Star News Agency

New Delhi. The Income Tax department has issued a detailed notice today (comprising 531 pages along with annexure running into 1901 pages) under section 201(1) and 201(1A) of the IT Act 1961 to Vodafone International Holdings BV(VIH BV) requiring it to show cause as to why it should not be held that the Department has competent jurisdiction to proceed against it for the default of non-deduction of tax at source from the payment of USD 11.2 billion made on 8th May 2007 to Hutchison Telecommunications International Ltd (HTIL) for transfer of interest in the Indian company Hutch Essar Ltd (HEL).

An earlier notice issued in the matter to VIH BV was challenged before the Hon’ble High Court of Bombay in a writ petition, which was dismissed with costs on 3rd December 2008. VIH BV filed a special leave petition before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India against the order of the High Court. On 23rd January 2009, the apex court dismissed the appeal of VIH BV with the direction that they should subject themselves to the jurisdiction of the assessing officer with the liberty to “Question the decision of the authority on the preliminary issue before the High Court, in the event the same is decided against it ”. The date fixed for compliance of the notice is 16th November 2009.

New Delhi. Inhaling diesel exhaust fumes causes changes in the body that may make people more prone to heart attack or stroke, said Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.

In a study European scientists have shown that blood clots are more likely to form in otherwise healthy people exposed to relatively high amounts of diesel engine exhaust fumes for a short time. This could cause a blocked vessel, heart attack or stroke.

Diesel engines spew many times more fine pollutant particles than gasoline engines. People with heart and artery disease should stay away from traffic congestion to avoid the effects of this pollution. The study involved 20 healthy men, aged 21 to 44 years. They breathed filtered air and also diluted diesel exhaust at a level approximating curbside exposure on a busy road.

Compared to breathing filtered air, breathing air with the diesel exhaust fumes increased clot formation by roughly 20 - 25 percent in the hours after exposure. The researchers also found an increase in platelet activation in the blood. Platelets play a major role in clotting.

The same group reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that heart attack victims showed clear differences when breathing diesel fumes. They found that the hearts of heart attack survivors were far more likely to be starved of oxygen when exercising while breathing in such fumes than when exercising in clear air.

Ashok Handoo

The recently concluded International Conference held in Srinagar on Kashmir Hangul, the only surviving species of the Red Deer family, in Kashmir, expressed serious concern over the fast dwindling number of this rare variety. Considering the seriousness of the issue, the concern is well placed and needs to be addressed.

A look at the figures gives an Idea of the magnitude. Forget about the times when the number of Hangul in Kashmir was stated to be in thousands. Just at the beginning of the 20th century, their number was 5,000. By the time militancy broke out in the state in late 80’s, it had come down to 900. Last year it touched a low of 117 to 180, according to a census. But, since then it has risen to about 230, thanks to some renewed conservation efforts. With the help of WWF, ‘Project Hangul’ was started in Kashmir in the 70’s which resulted in the number of Hangul going up to 340 by the eighties. But that was short lived. The latest census of 2008 puts the figure at 150 to 160.

Kashmir Hangul is one of the proud possessions of Kashmir. It is also the state animal of Kashmir. Its extinction will surely be a matter of concern. The wake up call by the conservationists and environmentalists, to all the stake holders, is something that can be ignored only at great risk.

“We will not let the Hangul go extinct”. That is how the J&K Chief Minister Shri Omar Obdullah expressed his determination to save the rare animal. The State Governor Shri N.N.Vohra, too, was emphatic in his remarks even as he blamed human biotic interference for the fast depleting number of the species.

It is not the Hangul alone that is meeting this fate. Markhur, Himalayan Bear and the Musk deer, too, are becoming endangered species due to melting glaciers, depleting forest cover and water bodies. And as Mr. Vohra pointed out, if this trend is not reversed the very survival of mankind could be in danger.

Experts blame extensive human encroachment as a major cause for extinction of wild life. Poaching, indeed, leads the list. Poachers do so to make a quick money as the skin and magnificent antlers of Hangul fetch them a very high price Internationally. In case of tigers and leopards poachers look for their medicinal values. The tiger, too, is thus disappearing fast despite the ‘Project Tiger’ launched by the Government long ago. The latest tiger census counted just 1,411 big cats, down from 3,642 in 2002 and around 40,000 a century ago.

