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Public Health / Sanitation


Clean city drive: NCC cadets to help municipal staff

Saturday, 13 June 2009 15:39 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 13.06.2009

Clean city drive: NCC cadets to help municipal staff

Staff Reporter

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

ON A MISSION: NCC Commanding Officer Surendra Nath addressing his colleagues in Berhampur on Friday.

BERHAMPUR: The NCC cadets of the city would now help the city municipal corporation keep the city clean and join hands with city police to streamline the traffic.

The Commanding Officer of the second Orissa battalion of the NCC in Berhampur, Lt. Col. Surendra Nath said the NCC cadets of the city would be utilised for the civic works for their personality development. “It would make them aware of their duties towards society and keep them away from bad habits that affect the sanitation of an area,” he said.

After taking charge this week, Lt. Col. Nath met the in-charge Commissioner of the municipal corporation regarding sorting out of areas where the NCC cadets could be used to take up sanitation drive. He said that the Ramlingam tank was earmarked for cleaning in the first phase. The large tank, which is called the breathing space of the crowded city, was not cleaned since years due to legal hassles. It has now become a garbage dump.

Mr. Nath also said that the NCC cadets would also be used to educate people about public urination and defecation in the city.

There were around 3500 NCC cadets, who can be utilised for civic duties during their holidays, Lt. Col. Nath said.

“Usually people cannot deny or sideline the requests of young students and we want to use it for the betterment of the city. It has also been decided to use NCC cadets in traffic management during their holidays.”

Last Updated on Saturday, 13 June 2009 15:41
 

Project to prevent water logging on anvil

Friday, 12 June 2009 11:17 administrator
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Source : The Hindu Date : 12.06.2009

Project to prevent water logging on anvil

Staff Reporter

Rs. 16.6-crore plan covers 19 major drains and six canals in the city

 

Many councillors complain about water logging

104 km of drains in the city cleaned

KOCHI: A project for preventing water logging in the city is awaiting government clearance, Mayor Mercy Williams informed the Kochi Corporation Council on Thursday.

Replying to the debate in the council meeting, Ms. Williams said tenders had been floated for the Rs. 16.6-crore work. The project covering 19 major drains and six canals would go a long way in addressing the water logging in the city, she said.

Many councillors had complained about water logging in the city during the monsoon.

The civic body had cleaned 104-km-long drains in the city before April 30. The de-clogging and removal of silt are progressing in major canals, Deputy Mayor C.K. Manisankar said.

Ms. Williams said the 13 railway culverts in the city have been causing considerable water logging. Though the civic authorities had repeatedly requested the Railways to deepen and widen these culverts, it has not responded. It had also failed to remove the silt that has accumulated in the drains, leading to heavy water logging in some parts of the city, Ms. Williams said.

The areas that have been hit due to the inaction of the Railway are Karikkamuri, areas near the KSRTC bus stand, Pullepady, Kalathiparambu, Paramara road, Ponnurunni, Elamakara and Atlantis, she said.

Budget presentation

The Mayor blamed the Public Works Department for failing to construct a drain from Kaloor-Kadavanthra road to Perandur canal and Kaloor-Perandur road to Perandur canal. This has led to water logging in Kaloor and adjoining areas, she said.

The annual budget of the corporation will be presented during the last week of June, said Mr. Manisankar.

The presentation of the budget had to be postponed as the election code of conduct was in force till May 28. The Election Commission had imposed several restrictions on the civic body which had affected the routine works like clearing and de-silting of drains, he said.

Rare gesture

In a rare gesture, the Council meeting felicitated its Secretary Mini Antony, who will take charge as the District Collector of Alappuzha on Monday. Ms. Antony had been instrumental in getting many of the infrastructure projects cleared for the city, including the projects sanctioned by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and some foreign agencies.

She had also motivated and guided the team of civic officials in the efforts to get more projects cleared for Kochi, Ms. Williams said.

The Mayor presented a memento to Ms. Antony at the council meeting.

