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Refinery extends helping hand
Experts differ over effects of uranium
Cause for concern
Kids eat unhygienic food in front of a school in Bathinda on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma |
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Rise in diarrhoea cases in Moga
Probe on in Sandeep case, cops secretive
Akal Takht Jathedar prays for students
Pulse polio drive for kids of migrants
30,000 saplings to be planted in Barnala
Drug peddlers get jail term
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Refinery extends helping hand
Bathinda, August 4 According to information available, observing the futuristic demand, the refinery authorities had urged the district administration to provide round-the-clock medical facilities at Civil Hospital, Rama Mandi. Finding the district administration incapable of bearing the expenses, the refinery authorities themselves floated a proposal to pay Rs 2.5 lakh every month for the salary of the whole staff to be appointed there. To discuss the proposal, a meeting was arranged on Monday, where the Deputy Commissioner, Rahul Tewari, SDM Talwandi Sabo, Anil Garg, Civil Surgeon Neelam Bajaj and the chief manager of the refinery project, Rajiv Parmar, marked their presence. During the meeting, it was said that the refinery authorities wanted 24-hour medical facility, including the OPD. For the purpose, the health department listed the requirement of staff as five doctors, two staff nurses, two laboratory technicians, three class IV employees, one radiographer and a driver. As per the minutes of the meeting, both parties decided to employee the staff on contractual basis. Further, the refinery officials assured the district administration of lending their support in the second-phase extension of the hospital. After checking the feasibility at the local level, the district administration sent the requirement of the refinery along with their proposal to the secretary, Health Department, for sanction. Meanwhile, refinery officials, observing the scarcity of funds at the Red Cross drug de-addiction centre, came forward to take the responsibility by donating Rs 20,000 per month. It has also been informed that taking a serious notice of the contamination level of the underground water, the refinery officials have been planning to install reverse osmosis plants in the nearby schools. Expressing gratitude over the public-oriented approach of the refinery authorities, DC Rahul Tewari said, "We have sent the proposal to the department concerned and are hopeful of getting it sanctioned soon." |
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Experts differ over effects of uranium
Bathinda, August 4 “It was stated recently that Dr H.S. Virk, nuclear physicist, said uranium was not possibly the cause of cancer in Malwa. He has not done any research on uranium. One day, he states that uranium is not the cause and the next day, he says that uranium is the cause. I tested 90 samples and they all stated that water is contaminated with uranium and heavy metals in Malwa," said Dr Surinder Singh from GNDU, who is known to have conducted detailed research in the Malwa region for uranium. Dr GS Dhillon, who has been with the irrigation and research institute at Amritsar and Punjab irrigation department for many years, stated that Bathinda witnessed a transformation since the two thermal power plants were set up here. A higher incidence of cancer was reported after uranium was detected in the Malwa region (studies done by GNDU), and lack of proper treatment available in Bathinda made the problem worse. Presence of uranium makes it difficult to supply clean drinking water to the villagers. It was stated by the experts recently that even RO plants installed by the state government are not effective in removing uranium and heavy metal toxicity in water. "There were 107 cases of cancer reported in the Tawandi Sabo area and 80 were women. It was reported that the village pond at Jajjal village was filled with filthy water which was consumed by the cattle. The village was supplied with filtered canal water, which has become badly contaminated. The water in the village was found to have 59.3 mg/litre uranium. Other heavy metals like arsenic selenium, mercury, chromium and now radio elements like uranium have been found in water," Dr Dhillon stated. Studies by the Kota Research Centre and Bhaba Atomic Research Centre confirm uranium's presence in Punjab. The problem which should be answered is that experts have given different reasons for uranium's presence in Malwa. The experts of GNDU say that uranium could have come from Tosham hills in Haryana where granite rocks are found which have high radioactivity. Another reason is environmental changes caused by waste generated by the thermal plants in Bathinda since 1970. "Currently there are no rules and regulations made to monitor and regulate the environmental impact of fly ash ponds. In Bathinda, these ponds have created health problems due to waste from the ash
ponds seeping into the groundwater," Dr Dhillon stated. |
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Street food vendors a health hazard for kids
Anil Jerath Tribune News Service
Bathinda, August 4 The MSD Senior Secondary School in the city is situated on the GT Road and the dirt raised by the heavy vehicular traffic settles on these foodstuffs. Schoolchildren come out of their classes during the recess and that is the time when these vendors have a brisk sale. The Municipal Corporation has employed sanitary inspectors but that does not seem to be having any effect on these vendors. Children coming from the nearby areas and villages depend largely on these vendors for a mid-day snack and are the primary victims of the unhygienic food. The vendors sometimes even exploit the innocent children by overcharging them. Vendors selling sugarcane juice do not wash their machines and the tumblers properly and swarms of flies keep hovering over the juice-extracting machine and the utensils. Those who sell cut fruit do not cover the fruits properly which also attracts flies and dust. Dr Vandana, a city physician, said consumption of such eatables was not only dangerous, but poisonous too. "Pollution by hundreds of cars, scooters and three-wheelers releases harmful gases, obnoxious carbon monoxide fumes, besides raising dust in the atmosphere, which settles down on uncovered eatables lying in the open. There are flies and mosquitoes these days which spread diseases like gastroenteritis, typhoid and cholera," she remarked. When contacted, Dharampal Singh Sekhon, District Health Officer, said, "We do take action against such vendors and if they do not listen to our warnings, their rehris are confiscated."