The Dachigam sanctuary on the outskirts of Srinagar, spread over an area of 140 sq. km., which is home to the Kashmir Hangul, came under the sway of the Militants. They killed the animal for its meat as well. For well over a decade, the area was out of bounds for even the security forces. Besides Dachigam, Kashmir Hangul is also seen in Wadwan valley, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar and Tilel regions of the State. The male deer has impressive antlers whereas the female has no antlers. Hangul has a red brownish coat and that is why it is also called red deer. The colour, however, changes with every season and age. The male Hangul has long hair along its neck while the female has none.

Destruction of natural habitats, overgrazing by domestic live stock and deforestation are other forms of human interference that has led to this tragic situation. Forests are disappearing as trees are felled illegally for both firewood and timber, most of which is smuggled. This paves the way for the grazing areas extending deep into the jungles leading to destruction of the natural habitats.

The State Government, too, charged with having neglected the environment and wildlife in the state and ignoring the need for protecting the rare species. Surely, the State Government, too, has a responsibility to protect the animal from becoming extinct.

Critical environmental issues like ozone depletion, global warming and climate change are also responsible for the present situation. This explains the need for swift and long term action in dealing with global warming which the world is facing now.

There is, however, some hope for the future. The latest census has shown improvement in the female-fawn ratio which indicates a possibility of a sustained growth in the future. Apart from that, there is also a need for effective implementation of conservation plans. Along with punitive measures against those who violate laws, the people need to be sensitized by launching massive awareness campaigns. All the stakeholders need to come together to preserve, conserve and sustain environment, ecology, fauna and flora of the state. The joint effort will surely go a long way in helping in protecting the world famous Hangul in the State.

During winter, there is an imbalance of melatonin and seratonin leading to early morning depression. The common symptoms are unwillingness to get out of woollen rajai and early morning lethargies.

Most often, the effected persons are obese, diabetic females. Another characteristic of SAD is craving for eating salt, sweet or sour food which can result in the associated uncontrolled diabetes and blood pressure.

The treatment is to adopt to Dadima’s advice of knitting woolen sweater in day sunlight. Exposure to sunlight or adequate room light are the only answers.

Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) continue to pose a serious threat to the health, well being, economic productivity and advancement of several hundred million people worldwide. People living in iodine deficient environment suffer from reduced mental and physical abilities, cretinism, deaf-mutism, squint, still-birth, abortion, goitre of all ages, neuro-motor defects, etc. Even when born normal, young children whose diets are low in iodine have their lives trapped in mental dullness and apathy. IDD preys upon poor, pregnant women and preschool children, posing serious public health problems in more than hundred developing countries. Iodine deficiency was once considered a minor problem, causing goiter, it is now known that it affects developing brain much deadlier and thereby, constituting a threat to the social and economic development of many countries.

The magnitude of the IDD problem is quite high. This has led to an International focus on elimination of Iodine Deficiency Disorders and October 21 is observed as the Global Iodine Deficiency Disorders Prevention Day to create awareness towards this problem.

Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones which are needed for optimal mental and physical development and regulation of body metabolism. Therefore, in iodine deficiency populations, it is critical to have effective universal salt iodisation.

Iodine, a chemical element like carbon, oxygen or iron, is available in fairly constant amounts in seawater while it is found in an uneven distribution over land and fresh water. It is an essential part of the chemical structure of thyroid hormones. It makes two hormones - thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). The thyroid hormones act in target organs by influencing many different chemical reactions, usually involving manufacture of key proteins. The body must have proper levels of thyroid hormone to work well.

Recommended daily intake of iodine varies with age. To meet iodine requirements, the recommended daily intakes are - 50 micrograms for infants (first 12 months of age), 90 mg for children (2-6 years of age) 120 mg for school children (7-12 years of age), 150 mg for adults (beyond 12 years of age) and 200 mg for pregnant and lactating women. Most of it comes from what we eat and drink. Seafood is usually a good source because the ocean contains considerable iodine. Freshwater fish reflect the iodine content of the water where they swim. Iodine contents in other foods vary depending on their source. Plants grown in iodine-deficient soil do not have much iodine, nor do meat or other products from animals fed on iodine-deficient plants. Iodized salt is a special case. With only a few isolated exceptions, edible salt (sodium chloride) does not naturally contain iodine. Iodine is added deliberately as one of the most efficient ways of improving iodine nutrition. Iodine exposure can come from many other sources too, for example certain food colorings (erythrosine), skin disinfectants, such as povidone iodine, is absorbed and reaches the bloodstream, health foods – certain types of kelp, dyes and medicines. People also get iodine from its use in farm animals, for cleansing udders or as part of iodine-containing medicines. Iodate has been used as a bread stabilizer in commercial baking, although this practice is less common now.

