Urban News

Source : The Hindu Date : 16.06.2009

‘Additives and preservatives injurious to health’

Special Correspondent

Udhagamandalam: A two-day programme to train women on ways to detect adulterants in food got under way here on Monday.

Over 30 members of various self-help groups in and around this hill station are participating in the food safety programme organised by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs in association with a Chennai-based organisation Centre for Consumer Education, Research, Teaching, Training and Testing (CONCERT) and the Udhagai Consumer Protection Association.

Speaking to The Hindu the Coordinator, CONCERT, G. Santhanarajan said that such a programme was being conducted for the first time in the Nilgiris.

Pointing out that it was the 40th in the State, he said that the objective was to enhance awareness about the various forms in which food was being adulterated.

Stating that globalisation has paved the way for the entry of food items from different parts of the world, he alleged that the additives and preservatives, which were being liberally used, were injurious to health.

While some of the items used for value addition violated the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, life style changes have made people throw caution to the winds and go for wax polished fruits, GM food etc.

Testing kits

Expressing the hope that such programmes will help promote health consciousness among the people, he said that the beneficiaries will be provided with spot testing kits developed by CONCERT for detecting adulterants.

Stating that goal of the organisation was to create a society in which the consumers were well informed and capable of taking care of themselves and people in their neighbourhood, Mr. Santhanarajan said that those who have undergone training will train others.

The trainees were women who had passed standard X and in the age range 18-50.

They were all social activists.

In the programmes conducted so far in different parts of the state tea was found to be one of the most adulterated items.

While a demonstration on how to use the kits formed part of the programme, some of the participants said that the training will go a long way in checking the activities of adulterants.

Meanwhile, some of the consumers opined that if the public was allowed to gain access to such programmes they could put forth their views which will help expose the adulterators.

Source : The Hindu Date : 16.06.2009

Drinking water crisis looms over city, suburbs

Special Correspondent

Photo: Siva Saravanan

TIGHT SITUATION: The lull in the monsoon is impacting the drinking water position in the Siruvani Dam. —

COIMBATORE: A dormant South West Monsoon is pushing the city and the suburbs towards a drinking water crisis as the water level in the Siruvani Dam keeps dipping. One half of the 105 sq.km. city, three municipalities and about 10 panchayats are dependent on this scheme.

Predictions of an early onset of the monsoon had raised hopes in the local bodies of the water position easing a bit in the first week of June. But, after an initial burst of rain in the Siruvani catchment, the monsoon does not offer anything now to the dam.

Official sources in the Corporation say the dam has not recorded any rainfall over the last three to four days. It ranged from two mm to five mm prior to that. But, this too was not on a daily basis. The water level has receded to a point below all the three nozzles at the intake tower in the dam, they say. It is around 20 ft as against the full reservoir level of 67 ft.

The Coimbatore Corporation has already re-scheduled the supply of Siruvani water to once-in-four days, a measure it last resorted to at the peak of crisis during summer in 2001 and also in 2003. When the revised schedule was being announced this year, 20 mm to 30 mm rain in the catchment provided hopes of a good monsoon enabling the local body to withdraw the schedule soon.

But, there has hardly been any improvement in the situation. While the Corporation says its provides Siruvani water once in four or five days, residents in many areas such as Ramnagar lament that they have not got drinking water for the last 10 days. The local bodies in the suburbs are struggling to make a supply even once in 10 days. Veerakeralam Town Panchayat’s case seems to be pathetic.

It’s president V.T. Bakthavathsalam laments: “We are able to supply water only once in 17 days because of the situation in the Siruvani Dam.”

While the Corporation gets 40 million litres a day (mld), the other local bodies have to share 10 mld.

The sources in the Corporation point out that the situation can turn worse if the monsoon does not revive in a week. The effect of a poor monsoon last year is already being felt now. A good monsoon till September will not only do the rescue act for this year, but will also be an investment for the next summer.