1,840 viral fever cases reported from government hospitals

As many as 1,840 viral fever cases were reported from various government hospitals in the district on Wednesday. According to Health Department sources, this is the largest number of viral fever cases reported in the district on a single day in the past five months.

81 people under treatment for dengue fever in various government hospitals

Pre-monsoon showers have heightened the dengue fever threat in Pathanamthitta, especially in the hilly tracts of the district. District Medical Officer Gracy Ithaq told The Hindu that as on Thursday, 81 people were undergoing treatment for dengue fever in various government hospitals in the district.

Punyam Poonkavanom, Orumudikkettu to keep forest environs serene

The devotees, staff on duty, and every person visiting Sabarimala is bound to keep the hillock clean and protect the serene forest environs of the sacred grove, says P. Vijayan, City Police Commissioner of Thrissur, who has been posted as the Police Special Officer at Sabarimala. Mr. Vijayan, who had successfully implemented the ‘Punyam Poonkavanom’ cleaning drive, making the devotees and the staff an integral part of the daily cleaning drive at the Sannidhanam, has re-launched the project this time too, with added vigour.

Tense situation prevailing at Paipad, agitators attack migrant workers’ dwelling

A tense situation prevailed at Paipad, near Thiruvalla, on Wednesday after a violent protest by the local people against the dumping of waste collected from a colony of migrant workers on the Kothachirappara-Paipad stretch of the Paipad-Kaviyur Road on Wednesday. The protesters, including women and children, blocked the road and flayed the alleged inaction on the part of the officials concerned to address the health risk posed by the “unhygienic” living conditions of migrant workers in and around Paipad.

Amalabharathom programme at Sabarimala concludes

Over 3,200 volunteers of the Amalabharathom campaign, attached to Mata Amritanandamayi Math, took part in a two-day cleaning drive which concluded at Sabarimala here on Sunday. A host of prominent people, including former union Minister O. Rajagopal; Amrita University vice chancellor P. Venkat Rangan; and a good number of professionals from India and abroad took part in the campaign.

“There is no dearth of rules, regulations or laws in India to protect the health of consumers or to ensure fair practices in the food trade. But, laxity or some sort of `misfiring’ at the implementation level has been identified as the key problem facing the State in terms of food safety,’’ says Dr N. Anandavally, Food Safety Consultant of the World Health Organisation.

Talking to The Hindu, Dr Anandavally who is also a member of many expert committees of the WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said the reported move to emulate Dubai-model food safety in Kerala was nothing short of a ‘ridiculous’ idea.

Say over 90 acres of wetlands converted in the last one decade

The controversy over the proposed private international airport project at Aranmula has taken curious turns with the Cabinet decision to regularise conversion of paddy fields and wetlands that have taken place prior to 2005 as well as the clearances reportedly given by various government agencies for the project, allegedly violating prevailing laws, rules and regulations.

The rapid changes taking place in the forest eco system, mainly owing to excessive human intervention and climate change, has been leading to frequent straying of wild animals into human habitation in the forest areas of Konni and Ranni in recent times.

The sad fate of a male leopard that had strayed into the small hamlet of Iyravon nestling on the borders of the Kummannoor forests in Konni Forest division on Sunday was the latest in the series of man-animal conflicts taking place in this part of the State during the past six months.

The growing number of cases of Hepatitis-B infection at Pramadom, Mallasserry, Thengumkavu and surrounding villages, near here, is causing concern for the district administration and the Health Department.

L. Anithakumari, Deputy District Medical Officer for Communicable Disease Control, told The Hindu here on Monday that nine cases had been confirmed through ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) test in the past three months. Thirty more cases tested positive in the antigen card test.

Horn-shaped loudspeakers used for festivities in violation of rules

Residents of Maramon, Kozhencherry, and surrounding areas are left to bear with the blaring noise from loudspeakers, installed in connection with various public programme and religious festivals. Many local people complained that organisers were using horn-shaped loudspeakers, banned by law, for church and temple festivals in the locality.

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