A.B. Sabu, K.R. Premakumar, K.J. Antony, Lailamma George, K.N. Sunilkumar, K.J. Sohan, T.K. Ashraf, N. Venugopal, V.K. Thankaraj and K.V.P. Krishnakumar were among those who took part in the discussions.

 

Last Updated on Friday, 12 June 2009 12:17
 

Mangalore tops in urban malaria cases

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 04:15 administrator
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Source : The Business Line Date : 05.05.2009

Mangalore tops in urban malaria cases

Our Bureau

Mangalore, March 4

The share of Mangalore in the reported cases of urban malaria in Karnataka stood at 64 per cent in 2008, according to Mr M. Madan Gopal, Secretary of Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, he said that this was followed by Gulbarga at 25 per cent, Bellary at 4 per cent, Udupi and Hubli-Dharwad at 3 per cent each, and Hospet at 1 per cent.

He said that 94 per cent of cases of malaria in Mangalore were reported from the core Mangalore town itself. As many as 11 areas in the town have been classified as high-risk areas.

Last year, nearly 50 per cent of the budget allocated to control urban malaria was spent on Mangalore itself.

Construction sites, abandoned open wells and overhead tanks in buildings are some of the breeding grounds for mosquitoes leading to the spread of malaria in the region.

Construction activities in the town have led to the increase in the number of migrant workers coming to the city.

In some of the cases, these workers reside at the construction sites. Some of these sites lack basic facilities leading to the increase in the cases of malaria.

Last year, 50 building contractors were penalised for not taking steps to control the breeding of mosquitoes.

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 June 2009 04:19
 

Government lifts ban on poultry trade in east Nepal

Monday, 08 June 2009 14:48 administrator
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Source : Business Standard Date : 08.06.2009

Government lifts ban on poultry trade in east Nepal

Press Trust of India / Kathmandu June 8, 2009, 12:48 IST

Government has lifted over three month-long ban on manufacturing and trading of poultry products in Mechi Municipality of eastern Nepal, bordering India, where the first case of bird flu was detected, officials said.

A cabinet meeting on Friday took the decision after two surveillance teams, comprising experts and technicians, found no sign of the avian influenza within the radius of 10 kilometres of the Mechi customs office — the central point of bird flu.

"Now ban on trading of the poultry product within the country has been lifted," said Hari Dahal, spokesperson of the Ministry of Agriculture.

He, however, said that the ban on import of poultry products from India has not been lifted.

The ban imposed on import of chicken and other poultry products from India will remain effective as precautionary measures, he said.

The authorities had culled around 2,500 birds and destroyed thousands of eggs in the municipality after the first bird flu was detected in mid-January.

Last Updated on Monday, 08 June 2009 15:36
 

Mangalore tops in urban malaria cases

Monday, 08 June 2009 13:19 administrator
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Source : The Business Line Date : 05.03.2009

Mangalore tops in urban malaria cases

Our Bureau

Mangalore, March 4

The share of Mangalore in the reported cases of urban malaria in Karnataka stood at 64 per cent in 2008, according to Mr M. Madan Gopal, Secretary of Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka.

Addressing presspersons here on Wednesday, he said that this was followed by Gulbarga at 25 per cent, Bellary at 4 per cent, Udupi and Hubli-Dharwad at 3 per cent each, and Hospet at 1 per cent.

He said that 94 per cent of cases of malaria in Mangalore were reported from the core Mangalore town itself. As many as 11 areas in the town have been classified as high-risk areas.

Last year, nearly 50 per cent of the budget allocated to control urban malaria was spent on Mangalore itself.

Construction sites, abandoned open wells and overhead tanks in buildings are some of the breeding grounds for mosquitoes leading to the spread of malaria in the region.

Construction activities in the town have led to the increase in the number of migrant workers coming to the city.

In some of the cases, these workers reside at the construction sites. Some of these sites lack basic facilities leading to the increase in the cases of malaria.

Last year, 50 building contractors were penalised for not taking steps to control the breeding of mosquitoes.

Last Updated on Monday, 08 June 2009 13:24
 
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