PGI has patients... and rats, lizards, insects
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — The PGI is facing a unique problem. The authorities are fighting to keep out rats, cockroaches, lizards, mosquitoes and other small insects from entering wards where patients are admitted.

The presence of small insects is obvious in the Cardiac Care Unit, the surgical wards, private rooms, the paediatric centre, X-ray rooms, corridors, rooms of doctors, duty rooms of various staff members, canteens, toilets and open spaces in the hospital. The waiting rooms for attendants also have a major problem.

The battle is tough. The PGI is using a medicine imported from Germany to control the rats. Each year almost Rs 1 crore is spent on soaps, detergents, scrubbing, swabbing and cleaning activities.

The number of such incidents has declined in the past three years, asserted the Medical Superintendent, Dr A.K. Gupta. This was seconded by the Hospital Infection Committee.

Sources said the cockroaches abound in humid conditions that are favourable for them. Various water and sewage pipes are the breeding grounds. The cast iron pipes in bathrooms of the institute have not been changed in the 37 years since the PGI came into being. The corroded pipes lead to leakage and dampness in the walls. In some cases, the leakage from the upper storeys travels downward, thus creating further problems.

Leftovers of food items brought along by attendants and other relatives of patients attracts the rodents, who otherwise live in the thick vegetation on the PGI campus. During the night, the rodents are more active, informed a source. Mosquitoes and cockroaches enter the CCU through the ducts of the air-conditioners. In certain wards, rodents run away with dirty bandages from the dustbin and leftovers of food items.

There are many entrances and openings to the PGI main building with openings for windows, coolers and ventilation for rats and small insects. In the wards, there are fans and coolers. The patients and their attendants are forced to open a window or for two ventilation, allowing for entry of insects. The use of mosquito repellent mats is discouraged by doctors and nurses. Thus, one has to bear the buzz of the little insects besides being exposed to infection.

The gaps in the wooden door frames and doors add to the problem. A possible way out for this is to have the entire building air-conditioned and leave no scope for a possible entry of the rodents and insects . But that would require several crores of rupees which the cash-strapped government cannot even think of.

The PGI is running a training programme to teach Class IV employees newer methods of cleaning, Dr Gupta informs.

On the other hand, it seems, till a fool-proof method is evolved, the swabbing and scrubbing by the PGI safaiwallahs may not be enough to handle the onslaught of insects and rodents, who are known to nibble away at the wiring of electrical items like computers.

Holiday hobby classes aplenty
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — Summer vacation is fun time for students and though the scorching heat is unrelenting, students, on two-wheelers are scurrying from one hobby class to another. They are enjoying their freedom, with no examinations to prepare for and no results awaiting them, and learning what they love doing best.

Children are geared to enjoy themselves at hobby classes, which have mushroomed in most sectors and offer classes in just about anything. Some schools, in an effort to promote all-round development of students and break the monotony of the study schedule, have introduced camps of all kinds.

The latest addition to the long list of activities this year is a theatre workshop being conducted by the Durga Das Foundation, which has sought help from Lushen Dubey and Bubble Sabharwal from Kids’ World, Delhi. The theatre workshop for children between 6 and 14 years, will conclude with a play titled “Jungle Book se Aage”, to be staged on June 12 and 13 at Tagore Theatre.

A workshop for children between 4 and 6 years, “Flying Colours”, will ensure fun with dramatics, story-telling, mime and much more. Though the classes are open for all, the seats are full and there is possibility of accommodating any students, Mr Atul Khanna of the Foundation claims.

A skating rink will come up in Kailash Bahl DAV Centenary Public School. Made according to international standards, it will be opened by mid-June and an instructor will impart training in the evening. The school will offer classes in painting and pottery-colouring, once the vacations begin on May 29.

