Shimla, April 17
The Health Department will no longer have to send the sputum of tuberculosis patients who have developed multi-drug resistance to laboratories in Delhi and Ahmedabad as the facility is being made available at the State Training and Demonstration Centre at Dharampur.

Himachal is one of the seven states in the country which will be given Dry Surveillance Unit by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The State Training and Demonstration Centre has started functioning at Dharampur in Solan district but the equipment for undertaking cultural sensitivity test of sputum would shortly be installed.

The facility for undertaking cultural sensitivity test will greatly help in the treatment of defaulters or persons who do not complete the treatment course. “With the help of this facility we can immediately identify the antibiotic to which the defaulters will respond and put them on that particular drug immediately,” informed Dr Neena Shandil, Joint Director, Health Services, incharge of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP).

Dr Shandil said the Union Health Ministry will provide microscopes and other sophisticated equipment for undertaking cultural sensitivity test. She said the sputum of multi-drug resistant (MDR) patients who did not complete the treatment, has to be sent to laboratories in Ahmedabad and Delhi to confirm as to which drug they would respond to.

She informed that during 2005, there were a total of 13,697 cases in Himachal out of which 4,832 were new cases. The number of total cases in the state in 2004 was 13,458.

In 1,132 cases there was total failure while there were 2,943 defaulters who left the treatment in between. It is on the front of the defaulter patients that more efforts need to be made so that TB is completely eradicated.

Before the launch of the RNTCP in Himachal in 1995, the death rate was 29 per cent as compared to 3.2 per cent now, which is even below the national norm of 4 per cent. Dr Shandil informed that in order to ensure that the migratory population, suffering from tuberculosis completes the course, there is coordination with the adjoining states so that there is referral and follow up treatment.

With HIV patients having 60 per cent susceptibility towards tuberculosis, centres have been set up in the state AIDS Control Society under the RNTCP so that there is arrangement for cross referral. “No doubt there is still no cure for AIDS but with timely detection of TB amongst HIV/AIDS patients, their quality of life can be improved,” said Dr Shandil.

Though after the launch of the RNTCP, the annual risk of TB infection in Himachal has come down to 1.9 per cent, yet it is still higher than the national figure of 1.5 per cent.

Shimla, April 17
The Himachal Government will formulate a herbal policy in order to save the aromatic and medicinal plants, a majority of which are facing the threat of extinction due to over-exploitation.

Interestingly, the state government is also considering bringing the herbs and aromatic plants having medicinal value under the market intervention scheme (MIS) so that farmers can be encouraged to grow and market these plants. The main objective is to conserve the 150 aromatic and medicinal plants, 100 of which are on the verge of extinction.

With the villagers having recorded rights for extracting these valuable herbs and medicinal plants from the forests, the government cannot deviate from this policy and cannot impose restrictions on their extraction. Over-exploitation of some of the herbs has made certain varieties of herbs almost extinct.

“One of the very important component of the mid-Himalayan watershed project is conservation and preservation of the precious herbs and aromatic plants, some of which are found only in Himachal forests,” informed Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Forest Minister. He said the Forest Department would educate the farmers how to undertake cultivation of these herbs under controlled conditions in the fields.

The farmers who are keen to plant these herbs and aromatic plants in their fields will be provided plants from the nurseries owned by the Ayurveda Department. The department has a number of nurseries and herbal farms in the state.

It has been witnessed that traders, dealing in these herbs and medicinal plants, purchase the stock from the villagers and sell it at a higher price in the markets of Amritsar and Delhi. “Despite their hard work and labour, which involves spending days together in the forests, the villagers get a pittance, while the traders make huge profits,” said an official.

It is being felt that the only way to conserve and propagate these valuable herbs and medicinal plants is to bring about a policy and encourage farmers to take to their commercial cultivation. Besides the herbs, there are about 35 aromatic plants which are fast vanishing due to over-exploitation.

