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State doesn’t have much for HIV patients
Spirited campaign to save Tawi
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Honeymooners make beeline for Kashmir
Women following husbands in liquor smuggling
Food hygiene ‘helps prevent’ diarrhoea
Refurbished Budshah Hotel to liven up City Centre
Private tuitions
Maize research centre awaits land
jammu diary
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State doesn’t have much for HIV patients
Srinagar, May 4 Sharma informed, “Many people are refused ART if they miss prescribed date for getting medicine. Then they have to get medicines from the market which is a costly affair and many patients stop taking the treatment.” He stated that more than 100 persons were associated with the network. He added that there were no schemes for rehabilitating widows who had been infected by their husbands. Sharma said, “When CD4 count is below 200 or a person is prone to opportunistic infection, ART treatment is recommended”. “Given the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country, no comprehensive law dealing especially with the problem exists here. Though a Bill has been drafted, it is yet to be tabled in Parliament,” said representatives of HRLN. “In most countries, HIV/AIDS falls under national disabilities legislation but there is no Act in India for HIV. A Bill has been drafted but it is yet to be tabled,” said Tariq Ahmad, a representative of the HRLN. Arguing that Rs 18,000 crore is expected to be spent on forthcoming Common Wealth Games, he said, “A dialysis machine that costs less than Rs 1 crore is not available to the needy”. Ahmad stated that people living with HIV faced discrimination at many levels like employment, education, confidentiality, blood safety, freedom of movement, care and access to treatment. He added that right to treatment, right against discrimination and right to privacy and confidentiality were the major rights that had to be guaranteed to people living with HIV. “There is no cure for HIV infection, prevention is the only way,” said Feroz Khan, another HRLN representative. He added, “We need to understand that each one of us is at equal risk of HIV infection”. He stated that the virus came to India in 1986. “There has not been much awareness about it. HIV positive people don’t approach courts due to stigma attached to it.” He added that such people should not to be discriminated, their confidentiality had to be maintained and they should to be treated as normal and equally capable individuals. He added that in the state, there were only two ART
centres. |
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Spirited campaign to save Tawi
Jammu, May 4
On the other hand, solid waste of the entire Jammu city is being thrown into the river despite the fact that the State Pollution Control Board has issued directions not to throw garbage into the river. Encroachments on the banks of the river, with the connivance of higher-ups, have further contributed to the depletion and degradation of the river. Environmentalists are of the opinion that garbage dumped into the river soaks its water. Furthermore, water of the river is also lifted at Shetteli pumping station near Nagrota for supply to the old city for drinking purposes. Following the failure of the authorities to save the river, a group of students of Jammu University under the banner of Sangharsh has decided to create awareness among masses to save the Tawi in collaboration with India Re-define, an NGO working for the environment. “Apart from taking some concerted efforts to remove pollution, we have also decided to educate the masses to make “Save the Tawi” a mass movement,” said Ranjeet Sharma, an activist of Sangharsh. Ranjeet and other activists of the Sangharsh and India Re-define, who have conducted a survey of the dying river, said throwing of garbage and encroachments were the main causes of the depletion of the river. “We have decided to make a proper document on the ecological degradation of the river which would be later handed over to the state government for taking some effective steps”, he said. Interestingly, the government recently announced in the Legislative Assembly that the State Pollution Control Board had issued directions to the Jammu Municipal Corporation to shift the municipal solid waste dumping site and refrain from dumping the waste on the banks of the river. Despite these directions, no action has been taken so far. Dumping of solid waste in the river has been going on unabated. Further, despite a ban on polythene bags, one can find the river flooded with such bags. Some social activists of Jammu under the banner of the Tawi Bachao Abhiyan have also decided to resume their campaign. Rampal, convener of the abhiyan, feels that it was all due to the lack of coordination among government agencies that Tawi water has become poisonous owing to drains discharging effluents into it. Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh stated that the state government had projected a requirement of Rs 2,200 crore for the conservation of the Jhelum to the neglect of its counterpart, Tawi, in the Jammu region, which, despite its historical and religious significance, had been the victim of government apathy and neglect. |
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Honeymooners make beeline for Kashmir