Though iodine deficiency has terrific negative effects, its excess can play havoc too. The excess of it causes thyroid under activity. Iodised and uniodised salt are sold simultaneously in the country. But the awareness of the health priority aspect of iodised salt among the public has resulted in the creation of a significant consumer demand for iodised salt.

The World over, including China and the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand, etc., are implementing compulsory salt iodisation for human consumption. Globally iodated salt is recognized as the cheapest and most sustainable way to prevent and control Iodine Deficiency Disorders. Except few types of goiter, most of the iodine deficiency disorders are irreversible and permanent in nature, but they can be easily prevented by regular consumption of iodated salt daily.

Realizing the magnitude of the problem, the Government launched a 100 per cent centrally assisted National Goitre Control Programme (NGCP) in 1962. In August 1992, the National Goitre Control Programme (NGCP) was renamed as National Iodine Deficiency Disorders Control Programme (NIDDCP) with a view to cover a wide spectrum of Iodine Deficiency Disorders.

The Government’s goal of NIDDCP is to reduce the prevalence of Iodine deficiency disorders below 10 per cent in the entire country by 2012 A.D. RTS/VN

-John Milton

Milton was expressing a primal sentiment as ability to see is critical for realization of human potential. This sentiment is shared by at least 12 million people in India who fall in the category of blind (visual acuity less than 6/60). In many cases this fate is totally avoidable or can be corrected by simple interventions. For example, in the year 2008-09, the country performed nearly 5.8 million cataract surgeries with 94% inter-ocular lens (IOL) implantation. In layman terms this means blindness was either prevented or corrected in 5.4 million people in one year. This was one of the activities of National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) which has made a commendable progress in terms of Cataract Surgical Rate and the momentum thus generated would continue in future also.

National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB) is now more than thirty years old, launched in 1976 as 100% centrally sponsored scheme has the professed goal of reducing blindness prevalence to 0.3% by the year 2020. Blindness prevalence stood at 1% in 2006-07, down from 1.1% in the year 2001-02. Refractive errors are other important cause of vision impairment and are being addressed effectively through institutional and outreach activities. School Eye Screening is an important strategy wherein eyes of children studying in schools are screened for vision impairment and glasses distributed free of cost to students from poor socio-economic strata. Corneal blindness is being addressed through eye banking activities and a new thrust has been given for eye donation and corneal transplantation.

With the approval of Rs 1250 crores and implementation of Eleventh Plan (2007-12) the programme has taken a lead in addressing other issues of blindness in a comprehensive manner. These include Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma, Childhood blindness, Low Vision and ocular injuries in a mission mode through successful Public Private Partnership. The endeavor of the programme is to eliminate all causes of avoidable blindness and to reach a sustainable level where-in all people have access to level appropriate eye care service. Tele-ophthalmology a new information technology tool has been introduced under the programme for reaching the undeserved population in rural & tribal areas. The results are very encouraging and being scaled up in a phase manner.

The programme has been fully integrated under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) to enhance the reach and coverage including utilization of services of community link worker like Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Anganwadi workers. State Blindness Control Societies and District Blindness Control Societies have been merged State Health Societies and District State Societies formed under the NRHM umbrella. Under NRHM facility for IOL implantation are to expanded to at least Taluka level.

Other new initiatives include funding for construction of eye wards and dedicate eye OT especially in North East State and Hilly/underdeveloped States and appointment of eye surgeons, eye donation counselors and Para-Medical Ophthalmic Assistant (PMOA) especially for the new or district where there are none. The recurring expenditure of such workforce will be borne by Government of India till the term of eleventh plan period and thereafter it would be taken up by respective State/UTs. Funding for provision of latest equipment and instruments for establishing & strengthening eye care services in government institutions i.e. vision centre at Primary Health Centre (PHC), Community Health Centre (CHC) through district hospital and medical colleges are being developed into centre of excellence for providing pediatric ophthalmology retina units/low vision units.

Non-governmental sector providing free services to needy population are being supported through recurring and non-recurring grant as per the approved schemes. Capacity building of health personnel is another important strategy for improving their skills and updating them on issues relevant to the programme for delivery of eye care services. The Government coordinates the in-service training of eye surgeons working in public sector and provides funding to States/UTs for other health care staff including medical officers, paramedical and community link workers. Advocacy and social mobilization including Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities have made a impetus in improving community awareness.

