2009 December 14 « Development news of orissa and India

Health programmes to be geared up in the underserved areas in Orissa

December 14, 2009 — IMC

Akhand in Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India

The health services in the underserved areas to be geared up through forgin effective partnership with civil society organisation. The emphasis would be laid on reducing maternal and child mortality along with controlling outbreak of epidemics and promoting family planning services. The decision cam to lime light in review meeting organised by Regional Resource Centre (Orissa) for Health and Family Welfare Dept, where activities of existing 20 NGOs (Mother, Field and Service) were reviewed. The meeting was held on 11th December 2009.

The review taken by Special Secretary, H&FW Dept Dr. Dussasan Muduli , Additional Director (PH), Dr. P. Sitaram, Joint Director (FW) Dr. Sarat Mohapatra, Joint Director , SIH&FW Dr. B. Mishra, Deputy Director, ( Malaria & Filaria) & RRC Cordinator Mr. Prasant Acharya along with Officials from NRHM etc. highlighted the impact made by NGOS in the Grassroot under served areas in health & sanitation activities within last three years. The programme also brought into table no. of innovations made by civil society organisations that aimed at making the healthcare services affordable, cost effective and easily accessible giving the marginalised a scope to access health service at door step. A sum of Rs 7.00 Cr was released to 18 MNGO and 87 Field NGOS in 22 districts out of which, around 6.06 Cr was spent. A large part of it was spent in RCH-II programme whereby mother and child care, adolescent health family planning are the key programme components.

It was decided that the MNGOs and FNGOs would be further involved in management of other disease control programme apart from the routine activities RCH services. Addressing the participants in the meeting Special Secretary Mr. Dussan Muduli Said” NGOs play a pivotal role in passing the health messages and programmes to the community in underserved area hence, their involvement should be emphasised in almost all the health programmes run by NRHM and different directorates.”

In the review meeting itself, it was decided that NGOS would be responsible for control and management of all types of diseases besides complementing and supplementing Govt run programmes. Action plan suggesting NGOS/ Civil Society organisation as well as CSR units would be prepared for next three years indicating a broad based involvement of NGOs in the programme.

Posted in Central Government, Economy, Government, National, press, Religion, world. Comments Off

1.05 lakh birds sighted in Bird census at Bhitarkanika National Park

December 14, 2009 — IMC

Rajesh Kumar Behera in Kendrapara, India

An estimated 1,05,949 birds ,including migratory feathered guests and residential avian species , have been sighted by the Bhitarkanika National Park authority in the annual bird census 2009 which was carried out in the water bodies of the Bhitarkanika National park and its nearby areas from 11^th December to 12^th December ,said P.K.Behera, the DFO of Rajnagar forest ( Mangrove ) and Wildlife Division.

According to Behera , this year 74 types water birds have thronged to the Bhitarakanika National Park, one of the abode of avian species .

The forest officials have used traditional method “Direct Sighting “ to count the avian species in the park. The wildlife researchers and ornithologists used spotting scope , binocular and cameras to count birds in the park ,added Behera.

To carry the annual census of birds , the forest officials formed 10 teams. The annual census of birds was carried out under the guidance of the DFO of Rajnagar forest ( Mangrove ) and Wildlife Division , the renowned ornithologists Dr. Gohar Abedin, Ramesh Jhankar , Suvendu Bhattacharya and Biswajit Mohanty, informed the Ranger of Rajkanika forest, Durga Prasad Sahu.

The shore bird species like sand piper, plover, ducks, goose ,heron, cormorants, spoon bill, egrate, have seen in the branches of mangroves trees in the dense of Bhitarkanika park areas at Barunei Muhana ,Chataka, Praharajpur, Bagagahan and Raitapatia ,said forest official sources .

According to Behera, the forest officials have also sighted some bird species which once again thronged this time too at National Park have been identified as Indian Skimmer, spoon Bill, pelican, Brahmin Ducks ,Avocet , Godwin, Pintail, painted stork, seagulls , tawny eagle, osprey ,Grey heron , Goliath Heron, coots , grebes ,jacanas, waders and Bar-headed Geese .

According to official sources, Avocet and common cute which is a winter migratory bird species generally comes from the cool places were sighted near Raipatia by the forest department during the census. Whereas Bar Headed Geese ,which comes from Ladakh ,were also been sighted by the forest department at Chataka .Similarly ,a horde of 206 Indian Skimmers were also sighted by the forest officials at Barunei .A flock of Brahmin ducks were also spotted by the census team at Raitapatia.