The most important medicinal herbs which are in great demand include chilgoza, chikari, singhi-ninghi, dhoop, patish and karoo. Some of the herbs are used by pharmaceutical companies making ayurvedic medicines. The state government is exporting some of these medicinal plants which are mainly used in making ayurvedic medicines while the aromatic plants are used in the Indian perfume industry.

Kangra, April 17
A charitable society of Amritsar has come forward to help Bidhi Chand, a 75-year-old paralytic man living in the basement of an inn in Kathiara village here, whose plight was highlighted under the heading “Living a life worse than animals” in these columns today.

Dr Inderjeet Kaur, president of the All-India Pingalwara Charitable Society headquartered at Amritsar, told The Tribune on phone that the society was ready to admit Bidhi Chand to its Amritsar centre.

Col B.S. Maan, administrator of the society, said he was told about The Tribune story by one of their donors from Delhi. After going through the report, he asked Ms Kuljeet Kaur, voluntary in charge of the Chandigarh centre of the society, to get in touch with The Tribune so that the old man could be helped.

According to Mr B.M. Dutt, director of the Nari Shakti Sangathan, Khabli, the society has decided to shift Bidhi Chand to Amritsar in a day or two.

Meanwhile, Mr Sandeep Kumar, SDM, Baijnath, said that after going through the news item, he had taken up the matter with the Shimla authorities so that Bidhi Chand could be shifted to an old age home at Baijnath.

The State Council of Child Welfare has reportedly given its consent to the SDM, Baijnath, to shift Bidhi Chand to an old-age home at Baijnath.

Shimla, April 17
The higher reaches in tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh and other higher hills had intermittent snowfall for the third day today, while the mid and lower hills had scattered rains, causing further fall in the mercury.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded 18.1 mm of rainfall followed by 5 cm of fresh snowfall, while Patseo in Lahaul recorded 35 cm of fresh snow, reports received here said. Dhundi had 19 cm of snowfall and 9.5 mm of rainfall, while Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) had 50 cm of snowfall.

The fresh snowfall in Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti and high mountain passes had hampered the work to open the Manali-Leh National Highway and Rohtang Pass was unlikely to be opened before the first week of May. Due to scant snowfall during the winters, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) had set the target to open the road by the first week of April, but the deadline had to be extended due to frequent late snowfalls after mid-March.

Strong-velocity winds continued to sweep mid and higher hills and Shimla and its adjoining areas were hit by a thunderstorm of moderate intensity. Shimla recorded 2.3 mm of rainfall, while Bhang-Manali had 16.4 mm of fresh rain. Kullu, Bhuntar, Solang Nullah, Guler and Sujanpur Tira also experienced moderate rain, while the higher hills of Chamba had moderate snowfall last evening. — PTI

Shimla, April 17
A link has been provided between Kinnaur and the cold desert of Spiti with the completion of an alternative road to bypass the hill terrain near the Malling nullah.

The nullah area has been constantly sliding for the past about nine years as a result of which the road remained blocked for months. In fact, it has been closed for the past three years. The Border Road Organisation had to change the alignment and take the road high over the hill from Nako to Chango to circumvent the massive slide.

About 2.5 km of the 11-km stretch was constructed by the state public works department. Kaza-bound people can now complete their journey without transshipment at Malling.

The road link is important for the Spiti area which is cut from Lahaul during winter due to snow at the 15,000-high Kunzum pass. Foreign tourists had virtually stopped visiting Spiti because of the snapping of the road link because of the slide.

However, as the alignment takes the road far away from the existing one, it may inconvenience the local people. Further, engineers of the PWD maintain that the new road will also come in the sliding zone over the next few years.

Keeping this in view, the government is exploring the possibility of an alternative road from Leo along the right bank of Spiti to Chango, provided the strata was found stable. 

Shimla, April 17
The Shiv Sena (Bal Thackrey) was launched in the state with the announcement of state office-bearers and heads of district units here today.

Mr Jai Bhagwan Goel , in charge of the party affairs for northern states, said the party was keen to expand its base in the region. He has already appointed Mr Madhukar Dogri as president of the state unit, and also nominated five vice-presidents and nine district presidents who would constitute their executives.

