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| Tuesday,
July 15, 2003, Chandigarh, India
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Rohtak at mercy of low capacity transformer Rohtak, July 14 The 20/25 MVA transformer, called T-2, was damaged on July 9 and all efforts to repair it locally failed. The Uttar Haryana Bijlee Vitran Nigam
(UHBVN) officials have since then been struggling to maintain the supply by shifting and shedding the load from the T-3 transformer. As the transformers are already overloaded, the consumers have been experiencing heavy load-shedding since last Wednesday, the day the town had its first monsoon shower of the season. The new transformer had been requisitioned from the Power Transformer Workshop,
Ballabhgarh, and had reached Khokrakot on Sunday. But, the capacity of the new transformer is approximately 20
MVA, which is 20 per cent less than that of the damaged transformer. The new transformer is likely to be installed on Tuesday and may start functioning by Thursday, if trial results are normal. The worst affected areas include parts of the city covered by the HUDA power house and villages to which power is supplied from
Bhalaut, Farmana and Jassia power houses. All these power houses are of 33 KV capacity. Following the shifting of the load of the damaged T-2 transformer to the T-3 transformer, the consumers residing in HUDA sectors, Model Town and Meham Town are also suffering. |
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Bomb scare in Vijaya Building New Delhi, July 14 The letter was discovered in Vijaya Building, Kastoorba Gandhi Marg, at around 1.50 PM by Ashok Parcha who works with Paras Dyes and Chemicals as a field officer and was followed by a telephone call. The police immediately rushed to the spot and began searching the 11-storeyed building with the assistance of the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad and the sniffer dog squad. The building houses a number of offices and the call was received at peak time. There was complete chaos and people rushed outside. Most of them used the stairs as there was a scramble for the lifts. The building was searched for at least two hours. When no explosive was recovered, the call was declared a hoax, the police said. |
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Delhi Police chief gives his ‘wish list’ to court New Delhi, July 14 In an affidavit filed today in the Delhi High Court, Police Commissioner R S Gupta stated that they were considering separating criminal investigation from regular policing duties. In all, six proposals were under various stages of ‘’consideration’’ at the Police Headquarters. These included setting up of a Metro Rail Police Station, upgrading of training facilities, modernisation of Delhi Traffic Police, revamp of the communication network, and inducting modern weapons, the affidavit said. Besides, there is a proposal to set up 11 new police stations in the second phase and meet shortages in residential and other buildings required by the force. Regarding its manpower requirements, the affidavit pointed out the recommendations of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) which, among other things, called for creation of 20,000 more posts in the Delhi Police. The affidavit hastens to add that the force can train only 2,000 personnel in a year. The police chief’s affidavit follows a High Court order seeking details from the Delhi Police on its requirements – that is, personnel, police stations, vehicles and equipment. (The current strength of Delhi Police is 59,077 with 127 police stations, including five railway police stations, and about 3400 vehicles.) The court also asked the police chief to enumerate the difficulties being faced by the force in maintaining law and order in the Capital. The court would like to help the police, but it could do so only if it knows the problems that were hampering its efficiency, a division bench comprising Chief Justice B C Patel and Justice B D Ahmed had said, while hearing a PIL, filed by advocate Rajeev Awasthi, highlighting the crime situation in Delhi and seeking improvement in policing. |
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Congress
has found its moorings under Sonia, says Bandhu New Delhi, July 14 The book, which was released here today by the Delhi Chief Minister, Ms. Sheila Dikshit, traces the passage of the party till date and was written when the author was not a minister in the Congress Government in the Capital. Talking about the book, Mr. Badhu said, “This book is not just a history of the party and the country from the 19th to the 21st century, but also dwells on the objectives which the party has pursued since 1885.” Extracts from the book recall that after Rajiv’s death Sonia kept her promise not to enter politics for five years. But the declining fortunes of the Congress under successive presidents and repeated requests to save the party made her enter politics, because “she could not see the sacrifices made by her family go in vain”. Tracing the genesis, the book says: “It all started in 1885 to bolster the national movement. More than hundred years later, the Congress party is still flourishing and working for political freedom, economic self-reliance and uplift of the weaker and downtrodden sections of the society”. The political history of the Indian National Congress is a saga of struggle of millions of our countrymen for attainment of Poorna Swaraj, says the book. Speaking at the release, Mr. Bandhu said: “The spirit of sacrifice for the Congress did not end with the end of foreign rule. It continued even after independence... the supreme sacrifices made by Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi proves this beyond doubt”. The minister goes on to say that it did not take long for Sonia to step into the “Gandhi mould”. Citing