|
|
|
|
Pedalling to greener world
Anand Vihar rail terminal to open in 2 weeks
Celiacs enjoy a wheat-free evening
|
|
|
Women burn cases dip, thanks to
safer fuel modes
Onus of chastity lies with girl: Court
Another mishap at Metro site, 3 hurt
Drowning case: MCD suspends 5 staffers
300 graft cases against MCD men
Outsource police
work: Maken
Airport Express line Metro to be mapped on GIS
Dadri petitioner dies of
heart attack
Vehicle thieves held
Man killed
|
|
Pedalling to greener world
New Delhi, December 6 About 150 responsible Delhiites—young, senior citizens, scientists, students and professionals— reached Ambedkar Nagar Bus Terminal to extend their solidarity to the cause by participating in “Climate Bicycle Ride”. People from Delhi and the national capital region (NCR) joined in to pledge their bid and registered their support on a wide banner, reading messages of switching to energy-efficient modes of transport and conservation to further the earth-saving movement. Conceptualised by the Delhi Cycling Club (DCC) in collaboration with Delhi Integrated Multi-modal Transit System’s (DIMTS) NMT cell and The Open Planning Project (TOPP), the ride was no competition, yet the enthusiasm among the participants was tremendous. The zest of 67-year-old Surendra Gupta, a resident of Pitampura, was quite evident by the fact that he had pedalled 2 hours and 20 minutes just to reach the venue. He said, “Even though participants are being given cycles for the ride, I preferred to come on my own cycle from my house and I covered a distance of nearly 19 kms even before the race. It acted as a warm-up.” To Surendra, who covered a distance of 30 kms, cycling comes naturally. “I have been an athlete since childhood. I have been cycling since I was a student at Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani. I still prefer to cycle to my sister’s house in Gurgaon, about 30 kms from my place. This helps me to de-stress and keep all diseases at bay,” Surendra shared. A member of the DCC, Surendra, who does his bid towards reducing carbon emission through cycling, also encourages others to switch over to the environment-friendly mode and become members of the DCC. According to renowned astronomer Amitabh Pandey, cycle is the best machine that man has ever invented, producing a total sync between man and machine. “Many European nations are advocating and shifting to cycling as a medium of transport, but in India we are still to take lessons. BRT is a good concept and should be extended to other parts of the country,” Amitabh remarked. Pointing out at city’s frustrating traffic, he said, in Delhi, motorists were quite arrogant and it was better that they understand that vehicles, being the largest contributors to the city’s pollution, should be the last priority. After enjoying his climate ride , 52-year-old Amitabh, said, “Cycling had been a routine feature for me for the past three months since I started traveling to my office in Janakpuri, which is 20 kms away from my house in Mayur Vihar Phase III.” Calling for cutting down of consumption of energy and improvement of public transport, Amitabh stressed, “Half of Delhi’s population should go to work on bicycles rather than cars. The government should arrange for free parking facilities at Metro stations. In fact, people should be allowed to carry their cycles even on Metros.” Experts outline that efforts should be made towards generation and use of power for charging our daily appliances like mobiles and laptops, and resources should be used optimally or else after 50 years from now, there would be no coming back. |
|
Anand Vihar rail terminal to open in 2 weeks
New Delhi, December 6 With this, the Anand Vihar area would soon be transformed into a major transportation hub as the railway terminal will be integrated with the inter-state bus terminus, located close by, and with the Anand Vihar Delhi Metro station that is expected to be inaugurated by December end. The swanky station terminal, handling East-bound trains, is expected to reduce the burden from New Delhi station considerably and reduce traffic congestion. The Rs 240-crore station project is complete with modern amenities like ATM, foreign exchange counters and touch-screen enquiry system. It is to open with three platforms and a state-of-the-art coach maintenance yard in the first phase. The complex is spread over 42 acres and will have seven platforms in total and handle over three lakh passengers daily and as many as 270 trains when it is fully operational, the sources said. Sources say it is expected that the terminal would be inaugurated by railway minister Mamata Banerjee before the ongoing winter session of parliament