He said unlike the BJP which had been moving away from its agenda, the Shiv Sena would stick to Hindutva and pursue the demand for handing over the Ram Janmabhoomi, Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Krishna temple at Mathura to the Hindus, enforcement of the common civil code and end to caste and religion- based reservations.

He also underlined the need for stringent laws to check female foeticide and the evil of dowry and making life term as minimum punishment for rape.

The state body headed by Mr Dogri would have Gulab Singh, Ajay Sondhi, Surinder Rajput, Bhushan Kumar and Des Raj Sharma as vice-presidents.

The district presidents are Rajnish Gupta (Sirmaur), Ravinder Thakur(Hamirpur), Sunit Pathania ( Kangra), Satish Soni (Bilaspur), Madhur Sharma(Solan), Naresh Sharma(Una),Ravinder Rajput(Shimla),Mania Ram(Chamba) and Ajay Negi (Kinnaur).

Palampur, April 17
Heavy rain and continuous cold conditions in March and April have caused heavy losses to the Kangra tea industry this year. There is a record fall in the production of green tea leaves as compared to last year. In most tea gardens, the plucking of leaves is yet to pick up. The best quality of leaves were usually plucked in April.

Sources said today that the production of green leaves had come down to 30-50 per cent in the valley. Small tea growers were the worst-hit where the fall in the production was up to 60 per cent. The loss so far had been estimated at Rs 50 lakh.

However, experts and scientists at the CSIR and the HPAU say that the loss can touch Rs 1 crore if the weather conditions do not improve.

The dust storm which has engulfed the region for the past week has aggravated the situation as tea bushes are covered with a thick coat of dust, making it difficult for growers to pluck leaves. It has also ruined the leaves in many tea gardens.

Official sources revealed that in the first week of April 2005, the production of green leaves was 120 tonne while this year it had come down to 75,000 kg.

The Palampur Cooperative Tea Factory which was already in red, has been adversely affected because of the poor inflow of green leaves this year. Its production has come down by 30 per cent this year. So far, it has suffered a loss of Rs 10 lakh.

Chamba, April 17
Tearful adieu was given to the deceased Brijendra Singh, scion of the erstwhile state of Chamba, when his body was consigned to the flames at Bhagot Crematorium on the right bank of the Ravi this afternoon.

Brijendra Singh was the husband of Asha Kumari, MLA from Banikhet.

Ms Rajshree Nandini, the only daughter of the deceased, lit the pyre.

Mr Prem Singh and Mr Hem Singh, both brothers of the late Brijendra Singh, along with kin of Mrs Asha Kumari from Madhya Pradesh, attended the funeral procession starting from Royal Palace of Chamba.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Pushpendra Rajput, laid a wreath on behalf of Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on the body of the deceased.

Among others who attended the funeral procession were MLAs, local officers and various ministers.

Nahan, April 17
Addressing a gathering on the occasion of inauguration of the Bishu fair at Rohnat, about 180 km from here, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, announced that during this financial year eight degree colleges would be opened in the remote villages of the state.

The Chief Minister said the government was fully aware of the rich traditions and cultural heritage of this hill state and was committed to protect it in its original shape. The government had created a trust with an initial fund of Rs 12.50 crore to give aid to the temples.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said that at this time a total sanitation project was being launched and it was the primary responsibility of the panchyats to ensure its success.

He said that Rs 4.50 crore had been allocated to the Public Works Department for the construction of a complex for Nahan PG College. — OC

Nahan, April 17
Twenty four head of cattle perished a fire which broke out last night in Ktohad village near Banethi under Nahan tehsil.

As per reports here from the village the fire broke out last night in the cattle sheds at Gyan Singh and Balwant Singh. Villagers noticed the fire at midnight and tried to douse the flames of sheds made of wood and grass, all 24 cattle inside the sheds had died by that time. This morning charred bodies of the animals were removed from the sheds in the presence of government officials.

Mr K.S. Lalta, tehsildar Nahan released Rs 2,000 each to the affected families and has prepared a case for compensation and forwarded it to the S.D.M. Nahan for action.