Pesticide Use Takes Toll On People’s Reproductive Health

May 30th, 2010 -- Amit Agnihotri | 

• New Delhi

It's an alarming situation in Punjab, the granary to the nation, where heavy pesticide usage in the fields is taking a toll on the reproductive health of the people.
"Rising instances of abortion, early menarchy, foetal abnormalities especially neural tube defects and early ageing seem to have a strong correlation to the high pesticide levels in our fields," said Dr GPI Singh, director principal, Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda.

Confirming the trend, retired government medical professional in Patiala, Dr Amar Singh Azad said high levels of pesticide used in the fields have now entered the food chain and are adversely affecting the reproductive health of the locals.
"Cases of premature birth, birth defects, erectile dysfunctions, ovarian cyst, uterine fibroid and number child-less couples are on the rise in the state," said Dr Azad.
Concerned over the disturbing trend, farm activists like Umendra Dutt of the Kheti Virasat Mission, have written to the central government to intervene in the matter and take immediate steps to reduce the usage of pesticides in the fields of Punjab. "We did bring the matter in the notice of the state government but nothing has happened so far because there are no published figures," said Dutt.
Farm experts said high usage of pesticides and fertilisers is a legacy of the green revolution, which increased the productivity of Punjab farmlands significantly and provided food security to the country.
It is only in the last decade that the ill effects of these farm practices started showing on the health of the people due to the presence of environmental toxins.
The problem is more pronounced in the cotton growing Malwa region of the state involving districts like Bathinda, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Muktsar.
Experts said the cotton crop requires high doses of pesticides.
Data related to usage of pesticides in Punjab, which has around 1.5 per cent of the land area of the entire country, as against the big states indicates the alarming trend. In 2004-05, Punjab consumed around 6900 metric tonnes of pesticides against 4520 mt in neighbouring Haryana, 6855 mt in UP, 1628 mt in Rajasthan, 749 mt in MP and 3030 mt in Maharashtra.

http://www.asianage.com/india/pesticide-use-takes-toll-people's-reproductive-health-427

Girls head for 'idiot' helmets in Punjab

July 3rd, 2010

Asit Jolly

Chandigarh: Film actor Kareena Kapoor's vintage style and her red crash helmet as she rides a scooter to meet Amir Khan in the final sequence of the Bollywood blockbuster '3 Idiots' appears to have achieved the impossible in Punjab.
The predominantly Sikh state, where most women two-wheeler drivers have conveniently used religious faith as a pretext to avoid wearing helmets because this inconveniences them and spoils their hair dos, is witnessing a sudden and unprecedented demand for the old style 'Kareena Kapoor wala laal rang ka' half helmets.
Even in cities like Amritsar where traffic constables are deliberately lackadaisical in enforcing the helmet rule for fear of treading on religious sentiments, young women are competing with each other to be the first to own the suddenly stylish headgear. Shops in Chandigarh's scooter markets are again out after having replenished stocks many times since the release of the film.
The curious trend has come as a "happy surprise" for IIT Delhi alumnus, Mr Navdeep Asija, who is a traffic management expert and had been searching for strategies to best promote the use of safety helmets amongst women in Punjab. "Thank God! Girls have realised that the head is more important than skin or the face," he said profusely thanking the producers of "3 Idiots" for having achieved the impossible.
Notwithstanding the fact that the little red helmet is more a fashion statement and possibly not produced to the best quality or safety standards, Mr Asija says the very fact that Punjabi women – Sikh and non-Sikh alike – are using protective headgear "is nothing short of a miracle!"
Asija has himself gone out and purchased ten such helmets as gifts to young girls in his own home town of Fazilka, where he and his friends have been actively promoting highly successful green strategies like the ecocab or radio cycle rickshaw service.

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/national/girls-head-idiot-helmets-punjab-425

BSF introduces 4-layer security system

Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

Abohar, June 27
To thwart nefarious designs of forces inimical to India, the Border Security Force (BSF) authorities have set up four layers security arrangements on the Indo-Pak border. For the first time, the existing three layers security setup has been strengthened by one additional security layer.

This exercise has been undertaken as the intelligence inputs have revealed that terrorists' outfits operating from Pakistan could destabilise the peace process initiated by the governments of both India and Pakistan through the ongoing foreign secretaries level talks and coming foreign ministers meet in July 2010.

Official sources said under four layers security setup, the BSF troops had been deployed in close vicinity of the Zero Line, in the area falling between Zero Line and the cobra fencing, alongside the cobra fencing towards Indian side and about 800 metres deep inside the Indian territory in the border pockets.

First the BSF authorities alerted its troops when a joint operation against the terrorists belonging to various outfits was launched in Lahore and its surrounding areas by Pakistan rangers, Pakistan Army and police force about a month ago to flush them out from that area. Intelligence inputs revealed that terrorists might infiltrate into Indian soil to escape joint operation.7

"Moreover, the incidents connected with unprovoked firing in Simbal Skol area in Gurdaspur, rocket firing in Amritsar and unprovoked firing in Fazilka sector a few years ago do not allow us to use any kind of laxity while protecting the Punjab frontiers," pointed out DIG, BSF, Abohar sector, Vimal Satyarthi.

"Additional troops have been mobilised from the battalion headquarters to make the four layers security setup a big success. The women constables have been given the task to maintain vigil on the border in a professional way while extending all comforts to them during the duty hours," he disclosed, adding that the senior functionaries had started visiting the forwards areas regularly. Satyarthi said four layer security arrangements would be a permanent feature on the border.

"The security layer erected deep inside the Indian territory, at a distance of about 800 metres from the International Border (IB) is being used to keep a watch on the movements of strangers and suspicious elements in the border areas. This security wall is helpful in stopping the unscrupulous elements including smugglers and their couriers to reach near the IB," he added.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100628/bathinda.htm#4

Dist HQ status for Fazilka sought

Our Correspondent

Fazilka, June 27, 2010
The residents of Fazilka and nearby areas are deprived of the "justice at doorstep" principle laid down by the judiciary and the government.

Prime Minister and Law Minister have repeatedly announced to provide justice to the general public and poor litigants at their doorstep.

However, it proved to be hollow as far as the residents of Fazilka are concerned, alleged president, Fazilka Zila Banao Sangharsh Samiti, chairman, Rajesh Kumar Angi in a press-release here today.

He said the district headquarters of Ferozepur is situated at a distance of about 125 kilometers.

To cover such a long distance is not only expensive but inconvenient also for the public.

Angi further pleaded that Fazilka is geographically suitable to make the district headquarter because it is situated at an equal distance from both the sub-divisions of Abohar and Jalalabad.

Fazilka is one of the oldest sub-division of Punjab. Abohar and Jalalabad sub-divisions were earlier the part of this sub-division.

Former president of the Bar Association, Angi, alleged that the successive government and leaders of all the parities have betrayed the people of Fazilka as they never made effort to provide any relief to them.

Rajesh Kumer Agni urged the CM of Punjab, Parkash Singh Badal, to declare Fazilka a district headquarters otherwise the Samiti would re-launch their agitation.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100628/bathinda.htm#9

Fazilka solider cremated

Hindustan Times, 1st July 2010, Chandigarh Edition

MLA Announces Road, Gate In Memory Of Martyr, Who Died In a Maoist Attack In Chhattisgarh

CRPF jawan cremated with full honours : Fazilka

Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

Fazilka, July 1
The body of Jarnail Singh, a jawan of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who laid down his life while fighting the Maoists in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, was cremated at his native village Badha, one kilometre from here, today with a guard of honour.

A contingent of the CRPF jawans fired three rounds in the air after reversing their arms and sounding the last bugle as a mark of respect to the departed 
soul. Jarnail Singh was recruited as sepoy in the 39 Battalion of CRPF about 21 years ago.

A sea of humanity descended on the cremation ground which rented with repeated raising of slogans like 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' and 'Jab Tak Sooraj Chand Rahega, Jarnail Singh Tera Nam Rahega.' People were scrambling to have a last glimpse of their hero. The body was brought to the village in a flower bedecked truck from Malout. A number of youths, who were on motorcycles, were leading the funeral procession.

A large number of people belonging to all age-groups lined up alongside the lanes and bylanes of Badha village 
and waved the Indian tricolour when the body was being taken to the cremation ground from the house of Jarnail Singh.