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Rise in diarrhoea cases in Moga
Moga, August 4 On Tuesday, as many as eight patients suffering from diarrhoea were admitted to the district hospital here. There were also reports of diarrhoea patients visiting government healthcare centres at Baghapurana, Nihalsinghwala, Kot-ise-Khan and other areas in the district. Private practitioners were also giving treatment to diarrhoea-affected patients. The main reason for the 'possible' outbreak of diarrhoea that had come to notice was lack of clean potable water. There were reports that regular chlorination in the potable water supply tanks was not being done by authorities concerned in both the urban and rural areas that had led to the the outbreak of diarrhoea. Jaswant Singh, son of Mangal Singh, Sanjiv Kumar, Subash Gulati, Gurlal Singh, a five-year old child Narveer Singh and Virendra Singh, all residents of this town had been admitted to the hospital exposing the public health amenities being provided by the local municipal council. These were the patients who had reported to the government health authorities on Tuesday, otherwise, the number of patients suffering from diarrhoea in Moga could be higher as the middle and upper middle class prefer to visit private hospitals and clinics. The local residents had complained that chlorination of water was not being done by the municipal authorities and people were falling ill due to unbearable stench and filth in some localities of the town. Mosquitoes were also breeding all over such areas. A senior official of the district administration revealed that presently, out of the 363 inhabited villages of the district, less that 200 villages were getting potable water supply through the schemes of water supply department being executed by the panchayats. |
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Probe on in Sandeep case, cops secretive
Bathinda, August 4 The investigation is going on in an absolutely secretive manner. Taking all precautions to prevent the media from getting wind of it, only a few selected officers have been included in the investigation panel. Sandeep Singh alias Bobby, son of former Akali minister Teja Singh, was found shot dead in his vehicle on the bank of Sirhind canal on Sunday morning. Sources informed that some persons have been rounded up in this connection. The police are primarily focusing on nabbing Jagtar Singh to ascertain the identity of the two unidentified accused. The police raided the house of the in-laws of Jagtar Singh in Sangrur district, but could not get success. When contacted, SSP Ashish Chaudhary and SHO Kotwali police station GS Romana both assured of cracking the case within days, but refused to provide any details.
— TNS |
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Akal Takht Jathedar prays for students
Abohar, August 4 The Jathedar was earlier received warmly by chairperson Bibi Harbaksh Kaur Hayer and members of the managing committee including Tejwinder Singh Aulakh, Dr G S Chauhan, Gurbachan Singh Sran, Rajinder Singh Jakhar, Gogi Hayer and principal Dr Parminder Sharma. Giani Ji and Kiranjot Kaur said they were feeling amazed over the strides this institution had made during a short span. Both of them gave important tips while honouring the outstanding students. — OC
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Pulse polio drive for kids of migrants
Bathinda, August 4 Dr Ajitpal Singh, district immunization officer, called a meeting of medical officers here on Monday. He said the department was fully prepared to administer polio drops to children of 170 migrant families, especially those working on brick-kilns, below the age of five years in the district. In Bathinda, about 16,435 migrant children in the age group of 0 to 5 years would
be administered polio drops for its eradication from the district, he said. He said 85 teams, comprising 23 supervisors, nine block supervisors and six observation supervisors, would look after the pulse polio drive in the district.
— TNS |
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30,000 saplings to be planted in Barnala
Barnala, August 4 He appealed to the NGOs to ensure the survival of saplings besides providing him the number of surviving and dead saplings after three months.
— TNS |
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Drug peddlers get jail term
Ferozepur, August 4 Giving details here, SPS Parmar, the SSP, said that the two smugglers were arrested on February 29, 2008 by a team led by inspector Major Singh in-charge CIA staff and 25 kg of heroin was recovered from their possession. FIR no. 74, dated February 29, 2008 was registered against the duo under section 21/61/85 of the NDPS Act.
— OC |
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Vendors selling juice, ‘chana bhatura’ and other food items exposed to dirt and flies have a field day in this town.