Srinagar, May 4 "Kashmir is a perfect place to spend honeymoon," said Andrew, a tourist from the USA. In the evening a large number of these newlywed couples could be seen taking a stroll at the famous boulevard road surrounding the panoramic Dal Lake in the heart of Srinagar city. "We decided to visit Kashmir on our honeymoon, we had booked a room in a houseboat and the stay here is one of the best moments of our life," said Parmjeet Singh of Chandigarh who was taking a Shikara ride in the Dal Lake with his wife, Jasleen Kaur. A large number of these young couples have preferred Kashmir to Switzerland or Thailand as they say that their visit to Kashmir was providing them an experience to stay close to nature. "We could have gone to Switzerland or Thailand for our honeymoon, but we preferred Kashmir and after coming here we realised why this place is called a heaven on the earth," said Deepak Sarmista from West Bengal. These newlywed couples though are a bit scared of the frequent bandh calls and incidents of stone pelting, they were enjoying their stay in the valley. "The people here are very friendly and helpful, but whenever there is a strike our parents back home get scared and call us but we tell them that we are safe," said Ankit from New Delhi. People associated with the tourism industry say they are elated with the response they are getting this year but are a bit scared that turmoil in the valley might snatch away their livelihood. Though the Tourism Department refused to divulge the number of tourists who have so far visited the valley this year, it confirmed that a large number of them were newlywed couples. “Places like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg provide solace to the honeymooners. These places are booming with such couples," an official said. |
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Women following husbands in liquor smuggling
Katra, May 4 The government has banned the sale and consumption of liquor and meat in the area for the past many years. In the past three months, nearly 45 cases of liquor smuggling have been registered at Katra police station and a number of bootleggers have been arrested. It is an indication in itself that the holy town is seeing an increase in the number of Bacchus lovers. A senior police officer said, “It has been observed that when we arrest someone involved in smuggling, their wives plunge into the business and run it with the help of some associates of their husbands.” He added that the benefit of women taking to liquor smuggling was that they did not fall into the police net easily. “This trend can become serious if not curbed in time,” he added. Women who are indulged in this business have an edge because they easily escape the routine check-up, he said. After travelling from Jammu to Katra, The Tribune team observed that only a few nakas were laid for routine check-up and mostly men were frisked and not women. However, police officials cited a common reason that they were helpless as the search of women could only be done by women police personnel. The officer said the trend of getting help of family members by bootleggers was always there, but cases of the wives helping their husbands had been witnessed only sometime ago. Arun Jamwal, SHO, Katra police station, said, “We have launched a drive against liquor smuggling. The patrolling parties on the every end of Katra are keeping an eye over suspicious elements. However, since residents of this holy town are rich and they have adopted a luxurious lifestyle, bootleggers find easy customers here”. He further said the bootleggers had adopted various methods to conceal liquor. “In the recent past, a large number of liquor pouches were recovered from a house, which was concealed in a wall,” Jamwal said. In another recent incident, the police arrested Darshan Lal, a resident of Katra, for allegedly smuggling liquor and a case has been pending against him. The police had recovered around 60 pouches of liquor from him. When he was facing the trail his wife started smuggling business in association with some associates of Darshan, a senior police officer said. Besides Katra, other nearby villages, including Nomain, Aggar Jitto, and Domail, also come under the jurisdiction of the liquor and meat free zone. |
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Food hygiene ‘helps prevent’ diarrhoea
With the peak season of diarrhoea going on, the number of diarrhoea patients visiting Government Medical College Hospital (GMCH) has gone up to approximately 200 per day. Even at Shri Maharaja Ghulab Singh Hospital, nearly 30-50 patients (children below five years) are reportedly visiting OPD everyday. In view of the enormity of the disease, The Tribune interviewed Dr Bharat Bhushan Gupta, HOD Medicine and Head, Division of Gastroenterology at the GMCH. Dr Gupta stated that a patient of diarrhoea visits hospital in exclusive case only wherein he complains of blood in the stool, high fever, dehydration, besides weakness and cramps due to the loss of body fluids. According to Dr Gupta, apart from unhygienic conditions, the food being consumed out of refrigerators at homes and hotels or other eateries amounts to one of the major causes for the disease. "Usually, water supply pipe lines in the old city run along sewerage drains. At whichever point the pipe leaks, drain water enters into the empty supply pipes by suction pressure when the supply is over. During the next supply of water, potable water gets contaminated with the dirty water," he said and added, "Here lies the responsibility of the Public Health Engineering Department to ensure safe drinking water to the people". "Diarrhoea is more common in persons with malnutrition. Distinct seasonal patterns of diarrhoea occur in many geographical areas. In temperate climates, bacterial