The Arunachal Times - Archives

Five year plan for Kurung Kumey DC’s bungalow

Coordination meeting held at Sangram

Koloriang, May 2: Notorious for weak implementation of policies and programmes, even by Arunachal standard, Kurung Kumey is on way to create another record. Even after five years and with all funds exhausted, the new residence of Deputy Commissioner is yet to come up.

'What can we expect of other schemes' observed the Deputy Commissioner while chairing a co-ordination meeting of all Panchayat Members of 19-Nyapin Assembly Constituency at Sangram today. The meeting was convened at the initiative of MLA Bamang Felix to discuss issues that were confronting and obstructing the development process in the area. ZPMs, Chairpersons of Anchal Samitis, ASMs and Chairpersons of GPs of 19¬ Nyapin Assembly Constituency, cutting across party line, attended the meeting.

Expressing his concerned over poor implementation of works in the District, Tayeng urged Panchayat Leaders and public to help the Govt. agencies in proper execution of works. 'For better development, there is no option but to change our mind set, thinking and intention. This alone can bring changes to the District. The change must come from within ' said Tayeng, DC, Kurung Kumey.

Felix particularly pointed out the problems of land owners, who were obstructing essential service schemes like lying of drinking water pipe line, erection of electric poles, telephone lines, construction of roads thereby holding the development process of the area to ransom. He urged all the panchayat Members to bury their political differences and help come out with a solution to fix these problems.

He further expressed concerned at the in-fighting among the public for work orders, leading to unnecessarily wastage of time in the schemes execution. ` If any public continue to obstruct scheme execution in any village in future, the site of the schemes will be shifted to another village, where public are more co-operative' he warned.

The ZPMs, Chairperson Anchal Samiti; ASMs and Chairperson of GPs put forward their views on various matters of development. They urged their MLA to allow them to play their role in implementation and monitoring of schemes in their respective areas. The PR Members cutting across political parties were unanimous in all the important issues. A resolution was unanimously adopted at the end of the meeting, which includes action against public obstructing implementation of essential services schemes, action against absentee officers, absentee teachers, total ban on hunting and fishing, streamlining of PDS system and proper coordination among MLA, PR Leaders and Officers.

Miao get Cathedral with Asia’s tallest statue of Christ

Pinna Kitnal Muklom

MIAO May 2: ‘Shrine of Christ the Light’ Cathedral with Asia’s tallest statue of Christ was inaugurated here today.

The cathedral placed on a hill also houses the statue which is 36 feet in height and weighs 7 quintals.

His Eminence Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo, D.D blessed the Cathedral today amidst huge gathering. It is a miracle that the dioceses of Miao in just four years have been able to achieve its dream, the Cardinal said while adding that God has spoken forcefully with the opening of the Cathedral.

With the coming of Catholic missionaries, Arunachal Pradesh has witnessed major change in the education sector besides maintenance of culture and traditions said Arunachal Pradesh Finance Minister Setong Sena.

The diocese of Miao is doing a great job both in Changlang and Tirap districts with the opening of more schools, the minister further said.

In due course of time with the help of the Church, the communities of both districts will become communities of potentialities, he added.

The minister also said that it’s a miracle for a small town like Miao to have such a dynamic church. The effects and blessing can already be witnessed in the form of development amongst the people of the area, he added.

The diocese of Miao in a very short time has become an integral part of the society in East Arunachal and is involved in every aspect of life of the people of the region, said Local MLA Kamlung Mossang. The Catholic Church also maintains good cultural, ethnic and religious relationship here, he added.

The cathedral is a pride not just for the Catholics but a point of unity for the whole of Miao, Mossang said while adding that the cathedral will put Miao on the pilgrimage map.

Monsignor Abraham Mutholath, Vicar General, Diocese of Chicago appreciated the efforts put by Bishop P K George. He further assured to give full support for development of Arunachal Pradesh in future.

The 18 Assam Rifles Jairampur Commanding Officer Col S Choudhary released the first Ollo devotional music album ‘Tekhio Ratkhaap’.

The inaugural programme was also attended by Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil the patriarch of Arunachal Missions, Archbishop Dominic Jala of Shillong, Bishop Joseph Aind of Dibrugarh, Bishop Victor of Nongstoin, Father James PM of the Salesian Provincil of Dimapur, Father Joy Pallikkunnel the VG of Dibrugarh, Rory Desmond representative of Archdiocese of San Francisco, USA besides many other dignitaries from various part of the country.