Funds utilization is an indicator for planned activities being under taken and during last five years utilization has been to the tune of nearly 100% of the allocation. National Programme for Control of Blindness (NPCB), through State/UTs and all other stakeholders and partners are consistently moving forward in advancement of comprehensive eye care services and hopefully would be able to bring the level of blindness in the country from current status of 1.0% to 0.3% by the year 2020.

Star News Agency

New Delhi. A growing number of Indians have chronic kidney disease, but most remain unaware of it, hampering efforts to prevent irreversible kidney failure requiring dialysis or a transplant, said Dr. KK Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.

In the recently concluded MTNL Perfect Health Mela it was found that over 90% of people with mild CKD with kidney functions ranging between 40-60% did not know about the illness.

As per data in the USA about 13 percent of the population — now have chronic kidney disease. Increase in diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and the aging explain at least some of the increase in kidney diseases.

Kidney function can be estimated with a formula that considers the amount of creatinine in a blood sample, along with age and gender.

Creatinine is a waste product created by normal breakdown of muscle cells during activity. When kidneys are ailing, creatinine builds up in the blood. Also damaged kidneys may persistently leak albumin from the blood into the urine, sometimes even when kidney function appears normal.

In a JAMA international study only 11.6 percent of men and 5.5 percent of women with moderate (stage 3) kidney disease knew it. Awareness increased to 22.8 percent among participants with stage 3 disease and albumin in the urine. Awareness was highest among people with severe (stage 4) kidney disease, only 42 percent of them knew that they had the condition. Stage 5 is kidney failure.

Kidney disease is often silent until late stages, but if we can find it early we can do a lot to prevent kidney failure. If you have diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney problems you are at risk and should be screened for kidney damage with routine blood and urine tests.

To help protect the kidneys' small blood vessels, carefully control high blood pressure, and blood sugar if you're diabetic, and ask your doctor if you should take an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker.

Kidney disease raises the risk of early death, heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure; causes anemia, bone disease and malnutrition; and can lead to kidney failure.

M.L.Dhar

“The place (Kashmir) is more beautiful than the heaven and is the benefactor of supreme bliss and happiness. It seems to me that I am taking a bath in the lake of nectar here,” wrote Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. Sir Walter Lawrence on visiting Kashmir was compelled to write; “The valley is an emerald set in pearls; a land of lakes, clear streams, green turf, magnificent trees and mighty mountains where the air is cool, and the water sweet …”.

Kashmir is endowed with some large pristine lakes and wetlands besides the river Jehlum and its tributaries that make the valley a lively hydraulic society. They include Asia’s largest freshwater lake – the Wullar and India’s most beautiful lake - the Dal. The livelihood of hundreds of thousands of people in tourism trade, fisheries, agriculture etc. depends on these water bodies. They are also major source of water for drinking and other purposes. They also support a rich bio-diversity. But, unfortunately these water bodies are shrinking fast due to ecological degradation caused by human interference.

The ecological degradation of the water bodies has in recent years reached to crisis magnitude and caused loss of sustainability. Human settlements in and around the lakes and associated commercial activities along their shores have reached to alarming proportions. The farming activities in the catchment areas have considerably increased causing heavy nutrient pollution load and silting into the lake waters.

Wullar Lake

Located 60 kilometers from Srinagar at the basin of the Jhelum River, Wullar lake plays a very important role in maintaining the Valley’s hydrographic system. Being a huge absorption basin for floodwaters, it regulates the water regime of the region. The lake meets about 60 percent of the valley’s fish demand. It is also a major source of water borne products like water chestnut and lotus-stem locally known as ‘Nadru’, one of the major local vegetables. Wullar sustains a number of endangered and endemic species of flora and fauna and along with its satellite wetlands it is a favourite winter abode of a number of migratory birds including the common pochard, pintail, common teal, shoveller, mallard and many other species. Wullar has also been a favorite haunt for visitors especially foreign tourists.

