Health Policy To Be Out For Debate Today

The health policy prepared by a panel of experts has recommended a complete reorganization of the government health system by introducing primary care providers along the lines of the family physician concept. The policy, which would be released for public debate on Saturday, points out the inadequacy of the presentday primary health care system to respond to certain challenges such as non-communicable diseases, mental health issues and geriatric care.

The expert panel constituted by chief minister Oommen Chandy to prepare a report on new scientific norms for the inclusion of remaining Endosulfan affected persons to avail government compensation

The Chelannur grama panchayat on Wednesday launched its model village scheme with a mission to declare all its wards free of garbage menace. Panchayat vice-president P.

Condemning the decision of the Revenue Department to resume land acquisition for the development of National Highway-17, a large number of people under the aegis of a local action council took out a march to the office of the tahsildar (land acquisition) at Vadakara on Wednesday.

The protesters, who boycotted the land document verification process by the department, said they would not cooperate with any acquisition activities until the government fulfilled the promises given to them on a proper rehabilitation package.

Survey in March records steady depletion

While skyscrapers increase in height and density at the cost of natural water resources like paddy fields, the groundwater level in the district has touched a new low this year. A March-2013 survey by the Groundwater Department of their 54 sample wells across the district show a steady depletion, ranging from 1 m to 20 cm, in groundwater level.

Western Ghats panel gives approval

With the financial year nearing its end, the district-level co-ordination panel of the Western Ghats Development Committee has given green signal to a slew of development projects, including a Rs.2.35-crore scheme for wetlands Works on wetlands such as Mandrathodu and Elanikkad Moozhi, which had been approved by grama sabhas, have been included in the projects sanctioned by the committee.

Even as estimates of drought-related crop loss in the district have touched Rs 61 crore, a large number of minor irrigation projects, which are expected to provide solace to beleaguered farmers hit

A large group of people living in villages deep inside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary are set for an occupy stir which will see them forcefully occupy bungalows, buildings and revenue land under the forest department in the district in protest against government delay in implementing the relocation package promised to them long ago.

The villagers, comprising around 2,600 tribal and nontribal families from 110 settlements situated deep within the WWS, had voluntarily expressed their willingness to move out of the forest three years back. The unique project, if implemented, could have added over 1500 acres to the sanctuary, making it one of the largest voluntary relocation programmes in the country.

A regional squad of the Revenue Department will conduct intensive checking in various locations of Vadakara taluk following complaints from people’s representatives that illegal mining thrives in t

Local bodies reluctant to take stringent action against polluters

Health activists have raised serious questions about the quality of water supplied to rural homes since many establishments, including those of official agencies, have been found to release, often clandestinely, their wastes into rivers and other water sources. Complaints are also rife that water supplied under rural water schemes is not properly treated and that contaminated water reaching rural households triggers water-borne diseases like jaundice. Large quantities of water from private sources are also supplied to hostels and lodges before treating it properly.