extinguishers available in buses being functional. It does not make a difference as doctors are easily available on the main roads. There is no formal co-ordination between the bus administration and the bus staff to ensure availability of the mandatory items, he adds.

Section 159 of the same rules says that "every public service vehicle shall be equipped with a fire extinguisher of a type specified by the state transport authority and it may be inspected at such periods and by such persons as the STA may specify".

Mr Hari Singh, the driver of a bus of an Ambala-based company, says he has never used or heard of anyone using the first aid kit or the fire extinguisher during his 35 years of service. While government vehicles by and large do not have these items, the staff of private buses maintain first aid kits, he adds.

Mr Shiv Kumar of the Haryana Roadways says there is no co-ordination between the office maintaining supplies and bus staff. Kits lies in the depot. There is no record of demand and supply.

Mr Rajinder Kumar of the Punjab Roadways says the kit is hardly relevant in case of a major accident and there are plenty of doctors available. Even passengers sit without ensuring that kits are available.

Mr Mohinder Singh says he is not aware of any rules of mandatory items in buses. Some passengers give a similar response.

Senior functionaries say there is hardly a demand for such stuff from the bus drivers and conductors.

The Naik who killed 5 infiltrators
By Amarjit Thind
Tribune News Service

CHANDI MANDIR, Aug 10 — "There was no time for pain as a moment of it would have cost not only my life but also that of my comrades who were being pinned down by accurate fire from the enemy bunkers on Point 5023 in the Batalik sector. My foot had been blown up by a landmine but I held my ground and continued firing, killing five infiltrators in the process.

"During the course of my 13 years' service, I have been wounded twice in action. Once during a mission in Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka in 1989 and again while fighting insurgents in Nagaland in 1993. I have never lost heart and am even now looking forward to be in uniform and serve in whatever capacity I would be asked to", says Naik Surinder Kumar of 5 Paras, with a laugh while lying in his bed at Western Command Hospital.

The gallant jawan, who belongs to Mandalala village in Mahendergarh district, was brought here a couple of days ago and was happy to see his family which had today come to inquire about his well being. Sitting by him were his wife, father and other relatives, one of whom is in the Air Force.

His father, Naik Banwari Lal, Artillery, who was discharged in 1970, says in a choked voice, "He is my only son and had wanted to join the Army following in my footsteps. I want that he should now be in the family but seeing his determination to stay in uniform, I have respected his decision. Since I am not getting any younger, someone has to look after the land," he adds.

Recalling the capture of the point, he says, "We had been on duty in one of the posts in the Third Glacier area and had been looking forward resting for a well-earned rest. We had been at the camp for a week when our company, about 60 men, was detailed to capture the peak on July 25.

"This was among the last points still occupied by the infiltrators who were reported to be in large numbers, besides being heavily armed. The plan was spelled out and it was decided that the assault would be made from three places and was to be executed at 2 a.m. on July 25.

"The assault team marched at about 7 p.m. on the evening of July 24 and covered the distance of about 8 km from base camp to Point 5023 without any mishap. I was in the party that made the frontal attack, which was also the hardest route to the top. It was hard going even on a moonlit night. The sheer cliffs and at some places absence of any foothold compounded the problem.

"However, our party reached the ridgeline in record time and were closing in for the kill when a loud bang alerted the enemy about our presence.

"I was inching my way to a bunker and was hardly 20 yards from it when a mine went off and blew my left foot. The sleeping enemy was alerted and suddenly a fusillade of bullets stopped any further progress. We did not know that the area had been mined.

"Though injured, I was in a crevice from where I could below me see a large clearing and a camp from where the intruders, clad in winter jackets and salwar kameez, were climbing up by ropes to the bunkers. I opened fire on the men climbing the ropes and killed two of them. I was joined by the others later on.

"Nonetheless, after the initial surprise wore off, the enemy retaliated with force and the exchange of fire continued for more than 72 hours. Artillery firing was brought upon us but the men did not withdraw.

"Finally, we overran the post and captured several infiltrators. While we suffered six casualties, the count on their side was above 40. A large number of arms, including five universal machine guns, heavy machine guns besides lakhs of rounds of ammunition and eatables were seized by us.

"Besides me, three other personnel were injured by landmines. After securing the post, we were brought down and after a more than an 80-hour ordeal provided with medical attention.