Cultural and felicitation programme was also organized. A devout precession within the township was also organized on May 1.

Sahai-Singh meet

ITANAGAR, May 2: The Union Food Processing Industry Minister Subodh Kant Sahai had a meeting with the Governor Gen JJ Singh at Raj Bhavan yesterday. Meeting touched on various subjects for the development for special focus sectors which needs some initiatives from the State and Central Government.

Meanwhile carrying forward the Raj Bhavan tradition, Sahai planted a sapling of Brunfelsia pauciflora, a flowering plant, in the lawn of Raj Bhavan, Itanagar here today.

State Governor and First Lady Anupama Singh were present on the occasion. (PRO, Rajbhavan)

NESO wants ouster of VC

ITANAGAR, May 2: The North East Students Organization while extending its support to Rajiv Gandhi University Students Union has called for immediate removal of the Vice Chancellor to ensure peace and normalcy at Rajiv Gandhi University campus. Secretary General of the NESO, Gumjum Haider said that Organisation is not at all happy with the halfhearted attitude of the government even after such an uproar over the issue. He said that government should not undermine the voice of the aggrieved and majority.

He further said that delay in action will only result in showdown between the forces of the government and the student’s community while adding that the state government should talk with the centre for recall of the VC.

Warning a movement, he however hoped that govt would take immediate steps to redress the situation.

“He who procures clear water can mock the doctor”

Dr D Padung

An Old Dutch proverb says “He who procures clear water can mock the doctor” and therefore, good quality drinking water is a top requirement in life. I take an example of cholera to substantiate why clean water is important. How did we get cholera? Well, it has raged already for thousands of years in South-Asia and was one of the scythes – after the description by Malthus – that Death used to keep the population in check at a level that was permitted by the means of existence.

We now know, it is not so amazing that a cholera epidemic, once it was in full swing, could make countless victims in cities, town and villages, via the excretion of vibrios by the sick and the recovering. It only subsided after a large fraction of the population had been contaminated and either had not developed the disease or fell ill and either recovered or died.

Cholera, a water borne disease, has rendered a very valuable service to the science of epidemiology. Due to the combination of disaster for the Londoners and the intelligence of doctor John Snow, half way in the nineteenth century and it was during a cholera epidemic at the end of the 40s that Snow grasped the idea of the cause. In the beginning of the fifties came the next epidemic, around the pump of Broad Street near Hay Market. He demonstrated that this pump was the source of contagion and when his solid argumentation did not convince the Government, he had the courage to remove the arm of the pump personally. This all happened before the triumphs of microbiology but Snow had already postulated the presence of very minute contagious particles in the water as the cause of the epidemic. Today virtually everyone, also the poor of this world, is more or less aware of the dangers that lurk in contaminated water and food. But the strange thing is that apprehension of risk factors does not lead to immediate and clear-cut solutions, especially not when poverty is around.

The poor of this earth now, are sometimes regarded with a mixture of disdain and mercy by the rich quarter. But what are their possibilities to turn cognition into useful solutions in their difficult circumstances? May be illegally tapping off water systems. Also sending trucks with water tanks to poor quarters but poor municipalities cannot meet the needs sufficiently. That is why it is not surprising that the epidemic mainly hit the poor. Even more interesting than the morbidity data (of course the poor were most at risk) were the case fatality rates. The chance of dying was much higher for a poor than for a rich patient, not only because the difference in physical condition but also by social factors (like the availability and affordability of medical facilities).

A future quite in contrast with our present world where still 2-3 million children will die annually before they are five because of diarrhoeal diseases from contaminated water. This early death happens virtually only to children in poor areas or segments of the population of which, at least one in 20 of the deaths that we consider to be completely avoidable.

Lastly, People who are not aware of the misery that unclean water meant for (public) health can be tempted to consider the efforts for providing clear water to be too costly. I hope that the small sample of the health aspects of our drinking water presented here, have shown you why, Water is of invaluable importance for our high level of public health.

Wastewater, especially if polluted by faeces, is a source of disease and misery. It is still responsible for the death of millions of people per year in the world. But the majority of the 6 billion people in the world today have no adequate sanitary facilities and furthermore even more people have no idea of the cycles that connect waste water with ill-health. It has taken thousands of years for public hygiene to evolve, but in the last two centuries there has been an explosion of insight, corresponding measures, with the resultant present health and life expectancy.

It was only in the second half of the 19th century that a mammoth alliance between engineers and doctors emerged. Their aim was the amelioration of sanitation in the society; we call them ‘Hygienists’. The Hygienists, though, despite their clear and well-founded knowledge, insights and ability, had a very hard task convincing the government to invest extensively in sewage systems. Nevertheless there were improvements. The investing in good sewage systems and their maintenance has to be continued to have impressive results in public health or establish one.

In India, the people in the countryside use all kinds of small plots of land as a toilet. But in the big cities, the poor people have no other choice than to use an open space. These spaces eventually become built upon or are fenced off. So much so that some years ago there was a demonstration in Delhi by poor women carrying banners with the text ‘We have the right to defecate’. In this same country, washing the body with water is seen as holy. The yearly ritual of thousands of people bathing in the holy river “the Ganges”, is a colourful sight but also dangerous. The cleansing river is, in the microbiological laboratory, an enormous open sewage containing not only the seeds of cholera.

In conclusion, the key message I am trying to project is everybody should make sure that clean and potable water is consumed especially provided to children (to reduce unnecessary morbidity/mortality which is otherwise avoidable). The provision of clean water may be an urgent agenda of the providers not only in the urban areas but also in the villages. Further, the household waste or human excreta should be disposed off properly in a manner that it does not create local pollution and become a source of breeding ground for disease agents. Effective sewage system is the need of the hour.

Improve the well-being of girls and women and the circumstances in which their children are born, put major emphasis on early child development and education for girls and boys, improve living and working conditions and create social protection policy supportive of all, and create conditions for a ?ourishing older life. Policies to achieve these goals will involve civil society and government. (The contributor is State Nodal Officer, NRHM)

Lower Subansiri win thriller, reach semis

Madhurjya Doley

ITANAGAR, May 2: Three times champion Lower Subansiri held nerve to beat holder Capital Complex Football Club in penalty shot-out and entered semifinals of the 9th Tadar Tang Memorial State Level Football Tournament at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Naharlagun today.

The two teams battled to a 0-0 draw after 80 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of extra time, before Lower Subansiri won the match 4-3 in the shoot-out.

Captain Toko Takar, M Pullo, Tapi Apa and B. Sushil found the net for Lower Subansiri while Tage Tath’s shot sailed over the goal bar. Credit must be given to Lower Subansiri goalkeeper who saved two crucial goals brilliantly to ensure team’s victory. T Tuka, Rocky Ramsing and L. Banggo were the scorer for Capital Complex.

Earlier, both the teams were engaged in tumultuous battle for supremacy. Capital Complex had almost scored in 23 minutes of the first half. But luck deserted the team today as Punia Raju’s strong footer was brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper. Another golden scoring opportunity that came in favour of Capital Complex in extra time was also missed by a whisker as the ball rebounded hitting the goal post.

As stalemate continued even after the extra time, the match was finally decided by penalty shot-out.

The match to be played between Upper Subansiri and Lower Dibang Valley tomorrow at 3 pm will decide the third semifinalist of the tournament.

Art of Living workshop

ITANAGAR, May 2: The Art of Living is organising a stress management and rejuvenation workshop in Itanagar from May 4. The six-day course will be held at the Art of Living Centre in Itanagar.

ANYA to call yet another bandh

ITANAGAR: All Nyishi Youth Association has said that it would continue to press for its demand and will announce second phase of agitation by calling yet another Capital Bandh. It however said that bandh will be called after the University exams are over. The Association is demanding white paper on AOP.

It further denounced the Police inaction to arrest those people who opened fire at activists while they were enforcing a bandh in Leki village.

Dharna against killing

ITANAGAR: Palin Area Youth Welfare Association and All Palin Chambang Yangte Gangte Tarak Langdi Student Union would hold a Dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner Capita Region demanding immediate arrest of those involved in the killing of Dihu Raja, a college student on April 19.

The organizations said that Police is yet to make any breakthrough despite arrests of some suspects.

Strike demanding power supply

ITANAGAR: Yobung welfare Society of Kaying in West Siang has called a strike on May 5 demanding restoration of power supply in Kaying Circle. Kaying township and periphery has been without power supply for quite some time. The Society said that authorities have further delayed restoration of power because of lack of interest.