Disaster Management, Medicine, Research Institute launched in Orissa

By Jyotismita Panda
Bhubaneswar, Sept.30: At least eight thousand people are dying every year in road accidents in India. Almost half of these precious lives could be saved if a proper disaster management system can be put in place, internationally acclaimed micro-biologist Dr Peter Patel said here on Wednesday.
Speaking to this newspaper on the sidelines of the launching of the Regional Institute of Disaster Management, Medicine and Research (RIDMMR), Mr Patel, who worked in earthquake hit Gujarat and Latur in Maharashtra and in some other countries, said disaster management has to be integrated with disaster medicine so has to provide pre-hospital care to post-hospital of the affected persons.
“A disaster is an extreme disruption of the functioning of a society that causes widespread human, material, or environmental losses that exceed the ability of the affected society to cope using only its own resources. Disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and cyclones actually become disasters when they adversely and seriously affect human life, livelihoods and property. Disaster preparedness, therefore, seeks to prepare for and reduce these adverse effects. On the other hand, disaster medicine seeks to prepare for, manage and reduce the adverse effects on human health when events such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones or man-made accidents like Bhopal gas tragedy adversely and seriously affect human life and livelihoods,” said Dr Patel.
The microbiologist, who is currently working as the international project director of Saving Lives, an initiative of Rotary Club of Birmingham, - added that by producing a pool of skilled manpower and creating a state-of-the art infrastructure can help meet disasters of any magnitude or exigencies.
The newly launched RIDMMR, which will be jointly developed by Saving Lives and Bhubaneswar based Ayush Charitable Trust, would work on capacity building of doctors and paramedics who can attend the disaster-hit people at the source. The institute will offer courses in six modules on pre-hospital care, trauma care, planning and strategy to deal with disasters or major crisis, ambulance management, disaster medicine and training of para-medics, informed Dr Ashok Acharya, the newly appointed director of RIDMMR.
The launching ceremony was attended by Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra, revenue and disaster management secretary R.K. Sharma, health and family welfare secretary Ms Anu Garg, commissioner of police B.K. Sharma.
www.indusvalleytimes.com

THE UNFORTUNATE SOULS

WHERE DO WE STAND? When politicians, bureaucrats and business in Bhubaneswar compete among themselves to move around in high-end fashionable cars, these unfortunate souls of Kashipur in Rayagada district are not that privileged. They carry their ill relatives to hospitals the way you see in the picture. (Photo - www.indusvalleytimes.com)

Vedanta asks Orissa to provide alternative mines

By Nalini Sahu
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 8: Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Vedanta Alumina Limited, Dr Mukesh Kumar, on Wednesday urged the Orissa to provide “alternative” bauxite mines for the company’s 1-million-tonne refinery at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district.
Dr Kumar, who met the state steel and mines minister Raghunath Mohanty at the secretariat here, requested the latter to expedite the public hearing process for the seven bauxite mines it has applied for.
“I requested the minister to take necessary steps for expediting the public hearing process as well as completing other formalities to allot alternative mines to feed the Lanjigarh refinery. He has assured us to do the needful,” Dr Kumar said.
Steel and mines minister Mr Mohanty said the state government had to follow several procedures before recommending allotment of any bauxite deposit in favour of Vedanta.
“There are several applicants for the seven bauxite deposits Vedanta Alumina Limited (VAL) has applied for. In accordance with the Central laws, they state government has to follow several procedures before recommending prospecting lease (PL) and mining lease (ML) in favour of Vedanta. It will certainly take quite some time,” the minister told reporter after his meeting with Dr Kumar.
After the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) refused permission for mining of bauxite at Niyamgiri, Vedanta is now scouting for alternative sources. Of the 150 million tonnes bauxite VAL requires for its plant over a period of 25 years, Niyamgiri has an enviable deposit of 78 million tonnes. The other mines for which VAL has applied for include Siadimal, Badamaribhata, Kutumal-Kashmir and Kutamal in Rayagada district and Rampur in Kalahandi district. This apart, Sterlite Industries India Limited (SIIL), the metal and mining arm of Vedanta Resources, has applied for Karlapat-Salpara-Jilagaon bauxite deposits in Kalahandi district.
These smaller mines, if allotted in favour of VAL, can feed its refinery for quite some time as the 1-million-tonne per annum capacity plant needs at least 3 million tonnes of bauxite per year. The per annum requirement will go up once the plant capacity, as approved by the state government, is enhanced to 6 million tones.

SAF commits suicideBy

By Lipsa Das
Bhubaneswar, Sept 6: A 28-year-old Special Action Force (SAF) jawan deployed in the Maoist infested Koraput district on Monday committed suicide by shooting himself from his service gun.
According to Koraput superintendent of police Anup Kumar Sahoo, the deceased Ajit Singh shot him from his SLR gun at the battalion’s camp at Sunabeda, nearly 530 km from here. A resident of Balia in Uttar Pradesh, Ajit was under depression for the last few days, sources said.“The police has seized the body and sent for autopsy. A case has been registered,” the SP said.
The deceased has not left any suicide note. However, preliminary investigation revealed that the jawan was in love with some girl.

Three Maoists killed in encounter!

By Our Correspondent
Bhubaneswar, Sept. 6: At least three Maoists cadres are suspected to have killed during a fierce gun-battle with the security personnel in Orissa’s Rebana forest on Monday evening.
According to sources, acting on intelligence inputs that the red rebels were holding a meeting at their hideout - Keonjhar superintendent of police Ashis Singh and Jajpur SP D.S. Kute launched a joint combing operation in the forest that led to heavy exchange of firing.No detail clear picture about casualties was available since the fighting was going on by the time this report was filed.
However, initial reports coming from the area suggested that the police has seized a laptop and arms from the Naxal camp.A team of elite anti-Naxal Special Operation Group (SOG) and armed police were carrying out the raid, the police said