Some uncommon birds , which were earlier not sighted since last couple of years , have been sighted this time . The uncommon birds which were sighted by census team were yellow bittern , common coote, peagant tailed gacana , oriental planticole , Doulin Caspianton, ruff , curlew sandpiper , mallad, yellow wagtail, and common Shell duck .

Common Shell duck ,which generally found at Beluchistan ,were also sighted at Bhitarkanika during the census.

Notably, 1,01,293 birds ,including migratory feathered guests and residential avian species , were sighted by the Bhitarkanika National Park authority in the annual bird census last year ,said Behera, the DFO.

Birds fly thousands of miles to Bhitarakanika to escape the harsh winter in Siberia, Afghanistan, Iraq , Beluchistan ,northern Asia and some central European countries . They generally stayed in Bhitarakanika for about three months before starting their homeward sojourn from the heronry after nesting and breeding in the park.

Posted in people. Comments Off

Orthodoxical belief cost dear for a snake –bite person

December 14, 2009 — IMC

Rajesh Kumar Behera in Orissa, India

Though we are living in 21st century but the belief related to orthodoxy still rules the roost here in some of the remote villages in coastal districts. Such a case has come to the fore on Saturday, where the family members, being driven by orthodoxical believe, prostrated a snake bite person before Lord Akhandalamani temple at Iswarpur with an aim that the snake bite person would cure from the viper’s poison with the blessing of God.But , the viper bite person died after prostrating three days at the sanctum sanctorum of Akhandalamani. According to official sources, Blind credence manage to dominate in a coastal village at Iswarpur village under Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district where the family members of Chaguli Sahu, a resident of Iswarpur, who was bitten by a viper on last Thursday while he was catching fish near his agriculture field ,prostrated him at the sanctum sanctorum of 200-years-old Akhandalamani temple at Iswarpur hoping that with the blessing of divine power their Cahguli would cure from the viper’s poison. The family members allegedly by not providing proper medical treatment to the ill-fated Chaguli Sahu took him to the sanctum sanctorum for prostrating him before the deity . He was later treated with dhanda tulashi and paduka of the deity for almost three days and finally took his last breathe on Saturday inside the temple while he was prostrating . Later, the family members took the dead body of Chaguli sahu from the temple and buried him in the burial. The daily rites and rituals of the deity at Akhandalamani temple at Iswarpur was stopped on Saturday as the viper bite person died inside the sanctum sanctorum. Later , the temple authority purified the temple and the rituals once again commenced late in the night . According to family members of the deceased person, as there was an instance that a viper bite fellow villager ,sanatan Gahadai, was cured from viper’s poison after prostrating inside the temple in 1971, so taking the instance of Sanatan Ghadei ,the family members went to the shelter of the deity with an aim that their Chagali would also cured like Sanatan with the blessing of God.

Posted in Central Government, crime, Government, National, people, world. Comments Off

Trawler seized and 5 fishermen arrested in Marine sanctuary

December 14, 2009 — IMC

The Bhitarkanika forest officials, on Saturday, arrested at least five fishermen and seized a mechanized fishing vessel from their possession while they were catching fish illegally by entering unlawfully into the prohibited zone under Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary near Agarnasi, said Prasanna Kumar Behera, the DFO of Rajanagar Mangrove and Wildlife Divison..

According to Behera, while the forest officials were patrolling the sea within Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary to provide security to the endangered olive ridely sea turtle, they found fishermen were catching fish illegally by entering into the prohibited zone of the sanctuary with a fishing trawler. Later, the forest officials intercepted the fishing trawler and arrested the fishermen.

The arrested fishermen were the inhabitants of Ramnagar and Kharnashi village under Mahakalapada block .

The arrested fishermen were booked under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and are going to be produced before the JMFC Court of Pattamundai on Sunday ,informed the DFO.

Notably, the State Forest Department has imposed ban on fishing around 20 km off the shore from 1st November to 31^st May with an aim to protect the endangered marine turtles, which come en mass for laying eggs at Gahirmatha Marine sanctuary.

With the seizure of the trawler, the forest officials managed to seize five fishing vessels since November 1^st and arrested 26 persons on the alleged charge of fishing illegally after the forest official imposed ban on fishing activities inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary .