Ludhiana, May 24
The Christian Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) today installed an “ultraviolet rays therapy unit” in the Department of Dermatology for the treatment of various skin diseases.

Dr Rajeev Kapoor, Deputy Medical Superintendent, claimed that the CMC was the first medical institution in Punjab to get the whole body and localised UV rays therapy unit. The unit will be beneficial for the patients suffering from leucoderma, psoriasis and other skin ailments.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr R.S. Kadyan, Professor and Head of the Dermatology Department, said that of all skin diseases, leucoderma was considered a stigma in society. This was especially true for girls where matrimonial offers were rejected. However, this is not an infectious disease like leprosy. The disease affected about 3 per cent of the population all over the world. Psoriasis was another chronic disease, affecting 4-5 per cent of the total population and was difficult to cure. In both these diseases, recovery could be enhanced significantly faster with ultraviolet rays treatment.

Ludhiana, May 24
The Ludhiana District Sub-Junior and Junior Swimming Championship for boys and girls in the age groups 15-17, 13-14, 11-12, 9-10 and up to 8 will be held at the Municipal Corporation pool, here on June 1 and 2, according to a press note issued by Mr Apinder Singh Grewal, president, Ludhiana District Swimming Association (LDSA).

Players born in 1984, 1985 and 1986 for group under-17; in 1987 and 1988 for group under-14; in 1989 and 1990 for group under-12; in 1991 and 1992 for group under-10; and those born on or after January 1, 1993, are eligible for group under-8. As per the Swimming Federation of India’s new rules, a swimmer can participate in not more than five individual events in the junior section and not more than four events in the sub-junior age group of under-12. However, there will be not restriction in the lower age groups, the note said.

Entries close with Mr Balraj Sharma, general secretary, LDSA, on May 30.

Ludhiana, May 24
Even though the Municipal Corporation is providing adequate supply of clean drinking water to the city population, the acute scarcity of water which has become almost routine during peak summer season, is caused mainly due to wastage and leakage of water from damaged pipes at the consumers’ end.

Giving this information, MC Commissioner R.L. Kalsia disclosed that many instances of damaged and leaking pipes had come to the notice during a special “water leakage detection week”, observed by the civic body from April 24 to 30 in the city. As against an estimated daily requirement of 135 litres water per head, assessed by the Public Health department, the MC was supplying almost 246 million litres through 308 tubewells to around 12 lakh residents, which worked out to nearly 220 litres per head.

It was, therefore, obvious that quite a lot of water was being wasted through injudicious use or leakage from water mains or supply network. Out of the 142 complaints of leakage received during the week, almost 90 per cent were found to have been caused by damaged or worn-out water supply pipes installed by consumers.

Mr Kalsia appealed to the city residents to make judicious use of water and to periodically attend to the water supply lines to ensure that these were in proper condition. “In addition to wastage of water, the leaking water pipes could also lead to contamination and cause serious water-borne diseases.”

Meanwhile, the civic body had decided to promote the cause of vermi-composting in the city in a big way and technical experts of the Punjab State Council of Science and Technology will impart training to groups of residents for this purpose.