But all these activities have been adversely affected as the lake has been reduced to less than 70 sq. kms. A century ago, Wullar extended up to almost 190 sq kms and would spread to over 270 sq kms during floods. Human encroachments into the lake, particularly into the associated wet lands, are the chief reason for the lake’s shrinking. According to official estimates over sixty-nine thousand kanals of the lake area have been converted into land and occupied illegally by locals. Environmentalists hold partly government sponsored programmes for agricultural development responsible for shrinking of the lake’s area and changing its ecological character. They allege that parts of wetlands were drained and embankments built to protect settlements as well as crops. A survey conducted in 2006 under court orders revealed that 60,000 kanals area in the lake have been encroached mainly by raising plantations under social forestry programmes of the Forest Department. Experts say that due to it Wullar has lost its capacity to regulate water flows leading to increased floods and droughts in the Valley.

In addition, the sewage from Srinagar and other towns upstream passing into the River Jehlum that flows through Wullar has degraded the lake’s water quality. It has led to increased euthrophication resulting in growth of aquatic weeds that damage local flora and fauna and clogging of its fresh water arteries. This has caused sharp decline in the yield of fish and water borne products in the lake. Records for last 50 years reveal that the fish catch has declined from 10,544 metric tons to 1,476 metric tons per annum. This has endangered the livelihood of more than 8,000 fishermen who depend on Wullar Lake.

For its unique hydrological and socio-economic values, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests included Wullar Lake in its Wetlands Programme as a Wetland of National Importance in 1986. Subsequently, the lake was designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990.

Dal Lake

The jewel in Kashmir’s splendid beauty, Dal Lake too has suffered from devastating impact of human greed and negligence. Located in Srinagar, Dal lake has considerably shrank and its crystal clear serene waters are polluted. The lake is now ranked among 100 most polluted water bodies globally. From 75 sq kms nine centuries ago the lake had reportedly shrunk to 25 sq kms two decades ago and is today confined to mere 11 sq kms. It has also become shallower at least by four meters due to silting and accumulation of remains from sewage flowing into it. Like Wullar, it too has suffered due to euthrophication process with weeds chocking the lake and adversely affecting its flora and fauna. Here too annual fish yields have significantly reduced.

The lake’s unparalleled spectacular beauty is the main tourist attraction in the valley. Living in the Victorian-era houseboats and enjoying ‘Shikara’ ( small boat) rides in the lake is a life-time experience. Moghul emperors were so overwhelmed by the lake’s beauty that they set up huge gardens on its banks that continue to be favourite of tourists and locals even today. Around 1,200 houseboats, which were first introduced in 1888, are moored year-round in and around the lake. Enjoying huge popularity since their inception, the houseboats in recent years have been in focus for wrong reasons. Local officials say that the houseboats contribute thousands of liters of untreated human waste into lake waters. This has been contested by the houseboat owners association which claims that waste from houseboats account for just 3% of Dal’s pollution. They hold the untreated city sewage flowing into Dal and blocking of the lake’s water circulation canals responsible for degradation of its water quality.

While the blame game goes on, Dal suffers. The state government stopped making of new houseboats in 1991 and subsequently ordered a ban on them. But houseboats continue to moore in its waters without any structural changes ordered by the High Court.

Manasbal

Valley’s deepest lake, Manasbal, located about 30 kms from Srinagar city, is spring-fed like the Dal and other lakes of Kashmir Valley. It harbours rich quantity of water chestnuts, lotus stem and fish specie including Schizothorax, Common Carp and Mirror Carp. It too has suffered from pollution, siltation and encroachments with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) warning in 1997 that the lake would be lost to posterity in absence of immediate conservation measures. The government response came in 2006 with the setting up of the Wullar-Manasbal Development Authority (WMDA). But by that time the lake had shrunk to less than 7 sq kms as more than 4 sq kms had turned into marsh.

With community participation, WMDA turned the corner and partly restored the Lake’s health. The quarrying and lime extraction in the vicinity of Mansbal had completely chocked around 1200 springs, which are its main water source, making the lake to stink. The quarries were closed and lime extraction stopped, which proved an important conservation measure in restoration of lake’s springs. Encroachments in the lake’s peripheral areas were, despite stiff resistance, removed and a pedestrian walkway constructed to demarcate the lake’s periphery. With sustained dredging and de-weeding by the WMDA, the lake’s area increased by one-and-a-half sq kms. WMDA’s success in restoring Manasbal led the environmentalists to say that it should serve as a role model for conservation of Valley’s other water bodies.

