R E G I O N A L   B R I E F S

Regional potpourri

• Crutches and cures

• Dam good cause

@@Committee formed@@Abohar: The state president, Shiv Kumar Lomash, and the dalpati (chief commander), Swarup Chand Kaushik, of the local unit of Shree Sanatan Dharam Mahabir Dal, announced 
on Sunday that the ad-hoc committee of the organisation stands dissolved. A five-member committee has been formed to carry on 
further activities of the organisation. — OC@@@@Pulse polio@@Fazilka: In the second round of the pulse polio programme, 7,352 children up to the age of five years, were administered polio drops at booths set up in different localities of the town. The children left would be administered polio drops during the next two days. A total of 11,500 children would be given polio drops in Fazilka town. — OC

CHANDIGARH

PANCHKULA
Demolition: A demolition drive by the district administration sparked off a protest in Mansa Devi Complex area on Sunday. Even as the officials demolished nine houses in the area claiming them to be "illegal", the residents alleged that no prior notices were served on them. Atleast two houses had proper proof, Prem, a resident, claimed. He claimed that they had been living in the area with valid documents for a long time yet their houses were demolished.

HARYANA

Chandigarh
Akali leader bereaved: Maya Devi (98), mother of senior Haryana Akali leader Kartar Singh Takkar, died in Ambala on Sunday evening, according to information received here. Takkar, these days, is a member of the working committee of the Shiromani Akali Dal, led by Parkash Singh Badal. The cremation will take place at Takkar’s native village Saha, about 10 km from Ambala Cantonment, on Monday at 11 am. Maya Devi is survived by three sons and three daughters.

KURUKSHETRA
Polio campaign: Deputy commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal inaugurated a three-day polio eradication campaign by giving polio drops to kids below five years of age at the premises of LNJP Hospital here on Sunday. Aggarwal said the polio drops were being administrated simultaneously at 542 polio eradication booths in this district on Sunday with the target of 21,859 children to be given polio drops.

Panipat
Peak-load charges: The Small Scale Industries Association of Panipat has welcomed the decision of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) to withdraw the peak-load charges with an immediate effect. Chairman of the association Yashpal Malik said the Panipat industry had served several memorandums on the issue, which was considered as a burden on industrialists.

SONEPAT
Female foeticide: Vice-president of Haryana Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Swamy Aryavesh has urged Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to make registration of pregnant mothers compulsory in order to check the evil of female foeticide in society. He was talking to mediapersons at Gohana on Saturday evening. He is leading a 10-day Sarvdharam Jan Chetna Yatra under its “Beti Bachao Abhiyan” to create awareness among people against the female foeticide practises prevailing in society.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

Manali
College stone laid: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal laid the foundation stone of the Government Degree College at Haripur, estimated to be completed at a cost of Rs 8.30 crore, and a SC/ST girls hostel, estimated to cost Rs 1.65 crore, yesterday. Dhumal directed the authorities to complete the hostel building in 18 months and the college building in two years so that students were facilitated with quality educational environment. He said the new complex would also be instrumental in bringing out qualitative improvement in the education system.

SundeRnagar
Golden jubilee: The Suket Cine Multipurpose Co-operative Society, Sundernagar, celebrated its golden jubilee at the Sukhdev Cinema complex on Sunday. Hirdya Ram, additional registrar, co-operatives, HP. Shimla, who was the chief guest, distributed 100 dresses among poor school students and honoured meritorious students, besides office-bearers of the society since its inception. The society has been successfully running a cinema hall here for the past five decades.

Regional potpourri

Crutches and cures

Fatehabad-based physiotherapist Dr Davinder Singh lends his healing touch to a physically challenged child. — Photo by the writer

A Fatehabad-based physiotherapist, Dr Davinder Singh, has been working for the cause of mentally and physically challenged children with a missionary zeal for the past three years.

While providing physiotherapy treatment to local patients, he was so moved by the plight of physically challenged children that he decided to start organising camps for them free of cost. Many of them were from very poor families and their parents could not afford to get them examined from a doctor, what to speak of providing treatment.

So, since the past three years, every month he has been organising free camps, where he not only examines them but also provides medical treatment and physiotherapy. He also provides splints, sticks, crutches, wheelchairs and functional garments to the children in collaboration with the District Red Cross, Rotary International and other social organisations.

He says that with proper postural guidance and use of splints, a physically challenged child can be made to lead a normal life.

There are many welfare schemes of the government for the physically challenged persons but a majority of them are not aware of these, he says.

Dr Davinder Singh has also been creating awareness about these schemes among the parents of these special children. Parents can avoid their children being born with a disability if they observe certain common precautions during pregnancy and delivery. Not taking proper nutrition and vaccines during pregnancy or going for delivery to quacks can lead to the birth of children with disorders like cerebral palsy, he cautions.

Dam good cause

STAGE FLIGHT: A scene from a play in which migratory birds are urging the hunter not to kill them as they are the guests. — Photo by the writer

In order to sensitise the public on environmental issues, the Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh recently organised a series of cultural activities in villages located on the periphery of the Pong Dam in Kangra district.

For this, the department had joined hands with an NGO, the Parvatiya Lok Manch, one of the oldest that is working for cultural and social issues in the state.

A team of 12 artistes tried to explain the importance of the flora and fauna to the villagers through skits, plays, songs, etc.

“Our aim is to help the villagers understand the role of water bodies in the sustainability of the environment and its support to biodiversity and agriculture,” says Himachal Gaurav-awardee Parshuram Tomar. He is one of the oldest folk singers in the state.

During the visit of union minister of state for environment and forests Namo Narain Meena to Fatehpur, near the Pong Dam, to celebrate World Wetlands Day, the artistes presented a cultural programme. They highlighted the importance of wetlands and migratory birds by narrating tales about the plight of winged visitors who were hunted occasionally during their sojourn.

A play showcased how interference with the local and migratory birds, illegal fishing and poaching of wildlife are putting many species on the verge of extinction.

As per the census of the Forest Department, more than 96,000 avians, both migratory and local, are ‘holidaying’ in the Pong area these days. The largest influx is of the bar-beaded goose, coot, common pochard, red-crested pochard, great cormorant, pintail duck, river tern and the spotbill duck.

Contributed by Sushil Manav and Vishal Gulati