The school has formulated special assignment books for all classes to ensure that students keep in touch with their studies while they have a good time. Ms Madhu Bahl, Principal, says, “The teachers took great pains to prepare each chapter in the assignment book, with an eye on the fact that the idea was not to burden the students with school work but make learning interesting. The assignment will not have one dull moment and the students are going to love solving it.’’

Sri Guru Ram Das Public School will add a dash of colour to the vacation with art classes and music classes, which will be held from June 1 for three hours everyday. For its students, St John’s High School will hold a sport camp in cricket, football and badminton during the vacation, with the registration for it complete.

Bhawan Vidyalaya has taken the lead in starting the summer school for children in classical and folk dance for the school students. The classes are held for one hour every day. DAV Public School, Sector 8, in association with a local computer centre, is all set to prepare students for the next millennium, with computer classes varying from eight days to a month in duration.

Pracheen Kala Kendra is holding its seventh annual production-oriented workshop for a month. The workshop will commence from May 26 and will be for children aged between 6 and 16 years. The highlight of the workshop will be interpretation of body language, magic shows and theatre games. It will provide the participants with an opportunity to rub shoulders with theatre personalities.

Separate classes in kathak, bharat natyam, choreography and painting will also be held under the supervision of experienced artistes.

The Punjab Sangeet Natak Academi in collaboration with the Sahitya Akademi, will organise dance, music and theatre classes for children between 8 and 16 years, under the guidance of local artistes. The registration for these classes will commence from May 25, while the classes are slated to start from June 1.

Besides these classes, most local computer centres have decided their schedules for the short and long term courses, though they are not offering any discount to the students registering for the courses. The same options form the course but the charges differ from centre to centre.

There are students who can have a good time splashing colour on the canvas, indulge in stain-glass painting and prepare foil paintings. They can also make soft toys to cuddle them or develop excellent culinary skills.

Reciting shabads is Ali's love
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — Mubarak Ali Kanwal is not merely known as a ghazal and folk singer but also for being an ardent follower of Gurbani and the one who has compiled about 1,800 couplets of various authors scattered all over Pakistan — his motherland — in appreciation of the Sikh Gurus.

Born at Nankana Sahib in 1954, Mubarak Ali, a part of the 16-member Pakistani delegation currently on a visit to Punjab as part of the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of Khalsa, is spreading the message of the Sikh Gurus through shabads compiled by him. He has been regularly rendering kirtan at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, the birth place of Guru Nanak, during the past 25 years.

He made a debut into the realm of music with a public performance with Pakistan's famed singer Alam Luhar's roaming theatre group, on its visit to Nankana Sahib on the occasion of Guru Nanak's birthday in 1974. Mubarak learnt the sa re ga ma of music from Ustaad Feroze Nizami, composer of the music of 'Jugnu', a Hindi film. Later, he turned a television and radio artiste and was awarded the silver medal by the Pakistan Arts Council.

The intensity of his adoration for the Sikh Gurus can be assessed from the fact that he is going to publish a book, "Nanak Piar De Geet", comprising a compilation of 1,800 rare songs and couplets.

Narrating the difficulties faced by him during the collection of songs Mubarak Ali said he had to walk several miles a day as most of authors hailed from rural areas of Pakistan. "The most difficult part of the exercise was to locate the authors or their descendants, for which I had to rely on elders of different villages," said Mubarak, adding that the book was being published by a Delhi-based publisher.

Describing a trail of incidents which inspired him to dedicate himself towards Gurbani, Mubarak said the most touching one was when he rendered Satguru Nanak pargatya...., a shabad written by Bhai Gurdas in the presence of Mr Surjit Singh Barnala during his visit to Pakistan in 1983. "Elated over my performance, he placed a turban over my head amid showering of coins by the audience. This boosted my morale," he added.

Now he is releasing three cassettes," Guru Nanak Dev De Geet," " Guru Nanak Sahib De Sohle", and "Gobind Aayen", the music of which has been composed by him and lyricists include Inderjit Singh Tulsi, a renowned writer of Hindi film songs.