Conservation

The Government has been making efforts to save the water bodies which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah termed as ‘icons of our heritage, for which the entire people of the state feel concerned.’ A number of reports and action plans have appeared in recent years to come to terms with the problem of these lakes. These include IIT Roorkee report and comprehensive report of House Committee of Jammu and Kashmir Assembly for conservation of the Dal (2002), the Study of Wullar Lake, Soil Conservation Scheme for Catchment Area of Wullar Lake, Wullar Wetland Conservation Project (1993), WWF - India funded the Wullar Lake study (1994) and the Ecological Restoration Plan for Erin Watershed of Wullar Catchment (1988) besides studies by Kashmir University and S.P. College, Srinagar on different aspects of various lakes and their satellite wetlands.

Environment Committee of the state Assembly recently stressed the need for a well knit policy for conservation and protection of water bodies. The Chief Minister conceded during Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Shri Jairam Ramesh’s visit to the valley in June that although various steps have been taken to protect the water-bodies, particularly Dal Lake, an intensified programme is required to be launched to protect the water bodies.

Several authorities namely the Lakes and Waterways Development Authority (LAWDA), the Wullar Manasbal Development Authority etc. have been set up to clean and conserve the lakes. About Rs.79 crore have so far been spent by LAWDA on different schemes to conserve Dal Lake. These include setting up of sewage treatment plants, solid waste management, hydraulic works, catchment management works, awareness programme and acquisition of land and structures. The Authority has also relocated about 1,400 families out of 10,000 families living in the lake area. Three Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) have been constructed to stop unchecked flow of sewage in the Dal waters, but experts say that atleast a dozen big and small STPs are needed to completely check the sewage flow.

Central Government’s Support

The centrally sponsored National Lake Conservation Action Plan initiated in 2001 covers only one water body from Kashmir, the Dal lake. After personally surveying along with the Chief Minister some of the lakes and water bodies of the valley this summer, Shri Jairam Ramesh assured that the entire Rs.1,100 crore comprehensive state plan for Dal cleaning would be funded by the Centre out of which Rs.300 crore have already been allocated. He said, “We need to find the remaining Rs 800 crore for resettlement and rehabilitation of the Dal dwellers.” He also promised liberal funding for other projects. Extending support for restoration of Wullar Lake, Shri Jairam Ramesh said that Rs.386 crore Wullar project would be expedited and Rs.250 crore cleaning project of the Jhelum river, the lifeline of Kashmir, would be taken up on the pattern of Ganga-Yamuna conservation plan. Under it sewage treatment plants in Srinagar city and at Annantnag, Sopore and Baramullah towns located on the Jehlum would be set up.

The Government says that 40 percent of work on the Dal project, scheduled to be completed by 2010, has been completed and the rest would be finished in the next two years. Relocation and rehabilitation of people is always slow who need to be assured of proper and suitable rehabilitation packages and that is bound to speed up reclaiming of encroached areas of the water bodies.

There has to be a holistic approach in protecting and rehabilitating the water bodies to almost their pristine glory in which peoples’ active participation is a crucial factor. For this mass awareness has got to be generated so that the common man becomes the custodian of the eco safety of the water bodies. That would be the best insurance against the ‘slow death’ of Kashmir lakess

Alkesh Tyagi

For over 150 years post offices have been the most visible and popular face of the Indian Government throughout the country. The concept of e-governance i.e Government at your desktop being advocated and promoted today can trace its genesis in services rendered by Post Offices, when the Postman was the only person delivering mail personally at the doorstep of the people. Now India Post is gearing up to play more comprehensive role by reorienting itself to meet the expectations of future generations.

The Indian economy has scaled new height over the last few years and is still in acceleration mode. Emergence of several significant trends such as: liberalisation and globalisation; demographic shift towards urbanisation leading to increasing internal and external migration requiring to be serviced; monetisation of the economy especially the agricultural sector giving rise to a corresponding demand for financial services by all sections of the population; and government policy to increase funding for weaker section programs has necessitated changes in postal framework.

Services

The four main areas of services offered by India Post are- Communication Services- Delivering letters, post card etc; Transportation Services- Transporting parcels, logistics etc; Financial Services- Facilitating saving bank, money order, insurance etc and Value added Services- Providing speed post service, business post, direct post etc.

Transmission and delivery of mail is India Post’s core business so far. Post Office Savings Bank is the oldest and largest banking institution in the country. Transmission of funds by postal order/money order has been the traditional way of money transfer. Since 1884 onwards Postal Life Insurance (PLI) has been providing life insurance coverage, initially to employees of P&T Department and subsequently to all Government employees. Since 1995 PLI has been extended to the rural population of the country under a new scheme Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI).