one such incident, he states, “ With her rise to power, Congress president Sonia Gandhi stunned partymen and those responsible for her security by walking from her residence to the AICC headquarters next door with SPG commandos and her car in tow”. He adds: “In choosing to walk down to the party office, she was only following the footsteps of her husband. When Rajiv was out of office between 1989 and until his assassination two years later, he used to reach the party office on foot, using the wooden gate connecting 10 Janpath and 24, Akbar Road”. The book also points out that Sonia likes to conduct the affairs of the party like her late husband did. Describing Sonia as the inheritor of the Nehru-Gandhi legacy, Mr. Bandhu said during her tenure as President of the Congress party and leader of the parliamentary party, she has nurtured both into mature and disciplined wings. |
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ABOUT-TURN New Delhi, July 14 Delhi BJP chief Madan Lal Khurana met the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and BJP chief M Venkaiah Naidu and demanded amendment in Friday’s ordinance on CAS so that it is first tested in other three metros and implemented in Delhi only if successful there. On the other hand, the opposition Congress has openly declared that it will use the CAS issue like the ‘onion prices issue’ in 1998 to drive political mileage, he said as having told Vajpayee. He said Vajpayee was ‘convinced’ with his argument and had asked Law Minister Arun Jaitley to find a way out. Khurana said: “Though I am not opposed to
CAS, there is a perception among people that it will be expensive for consumers. This can be used by Congress to take political advantage.” |
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A ‘brainstorming’ exercise at AIIMS New Delhi, July 14 A neurologist at AIIMS, Dr. M V Padma, pointed out that brain diseases are not taken seriously by most people owing to lack of awareness, which leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Says Dr. Padma, “Everyone knows about heart attacks. Even small children know that if there is chest pain it should be taken seriously and the patient should be taken to a hospital. But when a person feels dizzy and there is slur in the speech, they do not take it seriously and by the time they reach hospital irreversible damage to the brain has already occurred, resulting in paralysis and sometimes death.” Brain stroke, it was pointed out, is the second largest killer after cancer. In most cases of brain stroke, the patient can be cured or at least the disability can be minimised if medical aid is administered within a few hours of the appearance of the first symptoms. The timely treatment of stroke by medicines which help dissolve clots could prevent paralysis and other major complications, doctors point out. Dr. Padma added that a major challenge in treating the disease is lack of awareness. She said sometimes even the neighbourhood practitioners are not aware of the disease and precious time is lost by the time the patient is taken to the hospital. Doctors, she advised, should recommend patients to tertiary care hospitals, where proper treatment is available. Highlighting the importance of timely medical aid in case of brain disorders, Dr. Padma said that emergency medical care, which is extended to patients who suffer from heart ailments, should be extended to brain attack patients as well. “Brain stroke not only affects the patient, but the entire family as one moment the person is all right and the next he becomes paralysed. So the family not only looses its breadwinner, but also has to constantly look after the needs of a paralysed person. This is the most traumatic experience as the entire family gets disturbed”. |
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A few thousand saplings for Panipat Panipat, July 14 Alarmed at the fast-depleting forest cover, Haryana has embarked on an ambitious afforestation programme. Even the sites have been identified for the exercise. Under the programme, NGOs and other social organizations, along with students, will be provided saplings free of cost. Farmers will be provided 166 poplar plants, 225 eucalyptus plants, 156 fruit trees and 100 plants of neem, shisham and kadamb for every hectare of land. A wasteland committee under a sarpanch will keep a tab on forestry-related activities in 22 villages identified under this afforestation plan. Besides, 3,000 plants would be planted in schools, parks and other public arenas. People interested in obtaining these saplings will have to apply in writing with a recommendation from the sarpanch in the rural areas and the councillors in the urban areas. However, experts contend that a highly polluted industrial hub like Panipat needs intensive tree plantation instead of token plantation of a few thousand saplings. They believe that it is far more important to have a follow-up action plan to improve the survival rate of the saplings than to focus on the number of saplings planted. They point out that with only a minority of the saplings having tree guards, stray cattle have a field day. They have also suggested that organisations responsible for planting the saplings should be made accountable for their upkeep. NGOs and corporate giants like the Panipat Refinery plant hundreds of saplings in their bid to seek publicity, but hardly care about their upkeep. With the Forest Department reeling under a severe staff shortage, the saplings are destroyed in the early stages itself. However, the officials are hardly concerned as the targets are achieved in the files. |