Mubarak is these days collecting "Mahias", a popular folk song genre, written in Punjabi, Jhangi and other languages. "I have already collected about 2,000 such Mahiyas," from far-flung areas of Pakistan.

Regarding his visit to India, he said he felt blessed." Inj lagda jidan koyi bacha apne maa di jholi ton maasi di jholi vich aa gaya hove," added Mubarak, saying that so strong was the bond of love between the people of the two countries that wherever he went, he was hugged by people."The ones who come to know that I belong to the birthplace of Baba Nanak refuse to charge money for things like sweetmeats and for STD calls made by me from PCOs."

About his goal in his life, Mubarak who has given music of Punjabi films like "Makkhan Khan", "Alla Baksh", and three Urdu films, " Toote Taar", " Kafan" and "Dubai Wale", said he would work for peace in the world, which was his "ultimate dream".

Parthenium growth goes unchecked
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — Growth of parthenium hysterocarpus or congress grass, as is commonly known, in Chandigarh and its periphery is becoming a cause of serious concern.

A large number of the wild plants could be seen in every sector of the city. Despite knowing the fact about its effect, the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation has paid little attention to the problem, alleges Mr Karan Gupta, a resident of Sector 15.

Residents of Sector 33 blame the authorities for ignoring the eradication of plants. According to Mr Chaman Lal, a local resident, persons who come to cut the plants usually leave behind them.

The Congress grass near the house of Mr Aujhal in the sector has gone up to the height of more than 3 feet. The family says that their backyard gets full of small insects and reptiles, including snakes.

They demand that the authorities should also uproot the plants from the vacant plots.

Prof SP Mittal, an agronomist, said the congress grass was a weed, which was believed to be brought in India in sixties from the USA in a wheat consignment.

Prof Mittal says the vegetation is found almost everywhere in the open spaces. The plant spreads very fast as its seeds are easily dispersed. The fruit bursts and further spreads its seeds to the nearby places.

The congress grass should be eradicated while still in “vegetative” stage. This is the stage when the plant just starts growing up.

“It is generally seen that the eradication drive takes place only when the plant turns into the ‘reproductive’ stage. Once the plant gets fruits it becomes almost impossible to check its further growth as by that time it would have spread its seeds,” he adds.

While suggesting the method of eradication, he says that the work should be done with the mechanical help to reduce the chances of allergies.

Butterfly population declines
From Our Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — Due to gradual increase in urbanisation in Chandigarh, the existence of butterflies has been severely affected. According to an estimate, there are about 70 species of these bright colourful winged creatures in the city.

A few years ago, there was a lot of open space without much pollution. With an increase in the construction activity, the number of butterflies has fallen in the city. Seen in a good number a few years back, these can now be spotted occasionally. Over the years, they have been limited to parks and areas near the Sukhna Lake.

According to Dr V.K. Walia, who is doing research on butterflies, their population has been affected due to various reasons. Prime reason for the gradual decrease in the number of butterflies is diminishing flora and increasing urbanisation.

Various butterflies depend upon different species of trees and plants. Cabbage White species of butterfly is found on the cabbage plant, while Lime Butterfly depends on citrus fruit plants. The plants and trees used by butterflies are known as “host plants” as they fully rely on them for reproduction, residing and other activities.

Unchecked growth of “concrete jungle” has left little space for flora. Shrinkage in green belt in the city has reduced the natural habitat of butterflies. They are left with no secure place for breeding.

Another reason for the fall in the number of butterflies is air pollution. Increase in the number of vehicles has raised the pollution level in air. Butterflies are called “bio- indicators” as their presence shows the air pollution in the area, said Dr Walia.

He said scientists working in this field have to face a lot of problems from government and various animals protection groups. They put several checks on us. Some protest dissection of butterflies for research, calling it an anti animal act.

Interestingly, almost 98 per cent of the butterflies seen are male, as they are fond of basking in the sunlight. The female of the species prefer to stay on plants with caterpillars.