comes to an end. They said by the time of the commencement of the Commonwealth Games in October 2010, several trains to East would have been shifted to the Anand Vihar terminal. The terminal, being developed as a green field project, will have many firsts to its credit, including earning the distinction of being the only station in the country having a station yard for loading and unloading parcels. Anand Vihar will be the only station in the country where loading and unloading of parcels, linen and food items will be carried out at the station yard and not in the platform as per the prevailing practise to keep the platforms clean, said officials. The station was cleared for public use by the commissioner of railway safety on October 20. |
|
Celiacs enjoy a wheat-free evening
New Delhi, December 6 Celiac disease is an immune reaction or sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. What is extraordinary is that it can creep up silently on just about anyone – across age, gender, class and race — and turn fatal if undiagnosed. It is fast becoming a hidden epidemic, even as 97 % of all cases remain undiagnosed. Although exact data is not available so far for the Indian population, incidence is estimated to be 1 in 100. The society is concerned at the increasing prevalence of celiac disease amongst Indians in recent years and has decided to launch Beat Celiac! – a 12-point prevention programme. The need is to build large-scale awareness drive amongst doctors and the public. Gluten-free food makers and food supplement companies put up stalls for the patients and made brisk sales as this specialised food is not easily found in the retail market. Celiac patients had a finger-licking time enjoying the food made by chef Tirath and his team who specially prepared a gluten-free menu for high tea. The delights included gluten-free (wheat-free) pizzas, sandwiches, kulchas, golgappas, gulab jamuns, cakes etc. The gathering primarily comprised celiac patients and their families, doctors, nutritionists, health professionals, and members of the food industry. The programme had the invitees actively participate in the gluten-free cooking contest. The recipe for quinoa salad won the first prize in the competition while missi roti, cutlets, bhaturas, banana chocolate cake also got the thumbs up from the judges. The kids had a magic show as surprise in store for them. They clapped as the magician kept them spell-bound with his tricks even as their parents consulted doctors about the disease and relished assorted sandwiches, bar be que chicken, pizza, pasta with non-veg and veg sauces, chhole kulche, rice noodles, pizzas and golgappas. For those with a sweet tooth, gulab jamun, fruit mousse and flourless chocolate gateaux were on offer. |
|
Women burn cases dip, thanks to
safer fuel modes
New Delhi, December 6 The rate of mortality in burn cases maintained its divide in any case—with 62.12 per cent for women and 38.82 per cent for men. As per a study carried over 15 years in LNJP Hospital, there was a gradual decrease in the incidents of women suffering burns from 2000 onwards in comparison to the period 1993-98. During both the phases, a total of 17,000 patients were taken into observation and the ratio of woman to man patients being .91:1 and 1.26:1 for the period after and before 2000 respectively. Also, the total number of burn admissions over the period has registered a declining trend. Head of the department burns, maxillofacial and microvascular surgery in LNJP Hospital, Dr Rajeev B Ahuja, who led the study, said, “There has been a substantial drop in burn cases and mortality is also reducing as patients are being brought early to the hospitals. The fall in admissions is due to the decreased incidence of non-intentional burns, but kitchen continues to dominate as the site of mishap.” He added that increasing shift to other modes of fuel—liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity—has resulted in decline in burn incidents in kitchen, he outlined, burns in kitchens were seen to. Asking people to adopt safer fuel options, he said people should switch to modes like LPG and electricity, as burns are preventable. The most vulnerable are women who also have to battle social stigma that follows after their survival from burns, most of the times attributable either to insatiable dowry demands or incited suicide. To enable such women, especially those from impoverished backgrounds, an initiative under the banner of International Confederation of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (IPRAS) was recently launched in the Capital. The founding member of the humanitarian effort and secretary general of IPRAS, Dr Marita Eisenmann-Klein, said given that 50 per cent of the burn cases were found to be from South East Asia, and the proportion being considerably high in India, we started the work here. She stated, “The work entails providing free treatment and surgery to women with severe burns, and with a fund of 100 thousand Euro, we have already treated over 100 patients.” |