"In view of my injuries, my foot was amputated in the Leh hospital from where I was shifted here for convalescence.

"I am waiting to get an artificial limb fitted before reporting for whatever duties I am assigned to", he adds cheerfully.

When people with eye injuries lined up
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — On February 4,1962, a partial eclipse of the sun was visible from the islands of Hawaii. It was a cloud-free day — a Sunday afternoon — and the news media had directed attention at the impending eclipse. These factors combined to produce an incidence of solar entiritis of epidemic proportions. The day was almost cloudless with unlimited visibility. Though the eclipse was incomplete, sufficient surface of the sun was obscured to effect a decrease in the amount of measurable incident radiant energy.

The study revealed that the time of the year, height of sun, degree of eclipse and amount of cloud cover, combined with leisure time available to watch the eclipse were the factors primarily associated with the cases reported of solar retinitis.

A study involving Hawaii military personnel and their dependents stated that the day following the eclipse, the first patient with the solar retinitis presented himself at the United States Army Trippler General Hospital. Shortly thereafter, the outlying dispensaries began to report progressively increasing number of patients who had complaints of sudden onset of unilateral and bilateral visual disturbance. Patients varied in the description of their complaints, but most patients noted an initial blur of vision which resolved by the following morning into a central scotoma.

In unilateral cases, the presence of the central scotoma was not immediately appreciated. New patients reported months after the eclipse. Three of the four personnel who registered no initial complaint had their lesions detected when they could not fire accurately at the rifle range.

Characteristic of solar retinitis epidemics in the simultaneous onset of ocular injury in all patients. Stage 1 of retinal burns could be described as a central yellow spot that occupied the foveal area of the involved eye. Stage 2 shows a redness of the macula. Its centre contains the yellow point of Stage 1 with greatest intensity of redness concentric to this point. Gradual fading of the redness occurs and after about 3-4 weeks, a central pigmentation is observed as beginning of the third stage may involve a macular hole of a pigmented area in the deepest retinal layers, which may impair the vision permanently.

Patients examined immediately following the eclipse had diminished visual acuity of varied degree. These patients had not used any mode of protection; or the type of protection used included use of fingers as a pinhole, photographic films of an uncertain density or sun glass, smoked glass or camera view finders.

In a total of 52 eyes examined, 27 regained the normal visual acuity while the remainder had visual losses with varying degree and the chances of recovery was approximately 50 per cent. In case of persons with prior existing muscle imbalance in one eye or with ambliopia (with poor vision in one eye), solar retinitic lesion is generated in the dominant eye.

DOs and DON'Ts

DOs

• Before the onset of totality, it is best to view only a reflected image or project of the sun;
• Project the image of the sun on a shaded wall through a pinhole;
• A small mirror covered with a piece of paper having a circular hole of diameter 1-2 cm can be used to project the image of the sun on a shaded wall;
• A small telescope or a binocular can be used to project the image of the sun on a white card, screen wall. If binocular or telescope has any plastic parts, take necessary precautions to protect their heating and melting by sunlight;
• Direct viewing of the partially eclipsed sun should be done only using a scientifically tested filter certified to be safe. A dark welder's glass is ideal. Always use only one of your eyes to view the eclipse. In all cases, examine the filter before use. A filter with pinhole or scratches must not be used. Don't touch, fold or wipe the film with your fingers, under any circumstances. Any scratch or fold on the film would render it unsafe for viewing the eclipsed sun.
• During the totality of the eclipse, look at the sun only intermittently;
• Preferably, an experienced person should accompany eclipse watchers to announce the beginning and end of the totality.

DON'Ts

• Don't attempt to observe the partial or annual phase of any solar eclipse with naked eyes;
• Never look at the sun through a telescope or binoculars;
• Don't use any filter that simply reduces the visible intensity of the sun. Fifty two per cent of the sun rays are in the infra-red region of the spectrum. Damage to the eye is predominantly caused by this invisible infrared energy;
• Don't use any smoked glass, colour film, sunglasses, non-silvered black and white films, photographic neutral density filters and polarising filters. They are not safe;
• Don't use solar filters designed to thread into eye pieces and often sold with inexpensive telescopes;
• Don't look at a reflection of the sun from coloured water;
• Don't look at the totality eclipsed sun continuously; do it for a few seconds, intermittently.