Responsibilities

Globalization and the deepening of market mechanism in India have brought forward the concept of self sufficiency and social service going hand in hand. India Post is committed to fulfil the Universal Service Obligation for providing basic postal service throughout the country, irrespective of terrain, at an affordable price. India Post fulfils this obligation through the largest postal network of 1, 55,035 Post Offices (as on 31.3.08) in the world. Of these 1, 25, 489 Branch Post Offices cater exclusively to rural areas.  Besides new responsibility of facilitating applications under Right to Information is being shouldered by the post offices.

New Initiatives

To meet the challenges posed by ever changing communication technology especially mobile telephony and World Wide Web, Department of Post is attempting to transform it, striking a balance between its objectives and outcomes of transformation. As the transformation is a multi dimensional process attempt is being made to change the Department at multiple levels.

In order to provide better, faster and satisfactory services to its customers, India Post is focusing on few key areas. Pick up mail facility, electronically enabled services, a dedicated freighter services, the instant money order, and many other similar initiatives have been undertaken to reorient the services for providing greater satisfaction to its customer. At the same time, for self sufficiency, India Post is exploring the role of business facilitator for other organisations.

Dedicated Freighter Service

In an effort to deliver the mail, parcel, speed post and the logistic consignments by the next day in major cities, India Post has added two more aircrafts bringing the total number to three and the process to acquire the fourth is in pipeline. These three aircrafts dedicated to carry only postal cargo touch nine cities every night making possible faster delivery in major cities and their peripheral areas.

Project Arrow

An initiative to transform India Post into a vibrant and responsive organisation is going on under the ‘Project Arrow’. Under the Project 50 Post Offices were modernized in the first phase and 450 in the second phase. Now the third phase is under process for transforming 500 post offices. Selected post offices are undergoing complete overhaul in their look and feel as well as in their core functions and operations. Systematic transformation of post offices in a phased manner will revitalise India Post.

The new logo of India Post reflects this change. The straight lines have been replaced by bold strokes retaining the ‘wings’ element. There is an element of modernity with a conscious effort to maintain an element of continuity. Red and Yellow colours used in its logo convey passion, power and commitment with a pinch of hope, joy and happiness.

IT leads Initiatives

Efforts are on to equip post offices with latest communication means. All the post offices in the country will be computerised during the current five year plan. Major 25,000 post offices have already been computerized and the remaining branch post offices will be taken care during rest of the period. This will make the delivery of information and money order faster.

Recognition

Nation Wide reach of India Post has attracted many private partners. Be it Mutual funds or money transfer business. Since 2001 DOP has been making select mutual fund product available through post offices. Five years ago UTI Mutual Fund and Department of Post joined hands to bring capital markets closer to common man in semi urban and rural areas. India Post provides penetration to the remotest corners of India making mutual fund popular.  Recognising the crucial role, India Post was facilitated on 24th September 2009 with UTI-CNBC special commendation award in the form of “Financial Advisor Awards 08-09” trophy for effectively utilizing its network to promote financial inclusion in smaller places.

An efficient and reliable communication network is the lifeline of the nation and plays a crucial role in socio-economic development and the integration of the country. For nearly a century and half the Postal System has been the main component of the communication infrastructure for the country. Given the need for a strong communication and financial infrastructure, India Post is preparing to meet both challenges and avail of the opportunities presented by current market conditions. With its efforts India Post will make social, commercial and industrial life possible in the remotest parts of India. Though, traditionally India Post have been the courier of peoples’ emotions and trust but changing with times will make India Post even more attractive and useful because of its reach and credibility.

*Deputy Director (M&C), PIB, New Delhi

R.C. Rajamani

“Let’s us annihilate the universe if even a single individual is denied food,” said the Tamil revolutionary poet Subramania Bharati a century ago. The Vedas and Hindu scriptures speak about the importance of food and its sacred nature. “Annadhan” (Giving food to the hungry) is regarded as the greatest of all charity as food sustains life on earth.

The World Food Day falls on October 16, the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. And the theme for this year’s World Food Day is “Ensuring food security in times of crisis,” which is most appropriate as the world grapples with the problem of hunger across nations.

Climate change and bio-energy are the focus of this year’s World Food Day activities. ‘Global warming is already under way and adaptation strategies are now a matter of urgency, especially for the most vulnerable poor countries. Hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers, fishermen and forest-dependent people will be worst-hit by climate change,’ said Alexander Mueller, FAO assistant director-general for Natural Resources Management and Environment Department.

He further adds ‘Adaptation strategies, especially for the most vulnerable poor countries, where most of the over 920 million hungry people live, need to be urgently developed, reviewing land use plans, food security programmes, fisheries and forestry policies to protect the poor from climate change’.

Almost one billion people experience the hardship that hunger imposes, a figure which continues to rise. Despite the political commitment to reduce world hunger, the number of people lacking access to a minimum diet has risen from 824 million in the baseline year 1990 to 963 million in 2008. A further 750 million are assessed to be at risk.

Climate change due to global warming and the bio fuel boom are threatening to push the number of hungry even higher in times to come. In South and East Asia, the retreat of Himalayan glaciers and disruption to the stable monsoon pattern threaten the critical water cycle around which rice production in particular has evolved.

Ensuring food security to feed a fast growing population in the last couple of centuries has become a major challenge for governments the world over. Famine caused a large number of deaths in the 19th century and the early decades in the following century, due largely to spells of drought as well as low productivity in the absence of modern methods of agriculture. The later part of the 20th century posed another problem – population. As of first week of October 2009, Earth’s population as estimated by the United States Census Bureau is to be 6.8 billion. It is expected to reach about 9 billion by the year 2040.

India may be one of the world’s key emerging economies, but it is finding itself under increasing pressure from food security issues. As much as two-thirds of the country’s 1.1 billion inhabitants rely on farming as their main source of income, but 21 per cent less land is under cultivation in August 2009, than during the same period in August 2008. This is due to a reduction in the availability of water resources for agricultural purposes, deforestation and an uneven monsoon, which caused widespread flooding and droughts.

The theme of Food Security is a major preoccupation with agriculture scientists and policy makers as the UN observes the World Food Day. Rarely has this day assumed greater meaning than in present times as there is a strong need to expand global awareness to reduce the effect of severe climate patterns on agriculture and the impact of bio fuels on food production.

And any thought on the subject leads one to the name of Dr Norman Borlaug who died on September 12. His name is truly synonymous with food. No other scientist has contributed more than him towards higher food production and removing hunger from many parts of the world. As long time fellow scientist and friend Dr M.S. Swaminathan said, Borlaug burst on the scene at the appropriate time in history. “He was a bright, affirming flame in the midst of a sea of despair then prevailing. He was a man of extraordinary humanism, commitment to a hunger-free world and knew no nationality.”

With only 3% of the land area, India feeds 17% of (global) people. At the time of Independence, India’s wheat and rice yield was less than one metric tonne per hectare. It saw an increase in the area under the crops from 1947 to 1960. But there was no significant increase in production. “It was at that time he came to India. My association with him started when we started to work on how to achieve a yield breakthrough in wheat. He is the greatest hunger-fighter for all time. His contribution was multi-dimensional – scientific, political and humanistic,” says Dr Swaminathan.

It is appropriate to note that the Government is devoting time and energy to the subject of food security. It is proposing to bring in legislation, to be known as Food Security Act, to ensure a hunger-free nation. Implementation of various pro-poor legislations such as NERGA, also reflect the government’s commitment to remove hunger. There are also some important food-based interventions like the Public Distribution System (PDS), the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), and the Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS).

New Delhi. Crackers and sparkles, exploded on occasion of Diwali, can cause chemical injuries in the eyes especially in the case of small children unless adequate precautions are taken. These burn Injuries can lead to blindness said Dr K K Aggarwal, President, Heart Care Foundation of India.

• Don’t look up at the sky to watch the lighted crackers. The unburned particles can fall on the eye and cause burns.

• Also don’t go near the unburnt crackers. It can blast.

• It is dangerous to ignite crackers in bare hands, also stay at a safe distance.

• Don’t wear clothes, which can cause fire. Cotton clothes are preferable.

• Also don’t ignite multiple crackers at the same time.

• Small children should be restrained form exploding.

• Keep the windows closed. The sparkling cracker may enter the house and cause fire.

• It is noteworthy, never to rub the eyes when an injury is suspected. Immediately wash the eyes with running water and keep on washing till the burning disappears. If an open injury has occurred, keep sterile pad on the eyes and report to the nearest medical facility.

• Do not store fire crackers near lighting candles.

• The whistling ‘citi’ can be dangerous, avoid it.

The Foundation also warned the general public and parents to avoid late nights, gambling and excessive alcohol consumption. These can be associated with proneness to accidents.

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