Doctors of the Department of Internal Medicine at Government Royapettah Hospital have brought out a book, Manual of Toxicology — An Indian Perspective, which, they say, will fill a lacunae in the knowledge about poisons.
“Most toxicology manuals are silent on many of the Indian posions, as they have been written from a western perspective. This book is based on our experience treating cases involving toxins,” says Dr. A. Shaik Sulaiman Meeran, one of the doctors who spearheaded this book project.
Dr. P. Paranthaman was the editor-in-chief. Dr. Sulaiman, Dr. A. Samuel Dinesh and Dr. D. Venkateswaralu served as associate editors and Dr. P. Raja as co-editor. The book has been brought out by Chess Educational Publishers.
Dr. Sulaiman says that knowing the sources of danger will prevent accidental ingesting of poisons or strikes by venomous reptiles and insects.
Knowing where to seek help will be a crucial factor in recovery.
He says snake bite cases from the southern suburbs, which include Tambaram and surrounding areas, parts of Old Mahabalipuram Road and East Coast Road are common. Anti-venom serum for treatment of bites by cobra, viper and krait is available. Government general hospitals have them.
Residents of semi-urban areas can face the problem of snake bikes, it is available in primary health centres, he says. Here is a word of caution. “Ninety percent of the sea snakes are poisonous and there is no anti-venom serum for them. Only supportive treatment can be given. Sea snakes are sometimes found near fishermen’s settlements. They get entangled in fishermen’s nets and are brought ashore. There is always a high possibility of finding them near fishermen’s hamlets on East Coast Road,” says Dr. Sulaiman.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / March 23rd, 2018
The son of a former ice-cream seller, Habibulla Laskar, is among the 40 Muslim students out of the total enlisted 321 candidates selected for appointment to the post of Joint Block Development Officer in the West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) examination, Group C. The results were published on Thursday, nearly two years after the completion of the Civil Service Exams.
The Preliminary exam was held in January 2016 and main exam was conducted in July 2016. The list of 40 Muslim candidates also includes four women. While 33 Muslim candidates are selected under the OBC A category, which comprises 90% of the Muslims, only one Muslim candidate, Md Masluddin Khan, was selected under the OBC B category which comprises 42 Muslim sects. This clearly shows that the State Government is willingly depriving the Muslims under the reservation schemes and this is not the first time when they have been discriminated despite their reservation policies under the maze of OBC A and OBC B.
The forty candidates along with others will be appointed in various positions under the State administrative hierarchies. Among the forty selected candidates, five Muslim candidates out of 35 total selected candidates were selected for the post of Joint Block Development Officer.
SK Mohammed Rizwanuzzaman, who was selected under the unreserved category, and Selim Habib Sardar, Samirul Islam, Habibulla Laskar, who are under OBC A reservation category, were chosen for the post of Joint Block Development Officer, under the Department of Panchayats & Rural Development. Tanbir Ali Biswas, who is under the unreserved category, and Sk Nasirul Amin, Toushif Hassan, Md Ahsan Qadri and ShoaibSiddique who were selected under OBC A category will work with the Department of Women and Child Development & Social Welfare.
The list of female Muslim candidates includes Rejwana Pervin, who is selected in the West Bengal Sub-Ordinate Land Revenue Service, Farah Salim and Fatema Kausar both as the Assistant Commercial Tax Officer. These three candidates were selected under the reserved categories, while Nilofer Yasmeen, another candidate, was the only Muslim woman selected under the unreserved category as the Assistant Commercial Tax Officer.
Habibullah Laskar from Belegachi village of Baruipur block in Bengal’s South 24 Parganas, prepared for only eight months for the exam. Speaking with TwoCircles.net, he said, “My father educated three of his children selling ice-creams in a cycle on the road. Only for the last four years, he left the job when my elder brother got a Government job. Today my whole family is very happy with my success” He added, “ I left a job in the corporate sector when the advertisement for the said exam came.” When he was asked how he managed to crack this competitive exam, he answered, “perseverance and persistence towards study are the sole keys to all success that I followed and wish to convey the same to those who are taking preparation for this exam”.
Another successful candidate, Rejwana Pervin, from Baruipur locality in South 24 Parganas, told TwoCircles.net, “My father is now a retired person and I am the elder daughter among his three children. Though I was called for the interview last year for the WBCS, I was not selected. It would have turned into anxiety and despair if I was not selected this time.”
Fahim Alam, from Kolkata, who was recruited last month in the West Bengal Audit and Accounts Service, and who is empanelled as the Assistant Commercial Tax Officer, said, “though I am already in a job, I am quite happy with the result as I was preparing for this for the last two years. But for the time being, I cannot decide which job I should take. I have to consult with my family members. ”
source: http://www.twocircles.net / TwoCircles.net / Home> India News / by Mirza Mosara Hossain, TwoCircles.net / March 16th, 2018
First aid and emergency care may soon become easy, if all goes as per BBMP’s plan. The civic body recently decided to invest in 100 bike ambulances, mainly to ensure that health care is accessible when most needed.
The idea, which was first tabled before the Standing Committee for Health, has been approved by the BBMP council. The city already has nearly 20 bike ambulances that are being operated by the Department of Health and Family Welfare.
Sources in the BBMP said that bike ambulances are most required in the outer zones where the wards are more spread out than those in the core zones. “It is here that the bike ambulances will be most useful in reaching the spot as soon as possible to provide immediate health care,” they said.
Paramedical staff trained in providing emergency care will be outsourced. Of the 100 bike ambulances, 50 will be of lower engine capacity, but equally well-equipped. Sources said these bikes will be given to women paramedical staff. Each bike ambulance will have a first aid kit, cardiac care kit, ortho kit, portable oxygen cylinder, and emergency and life saving medicines.
A mobile app will be developed to enable citizens to access the nearest bike ambulance, apart from a dedicated control room / call centre.
Mujahid Pasha, Chairperson of the Standing Committee for Health, told The Hindu that the bike ambulances will be purchased at a cost of ₹1 crore, from the ₹2 crore allocation for purchase of hearses, health and sanitation in the 2016-17 BBMP budget. “But this may not be enough. We will require at least ₹4 crore a year for operation and maintenance, salary of the paramedical and control room staff, etc. We are hoping for more allocation in the next budget.”
He said that the BBMP is in talks with healthcare providers, including GVK and Spencers. “We are taking inputs from these companies. We will check the feasibility of their inputs and then call for tenders,” he added.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Benglauru / by Special Correspondent / February 10th, 2018
K P Ibrahim Matpady, the new president of the district WAKF board advisory committee of Udupi, appointed by the Karnataka state WAKF board Bengaluru took charge here on Thursday, March 22 at Udupi VS Acharya zilla panchayat auditorium, Rajathadri Manipal.
Gulam Ahmed Hejmady and Abdul Khader Yousuf K took charge as vice-presidents of the board.
The oath taking ceremony was administered by Maulana Rashid Ahmad Nadvi, a religious leader of Udupi Jama Masjid for the newly appointed office bearers.
Speaking to the gathering, KP Ibrahim Matapady said, “The purpose of WAKF Board is to take responsibility of the welfare of people and also unite them for the development of organization. Everyone should work in unity without any discrimination. WAKF board is a non political organization.
“The first work is to facelift the masjids and also construct cemetery. We do not have proper records for WAKF properties. This issue needs to be addressed at the earliest. We also intend to construction Muslim sabhabhavan,” he said.
Habib Ali, Ismael Moulana Byndoor, T Hussain Saheb Byndoor, B S Shamsuddin Navunda, Khalif Abdul Munaf Kandlur, Mohammed Ali Kunjimon Kodi, Shabhan Hangaluru Kundapura, Mohammed Gouse Sastan, Tajuddin Ibrahim Brahmavar, Faruk Saheb Baikady, B Afzul Saheb Hoode, Hazi Abbobakker Nejar, Habeeb Ali Ambagilu, Riaz Palli Udyavar, Nasir Ali Bailur, Azeezuddin Rizwan Moulana Karkala, Hassan Shaikh Ahmed, Abdul Khader and Abdul Rehman K Hejamady received their respective duties.
Yasin Malpe, president of District Muslim Okkoota, Haji Abbobakker Atrady, Gudan Bhasha former president of Muslim Okkoota, Ismail Athrady and others were present.
Muzauddin welcomed the gathering. Abdul Aziz compered the programme.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Daiji World Media Network – Udupi (HB) / March 23rd, 2018
The Udupi Zilla Muslim Okkoota will organise a conference on unity at the Mahatma Gandhi Bayalu Ranga Mandir at Beedinagudde here on Sunday.
Speaking to presspersons here on Wednesday, Khatib Abdul Rasheed, conference convener, said that the Muslim community had to empower itself economically, socially, politically and educationally and contribute to the task of nation building.
The theme of the conference is: Empowerment of community for nation building.
Maulana Toukhir Raza Khan will inaugurate the conference.
Mohammed Yaseen Malpe, president of Udupi Zilla Muslim Okkoota, will deliver the keynote address.
Al-Haj Twaka Ahmed Musliyar, Khazi of Mangaluru, will deliver the valedictory address.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Udupi – March 02nd, 2018
K.Bhaskar Moily (left), new Mayor of Mangaluru, and Mohammed Kunjathbail, Deputy Mayor. | Photo Credit: PHOTO: H.S. MANJUNATH
K. Bhaskar Moily and Muhammad Kunjathabail, both from Congress, were elected Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Mangaluru on Thursday.
Mr. Moily and Mr. Kunjathabail got 37 votes each while BJP’s Surendra Shetty and Meera Karkera contesting for Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively got 19 votes each. The election was held on the Mangaluru City Corporation premises.
Members to different standing committees were elected unopposed. Mysuru Regional Commissioner Shivayogi Kalasad conducted the proceedings as the returning officer.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mangaluru – March 08th, 2018
Mangaluru City North MLA B A Mohiuddin Bava will go on a foundation stone laying spree on March 15. The projects include foundation stone for first phase of market complex at Surathkal, a six-lane road from Surathkal to Kaikamba Circle till Ganeshpura temple, concreting of Surathkal to Guddekoppa Road, building of zonal office of Mangaluru City Corporation and sea wall at Hosabettu coast, Mayor Bhaskar Moily announced here on Wednesday.
Filling in for Bava, who was scheduled to address the media, the mayor said the first phase of the market complex will be taken up at a cost of Rs 61 crore against total project cost of Rs 126 crore. While MCC will pitch in with Rs 11 crore, the state government has given a special grant of Rs 50 crore for the project, he said adding this is for the first time that state government has released a grant of this size for any market construction project anywhere in Karnataka.
The road from Surathkal to Kaikamba Circle is six-lane concrete road that is 4.3-km long, Bhaskar said adding cost of this project that public works department will execute is Rs 62.10 crore. While MCC will contribute Rs 4.10 crore, the PWD will chip in with remaining Rs 58 crore, he said, adding it is also a first in that the department has provided a grant of this size for any road project in the state and thanked CM Siddaramaiah and the MLA for his efforts in getting it.
MCC will take up concreting of Surathkal-Guddekoppa road out of premium FAR funds at a cost of Rs 1.13 crore. The new building of MCCs zonal office at Surathkal will be constructed using state finance commission grants at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore. Department of ports and fisheries will execute the sea wall work at Hosabettu at a cost of Rs 5 crore, the mayor said. K Mahmmad, deputy mayor, Deepak Poojary, corporator were present on this occasion.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Mangalore News / by Jaideep Shenoy / TNN / March 14th, 2018
Prominent name in heritage conservation and former bureaucrat from Srinagar City, Muhammad Saleem Beg has been appointed as a member of the prestigious National Monument Authority(NMA), Government of India.
