Hogenakkal drinking water scheme to be completed before 2012

The Rs 1,928.8 crore Hogenakkal Drinking Water Supply and Fluorosis Mitigation Project works were under progress and potable drinking water would be supplied in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts before the stipulated project completion period of 2012, Tamil Nadu Deputy chief minister MK Stalin said today.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the ongoing works of the Japanese aided project and water treatment plant and construction of two ground level reservoirs of 120 lakh litre capacity each in Madam village, Stalin said as per instructions from chief minister M Karunanidhi, the works on these projects were were being included under 'special care'.

He said works on the projects were scheduled to be completed in five phases in two segments.

The first segment comprised of 1,2,3 and 4 phases which were started on February 22 this year and scheduled to be completed within 30 months.

The water treatment works were started on April 14, he said.

The works for the second phase was inaugurated today for the construction of six lakh litre water capacity ground level reservoir (GLR) in Dharmapuri town and 14 lakh litre water capacity GLR work in Savulur village in Nallampalli union.

He said all the works were being undertaken within the Tamil Nadu border and there was no violation of crossing borders to Karnataka.

Earlier, Stalin launched the newly constructed Rs 4.90 crore Pennagaram Town Panchayat Drinking Water Development Scheme.

Three hospitals in Krishnagiri to get blood storage facilities

Three government hospitals in Denkanikottai, Shoolagiri and Uthagarai will soon get blood storage facilities. Steps in this regard were decided during a meeting at the District Headquarters Hospital in Krishnagiri on Saturday.

After inspecting the facilities at the hospital, Mr. Arun Roy, Collector and Mr. M. Masilamani, Joint Director about the functioning of the hospital came up with the plan to improve the facilities for the patients at Denkanikottai, Shoolagiri, Pochampalli and Thaly.

Mr. Roy instructed the officials to pursue the matter with the Drugs and Quality Control Inspectors and get the nod for opening blood storage facilities at Denkanikottai, Shoolagiri and Uthangarai hospitals.

Officials were directed to appoint more sanitary works to keep the General Hospital clean and two additional dhobis for washing the clothes.

Mr. Roy also asked the officials to get a maximum interest for the Perpetual Fund of Rs. 89 lakh created by the then collectors’ for the Patient Welfare Society through public contributions.

Sri Lankan Tamil refugees fight for MBBS

Chennai: Nagaraj, a 17-year-old staying at Uthangarai in Krishnagiri district, scored a cut-off percentile of 197.75 out of 200 in the 12th standard. But he did not get admission to the MBBS course in a government college: Reason: he is the son of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees A Karuppaiah and Annakilli, who arrived in India from Vavuniya in the early 1990s.

Though born in India, Nagaraj does not have citizenship rights because of the refugee status of his parents. Fortunately for Nagaraj, Agaram Foundation (founded by film actor Suriya) intervened and ensured his admission to a private medical college under the management quota.

The foundation has taken up the onus of paying Nagaraj’s fee. “I approached the foundation asking them to sponsor my engineering education as my second choice. I knew that pursuing medical education in a private college will be impossible. But thanks to Agaram, I can now hope to become a doctor,” a relieved Nagaraj told DNA.

Agaram officials agreed that Nagaraj had applied for aid for pursuing engineering. “We have a stringent process of selecting beneficiaries, which includes a visit to their homes. On interacting with him, we got to know that his real aspiration was to become a doctor,” the officials said.

But there are scores of children like Nagaraj whose aspirations of professional education will remain unfulfilled despite scoring well. According to the Organisation for Eelam Refugees’ Rehabilitation (OfERR), there are nearly 20,000 school-going children among Sri Lankan refugees.

Ramanathan, a 24-year-old staying at the Trichy camp, has a sorry tale to tell. A class topper, he too wanted to pursue medicine and got admission in a private college in Salem in 2005. He was supported by his brother from Sri Lanka, but had to discontinue his studies after his brother died.

“My parents first came to India in 1986 and went back when they were told the ethnic conflict had ended. They were forced to return in 1990 and we have been staying at the Trichy camp since then. I completed my 12th in 2004 and joined a private medical college in Salem in 2005. But I had to discontinue it after my brother died in 2006. My mother returned to Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, there was a change in the college management and the new management demanded the full fee,” he lamented.

Ramanathan, who is now staying with his aged father at the Trichy camp, works in a provision store. He is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.

OfERR director (advocacy) M Sakkariyas said every year his organisation pleads with the Centre to provide the refugee children admissions in professional courses. “We have so far not got a positive response from the Centre,” he said.

There is some good news though. The state recently announced that the refugee children could seek admission in colleges affiliated to Anna University through counselling process. The counselling is in August 11 and 12.

The Hindu Students of the Government Middle School in Kuralnatham village in Veppanahalli Panchayat Union being screened for food poisoning at the PHC in Veppanahalli in Krishnagiri district on Wednesday afternoon. Photo: N. Bashkaran

Over hundred students complained of vomiting and giddiness after having eaten food at the noon meal centres at two government schools in Krishnagiri on Wednesday.

According to sources, as soon as the students ate the food which had egg at the noon meal centre at the Government Middle School in Kuralnatham village, Veppanahalli Panchayat Union, four vomitted, and many others complains of giddiness in the afternoon.

Soon after, the students — 44 male and 36 female — were rushed to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Veppanahalli with the help of 108 EMRI and police ambulances. Many students went home after taking first aid at the PHC. In the evening, three students were given glucose intravenously and all were were said to be out of danger.

A team of doctors led by Dr. Mohamed Noorudin screened the students who were then given first aid at the PHC.

110 students affected in another school

Meanwhile, 94 male, 16 female students from the Government Middle School at Nekkunthi in Periyamuthur Panchayat near Krishnagiri were admitted with complaints of vomiting and giddiness at the District Headquarters Government Hospital in the afternoon. All except three children were given first aid at the hospital.

Krishnagiri Tahsildhar K. Rajagopal, Revenue Divisional Officer A. Noor Mohamed visited the school and the Primary Health Centre.

It was alleged that rotten eggs were the reason for the food poisoning in both the schools. Preliminary investigation is on, said revenue officials.

Israeli agronomists train Tamil Nadu mango growers

These agronomists study the trees, which are over three decades old and suggest pruning of certain parts of the trees, sans causing any damage.

"Mango is a major fruit crop of Tamil Nadu. Nearly 1, 00,000 hectares of land is under mango cultivation. The average yield of the state is nearly eight to 10 metric tonnes per hectare, whereas the average yield of Israel country is 20 to 25 metric tonnes per hectare. They are getting three times of yield than us. Hence, we are very much interested to adopt the technologies that has (have) been followed in Israel," said Subbian, Joint Director of Horticulture Department, Krishnagiri.

Under the National Horticulture Mission, the Indian government has procured two machines used in the Canopy Management Pruning System Machine.

These machines boast of multi functions such as plucking fruits to reduce post harvest losses and spraying insecticides.

"We are here to demonstrate the rejuvenation of old gardens, which are about 57 years old, in a gradual way. We will be rejuvenating this orchard; we have four different manners (means), which we will be trying here. This is a test programme between three and seven years, which we will be following up in collaboration with the Department of Horticulture here," said Cliff love, an Israeli horticulture scientist.