PUNE: In the absence of a proper disposal system for used masks in the city, which is a cause of concern since used masks can spread the H1N1 virus, medical practitioners and experts across the city have advocated the use of cloth masks or handkerchiefs which can be washed and used again.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to put to use its incinerator to dispose of the masks. "The disposable masks will be collected from hospitals along with with the bio-medical waste and will be disposed of in the incinerator. As for masks that are thrown on the roads, we have asked the ward medical officers to make sure that such masks are collected and disposed off properly," said Suresh Jagtap, head of the solid waste management department of the PMC. He also requested people not to leave used masks around carelessly.

Speaking to TOI, Dilip Sarda, president of the Indian Medical Association's (IMA) Pune branch, said that careless disposal of masks would only result in the faster spread of the H1N1 infection. "The virus is alive for almost eight hours after it leaves the human body, so the chance of the virus spreading from these used masks left around is high. That apart, there are now some people who are selling used masks at traffic signals. This is extremely dangerous," he said. He said that people using disposable masks should throw them in trash bins after wrapping them.

Molecular biologist Nikhil Phadke is of the opinion that since the virus can stay alive for almost two to eight hours, it is essential for people not to come in contact with the used masks. "The virus can spread to unaffected places this way. The mask needs to be disposed of in the trash. For example, a ragpicker coming in contact with a used mask would unknowingly spread it to a number of other people," said Phadke. He added that equal care needs to be taken about the disposal of other objects that have come in contact with a patient, such as tissues, napkins and paper towels.

The secretary of the Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchyat (KKPKP), Laxmi Narayan, says that the organisation is aware of the health risk that these used masks pose for waste-pickers. "While we have been telling them to take particular care, we have been able to inform only those who are involved in home-based collection of waste. It is difficult to get the message out to scavengers. We are very concerned because the H1N1 flu would spread quickly among this particular population," she added.

PATNA: The primary results of Bihar's first Human Development Index (HDI) indicate that there has been improvement in the human development compared to the past due to better facilities created in the education and health sector.

The HDI value has gradually increased since 1981, but Bihar has been lagging far behind among the 15 major states. The indicators used for districts in Bihar to construct composite index are per capita district domestic product, adult literacy and infant survival rate, said project head Jagdish Prasad who is a senior faculty member of A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies (ANSISS).

The ANSISS has been entrusted with the task of preparation of Human Development Report (HDR). The project, which was sponsored by the department of planning and development, Government of Bihar, is likely to be completed by next month.

A substantial difference across districts has been found. Prasad told TOI that there is a large regional disparity in the state which needs attention from development policy point of view.

He said that the indicators of HDI will certainly help Bihar to integrate human development concerns into its development strategies. He said that along with HDI, human population index and gross development index and district development index would also be prepared so that sectoral gap could be identified.

The report will consist of 14 chapters which mainly include development challenges and specifications of Bihar, human development in Bihar, health and nutrition, agrarian economy, social security, environment issues, gender equality and district development index: a comparative view and a road ahead.

Recently, the ANSISS had organized a day long workshop to introduce the theme of the HDR. It was also aimed at getting feedbacks from the experts of different fields on the coverage of the subject in the report. It was essential as the HDR would be an independent assessment of human development in the state, Prasad told TOI.

Bihar's principal secretary, planning, Rameshwar Singh said that the HDR would be marked as beginning of new developed Bihar. It would be the first step towards monitoring the process of development in a manner that directly captures the quality of life of the state, Singh said.

Singh said that a major objective of the HDR was to bring about a certain consensus on the adoption of the human development approach in Bihar. The final report is likely to be submitted to the government next month, said an official.