Rain-drenched Sonepat: The road to watery hell Sonepat, July 14 In other parts of the city, the condition is no better. Residents in many colonies have to put up with choked drains, sewer systems and overflowing garbage bins. For instance, the entire place near the RSS ground opposite the telephone exchange, the Ram Bazar, Mohalla Kalan and the Kalan Masjid areas, the municipal authorities have done nothing to improve the sanitary conditions. Waterlogging in the low-lying areas and overflowing of storm water drains, have done a lot of damage to the roads. The recent heavy downpour has exposed the hollowness of the claims of the district administration as well as other official agencies, that they had taken measures to improve the sanitary conditions. Potholed roads even in the posh colonies are a common sight and the roads leading to the mini-secretariat, telephone exchange and the Bahalgarh are no exception. Driving has become dangerous on the main roads. Roads in almost all the areas are crying for attention. Ironically, some of the roads had been relaid only a few months ago. Though the PWD (B and R) authorities often rush bricks to fill the pits, the work is quickly undone. Meanwhile, uneven surfaces, potholes, lack of repair and zero maintenance, is the sad story of the roads in the rural areas of the district. Social and political leaders have alleged that government contractors are misappropriating funds meant for the construction and repair of the roads in connivance with the PWD (B and R) high-ups. Several sarpanches, panches, members of the block samitis and the zila parishad have demanded a high-level probe into the working of the PWD (B and R) and alleged that the material used in the construction of the roads and other buildings is sub-standard. They said that only a high level probe is likely to expose the misdeeds of the officials of the department. A long portion of Sonepat-Gohana Road had been in a state of neglect thanks to the failure of the authorities to repair it. This road was widened and repaired following the declaration of the national highway by the government last year. But cracks have appeared at many places and the drivers face hardships.Similar is the condition of the road leading from Gita Bhawan to the railway station and from PWD rest house to the double-storey quarters road. Almost all the link roads in the rural areas are in disrepair. Many of them are washed away every monsoon and winter rains. Preparation of muster rolls and bogus billing are a routine matter in the office of the PWD (B and R) and other offices like the Sonepat Municipal Council, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) and the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB). Representatives of various political parties, social and voluntary organisations and the trade unions today sent a memorandum to the state government urging it to order a vigilance probe into the functioning of the Sonepat Municipal Council and the HUDA and demanded stern action against the officials who are found responsible for the malpractices and bungling in the public funds. |
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Kisan panchayat urges govt for speedy SYL accord Rewari, July 14 The panchayat was held under the auspices of the Haryana unit of the All India Krishak Khat Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS). By a second resolution, the Maha Panchayat pleaded for the formulation of a pro-people scientific national water policy which would give priority to the drought-prone regions. It also sought a robust mechanism to ensure an uninterrupted flow of waters of the three seasonal rivers—the
Sahibi, the Krishnawati and the Dohan from the Rajasthan territory into the parched Rewari and Mahendragarh districts of South Haryana. The Maha Panchayat adopted another resolution seeking the removal of discriminatory practices prevalent in the distribution of canal water in Haryana and also the availability of its rightful share of water to the hapless farmers of South Haryana. The Maha Panchayat also decided to organise block-level panchayats in August 2003 and district-level panchayats as well as dharnas and demonstrations in September 2003 throughout Haryana to mobilise the people on the one hand and press the government for acceptance of its demands on the other. It warned that if appropriate steps were not taken to implement their demands by September 30, 2003, an All Haryana Maha Panchayat would be organised in October 2003 to chalk out its future course of action. To secure the expeditious completion of SYL canal and also its legitimate share of available canal water for South Haryana, a Sangharsh Samiti comprising prominent activists was also constituted in the Maha Panchayat. |
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Chautala to meet people at their ‘doorstep’ Sonepat, July 14 According to a report, Mr Chautala will
The officials of the district administration have already been alerted and are making preparations for the visit of Mr Chautala so as to make his campaign a success. Meanwhile, Mr Abhey Singh Chautala, MLA and the son of the Chief Minister, paid an unscheduled visit to this city yesterday. He went straight to the residence of Mr Ved Singh Malik, a former Haryana minister and a senior leader of the INLD in Kailana Assembly constituency. Mr Abhey Singh Chautala discussed the various issues related to the visit of the Chief Minister and sought information about the development works undertaken by the administration in the constituency. The unscheduled visit of Mr Abhey Singh Chautala caused panic among the senior officers of the district and they immediately rushed to the residence of Mr Ved Singh Malik within minutes, where they stayed for about an hour till Mr Chautala left the city. According to party sources, the Chief Minister, during the mass contact campaign, will cover all the 90 Assembly constituencies and will stay for three days at a stretch in each Assembly constituency for this purpose. The main aim of this campaign is to redress the grievances of the people at their doorsteps. Mr Chautala will tour the villages and try to solve the problems of the masses on the spot. |