Former Director General Tourism, Beg is also the INTACH’s convener for the state chapter. An official handout said Beg has been appointed as whole time member of the NMA. “The Authority has been setup as per provisions of The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains AMASR (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 which was enacted by the Parliament in March, 2010,” it added.
“The Authority has eminent historians and renowned cultural personalities as its whole time and part-time members. The Authority is mandated to engage with States and central agencies for conservation and preservation of the historic monuments,” the handout added.
Beg’s appointment is being credited to his marathon experience of heritage conservation in Kashmir, particularly in the architectural sector.
The man who accomplished projects like restoration of Aali Masjid and Thag Baab Sahib (RA) shrine apart from conservation of Mughal monuments, Beg is associated with many national and international organizations in the field of art and culture.
He has also been associated with UNESCO, World Monument Fund, Indian Heritage Cities Network as a trustee and other cultural organizations nationally and internationally.
Pundits said under his leadership INTACH has emerged as a premier organization and a credible voice in advocacy and promotion of art and culture. “His work with universities like Jamia Milia Islamia, Kashmir University and University of Illinios, USA has given him high academic credentials in art and heritage,” said an observer.
Since 2006, Beg has been struggling to seek conservation of heritage sites in Kashmir particularly Srinagar, which INTACH has listed after a marathon survey.
Govt. of Telangana issued orders promoting many police officials.
Many Asst. SPs have been promoted as Addl. DCPs and DCPs have been promoted as appeal SPs. DGP of Telangana State, Mr. Anurag Sharma issued these orders on 1st November.
Mr. Mohammed Tajuddin Ahmed, Mr. Ghouse Moinuddin, Mr. Mohammed Iqbal Siddiqui, MA Bari have been promoted as Addl. DCPs.
Ms. Shaik Saleema DSP has been transferred as Addl. DCP (Crime-II) Rachakonda, Mr. Shaik Ismail ACP of Khammam has been appointed as Addl. SP, Suryapet. Ms. Rehana Ghouse DSP, CID has been appointed as Asst. Director, Telangana State Police Academy.
source: http://www.siasat.com / The Siasat Daily / Home> Hyderabad / by Siasat News / November 02nd, 2017
Businessman Bhat has spent Rs 30 lakh from his pocket to plant 1,45,000 trees; he aims to plant 20,000 trees every year.
Abdul Hameed Bhat digging pits and planting conifer saplings.
Srinagar:
About nine years ago, he single-handedly began planting trees on barren hillocks which, till a couple of decades ago, used to be full of beautiful clusters of deodar or Himalayan cedar and conifer trees.
Abdul Hameed Bhat, 51, a businessman, has himself planted or helped volunteers in planting as many as 1,45,000 trees, mostly pine, in different parts of the Kashmir valley spending Rs 30 lakh from his own pocket.
“I don’t get any financial help from government or any other source nor do I run any NGO. It is an effort made at personal level,” he said, calling it a “heart mission” rooted in his love for environment.
Mr Bhat’s passion began in 2009 when he started taking care of dozens of pine trees planted by the social forestry department on the pavements outside his office in Srinagar’s Barzulla area but were left unattended.
As a promotion activity in his auto business, he started gifting saplings to clients in place of calendars, diaries and other stationery items.
Last Sunday, Mr Bhat, a school dropout who has made it big in business, was joined by a large group of volunteers, including journalists and members of a football club, to plant over 1,000 pine trees on a knoll at Sutaharan in central district of Budgam. Sitting in the lap of Pirpanjal Range, Sutaharan like many other Valley areas has witnessed large-scale deforestation mainly during the three-decade old armed conflict in Kashmir.
“There are many things we can do to preserve and protect our environment if we want to preserve and protect life on Earth and leave behind something good for our coming generations,” he told this correspondent after digging about 100 holes and planting saplings in them.
Mr Bhat said that it pains him to see deforestation across Kashmir and he took a “conscious decision” to do his bit to rectify the wrong.
