Wednesday 13 June 2012

[www.keralites.net] ‘India is drowning in its own excreta’

 

'India is drowning in its own excreta'

Sixty per cent of people living in India do not have access to toilets, and hence are forced to defecate in the open. In actual numbers, sixty per cent translates to 626 million. This makes India the number one country in the world where open defecation is practised. Indonesia with 63 million is a far second!

At 949 million in 2010 worldwide, vast majority of people practising open defecation live in rural areas. Though the number of rural people practising open defecation has reduced by 234 million in 2010 than in 1990, "those that continue to do so tend to be concentrated in a few countries, including India," notes the 2012 update report of UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

For instance, of the 2.4 lakh gram panchayats in the country, only a mere 24,000 are completely free of open defecation.

More than half of the 2.5 billion people without improved sanitation live in India or China. The high figure prevails even as four out of 10 people who have gained access to improved sanitation since 1990 live in these two countries.

"Rapidly-modernising India is drowning in its own excreta," notes the New Delhi-based Sunita Narain, Director General of the Centre for Science and Environment in a Comment piece published today (June 14) in Nature.

The only silver lining is the determination with which Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh intends to rid the country of open defecation within a decade. His endeavour got a shot in the arm recently when the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs increased the amount of money to be spent for household toilets in rural areas from Rs.4,600 to Rs.10,000.

But increased spending alone will in no way turn out to be a magic bullet in solving the malaise of open defecation. Numerous examples from other countries serve as testimony to this. Bringing about a change in mindset is the paramount need.

Awareness of the link between open defection and diseases like diarrhoea will in one way change the way people defecate. After all, almost 10 per cent of all communicable diseases are linked to unsafe water and poor sanitation. According to WHO, open defecation is the "riskiest sanitation practice of all."

According to the global health body, compared with 1990, more than two billion people have access to improved drinking water sources. Thus the Millennium Development Goal's drinking water target has been reached — "over 2 billion people have gained access to improved water sources from 1990 to 2010, and the proportion of the global population still using unimproved sources is estimated at only 11 per cent."

The fine print

But the fine print reveals the rider. WHO does not have the critical information about the safety of the drinking water, though. Since testing for microbial and chemical parameters to designate drinking waters as safe is expensive, WHO used a proxy indicator — measuring the proportion of the population using drinking water sources that supposedly are protected from contamination, particularly from faecal matter.

But access to drinking sources can hardly be a true indicator, as is the case in India. "Leaking and incomplete sewage systems contaminate rivers and lakes, causing diseases like cholera," notes Nature. "Around 97 per cent of Indians do not have access to clean drinking water." The problem arises due to contamination of drinking water by leaked sewage. Sewage inevitably pollutes water bodies, both surface and aquifers.

According to the Comment, only a few facilities exist in the country to treat waste water. "Officially, the country has the capacity to treat 30 per cent of its waste water." But in reality it is far less at "20 per cent."

While ridding open defecation will go a long way in improving sanitation and reducing disease outbreaks, Sunita Narain makes a strong case for larger investments in sewage systems and effective use of water. The need for newer technologies cannot be ignored.

Current technologies use "large amounts of water to transport small amounts of excreta through expensive pipes to costly treatment plants, she states. This is "unworkable and unaffordable," especially considering the fact that cities are growing at a rapid pace and infrastructure is always lagging behind.


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Re: [www.keralites.net] എങ്ങനെ രാഷ്ട്രിയക്കാരുടെ കയ്യില്‍ നിന്നും രക്ഷപെടാം ?

 

അവര്‍ക് വോട്ട് ചെയ്യുക.  പിരിവ്‌ കൊടുക്കുക.  മീറ്റിംഗില്‍ പങ്കെടുക്കുക. അതും ജോലി ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചു.  ഒന്നിനും പ്രതികരിക്കാതിരിക്കുക. വേണ്ടി വന്നാല്‍ കൊല്ലുക.  എന്നാല്‍ രക്ഷപ്പെടാനുള്ള വഴിയുണ്ട്. 
 
PSK
From: Thomas Mathew <thomasmathew47@hotmail.com>
To: Keralites <Keralites@YahooGroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2012 7:26 PM
Subject: RE: [www.keralites.net] എങ്ങനെ രാഷ്ട്രിയക്കാരുടെ കയ്യില്‍ നിന്നും രക്ഷപെടാം ?
If you are a shopkeeper or business man you may have to pay them, as otherwise when they get the chance they will take revenge on you. But if you have nothing at riskave the courage to say "NO" to them. I do not pay any one.
T.Mathew
To: Keralites@yahoogroups.comFrom: sk27nair@yahoo.comDate: Wed, 13 Jun 2012 05:55:33 -0700Subject: [www.keralites.net] എങ്ങനെ രാഷ്ട്രിയക്കാരുടെ കയ്യില്‍ നിന്നും രക്ഷപെടാം ?
ഞാന്‍ ഒരു പാര്‍ട്ടിയിലും അംഗം അല്ല  .എന്നാലും എല്ലാ പാര്‍ട്ടിക്കാരും. അവരുടെ .പലവിധ പൈസ പിരുവിനായി എന്നേ സമീപിക്കുന്നു.. ഇങ്ങനെ പിരിച്ചു കിട്ടുന്ന പണം അവര്‍ അവരുടെ തോന്ന്ന്യവാസം കാണിക്കാനാണ് ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നത്.. എങ്ങനെ രാഷ്ട്രിയ പൈസ പിരുവിനേ നേരിടാം ?
Suresh
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[www.keralites.net] Expatriate's holiday plans ruined

 

DUBAI: Holiday plans of hundreds of UAE residents have been ruined following mass cancellations of flights by Indian budget carrier Air India Express.