diarrhoea occurs more frequently during warm season, whereas viral diarrhoea, particularly caused by rotavirus, peaks during the winters," he said and added, "In the tropical areas, rotavirus diarrhoea occurs throughout the year, increasing in frequency during drier and cool months, whereas bacterial diarrhoea peaks during the warmer rainy season". In the Jammu region, he said, the peak season spans from the last week of March to October end and the infectious disease is caused by rotavirus in children, whereas amongst adults, the disease is caused by enterotoxigenic e.coli, salmonella, shigella, etc. Among others, protozoa like e.histolytica and giardia intestinalis are also quite prevalent and cause diarrhoea. Then, he said, most of the eateries don't have refrigerators and the same stale food is served to customers. It consequently takes toll on public health by causing food poisoning. "Each patient of diarrhoea does not need antibiotics and antigiardials. We advise them oral rehydration", he said. Suggesting prevention and control measures, Dr Gupta said due care of food hygiene must be taken. "The Veterinary Department must ensure that food animals are free from any infections. Also, those suffering from infected wounds, boils, diarrhoea, dysentery, throat infection, etc., should be excluded from food handling. Food should be thoroughly cooked whereas dairy products should be pasteurised properly," he advised. |
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Refurbished Budshah Hotel to liven up City Centre
Srinagar, May 4 With the place facing the MA Road, the main crossing on that side of the Lal Chowk is popularly known as Budshah Chowk. Work on the reconstruction has begun with the clearing of debris on the first floor. The damaged structure is among various "black spots" in the heart of the city, giving it the look of a war-ravaged location. However, the "black spot" of the damaged structure of Palladium cinema is yet to be cleared. The government has also recently started reconstruction of the PIB building on the nearby residency Road. If all such structures are given a new lease of life, the beautification project of Lal Chowk would be worth attraction not only for locals but also for tourists. Another such structure, Greenway Hotel near the Central Telegraph Office (CTO), is yet to be renovated. All these structures were damaged in different encounters between militants and security forces. Budshah Hotel is being reconstructed at a cost of Rs 3.50 crore after a gap of 26 years by the Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC) and would be completed within three months. This information was given by Nasir Aslam Wani, Minister of State for Tourism, during an inspection of the site here last week. During the inspection, the minister was informed that after the reconstruction in its original design, food courts and Kashmiri handloom and handicrafts would be displayed at the hotel. The reconstruction of Budshah Hotel was the prime demand
of the trader community, the minister said. |
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Distance education wing modernised
Jammu, May 4 There was a time when it took 17 months for a student to start his course once he starts the process of applying for a course. But now the time is reduced to three months, thanks to the launching of the website of the department. Earlier, students had to seek forms by post and return the filled ones through the same route or they had to come personally to the university. But now, have just need to log on to the website and within three months, they can attend the personal contact programme (PCP). Most shocking was the case LLB course where students enrolled in 2003 could not complete their course, as the department failed to provide them study material. Meenakshi Kilam, director of the department, said after she took over her top priority was to shorten the time for admission, supply of study material and early organisation of the PCPs. “With the initiative of vice-chancellor Varun Sahni, we are able to sort out many issues, besides starting new courses and taking steps to provide new infrastructure,” she said. The department would be providing study centres for undergraduate programmes at the district level for the first time while earlier it was limited for B.Ed courses only. Besides, several new courses like degree in Dogri would be started from this session, she added. “We also plan to start similar courses in Punjabi and Sanskrit. Besides, the department’s library now remains open on every Saturday and Sunday also for the benefit of students,” She said. The building where the department is housed is also getting a makeover. “We have provided sheds for students on the pathway. They faced huge problems in reaching the department when it rained and sheds provide respite from the scorching sun also. Besides, new sitting
facilities under shelters that doubles up as an excellent viewpoint have been built. A new parking is also being provided behind the building”. “There was no canteen earlier. But we have a proper place for that now. We are also making a student felicitation centre in the existing building. And for the first time, the department has an uninterrupted power supply after 140 KV generator was installed,” She said. The department is proposing a new multi-storey building as well for meeting to the demand of expansion of facilities. |
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Private tuitions