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SPECIAL FOCUS ON FARIDABAD Faridabad, July 14 The action taken by the district authorities has led to resentment among many of the residents. Residents unhappy with the decision of the district administration have threatened to move the court if their grievances were not removed soon. Some of the aggrieved residents of Sector 15, including Mr V. D. Saluja, Mr S. P. Chawla, Mr S. P. Mehta, Mr M. L. Pahwa, Mr D. N. Kathuria, Mr V N Garg, Mr M. Anand and Mr Gurmukh Singh told the NCR Tribune that the direction by the authorities to keep both the gates, located on the two ends of the pocket, open was “distressing”, as it would lead to breach of security in the area. They said the Residents Welfare Association had been keeping one gate open and the other closed so as to check the movement of unscrupulous elements and over speeding of vehicles on the road. They claimed that opening the gate at the other end would entail employment of additional watchmen, which was not possible at present. They alleged that some of the residents were “unnecessarily” raising hue and cry over the closure of one of the gates and had used their political links and “pressure” on the officials to get the gate opened without ensuring an additional guard to man it. They claimed that a similar complaint had been lodged with the authorities earlier. However, the authorities found nothing substantial in the complaint. They alleged that in the present case the authorities had not undertaken any investigation prior to opposing the order of the Resident Welfare Association. The residents led by the BJP MLA Chander Bhatia met the Deputy Commissioner to apprise him of their stand. However, they claimed that there has been no proper response so far. They warned that they would be forced to move the court if the problem was not solved soon. Reportedly, dozens of iron gates have been erected in the various sectors developed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Officials of the Residents Welfare Association said that while most of the gates are closed during the night, about half of them are also closed during the daytime so as to check thefts, robberies and movement of anti-social elements. Mr Vijayendra Kumar, the Administrator of HUDA here in 2002 had ‘ordered’ the opening of all the iron gates during daytime after a complaint was lodged with his office. However, it is learnt that the order could not be implemented as the sector had been handed over to the MCD for maintenance work and thus HUDA had no supervisory role here. The residents claim that the erection of gates and the employment of security guards were “legal” and necessary to check the increasing cases of thefts and robberies. They said that such measures had helped the police authorities to maintain law and order in the area. Mr V. D. Saluja of Sector 15 said that the residents had spent about Rs six lakh on the maintenance of a neighbourhood park. He said if all the gates were thrown open, life would become “unsafe” and the area would become a “haven” for criminals. |
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BRASS TACKS
Certain important scientific discoveries happen to be the result of purely serendipitous circumstances, while others are the culmination of years of painstaking and often very expensive research. Thus, while Penicillin was discovered almost by chance, there are other lifesaving drugs, which could be developed only through intensive experimentation spread over decades of hard work. In a similar manner, bio- fuels, which were discussed in these columns last fortnight, happen to belong to the first category, while the bio plastics could be developed only recently through intensive research. These bio-plastics are known to have all the advantages of conventional plastics, yet, they degrade naturally and get absorbed in the soil, within a short period, leaving no traces behind. The term ‘plastics’ covers a multitude of synthetic substances, which are lightweight and easy to mould into various shapes. While a majority of chemical compounds have small molecules, often containing less than ten atoms, plastics consist of molecules containing tens of thousands atoms. These are very long chained compounds of carbon known as polymers. Their uses and applications are far too many and it would not be an exaggeration to state that each one of us uses several plastic polymer products in our daily life. Besides other uses, it is their easy availability in transparent films, which has led to their tremendous popularity amongst the consumers and which may also be the source of a serious environmental hazard. Plastics per se are not harmful as they are inert and remain neutral to the elements in our environment. However, the threat to the environment is caused basically on account of lack of an efficient collection and disposal system. These days plastics are most commonly used in the form of carry bags and as packaging material, both of which are non-degradable. Ideally speaking, after use, polythene carry bags ought to be buried in landfills or recycled. However, in the absence of any proper collection and disposal system, they are usually strewn around, littering the surroundings and keep piling up on garbage heaps. It is this accumulation of multi-coloured plastic bags, which are non-degradable, and appearing as eyesores, which, in the long run poses serious hazards to our environment. Animals, especially the stray cattle after consuming them along with other refuse have often choked to death. Some times these polybags act as receptors of waste or rain water, sufficient enough for breeding insects and mosquitoes. According to environmental studies, such bags