DIG, CRPF, Sat Pal Rawat, Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav, Surjit Jiyani, MLA, Fazilka, Mohinder Dhingra, chairman, Improvement Trust, Anil Sethi, president, municipal council, Ajay Sood, SDM, Fazilka, Devinder Sachdeva, a political leader and senior functionaries of the police attended the funeral.

Baljeet Singh, nephew of deceased, who received the telephonic message in connection with the death of Jarnail Singh, lit his pyre. Jarnail Singh is 
survived by his parents, wife and two teenaged daughters.

Jarnail Singh was among those CRPF personnel who were killed by the Maoists by laying down an ambush in the thick jungle area of Narainpur-Raipur districts of Chhattisgarh while they were returning to their base camp after executing the road opening task on Tuesday.

The DC said he would write to the Punjab government for extending financial help to the next kin of the family of the deceased. 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100702/bathinda.htm#1

Fazilka CRPF jawan from Punjab killed in Naxal attack

A pall of gloom descended on Badha village situated on the outskirts of Fazilka when the news of the killing of one of its residents Jarnail Singh, who was a sepoy in the CRPF, by Naxals in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, spread in the village.

The deceased's nephew, Baljeet Singh, received a phone call from Chhattisgarh late last night from associates of Jarnail Singh in connection with his death in an ambush laid down by Naxals in the Mahimagabdi area, which was about 3 km away from the base camp of CRPF jawans at Thodai in Raipur district.

However, no official of the state government had reached to his house till the filing of the report. Jarnail Singh is survived by his parents Hansa Singh and Veera Bai, wife Jagir Kaur and two teenage daughters -Jasbir Kaur and Rajwinder Kaur. Baljeet Singh said Jarnail was recruited as a sepoy in 39 battalion of the CRPF about 21 years ago.He said though he had been making calls to number from where he received the call last night to know about the whereabouts of the body of Jarnail Singh, no one responded. He said that so far, the family had not received any message in connection with the death of Jarnail Singh from the CRPF authorities.

http://www.punjabnewsline.com/content/crpf-jawan-punjab-killed-naxal-attack/21680

Testing time for troubled waters in border villages

Ferozepur, Punjab: Following reports that tonnes of hazardous chem- icals being discharged into a Sutlej channel by tanneries in Pakistan were polluting irri- gation and drinking water in border villages in the Hussainiwala area, the Health Department has taken water samples from these villages to examine their heavy metal con- tent.

There are about 200 tanneries in Kasur town of Pakistan, bordering Hussainiwala, which discharge toxic heavy metals like mercury, lead and chromium into a Sutlej channel. This untreated water is used for irrigation and drinking by villagers of border areas.

"We have been facing this problem for 25 years. This is not the first time that water samples have been collected," said Jagir Singh (62) of Jhalee Ke Uttar, a border village.
Malkit Singh of another border village, Bhanewala, said they had no option but to drink the brackish water drawn from hand pumps."Often, dead fish are found floating in the channel, but the authorities have never taken it seriously," said Satnam Singh (75) of Jhalle Ke Uttar village.

Ferozepur Health Officer Dr Rakesh Sirki said water samples in the border villages had failed the test on earlier occasions. "We have constituted special mobile teams to visit each and every village and dissuade people from using water from the Sutlej channel," he said. Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav said a detailed report in this regard had been sent to the state government.

On the level of contamination of water in Teja Ruhela, another border village of Fazilka subdivision, the DC said the Pollution Control Board report had ruled out the presence of heavy metals.

He admitted that water drawn from shallow handpumps was particularly polluted. "We have sent a proposal to the state government for 450 ROs for border villages," he said.