“I know the damage done to our woods over the years is huge and no single effort is likely to have a great impact of reparation. But I thought whatever I can, I must do,” he said.
Relentlessly dedicated to restoring nature, Mr Bhat who is now known to many people in Kashmir as “Green Warrior” has not only won appreciation from all but is also enthusiastically joined by volunteers from almost every walk of life in planting trees.
Rahim Greens, a subsidiary of Rahim Motors owned by Mr Bhat, in collaboration with various organisations and the state’s forest department sometime ago launched a plantation drive in Srinagar city and Rajouri district in the Jammu region and involved educational institutions. An initiative named as “The Tree of Life” was organised by it jointly with Help Voluntary Trust earlier.
“No doubt, Hameed Sahib took the initiative and continues to be at the forefront of the campaign but it now appears to be a story of Mein akela hi chala tha janib-e-manzil magar; loag saath aatey gaye aur karvan banta gaya (I set out alone for the destination but people kept joining me and it turned into a caravan),” said a volunteer.
One of the prominent faces which have ardently joined the crusade is Rifat Abdullah, a TV journalist. Apart from distributing saplings in schools and colleges, he has adopted a barren hill in Rathsun area of Budgam and taken a pledge to convert it into what he calls “First Oxygen Zone” of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Thousands of deodar trees have been planted voluntarily on the hill, so far, under ‘Mission One Crore Plants’ launched by ‘Save Environment, Save Kashmir’, a public movement,” he wrote on Facebook.
Volunteers in Sutaharan area of the Valley.
The Kashmir valley bounded on the southwest by the Pir Panjal Range and on the northeast by the main Himalayas range is blessed with exotic natural beauty of landscape and water bodies. But over the years, its water bodies, mountains and particularly forests have been vandalised and the ecological assets are fast disappearing. As per official statistics, more than 14,000 hectares of forestland, including 9,496 hectares in the Jammu region and 4,877 hectares in Kashmir, has been encroached upon by people.
The state has a total forest area of 20,230 square km, largely distributed in the Valley (8,128 sq.km) and the Jammu region (12,066 sq. km). The twin district of Leh and Kargil in Ladakh are mostly devoid of forest vegetation with only 36 sq. km forest area together.
Forest minister Choudhary Lal Singh claimed that the government retrieved from encroachers around 135,000 kanals (16,875 acres) of forestland in 2016-17 for restoration.
“I have asked divisional forest officers to gear up their men and machinery for demarcation of retrieved forests land to avoid further encroachment,” he said.
Officials claim that a slew of measures have been initiated to regenerate the degraded forests. These include planting over two crore saplings across the state — 250,000 of these along the highways.
Mr Singh, while speaking in the state Assembly recently, admitted that out of 20,230 sq km forest area, about 9,000 sq km area is degraded due to “unabated human intervention”.
He also said that 382,000 kanals (47,750 arces) of forest area was under encroachment as on April 1, 2016. “I need around Rs 10,000 crore for treating 9,00,000 hectares of degraded forest area of the state and at the rate of present funding, it will take more than 350 years to rehabilitate the degraded forest area,” he said.
As per the forest policy of the country, 33 per cent of the total area of every region in plains and 60 per cent in the Himalayan region must be under forest cover but the ground reality is that India does not have more than 22 per cent total forest area.
In Jammu and Kashmir, despite it falling in the Himalayan region, the total forest area is about 20 per cent of the total area. The Valley has been experiencing erratic snowfall and hotter summers for the last decade or so and environmentalists say that the main reason for it has been the large-scale deforestation.
Ecologists and other experts insist that restoring the state’s green cover needs the involvement of people and more importantly the spirit shown by Mr Bhat and his partners.
Mr Bhat is hopeful of a greener future. “Our younger generation is aware of the consequences (of deforestation). I have found young boys and girls more than willing to work with me and others in our humble effort to see our surroundings turn green again.
source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> India> All India / by Yusuf Jameel , The Asian Age / March 17th, 2018