while floating on the surface of rivers close to urban centres, and even while settling down along with other refuse, tend to cut off the supply of oxygen to natural aquatic life. They also often choke the sewage pipes leading to unhygienic conditions besides causing accumulation of methane gas as a potential explosive. Such polybags made of thin films are non biodegradable and cannot be destroyed except through burning, when they emit environmentally hazardous toxic gases. Their presence effects the soil fertility and water percolation into the ground preventing healthy growth of plants. In a nutshell, they are a real nuisance and absence of a safe mechanism for their disposal makes them an environmentalists’ nightmare. There have been several campaigns against the use of such polybags and for going back to paper bags, but then paper is also a forest product. But success at last. Intensive research in this area has led to the development of an alternative dream product. We now have biodegradable plastics, which are completely identical to the conventional plastics. A minor change has been introduced in their chemical structure, which helps in their decay on being left in the open and exposed to natural elements over a period up to three months. Development of biodegradable plastics is a frontier area of technology and has been found to be particularly useful for manufacture of polybags, carry bags and other similar packaging material. What is important is that these biodegradable polybags, made out of the specially developed films, have the same tensile strength, the same transparency, and the same feel as that of the conventional polybags. They have been recently introduced in India and are finding encouraging responses from amongst environmentally conscious bodies. Also available in food grade quality, they have been certified to be so by the National Institute of Toxicology at Pune as also the National Chemical Laboratory of Pune. In Europe, advanced and environmentally conscious countries like Sweden and Germany have taken to use of biodegradable plastics in a big way. These have also been introduced in US Canada and Japan. Since the degradation and ultimate composting of the biodegradable plastic film takes place through a photo oxidation process in sunlight, over a period of three months, the plastic bags have a limited shelf life, but then they are designed to be so. In India they have already been introduced commercially in the market, but it may take some time before the change over to the new technology takes place, but once it does, we are bound to have a far healthier and a cleaner environment.
Nobel Prizes for Plastics Prof Mrinal Thakur, an NRI is reported to have been recently nominated for a Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for his work on plastics. In this context, it may be of interest to the readers to know about the earlier awards of Nobel Prizes in this area of plastic Chemistry. Zeiglar and Natta of Germany and Italy respectively, were awarded this prize in 1963, for their development of a new technique for synthesis of polymers. Staudinger, also of Germany, was awarded in 1953, again for his work on polymer plastic chemistry. However, there would be many others who have made significant contributions but could not be so recognised. Plastics are known to be fundamentally different from metals in their physical, as well as intrinsic characteristics. Being bad conductors, they have been extensively used as insulators and to save people from getting electrical shocks through faulty connections in appliances and fittings. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 2000 was shared by Prof Alan McDiarid of US with Shirakawa of Japan and Alan Heeger, also of US, for development of chemically modified plastics, which displayed some metallic characteristics as well and facilitated conduction. Since plastics are essentially long chain polymers and have tremendous capacity for getting moulded into ultra light weight shapes and even very thin films, their newly discovered power of conduction opened up vast areas for technological research. Almost revolutionising some of the concepts and practices in the use of plastics, their most likely applications would be in flexible solar cells and in thin roll up computer displays, besides in the manufacture of miniature electronic devices, including mobile phones. This Nobel Prize winning discovery centres around the introduction of iodine vapour in polyacetylene plastic film, resulting in a silvery plastic thin parchment, which was found to be as highly conducting as metals. The net result of these electricity conducting plastic films would be further maniaturisation of circuits, with a full sized computer getting reduced to the size of a wrist watch becoming a possibility. On the other hand, Prof. Mirnal Thakur, formerly of Vishwa Bharati (West Bengal) and now at Auburn University in US, has claimed that it was his work carried out from 1988 onwards and hitherto ignored by the Swedish Academy of Sciences (which makes the Nobel awards) which formed the real basis for the discovery of electricity conducting plastics. According to some news reports, his nomination has come through this year, and while one would be curious to know the reason for his silence for three years after the Nobel award to McDiarmid et al in 2000, we wish him all the luck and pray that he brings laurels to
India.
(Dr K K Paul is Special Commissioner,
Administration, Delhi Police) |
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FACE TO FACE It was in mid 80s when Dr Bhimsen Bansal, a urologist, along with his wife, had gone to the United States of America to attend a family function. There he met Dr Singhal, a renowned urologist, who was among the few doctors in the world using the laser technique to break kidney
stones.