|
Onus of chastity lies with girl: Court
New Delhi, December 6 Additional sessions judge Arun Kumar Arya said, “An obligation is cast upon a young girl to protect her body and should not throw herself to a man and indulge in promiscuity while believing on marriage offers.” Citing a recent verdict of the Delhi High Court, the court added, “It is the woman who is the protector of her own body. Marriage promise may or may not culminate into marriage. It is the prime responsibility of the woman in the relationship or even otherwise to protect her honour, dignity and modesty”. On June 9, 2006, an FIR was lodged at the Kalkaji police station by a girl that she was raped several times by accused Rahul Giri. Refusing to lend credence to the victim’s testimony, the court questioned as to why the girl, who was first raped in 2002, lodged the complaint after four years. The court also considered the fact that the girl had sent over 40 love letters to the accused, saying “most of them were written in 2001 that is almost one year prior to the first alleged incident. “The letters written by the girl showed that she was in love with the accused and took sleeping pills when she came to know that accused was to marry some other girl,” it said. The court said that usually the statement of the victim was sufficient to convict the accused. But, in this case, the girl’s statement required to be corroborated as she did not disclose the alleged offence for a period of four years. |
|
Protests, festivities mark Babri day
New Delhi, December 6 Staging a protest at Jantar Mantar near the central business hub of Delhi, members of the All India Babri Masjid Rebuilding Committee (AIBMRC) demanded that the mosque be rebuilt on the disputed site of Ayodhya. They also submitted a memorandum to President Pratibha Patil to put behind bars those named by the Liberhan Commission report. On the other hand, celebrating the anniversary of the demolition, members of the little-known Rashtrawadi Sena (RS) organised a “Vijay Divas” (victory day) march in east Delhi. According to Bharat Lal Sharma, secretary RS, party chief Jai Bhagwan Goyal said this was a historic day which should be celebrated with pomp and show. He also added that since this year his name had been mentioned in the Liberhan Commission report, it was an even bigger reason to celebrate.” Goyal is one of the 68 people mentioned in the report of the Liberhan Commission, which probed the 1992 Babri mosque demolition, as culpable for “leading the country to the brink of communal discord”. |
|
Another mishap at Metro site, 3 hurt
New Delhi, December 6 The three victims were working at the Central Secretariat-Badarpur line of the Delhi Metro where de-shuttering work was going on. “Three workers fell from a raised platform at a Metro site in Govindpuri around 11 pm. They were rushed to the Moolchand Hospital, where two of them were discharged after treatment while one is still undergoing treatment for head injuries. An enquiry has been initiated to know the cause of accident,” said a Delhi Metro official, adding that the incident has been taken seriously by the officials and strict action would be taken in case any amiss is found. The three laborers were placing ‘shuttering plates’ on the raised platform, when it gave- way. The injured were working for the contractor engaged at Metro site. According to information, the construction work at the Govindpuri site is being conducted by Gammon India, the same contractor who was blacklisted for future Metro projects after the July12 incident. Earlier this year, six persons were killed and over 20 injured when a portion of an elevated Metro beam collapsed at the Zamrudpur site on July 12, raising serious doubts on Metro’s fast-paced expansion plans in the Capital. |
|
|
Drowning case: MCD suspends 5 staffers
New Delhi, December 6 Municipal commissioner K.S. Mehra suspended section officer Kanwar Pal, gardeners Mahaveer Chaudhary and Rajinder and masons Ajeet and Anoop of the engineering department for the unauthorised digging of a pit in one of the municipal parks in the Shakarpur area in which two children, aged 4 and 8, drowned. “The work was done without permission of senior officials. No required safeguards were taken. The action was taken on the report of Deputy Commissioner, Rohini Zone,” the MCD said here in a statement. Earlier, in August 77-year-old T N Makan had died after falling in a pit in Malviya Nagar. That time also, the MCD had claimed it was concerned about public safety in view of the reported instances of uncovered manholes. It reportedly issued instructions that pits or any other type of opening on pavements, public streets, roads etc should be immediately attended to by the staff. |
