Bathinda, March 14
The 27th battalion of the ITBP held a mock earthquake rescue drill here today. The jawans of the Natural Disaster Response Force (NDRF) of the ITBP gave a demonstration, which was attended by their senior officers and civil defence personnel.

The demonstration showed that an earthquake has hit village Gobindpura in Bathinda, where a number of persons got trapped in a building and sustained injuries. Soon a message was sent to control room operator of the ITBP, who further informed the officers concerned. A rescue operation began with jawans reaching the site. The damaged building was sealed. Meanwhile, a first-aid camp was set up there.

Using ladder, ropes and jacks, the jawans rescued the trapped persons one by one.

The way the injured were pulled out, brought to the first-aid camp and consoled was admired by the audience.

An exhibition of equipment and tools used in rescue operation was also organised.

Commandant of the battalion, Ashwani Kumar told TNS, "The battalion has been assigned to perform rescue operations during calamities taking place in the north region, including Punjab, Haryana, J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand."

Moga, March 14
A boy and a girl allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance at the village Bukkanwala late last night.

The bodies of the couple were recovered by the police near a tube-well. The bodies were sent to the district hospital here for post-mortem examination.

The medical authorities collected the samples of viscera of the bodies and sent them to the government forensic laboratory for a chemical test in order to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Later, the bodies were handed over to their respective parents.

Meanwhile, the police had initiated inquest proceedings into the incident. Even as the police had ruled out any foul play in the incident at the preliminary stage but further investigations were still in progress, said police sources.

Police sources revealed that the deceased boy identified as Swaranjit Singh, son of Mukhtiar Singh, resident of village Bukkanwala had affair with a teenage girl of the same village.

The parents of both the boy and the girl objected to their relationship.

The boy was working as a part-time labourer at a manufacturing unit.

No family member of the deceased were willing to talk to media as the tension prevailed between both the aggrieved families. 

Bathinda, March 14
A rally on female foeticide was carried out in the city today by the members of Bathinda district Youth Welfare Federation. The federation was formed in Karnal and it has been taking active part in the welfare activities.

According to Jaspreet Singh Mann, president of the local unit, “There were around 2000 people, who participated in the rally. In Bathinda, we are around 500 members working under the federation and we aim to change the thinking prevailing in society. Our rally was social and it was not aimed at any religious and political outcome.”

Sources said the rally started from the railway station and went till the mini-secretariat going through Dhobi Bazar and Naina Chowk. The members of the federation said the response they got was good and their efforts were appreciated by everyone.

Efforts of PNDT cell, Bathinda, were appreciated. Because of the cell, a lot of awareness has been created in the masses regarding female foeticide and infanticide.

Dr I.P. Aggarwal, assistant civil surgeon, told the members that he would reach the rural areas with the programmes of the government through these members. The rally was organised with the help of various panchayats.

Bathinda, March 14
“Lack of awareness is behind the rising pollution graph,” said Surjit Singh Dhillon, former Dean, Punjabi University, who was a key speaker at the conference on environment protection organised by the Baba Farid Insitute of Higher and Foreign Studies near here today.

Talking to TNS, the environment expert said that pests were killed only by 10 per cent of the insecticides used on the crop while the rest was consumed by humans. He further said, “Starting more thermal plants here would only make the lives of those living in this region miserable.”

Inderjeet Kaur, president, Pingalwara, Amritsar, another key speaker, urged the audience to save the environment as they were part of it.

She flayed the use of genetically-modified (GM) seeds saying, “While the Americans have done away with the practice, Indians have adopted it without thinking about its pros and cons.”

She said inorganic farming was leading to rise in number of cancer patients and handicapped persons. Many were abandoned by their family members and most of them reach Pingalwara, she added.

Both the key speakers, however, appeared to be irritated when audience, including political leaders, started talking instead of listening to them.

In his speech, deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal, who was chief guest on the occasion, referred to a movie on environmental issue made by the USA and said he would ask the education department to show it in all the schools of the state.

He also said the depleting water resources posed a serious threat to the agriculture-driven Punjab and appealed people to grow trees so as to save Punjab from becoming Rajasthan.

G.S.Dhaliwal, MD of the institute, said trees were lungs of the environment and every individual should plant a tree and see it grow.

Kindarbir Kaur, a student of BA I, said the conference was informative.

Earlier, students presented songs and choreographies to make the conference interesting. The last event of the day, which went on for over two hours, was performed by Harbhajan Mann, who stole the show with his songs and witty one-liners.

The organisers also thanked Mann for singing decent songs and not polluting the environment in music industry.

Mansa, March 14
Orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Ajay Gupta, has performed two unique operations at the Civil Hospital, Mansa. He operated a total hip arthroplasty using a metal on metal uncemented implant of a 27-year-old female patient, who was suffering from arthritis of her right hip since childhood. 

She had pain in limp and her movement was also restricted. Her limb was 3 cm short and she was operated upon at the hospital.

Dr Ajay Gupta said that this kind of operation was performed for the first time in Mansa. After this operation, the patient could carry out all her activities in an unrestricted manner and she would be able to squat and sit cross legged on the floor. He further said that operation was cost effective.

Another addition to the facilities at Civil Hospital is the provision of arthroscopic surgery. By this technique, a variety of problems could be solved without opening the joint through key hole operations and no stitches are applied. 

Dr Ajay said that he had received training for performing such operation in Seoul, South Korea in 2008. 

Bathinda, March 14
The regional office of the National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), today organised two free medical check up camp for human and animals in village Bhokhra in this district.

In a camp for women, children and aged persons, doctors inspired all to protect themselves from HIV AIDS. They also delivered a lecture on pregnancy, vasectomy, sex determination and sex-ratio.

In the camp for animals, officials of the NFL said that the village Bhokhra had been adopted for 2008-09. Apart from this, agricultural library, sewing machines distribution, drinking water like facilities too were provided to the village.