Suggesting a method to save the butterflies from extinction, Dr Walia said a butterfly park should be developed in the city. “This wonderful creation of nature could be protected from the adverse effects of pollution if it stays on plants, its natural habitat”.

A feast of yellow blooms
By Varinder Singh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — What is proving to be a rich and colourful feast to the weary eyes of the city residents during the peak of summer these days? Nothing, but the celestial cover of bright flowers of amaltas (Cassia fistula), silver oak, gulmohar and jacaranda trees, lining most of the city roads.

In spite of being victims of the ongoing dry spell of weather this year and partly inflicted by termites and insects at some places, the trees are in full bloom. They offer a cool view along the otherwise bone-dry major and inner sector roads.

The most attractive thing, which has virtually converted most of the city lanes into 'golden rivers', is the numerous bright yellow flowers of amaltas, which normally give a full bloom from the first week of May to the middle of June.

"The species is a blessing for the residents as its flowers come in a big way, particularly, when almost all other flowers wither away due to lack of humidity and high temperature. As a morning walker, I derive pleasure and peace of mind by the sight of bunches of amaltas flowers, as these, dangling on trees in large numbers, are as bright as the Sun is at the time of dawn," said Tarsem Lal, a Sector 44 resident.

Besides this, one can enjoy the small but beautiful sight of orange-coloured shoots of silver oak flowers on a large number of trees standing along Jan Marg and in the Sector 16 Rose Garden. "They are soothing and it seems scores of tiny blasts are taking place in darkness, particularly when you see these during the early hours, just before the break of the day," said a young morning walker, who thanked the city planners for planting an array of such beautiful flowering trees.

"Without these trees and flowers, the city would have been nothing but a dry jungle of concrete," she said, while suggesting that the Administration should replace the trees which have been destroyed due to a number of reasons.

Another species, which cannot go unnoticed these days is Pincasia jawanica, with lakhs of soothing pink shoots laden with flowers. The tree, which is found in abundance in the inner parts of sectors and along the roads, blooms during May and June. "Personally, I prefer Pincasia to Cassia fistula as unlike their bright colours, its pink colour provides a relief to the eyes," said Ms Rinku, a Sector 18 resident.

'Pride of India', gulmohar — both red and blue is also in full bloom these days. However, a large number of trees have dried up over a period of years due to damage by termite.

According to Mr Satish K. Naruala, a horticulturist, in addition to being a source of a pleasure, Cassia fistula, is a plant of great medicinal value as the extract of its fruit is used as a natural laxative since ancient times.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that Cassia fistula trees, mostly planted along the roads in the inner parts of the sectors, have allegedly been destroyed by residents, who considered these as a hindrance to sunlight during winters. "Why isn't a policy made by the authorities concerned, wherein, parts of the tree, overshadowing a house are trimmed by the Horticulture Department in a scientific way. Such an arrangement will save the tree from being a victim of crude weapons used by people to cut the trees,"asked a resident of Sector 21.

Dry taps and garbage heaps
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 22 — The residents of Milk Colony, Dhanas, are sore about the indifference of the Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, towards the inadequate water supply in the area.

Sometimes, taps go dry for the whole day. Residents are unable to quench the thirst of their cattle.

To cope with the demand of the residents, the administration had carried out the installation work of a tubewell in the colony, but the work had been put off after digging and laying pipes. It is not in operation, according to Mr N.K. Sharma, a spokesman of the colony.

Erratic power supply, non-functioning of streetlights and dilapidated condition of roads and streets are the other major problems being faced by the residents.

The administration had also assured the residents of the colony of providing cow-dung pits but nothing was done in the connection. They are being forced to throw cow-dung in the open.

Heaps of garbage can also be seen in the absence of dustbins which had not been provided by the Corporation despite several requests. It could spread an epidemic in the area. It has also become a breeding place for mosquitoes.