NewsBytes

A pilot study has found high levels of lead and uranium in children's blood and in groundwater samples collected from Bathinda and Rupnagar in Punjab and Chandigarh. The study, conducted by Panjab University's Geo-Environmental Research Laboratory in collaboration with Baba Farid NGO, Faridkot, analysed 149 blood samples and 137 hair samples of children in the age group 5-15 years and 37 groundwater samples across these three locations. In the blood tests for lead, 26.17 per cent samples (39 out of 149) exceeded the WHO's safe limit of 3.5 micrograms per decilitre. In Bathinda, 32.62 per cent samples (22 out of 68) exceeded the WHO's limit. In Rupnagar, 19.35 per cent samples (12 out of 62) tested above the limit, averaging 6.4 micrograms per decilitre. In Chandigarh, 26.32 per cent samples (5 out of 19) exceeded the limit with an average concentration of 6.3. The test results of hair samples showed 39 per cent samples (54 out of 137) were above the safe limit of lead -- 2 micrograms per gram. According to the report, 79 per cent samples (15 out of 19) in Chandigarh, 39 per cent samples (24 out of 61) in Rupnagar and 26 per cent samples (15 out of 57) in Bathinda exceeded the safe limit. Meanwhile, the Punjab State and UT Chandigarh Human Rights Commission described the findings of the pilot study as a grave public health crisis and a serious human rights violation, particularly under Article 21 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to life and health.

The government aims to integrate Ayurveda into the health education curriculum in schools and colleges, Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav said. He said the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the University Grants Commission (UGC) are working together to prepare course modules for school education and higher education so that the younger generation can connect with the principles of holistic health. Some states, such as Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, have already integrated the Indian knowledge system in school education, Jadhav said. "Discussions are underway with NCERT and UGC for preparing course modules for the school education and higher education," the minister told PTI recently. On efforts being made to establish Ayurveda on a global level, Jadhav said that the Ayush Ministry is focusing on evidence-based research.

Ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj dazzled on the opening day of the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships, clinching the 200m freestyle silver medal in the elite continental competition in over 16 years, here on Sunday. Srihari clocked 1:48.47 seconds to finish behind 17-year-old Chinese Xu Haibo, who timed 1:46.83 seconds and was 1.64 second faster than the tall 24-year-old Indian, who has represented the country at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics. Hinata Ando of Japan finished with a bronze, clocking 1:48.73 seconds. The other Indian, Aneesh Sunil Kumar Gowda competing in Heat 4, could not make the grade finishing fourth in the race with a time of 1:52.62 seconds.

Indian squash player Abhay Singh on Sunday stunned world no 5 Karim Gawad from Egypt in the opening round of the Qatar Classic squash, a USD 231,500 PSA Platinum event in Doha. Abhay, India's top-ranked player on the PSA tour at 35, won 11-6, 11-4, 1-11, 11-9 in 41 minutes in what was his first victory over a top-five player. Abhay will meet Egyptian world no. 15 Fares Dessouky in the round-of-16 on Monday. India's Ramit Tandon, ranked 36, lost to Egyptian world no 1 Mostafa Asal 4-11, 7-11, 4-11 in the first round.