|
300 graft cases against MCD men
New Delhi,
December 6 Departmental action had been initiated in only eight cases of the
total 292 cases registered against MCD officials by the two probe
agencies, official sources said. While more than 215 cases are under various stages of trial, 56 are
still under investigation. According to year-wise data of cases
investigated by the CBI and the ACB of the Delhi government, there are
53 corruption cases against officials of MCD dating before 2001. In
2001, 19 cases were registered, while the figure for 2002 is 17 and 35
for 2003. |
|
Outsource police
work: Maken
New Delhi, December 6 Speaking on the occasion, Ajay Maken, minister of state for home affairs said the country required additional 5.93 lakh policemen to reach the global ratio of 2.2 policemen for 1,000 people. “For this, we require Rs 36,000 crores per year, and I do not see this happening in the near future. So the way out is to divide police into various factional aspects and outsource as many of those aspects as possible to the private security industry. Earlier, President Pratibha Patil, while inaugurating the conference, said that all security agencies, whether armed forces or the para-military, should function within the ambit of the legislation. She also used the opportunity to launch a program called Security Employees Welfare Actions (SEWA) Program, designed specifically for the private security industry personnel. |
|
Airport Express line Metro to be mapped on GIS
New Delhi, December 6 This would be the first of its kind exercise in India. GIS is a system of mapping spatial information/data in various layers and representing it in the form of a map. Mapping the 22.7-km Metro corridor from Connaught Place to the Indira Gandhi International Airport, which is expected to become operational by September 2010, on GIS will help in mobilising emergency services in case of a blast or fire on the train. Reliance Infrastructure-led Delhi Airport Metro Express Pvt Ltd, a special purpose vehicle created to implement the Airport Express line, will map all the emergency services including fire stations, police stations, hospitals etc along the alignment, a company spokesperson said. The officials confirmed that the company has already made some maps for the Delhi alignment. Once the construction of the corridor is complete, locations of the piers, viaduct, stations will be imported into GIS. “GIS technology will enable efficient maintenance of the Metro line and it will have layers ranging from technical details of pillars, piers and transformers,” officials said. It also maintains information on the equipment like underground cables, transformers, piers, viaduct, stations and tracks. The spokesperson said the GIS will help mainly in maintenance of the system. |
|
Dadri petitioner dies of
heart attack
Ghaziabad, December 6 Singh had won the court battle on Friday when the Allahabad High Court quashed the UP government order allowing acquisition of land. “On Friday evening, he was anxious to hear about the court’s judgment and remained glued to the TV”, said Ravi Singh Shishodia, Singh’s grandson. |
|
|
Vehicle thieves held
New Delhi, December 6 The police said Raju (50), a resident of UP’s Bulandshahar, and Ram Chander (32), a resident of Saharsa in Bihar, were arrested from Dharampura in Seelamur. It also claimed to have recovered three vehicles, including two tempos, from their possession. The police further stated that the duo had stolen tempos and cars from Mansarovar Park, Nand Nagri and Harsh Vihar, Kirti Nagar and Krishna Nagar. They used to steel tempos from Delhi for driving in UP. |
|
|
Man killed
Ghaziabad, December 6 SP (rural), Captain M.M. Beg said the police was examining the murder from all possible angles. Brijpal, a resident of village Phalaunda, used to take care of the farmhouse owned of a Delhi trader. Four days ago, Brijpal had received a call on his cell phone at 10 pm. According to his family, he had left saying that he would go to the farmhouse. But when he did not return, the family lodged a repot. On Friday, the members of Brijpal’s family were separating husk from crop at the field, they fond Brijpal’s body. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Classified Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