The technique was rare in those days and Dr Bansal, after observing it, immediately decided to use it in India. On Aug 6, 1987, Asia’s first Siemens Lithostar machine was installed the RG Stone Urological Institute to induct the lithotripsy technique in treating patients with stones in the kidneys. With the induction of this technique, a new era that brought major improvements in urinary stone management in the country began. Over a period of about 15 years, this institute has treated over 32,000 patients. The age of the patients ranged from nine months to 107 years. Having the distinction of treating almost all varieties of stones, ranging from 3 mm to 117 mm in size, it has one of the largest number of cases treated in horseshoe, ectopic, solitary, duplex and malrotated kidneys. Complicated cases like bilateral staghorns, stones associated with renal failure, have also been treated in large numbers. The institute also claims to have the distinction of being the first super specialty Lithotripsy and Endourology institute in India to have received ISO 9002 certification. Some time back, this institute had come to limelight for treating a stone patient, having permanent pacemaker, using the lithotripsy technique. With this, the institute offers all available modalities for the management of urinary stones, enlarged prostrate and gall bladder stones. The institute is also involved in teaching, which assumes special significance as lithotripsy and endourological procedures are not available at most of the teaching institutes. So far, more than 150 such surgeons and urologists have been trained in the institute. The Institute has two other branches in Mumbai and Chennai. In a conversation with the NCR Tribune, Dr. Bhim Sen Bansal delved upon various aspects related to kidney stones and the facilities available in our country. What are the advantages of lithotripsy? It is entirely a non-invasive procedure, where no damage to kidney or other organs and no long incision or ugly scars are formed after the treatment. A US FDA approved technique, lithotripsy requires minimum hospital stay and day care procedure in most of the cases. Moreover, one can resume normal activities within 24 hours of the treatment. It is useful in treatment for stones in ectopic, transplanted, malrotated, and horseshoe and solitary kidneys. Such patients carry a high risk if operated. Patients with AIDS and heart or breathing problems can easily be treated with this technique. Single and multiple stones of various chemical compositions, size and shapes can be disintegrated through lithotripsy. Till recently, open surgery, which if done repeatedly could even be harmful, was the only treatment available in such cases. Basically, it is ‘Extra Corporal Shock Wave Lithotripsy’ (ESWL) technique, in which no operation is involved. It was first experimented at Munich, in 1980. How long does the treatment take? The treatment depends upon the size and number of stones to be treated. A single small stone can usually be treated in a single session, which on an average takes 30-40 minutes. If the stones are large or hard, then the treatment is divided in to three or four such sessions over a period of 4-6 weeks. This procedure is effective for patients of all age groups, be it infants or the aged, as well as those who are not fit for surgery due to heart disease, hyper tension, diabetes, respiratory disorders or kidney failures. Once the stone is fragmented to very fine particles, the patient is asked to drink plenty of fluids. The fragmented particles then pass out with routine urination. And what about very big stones? Can they also be cleared by this technique? All types of stones can be broken by the technique of lithotripsy. But stones which are bigger than three or four cms, long standing ureteric stones, may require multiple sessions and may take a very long time to clear. Hence, such stones are debulked first using ancillary procedures like PCNL or URS. Following this, ESWL is given to residual fragments if any. This is the fastest and the best option for stones larger than 3.5 cm. Lithotripsy does not require anesthesia generally. PCNL and URS require anesthesia. For lithotripsy, anesthesia is given to patients below six years of age. ESWL is an OPD \ day care procedure. In PCNL, the patient has to stay in the hospital for two to three days. In case of URS, if done in the morning, the patient can be sent home the same evening or the following morning. How is gall bladder stone different from the kidney stone? Gall bladder stone is the commonest disease of the gall bladder. Bile stays stagnant in the non- functioning gall bladder and cholesterol crystals in the bile aggregate to form stones. Stones may obstruct the bile duct to cause jaundice and if neglected over long period, such stones may even lead to cancer. The problem of gallstones is very common in middle aged women, particularly those who have a tendency to put on weight. Overweight persons, who eat a lot of fried food, daily products rich in fats etc are prone to this problem. At times, rapid weight loss may increase the risk of stone formation. Women who have had multiple pregnancies also tend to form gall stones. Lap Chol (Laproscopic Cholecystectomy) is the latest technique available in our institute. It is a type of keyhole surgery in which four punctures are made in the abdomen, each roughly 1cm in size. Through these punctures, a telescope attached to a camera is inserted inside. The same ports are used for other instruments to hold, cut, cauterize and finally remove the gall bladder with stones. The advantages are short hospital stay, minimal scar, faster recovery and no risk of hernia or wound infection. After staying for one day in hospital, the patient can return to normal work in one week. Are the facilities for treatment of stones in India on par with International standards? India has witnessed major improvements in this field. There were the days when patients from the Gulf and African countries used to go Europe and USA for better treatment but now, many are coming to India also for their treatment. It is a case of paradigm shift in this field. |
