GUWAHATI: A survey conducted by a voluntary association called ‘Jeevan Initiative’ has revealed the high presence of microbes in drinking water at various public places, including schools and hospitals in the city.

The association collected samples from drinking water facilities installed at 10 prominent public places in the city and found that all of them failed in the bacteriological test, while four of them failed even in the chemical tests, after it was submitted at the State Public Health Laboratory for analysis.

A two-day national seminar on endosulfan scheduled here from July 14 aims to free the district from all kinds of chemical and hazardous pesticides, P. Karunakaran, MP, has said.

Less than four months ago the world was cheered to learn that India had gone a full year with no new cases of polio - a landmark that left only Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria on the World Health Organization's list of countries where the disease is endemic.

But the battle is far from over, judging by the WHO's latest expressions of alarm. It says that in both Nigeria and Afghanistan the number is creeping up, while budget shortfalls are jeopardising the effort to hold polio at bay in 24 other high-risk countries. Right now the numbers of new infections are small.

A total of 2,566 persons in the State were afflicted with dengue fever and 36 succumbed to the disease, according to the Health Department. Similarly, 204 persons in the State have so far been infected with A (H1N1) and five had so far died of the infection.

The announcement followed a review meeting by Health Minister V.S. Vijay with Health Department officials, including Principal Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, Director of Public Health Porkai Pandian, Chennai Mayor Saidai S. Doraisamy and Director of Medical Education C. Vamsadhara.