Source: HT

http://sikhsangat.org/2010/07/2673/

NDTV India Exclusive : Black Water of Satluj in Fazilka- River Pollution

NDTV India Exclusive : Thanks to Bhagwant Mann for taking up this issue of Satluj Water pollution. Villagers living along satluj river near Fazilka area are suffering with many diseases due to heavy metal content and the presence of uranium one-and-a-half times more than the desired range. It is actually turning out to be SAJA-E-KALA Pani after independence. Graduates Welfare Association Fazilka has takeup the issue and many others from the different parts of Punjab have joined the cause. Thanks to Dr Amar Singh Azad of Rajindra Medical College, Patiala, Dr Pritpal Singh, Baba Farid Centre for Special Children, Faridkot and Sh Umendra Ji for visiting Fazilka and completed extensive research work on the same issue. Its high time, act now and save rivers of Punjab. ( News by Anand Patel)

Devotees throng Baba Burji wala Samadh fair-Malwa Diary

Malwa Diary
Devotees throng Baba Burjiwala Samadh fair

Hundred of devotees from Indian and Pakistan side thronged Baba Burjiwala Samadh fair, which was organised at Zero Line at GG 1 BOP in the border village Gulabad Bhaini. The samadhi of the Baba Burjiwala is situated just on the International border.

Every year, a fair is organised and citizens from both the countries of the nearby areas pay obeisance there.51 battalion of the BSF organised the fair. The women constables were also deployed for frisking the women devotees across the barbed wire fencing.

First of all, the jawans of the BSF laid "chaddar" on the memorial of the Baba Burjiwala.Notably, only once in a year on June 19, the day of annual fair, the barbed wire fencing gate is thrown open for the public to pay respect at the memorial since the memorial is located across the fencing.

The history of memorial is stated to be of pre-partition days. A large number of villagers in singing and dancing mode were seen thronging in the long queues. On the Pakistan side, scores of devotees were also seen laying "chaddar" at the memorial. Pak rangers had also made elaborate security arrangements.The memorial is considered a joint place of obeisance for the Indian and Pakistanis.

After paying respect at the memorial, Kundan Singh, a resident of village Gulaba Bhaini said with the presence of citizens of both the countries at the memorial, a congenial atmosphere is established. On the occasion, the BSF officials, RK Kashayap and Kirhan Lal, who looked after the security arrangements, prayed for cordial relations between the two countries.

— Praful C Nagpal

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100621/bathinda.htm#4

Comedy king’ turns social activist-Indian Express

Anupam Bhagria

Posted: Jun 21, 2010 at 0423 hrs IST

Ludhiana : Bhagwant Mann, known as the 'comedy king' of Punjab, has now decided to don the avatar of a social activist.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Mann said: "Recently, I visited some villages in the Fazilka belt and found that every house has a handicapped child. One of the major reasons behind this is the polluted waters of Satluj. Industries in towns like Fazilka, Abohar and Muktsar, among others, are polluting the river. The villagers told me about their problems and I will soon sit on a dharna in front of these industrial units."

Asked if it will make an impact, Mann said: "I hope it will because when a celebrity and that too a satirical comedian like me joins a social cause, it helps in raising the people's voice. I am very confident that some solution will be reached."

"My job as a comedian is not only to entertain people but also to speak for their problems. I read 12 newspapers daily to keep myself updated with the current problems facing people, the country and the society in general. I begin reading a newspaper with the editorial, with columns written by Kuldeep Nayyar, Khushwant Singh, etc — very much required for a good social critic."

Mann was in the city to participate in a seminar on his newly-released album "Aawaj", organised by Baba Bulleshah Foundation under the chairmanship of Gurcharan Singh and coordinator Nirmal Jaura.

"Being a social activist, I want some kind of a social opposition, so that political parties and leaders are under pressure to perform better. It has become a practice that majority of the leaders do not do anything initially and at the last moment, they start taking up development and other works to make their votebank strong."

Mann, who started his career while in school, said: "I started to mimic my teachers, friends and people around me in my school days. In college, I won many awards in youth festivals and inter-college competitions. It was then that I decided to polish my inborn talent and won two gold medals from Punjab University Patiala for Sunam College."