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Ahirwal pays homage to Justice Yadav Gurgaon, July 14 Mr Yadav, who expired on July 1 due to cardiac arrest, was the first person in the country of the Ahir caste to have become a judge of a High Court. After having become the High Court judge in 1981, he became a member of the National Consumer Commission. In legal circles, he is remembered throughout the country for bringing the services of doctors within the purview of the Consumer Protection Act as a judge, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court. A native of village Bharawas in Rewari district, he is considered to be the ‘prodigal son’ of the Ahirwal belt. He is looked upon as a role model for the youths of the area aspiring to make their mark in life as a professional. Several bigwigs, not only from South Haryana which encompasses the Ahirwal belt, but also from other parts of the state attended the ‘Terhahwe’. The speakers on the occasion paid glowing tributes to him. Several bureaucrats and IPS officers, from the defence and members form the judiciary, serving and retired, attended the solemn occasion. A number of known faces from political circles were also seen. Those who participated in the ceremony include Mr A.P. Chaudhary and Mr R.N.Mittal-retired judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and a former judge of Ranchi Bench of Patna High Court, Mr N.S.Rao. While Mr Chaudhary is the president of the Delhi Consumer Commission, Mr Mittal is the All India President of the DAV Management Committee. Capt. Inder Singh, MP from the ruling INLD, a former MP from South Haryana, Rao Gajraj Singh and a number of sitting and former MLAs from the state also attended the occasion. |
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DELHI DIGEST New Delhi, July 14 They belonged to one family and were arrested yesterday from Old Delhi Railway Station where they had robbed a briefcase and a bag of a defence personnel, G.K. Pillay. While they were going out from platform number 12, a constable on duty suspected their movement and questioned them. During questioning, they disclosed that they had robbed the briefcase and the bag. They were members of a family and operate together, police said.
Oriental Bank cuts
interest rates In order to encourage the entrepreneurs running small-scale industries, the Oriental Bank of Commerce has decided to reduce interest rates in a recent customer meeting at Rohtak. The bank has come up with the new interest rates for the SSI units. Henceforth, for a loan up to Rs 25 lakh, interest at the rate of 10 per cent will be charged; 11 per cent for a loan up to Rs 50 lakh; 12 per cent for a loan up to Rs 1 crore and so on. The bank has said that the interest cuts were part of their new schemes to encourage agricultural production.
Businessman robbed
of Rs 1.20 lakh Three unidentified Maruti-borne youths robbed Rs 1.20 lakh from Ravinder Sharma, a businessman when he was going to deposit the money to Punjab National Bank in Rajendra Place today. While the victim was on the way, the suspects came from behind in the car and snatched the bag in which the businessman was carrying the money. A case of robbery has been registered in Rajendra Place. In another case, three youths who posed themselves as policemen, cheated a businessman who had come from Vijaywara in Andhra Pradesh. He had auto parts business there. He came to Delhi this morning and stayed in the hotel Gulzar in Paharganj. In the afternoon, he was going to Kashmiri Gate. As he came out of the hotel, the suspects introduced themselves as policemen and checked his bag. When he again opened his bag, he found Rs 80,000 missing. A case of cheating has been registered in Paharganj, police said.
Vyapar Cell gen secy Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee has appointed Mr Sanjay Sethi as general secretary of the Vyapar Cell of the state. Gurgaon-based Mr Sethi is known among the traders community as a dynamic leader. He is the president of Haryana Beopar Manch and national vice-president of the Federation of All India Traders’ Associations. He successfully led the traders of Haryana in various movements. He is expert in energising the traders organisations and preparing them for the struggle. Mr Sethi is goal-oriented, modern in approach and is a thoughtful person. He encourages the youths to contribute their mite to society without sacrificing moral values.
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NCR BRIEFS Jhajjar, July 14 According to information, Madhu Sharma, who was a board chairperson during the HVP government, had visited a friend Usha Ahlawant to console her on the death of her husband. However, when she was returning to her residence in Gurgaon with Lajwanti, her colleague and son Rahul, their car collided with an unknown vehicle. While Madhu died on the spot, other two occupants of the car were rushed to PGIMS at Rohtak in a serious condition. A case has been registered.