Don't fly Air India Express till things stabilise. I am advising friends and relatives who have booked flights from July onwards to cancel them,� a senior Air India official based in New Delhi told XPRESS.

He said the last-minute cancellations were due to the ongoing strike by around 350 Air India pilots which entered the 37th day on Wednesday, crippling the national carrier's operations worldwide.

Things are bad,� said the official, adding that both short and long haul flights were affected.

Enquiries at the Dubai office of Air India Express revealed they had a flight schedule only till June 30. We have no information about flights from July 1,� a staff said.

But passengers are not amused.

A family of six based in Sharjah had booked a return ticket to Mumbai for July 6 for Dh6,582 in April. On June 12, we got an e-mail saying the flight had been cancelled and we can either modify the affected segment or get a refund. Why on good earth would we want to �modify the segment' and go elsewhere when we want to go to Mumbai?� asked the head of the family.

My wife hasn't seen her younger sister for years and she was looking forward for a family reunion planned months in advance. Relatives from Canada are also coming.�

Worse, he said, the online system doesn't allow us to reschedule our flight, leaving us with no option but to seek a refund and book tickets with a different airline. Of course, this will put a strain on our budget. The Jet Airways flight to Mumbai costs around Dh14,000, Air Arabia Dh9,000 and Spice Jet Dh8,500 [for six people]. If that was not bad enough, a friend has told me that it takes Air India Express up to three months to refund a ticket. I tried calling their UAE offices many times, but there is no response. Mails to their customer care also remain unanswered.�

blocked money

Another Indian expat who booked three tickets for June 28 from Dubai to Lucknow was informed that flight IX193 has been cancelled due to operational reasons�.

I changed the tickets to July 5 but today I bought three tickets for a Fly Dubai flight as a precaution because I fear that even the July 5 flight will be cancelled,� he said. Because of this mess by Air India Express I had to spend over Dh6,500 on the tickets.�

He added: I will cancel the Air India Express tickets but I am not sure when they will refund my money. My holiday plans are ruined as my money will remain blocked.�

The sentiment was echoed by many others, even as they saw no end to the deepening crisis.

Air India operates 207 flights (102 Air India and 105 Air India Express) from the UAE to 16 destinations with 111 aircraft whose average age is five-and-a-half years. But the crisis at Air India has affected many of these flights.

While the exact number could not be ascertained from their regional office in Dubai, the official from India said, In the last 30 days, hundreds of flights have been cancelled on various routes. Air India Express pilots are on deputation from Air India.�

He said the airline had terminated services of 100 pilots so far with the remaining 250 determined not to come back until they were reinstated.

The pilots have called in sick since May 7 to protest against the decision to train pilots from Indian Airlines for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

There is no short-term solution to this problem. Even if the pilots come back to work today, it will take months for things to return to normalcy,� the Air India official added.


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[www.keralites.net] BEST VITAMINS FOR YOUR SKIN

 


BEST VITAMINS FOR YOUR SKIN
The best defense against premature aging, wrinkles, fine lines and discoloration is vitamins supply that helps to protect your skin from of sun exposure, pollution and other harmful effects.

Fun & Info @ Keralites.net

Many skin care products are filled with healthy antioxidants and other nutrients to keep your skin look younger, but they are not enough as our skin needs variety of vitamins from the inside.What are the most powerful vitamins for a younger, healthy skin? see the full post after the break…

Vitamin C

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Vitamin C plays a vital role in production of collagen, the basic protein in connective tissue. And it is known that decrease in collagen supply may lead to skin ageing, dry and rough skin. The best sources of vitamin C are fruits and berries, such as pineapples, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, as well as vegetables such as peppers, cabbage and others.

Vitamin E


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Vitamin E is another antioxidant that reduces the damage caused by free radicals They increase natural defense of your skin and prevent the damage. Vitamin E is found in nuts, sunflower oil, wholegrain products, eggs and many natural oils.

Vitamin A

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Vitamin A helps to repair your skin from damage caused by various factors, preventing the effect of free radicals, and keeping your skin moisturized. Keep in mind that vitamin A is fat-soluble and you should be careful not to overdose it since it can have toxic effect. The best way to avoid vitamin A toxicity is by consuming variety of healthy foods, such as carrots, pumpkin, green leafy vegetables, apricots, cantaloupe, liver and eggs.

B vitamins

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The B vitamins are essential for cell functions, preventing premature ageing of the skin, dry and itchy skin. It is important to ensure the appropriate supply of B vitamins, eating a well-balanced diet that includes eggs, fortified grains, milk, chicken,

Zinc

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Zinc is an important antioxidant that effectively protects your skin from free radicals damage. The lack of zinc may result in various skin problems, such as acne, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and others. To ensure the right zinc intake for healthy skin, eat whole grains, red meat, seeds, oysters, some beans and peas.

Selenium

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Selenium benefits your skin and hair, contributing to cell growth and preventing skin cancer. This antioxidant can be found in Brazil nuts, turkey, cod, wheat flour, rice, chicken and tuna.

Omega-3 fatty acids

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Omega-3 fatty acids are important for younger, healthier skin. They strengthen cell membranes, providing more nutrients for your skin and protecting it from harmful things. Omega-3s also make your skin look softer, moister and prevent wrinkles. The good sources of Omaega-3 fatty acids are canola oil, flax seeds, salmon and walnuts.
 
web sources:
Engr.Sulthan

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