New Delhi, November 11
With Divali round the corner, the upsurge in injuries caused by firecrackers has caused much concern.

This upsurge, experts say, is attributable to two major reasons: one the advent of Chinese firecrackers along with the locally made unlicensed ones and the other noncompliance on the part of people in abiding to the Supreme Court regulation of 2005 that puts a blanket ban on the bursting of sound-emitting firecrackers between 10 pm and 6 am.

And the most effective way to act against this increasing problem of firecracker injuries is to encourage "community crackers" celebrations, observe experts.

"Apart from having regulatory norms, implementation is important. Guidelines about the quality of firecrackers, enforcement of time for burning them and public education have to be put in place. Seeing through history of firecrackers in the western world, community celebration can be the best way out to bring such injuries down," stressed Dr Karoon Agrawal, the head of the plastics and burns department at Safdarjung Hospital.

According to the head of the department of burns and plastic surgery at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Dr Lalit Makhija, the government should issue guidelines for the burning of community crackers and ensure that the law of ban on sound-emitting crackers after 10 pm is enforced strictly.

"During Divali, the patients' turn-out is no way comparable to other days; the number is significantly high with burns patients coming up even after 10 pm. Also, if crackers are not of good quality they add to the menace and in the last couple of years, Chinese crackers have added to the woes. Awareness has to be built up," remarked Dr Makhija.

Experts pointed out that the administration has been weak in monitoring the uncontrolled manufacture of unlicensed crackers, and in particular, the illegal sale of firecrackers even in residential areas has increased the problem. However, they maintained that blaming the government and the manufactures alone will not work as public too need to be educated.

"The hazards of firecrackers should be publicized through lectures in schools," said Dr Mahesh Mangal, head of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital's burns department.

"Substandard crackers, which are relatively cheap, cause high-intensity damages. Unless the government brings in some norms on limiting the burning of firecrackers by individuals, the scenario is not going to change," cautioned Dr Mangal.

New Delhi, November 11
Intensifying the fight for justice for the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims, a large number of activists of the National 1984 Victim Justice and Welfare Society today staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar.

Babu Singh Dukhiya, president of the society, requested the government to take the first step towards punishing the guilty, including Jagdish Tytler, Sajjan Kumar and Kamal Nath, by expelling them from the party by November 19.

He said, "If the government does not take action, we will sacrifice our lives. If the Congress needs more sacrifice, the community is ready to be beheaded once again.” The activists burnt the effigies of Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and Kamal Nath.

New Delhi, November 11
The 19th MTNL Health Mela which focused on "sudden death" concluded today in the national Capital with the Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde releasing the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) 10 Mantra-a life-saving intervention that experts say is most effective in reviving a cardiac arrest patient if given within the first five minutes.

The 10-day health fest which also saw the Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender Singh taking lessons on CPR yesterday marked the launch of an awareness drive that targets to train one lakh people, including school students on CPR by December this year in Delhi.

Fifty people lose their battle against heart disease in Delhi every day, many succumb following a heart attack. Nearly 80 per cent of an estimated 25 lakh people dying of sudden deaths after cardiac arrests each year in India can be saved with life-saving chest compressions or hands-only CPR, according to health experts.

"Anybody who has a hypertrophy (thickening of the ventricular walls of the heart decreasing the space) and is involved in competitive sports are at risk of having a cardiac attack," explained Dr K K Aggarwal, who is the main force behind this CPR drive.

Importantly, for every minute delay in CPR, chances of survival drops by 10 per cent in a victim of cardiac arrest. Faster the response during the critical period the better the results, noted experts during the training workshop.

"Cardiac death is reversible in the first 10 minutes. For that period the brain remains alive even though the heart and respiration have stopped. Given the high incidence of sudden cardiac deaths of which 18 lakh people succumb without any medical help, this training will help save 12 lakh of them," said Dr Aggarwal.

Elaborating on the procedure, Dr Aggarwal said, "The technique is simple to learn. It is a 'formula of 10' created by the Foundation - within 10 minutes of death, for the next 10 minutes, compress the centre of the chest continuously with a speed of 100 per minute. This improves the chances of survival if given early."

So, if the CPR is given within the first five minutes even by a bystander trained in CPR, the results are encouraging to almost 30 per cent survival, stressed experts. For this, Efforts should be made to popularise CPR which can help save the life of scores of patients, the Haryana Health Minister said.

New Delhi, November 11
Whenever the government levies any tax or increases it, traders slam the decision. But surprisingly, the recent move of the government to hike the circle rate on property has not drawn much criticism.

In the national Capital, property rates are going high irrespective of the locality. Not only in the authorized colonies, in the unauthorized colonies also where civic amenities are hardly available, property rates are quite high. In some colonies, the rate is Rs 1 lakh per square yard.

Having seen the haphazard hike in property rates, a few years ago, the city government had introduced the circle rate in Delhi. The colonies have been categorized A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H. The unauthorised colonies have not been included in these categories.

Last time when the government had categorized the authorized colonies and fixed the circle rate, there was a hue and cry in Delhi. That was the first experience of the citizens of Delhi about circle rate. Even the property dealers had criticized the government, saying that it would have a negative effect on the rate of property. But now the people who deal in real estate have different views.

Some of them welcome the proposed hike in circle rate, saying that it would check black money in the industry. Besides, buyers would get loan from banks easily. The circle rate would help financial institutes to calculate the value of the property easily before sanctioning the loan amount.

Dr Kunal Bannerjee, vice-president of V. Corp, said that the proposal to revise the circle rate should be welcomed by those who deal in the real estate as this would have a couple of benefits--it would cut down the black money in property dealing besides increasing the government's revenue.

Generally, while purchasing the property, people do not show the exact amount. They purchase the property costly but while getting it registered, they show a less amount. When the circle rate is fixed, a buyer or purchaser cannot show the amount less than the fixed price. In Delhi, a buyer has to purchase the stamp papers of 14 per cent of the total amount of the property that will go into the government's exchequer, added Dr Bannerjee.

A senior official in the TDI said that it would not affect the private developers. They will fix their price according to the circle rate. The effect will be on property owners in the existing colonies as their property tax will be increased with the hike in circle rate.

Lalit Mohi, Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) - II, who deals in the circle rate of the revenue department of Delhi government, said that so far no resolution in this regard has been tabled before the cabinet. It

would be increased but at this stage, it would be difficult to say how much per cent hike would be done in the circle rate. Even if it is hiked, it would be in favour of people who are interested in purchasing property in the Capital as after the revised circle rate they would easily get loan from banks and other financial organisations.

Sources in the Delhi government said that revenue department has prepared a draft to hike the circle rate. It would be tabled before the cabinet soon. If it is approved, the rate in upscale colonies, that is 'A' category, will go up by 200 per cent, in 'B' category 50 per cent, and category 'C' to 'H' 25 per cent. This shows that the middle class and urban villages will not be burdened by this decision, the sources said.

At present in 'A' category, the circle rate is Rs 86,000 per square meter, 'B' category Rs 68,000 per cent, 'C' category Rs 54,600, 'D' category Rs 43,600, 'E" Rs 36,800, 'F' Rs 32,200, 'G' Rs 27,400 and in 'H' category, the circle rate is Rs 13,800 per square meter.