Retrenchment move in health dept flayed Sonepat: The Haryana State Multi purpose Health Workers Association has strongly opposed the move of the state government to abolish 1,700 posts in the health department. In a statement issued here today, the state vice-president Mahabiri Devi and general secretary Ram Mehar Verma of the association has stated that in a high-level meeting of the officers at Chandigarh recently, it was suggested to scrap the urban malaria eradication scheme and abolish the posts of regional malaria officers and assistant malaria officers besides retrenching 1,700 posts in different branches of the department. They cautioned that if the government accepted these proposals and abolished the posts, it would badly affect the health services in the state. Charging that the government had been adopting double standards, the association leaders stated that on the one hand, the CM announcing a number of measures to streamline and strengthen the health services, on the other hand trying to adversely affect the health services by contemplating to abolish the posts. They explained that as per the population of the state, there should have been 4200 sub-centres of health in the state, whereas at present there were only 2,292 sub-centres. “Now the government is getting ready to hand over the health centres in private hands by abolishing the existing sub-centres,” they alleged. The association has decided to hold a meeting of the office-bearers of the association in Kurukshetra to decide about the future line of action on this issue.
Man killed in road accident An unidentified man was killed on the spot when he was hit by an unknown vehicle while crossing the G T Road near Rasoi village about 15 km from here last night. According to a report, the Kundli police have registered the case and sent the body for a post-mortem. According to another report, Mr Mangat Ram, owner of a kiryana shop in Kharkhauda town, who had sustained serious injuries in a road accident a few days ago, succumbed to his injuries at PGIMS, Rohtak yesterday. The police have sent the body for a post-mortem and registered the case against the erring driver, allegedly involved in the accident. Meanwhile, a three-wheeler overturned on Sonepat-Bahalgarh Road near here yesterday, and as a result, two women workers were injured. They were identified as Mrs Anita and Mrs Aloke and were immediately hospitalised and stated to be out of danger. |
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Youth suffers burn injuries Sonepat, July 14 According to a report, he was immediately rushed to the local civil hospital from where he was sent to a hospital in Delhi for treatment.
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Girl accuses father of rape bid; commits suicide Narnaul, July 14 According to a complaint lodged with the police, the body of Sushma was also hurriedly cremated by her father. The report was lodged by the maternal uncle of the girl against her father and grandfather under Sections 306,201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. In a statement given before the police by the uncle of the deceased, his sister Shakuntla was married to one Gugan Ram two decades ago at Nangal Sirohi. The woman delivered a female child. Three months after the delivery, Gugan Ram forced Shakuntla to commit suicide, blaming her for giving birth to a girl. It was also disclosed by the complainant that after the death of his sister, Sushma was brought up and educated by her maternal uncle. About three months ago, Sushma’s father brought his daughter with an allurement that he would get her married at his village Nangal Sirohi. A day before Sushma ended her life, her uncle had a telephonic conversation with Sushma. She complained against her father’s repeated attempts to outrage her modesty. As the agitated uncle reached Nangal Sirohi village, he was informed of the suicide. The uncle then filed the complaint against Gugan Ram and her grandfather. |
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Husband, accomplices charged with rape Sonepat, July 14 The girl stated that she was married to a youth Manmohan about three weeks ago. One day after the marriage, the members of the in-laws’ family started harassing her for not bringing enough dowry and not serving properly the members of the wedding party. On Friday night, her husband entered the house around midnight along with two associates. He switched off the lights and asked the accomplices to rape his wife. They did so and left the house. On Saturday, she left her husband’s house and reached the house of her parents where she narrated the incident. Thereupon, the parents took her to the civil hospital for the medical examination. Thereafter, they informed the police about the case. The police are still investigating. However, no arrest has been made in this connection. |
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SI gets RI for taking bribe New Delhi, July 14 The Special Judge, Mr R K Gauba, found the convict—Tirath Singh Rawat, an inspector at West Delhi’s Mayapuri police station—guilty of abusing his official position and ordered him to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 in default of which he would have to undergo further imprisonment of six
months. Complainant Praveen Kumar alleged that Rawat had demanded illegal gratification amount of Rs 4,000 for not registering a case filed by a woman against him. |
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Pollution centre owner booked Sonepat, July 14 According to a report, this action followed the complaint of Mr Raj Kumar, an official of the Haryana Joint State Traffic Controller, alleging that Rakesh had issued a fake pollution certificate to an operator of an auto vehicle by receiving Rs 50 from him. The police later arrested Rakesh and produced before a judicial magistrate who sent him to the judicial lock-up. This action has caused panic among the owners of the pollution centres set up at various petrol pumps in the region. |
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