Jammu, May 4 Dr Shalinder Singh Jamwal, a university professor, said the government should once take public opinion before imposing the ban on private tuitions by government teachers. “Most people are not in support of the ban because tutorials are good as compared to government institutions. Moreover, the government first passes such an order and later fails to implement it properly,” he added. On the contrary, a student leader, Pratap Singh, alleged that in government institutions whether schools or colleges, teachers do not perform their duty honestly, thus force the students to take private tuitions from them so that they could make easy money. “The teacher who shows average performance in government institution performs excellently in tutorials. They do it because they are answerable to private institutions whereas in government institutions there is no check,” said Jamwal. Expressing similar views, Sunita Rania, a parent, said getting education from the private tutorials had become a fashion. She added, “When have well-qualified and experienced teachers in government institutions, why should children opt for private tuitions. The only requirement is to raise the level of infrastructure in government schools. The government should implement the ban effectively”. Meanwhile, NR Dingra, chief education officer, said he had circulated orders to all government schools of the district, prohibiting them to take private tuitions. |
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Maize research centre awaits land
Srinagar, May 4 The government, however, offered an alternative site for the centre at Sagam-Kokernag in Anantnag district, which never materialised. "Consequently, our activities related with maize got scattered. Maize is so important that we cannot afford to neglect its production," said Prof Anwar Alam, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-K, adding, "whatever resources available and wherever they are, we are trying to use it for maize research and multiplication of seed varieties." The Vice-Chancellor expressed hope that someday the government would provide them the required land in order to do the work on maize in an organised manner. The university at present has a maize research centre at Karewa Damodar farm. The VC said maize production was the largest occupation in the state as well as the valley. "Productivity of maize in our state is below the national average." Prof Alam said the university had developed cold-tolerant maize varieties (like Shalimar Kishenganga 1 and Shalimar Kishanganga 2) for cold regions of the state as Gurez, Karnah and Machil. He said: "The centre has released nine composite varieties of maize. Popular ones are C6, C8, Shalimar, C15, Super 1 and Shalimar hybrid maize. With these varieties, maize productivity can be doubled, but we will target to achieve higher productivity." The varsity had conducted 3,000 front line demonstrations in six districts of the valley, he said. "The US produces nine tonnes per hectare and raise almost hybrid maize. This is largely cultivated in American parries under proper management. We have a daunting challenge of raising it on hill slopes that makes the job difficult." |
jammu diary
On a Sunday, a small boy dressing up as 'Shani devta' was asking for alms, assuming that it was Saturday. The poor chap would reach out to people seeking charity on Saturday to ward off bad luck. As the people dipped coins in the mustard oil-filled bowl, the "small creature" appeared perturbed as everyone winked while giving alms to him. SSP in love with cricket
Cricket is a sport almost every Indian likes. People play this sport whenever they find time. Even Jammu SSP Basant Rath, known for his special working style, is also a big fan of this sport. In the past one month, the SSP was noticed twice playing cricket at various grounds in the city. As soon as he arrived in the stadium, he procured a bat and started knocking the ball. Though Rath did not participate in the J&K Police Martyrs' Memorial T-20 Cricket Cup yet he was seen trying his hand with the bat and that too amid the presence of all senior police officers during the inaugural and conclusion of the tourney. Alas DGP XI lost the tourney in the final played against Corporate XI. But then the SSP was not a member of the DGP's team. Donkey protest catches cops' attention
The Jammu unit of the PDP organized a rally to "convince" the Union Government to take some serious efforts for resolving the Kashmir problem. Some unidentified persons brought a donkey and pasted some posters on it. As soon as the rally ended, the local administration swung into action and picked up the owner of the donkey for questioning. A senior PDP leader, who was standing near the donkey, was also summoned by the cops as the administration had taken serious note of such a "derogatory" style of protest. Fearing action from the cops, the PDP leader expressed his ignorance as to how the donkey strayed into the rally. He stated that it was coincidence that when mediapersons were clicking photographs he was standing near the donkey. The police is still trying to find out as to who had brought that donkey to the
rally. (Contributed by Ashutosh Sharma, Archit Watts and Dinesh Manhotra)
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Jammu, May 4
Scores of beggars can be seen at almost every crossing. Child beggars are quick in grabbing attention with their unique ways. Some of them are attired like deities
(see picture) or mystic fakirs to seek attention and alms. Irrespective of their age, they shower blessings and curses alike on passersby. Howsoever they try to carry themselves, 'childhood innocence' gets reflected in their words and deeds.