Working for the people and with the people, this comedian-turned-social activist has no plans to join politics in the future

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/comedy-king-turns-social-activist/636452/

प्लीज डोंट वेस्ट वाटर

Fazilka, 20th June 2010, Dainik Bhaskar

सामाजिक संस्था सोशल वेलफेयर सोसायटी की ओर से पानी बचाने के प्रति जागरूक करने के लिए शुरू किए गए अभियान 'जल नहीं तो कल नहीं के तहत झींवरा मोहल्ला में प्रभातफेरी निकाल मोहल्लावासियों को बिना कारण पानी न बहाने के लिए प्रेरित किया। प्रभात फेरी अध्यक्ष राज किशोर कालड़ा व प्रोजेक्ट प्रभारी एडवोकेट संजीव बांसल के नेतृत्व में निकाली गई। फेरी में विशेष रूप से शामिल हुए फाजिल्का के प्रथम विधायक कामरेड वधावा राम के बेटे कामरेड शक्ति ने कहा कि सभी को पानी बचाने के लिए एकजुटता से प्रयास करने चाहिए। इस अवसर पर बांसल ने कहा कि पानी की कमी लगातार देश में पैदा हो रही है जिसके लिए मानवीय जाति ही जिम्मेवार है। अगर हम अब भी न संभले तो फिर पछताने के अलावा कुछ नहीं रह जाएगा। अध्यक्ष कालड़ा ने सभी सदस्यों का आभार व्यक्त किया। इस दौरान मोहल्ले में खुले रूप से चल रही 13 टूटियों पर वाल्व लगाए गए। इस अवसर पर वरिष्ठ उपाध्यक्ष सुरैन लाल कटारिया, अमृत लाल करीर, संयुक्त महासचिव अजय ठकराल, गिरधारी लाल अग्रवाल, सुरेश गर्ग, भगवान दास सहगल, चंद्रकांत, राकेश गिल्होत्रा, संदीप अनेजा, राजेन्द्र ठक्कर, अशोक सुधा, के.एल आहूजा व सीता राम सहित अन्य सदस्य मौजूद रहे।

किसान जागरूक किए

फाजिल्का. एसबीएस इंडिया प्राइवेट लिमिटेड के समर प्रोजेक्ट नेशनल एकेडमी एग्रीकल्चर रिर्सच के तहत किसान सेवा केन्द्र में यहां क्षेत्र के जागरूक एवं प्रगतिशील किसानों तथा बुद्धिजीवियों की बैठक आयोजित की गई। बैठक में इंडियन कौंसिल आफ एग्रीकल्चर रिर्सच के छात्र आशीष पवार तथा अमिताभ चेतन्य ने कृषि से संबधित विभिन्न प्रकार की जानकारियां दी। इस अवसर पर नासा इंडिस्ट्री एमडी इंजिनियर संजीव नागपाल प्रगतिशील किसान रवि धींगड़ा, कैप्टन एमएस बेदी, सिद्धार्थ पेड़ीवाल, अमित सावनसुखा, अशोक डोडा, दलीप कुमार, आरपी बतरा, सुरेश छाबड़ा, असीम कामरा, प्रदीप कुमार, सुरेश कालड़ा, सतीश धींगड़ा, महेन्द्र धींगड़ा तथा किन्नू किंग प्रेम बब्बर उपस्थित रहे।

http://www.bhaskar.com/article/PUN-OTH-620976-1074915.html

Discover Punjab : Wonders of Border area : Peer Burji Wala

Peer Burji Wala Mela : Celebrating and Promoting Love n Peace between two countries. Near Village Gulaba Bheni of Fazilka Sub-division. Falling Exactly on Radcliffe Line. Half of the Shrine is in India and Half in Pakistan. Devotee from from both the countries visit the Majar of Peer Burji Wala without Visa. It will be great if Punjab Tourism department should take up such religious places as a point of Tourism Attraction. This will surely help to boost the economy of Border Villages.

अकेला चला था और काफिला बन गया

Dainik Jagran 14th June 2010
फाजिल्का-एक तरफ जहा हर कोई एक दूसरे के खून का प्यासा हुआ बैठा है, वहीं
चंद लोग ऐसे भी है जो दूसरों की जिंदगी बचाने के लिए अपना खून देने से
नहीं हिचकिचाते। वैसे तो रक्तदानियों की सूची बहुत लंबी है लेकिन
फाजिल्का का एक शख्स रिकू कंबोज उर्फ रंगलाल अब तक 50 से अधिक बार
रक्तदान कर अनेक अमूल्य जिंदगिया बचाने में सहयोग कर चुका है।

रिकू खुद ही नहीं, बल्कि अपने मोहल्ले धींगड़ा कालोनी के युवाओं को भी इस
पुण्य कार्य में लगा चुका है। रिकू के साथ मिलकर युवाओं ने कालोनी में
श्री बाला जी सेवा समिति का गठन कर लिया, जिसके 25 सदस्य हर वक्त जरूरत
पड़ने पर खूनदान के लिए तत्पर रहते है। समिति के अध्यक्ष रिकू खुद है।
केवल फाजिल्का इलाके में ही नहीं, बल्कि बठिडा, लुधियाना, अमृतसर व अन्य
दूर दराज के इलाकों में जाकर खून दान कर चुके है। कालोनी के महगा राम के
पुत्र रिकू वैसे तो मेहनत मजदूरी से अपने परिवार का गुजारा चलाते है
लेकिन खून दान के प्रति उनमें गजब की ललक है। रिकू ने दैनिक जागरण को
बताया कि उन्होंने अपनी जिंदगी का मकसद खून की कमी से मौत के मुंह में जा
रहे लोगों को खूनदान कर उनका जीवन बचाने को बना रखा है।

रिकू ने बताया कि वह आठवीं कक्षा में पढ़ता था, तब उसने पहली बार रक्तदान
किया था तो उसे इतनी मानसिक शाति मिली कि वह हर तीन माह बाद रक्तदान करने
लगा। रिकू की रक्तदान कर लोगों की अमूल्य जिंदगी बचाने की सेवा से
प्रभावित जिला रेडक्रास ने आठ मई 2010 को जिला उपायुक्त केके यादव ने
सम्मानित किया। इससे पहले राज्य की स्वास्थ्य मंत्री लक्ष्मी काता चावला
रिकू को पहली अक्टूबर 2008 को नवाशहर के गाव बंगा, 26 जनवरी 2009 को
गणतंत्र दिवस समारोह के कार्यक्रम में सासद शेर सिंह घुबाया, स्थानीय
विधायक सुरजीत ज्याणी और तत्कालीन एसडीएम चरणदेव सिंह मान उसे सम्मानित
कर चुके है, वहीं नेशनल वालंटरी ब्लड डोनेशन डे पर स्टेट ब्लड
ट्रासफ्यूजन काउसिल पंजाब की ओर से भी रिकू को सम्मानित किया गया है।
http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_6488653_1.html

लोगों की करतूत ने घंटाघर को बनाया कूड़ाघर

फाजिल्का-शहर की सबसे सुंदर इमारत घंटाघर इलाके के लोगों की करतूत के कारण आजकल कूड़ाघर बना हुआ है। इसके चारों ओर बने प्रवेश द्वारों पर कूड़ा कर्कट के ढेर लगे हैं।

उल्लेखनीय है कि उक्त घंटाघर फाजिल्का ही नहीं बल्कि पूरे पंजाब का सबसे सुंदर घंटाघर है। ऐसा ही एक घंटाघर पाकिस्तान के पंजाब के लायलपुर में है। यहां के घंटाघर की सुंदरता कायम रखने के लिए राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री प्रकाश सिंह बादल ने मार्च माह में 25 लाख रुपये की ग्रांट नगर परिषद को उपलब्ध करवाई थी। हालांकि नगर परिषद ने वर्ष 2010 की शुरुआत में रंग-रोगन का काम तो तेजी से निपटा दिया, लेकिन नीचे फर्श लगाने और आसपास घास लगाने का काम काफी धीमी गति से चल रहा है। रही सही कसर आसपास के दुकानदारों ने निकाल दी है। उन्होंने अपनी दुकानों से निकलने वाला कूड़ा घंटाघर परिसर में फेंक इस महत्वपूर्ण इमारत को कूड़ाघर बनाकर रख दिया है। इस बारे में नगर परिषद के कार्यकारी अधिकारी तिलक राज वर्मा से बात की गई तो उन्होंने कहा कि गंदगी फैलना उनके ध्यान में नहीं था, लेकिन अब जल्द ही घंटाघर परिसर की सफाई करवा दी जाएगी।

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/punjab/4_2_6501779.html