Friday, February 10, 2012

PANCHAAMRITAM 229

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Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Chennai

PANCHAAMRITAM 229

Pancha is five in Samskritam, Amritam is nectar

Poornima / Kali Yugaabda 5113 / Kara Thai 24 (February 2012)

 

ONE

A research project of the IIT-Madras promises clean drinking water at an affordable price to the poor. Researchers - Ivo Romauld, and C Ramprasad, - say their solution is so simple that every household can build its own unit. There are layers of blue metal (jalli stones), charcoal and sand inside a simple plastic barrel. A cheap plastic mesh takes out anything from particulate matter to dissolved substances to pathogens from the water and deliver water that is up to 98 percent pure, says Romauld. Though it may look simple, the project has taken over two years to perfect. The researchers say the water filter costs about Rs 700 to Rs 800 to make. "We have been trying the filter with slum dwellers at the Mylai Balaji Nagar near Pallikarani near Chennai (Tamilnadu, Bharat), who have no water and end up drinking unprocessed water from the lake. We have given residents of that locality 60 of these units at a highly subsidised rate. They can also make these if they want to, says Ramprasad. The research team has also developed a Rapid Water Testing Kit, which is equipped to run tests across 14 parameters for more than 50 samples. This kit costs less than Rs 4,000 a unit and has been distributed widely across Krishnagiri District. Based on a report by Shri Shyam Balasubramanian in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, February 8, 2012.

TWO

Om Prakash Yadav (11) pulled children out of a burning van He received burn injuries on his face, back and arms; he is still recuperating, hasn't received proper medical treatment and lost one year of school. But ask him would he put his life in danger once again if caught in a similar situation? 'Everytime,' Om Prakash says. The boy, a Class VII student and son of a Uttar Pradesh (Bharat) farmer, pulled out several of his friends alive out of a burning van, caring little about his own safety. On September 4, 2010, Om Prakash was going to school along with other students in a Maruti van. All of a sudden, the van caught fire because of a short circuit in the gas kit. The driver immediately opened his door and fled. But not Om Prakash. He broke open the van door and pulled out the others, caring little about the flames that had spread to his face, back and arms. He saved eight children. For his bravery, he has won the Sanjay Chopra Award. (This year (2012), 24 children - 8 girls and 16 boys – received the National Bravery Awards on the occasion of Republic Day. Om Prakash Yadav is one aming them). www.dailymail.co.uk

 

THREE

Driver K Shankar (29) and conductor S Mohan Kumar of Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus number 557, that plies between Broadway and Gummidipoondi (Tamilnadu, Bharat), found an abandoned bag next to the driver's seat. The two MTC crew opened the bag to find more than Rs 1 lakh in cash and receipts for Rs 1.5 lakh. They immediately handed it over to police officials at the Gummidipoondi SIPCOT police station. Bhoopalan (54), an employee working with a lorry booking office at Madhavaram bypass road, later approached the police and claimed the bag. Police said the 54-year-old man, who had worked throughout the night to get company orders, had boarded the bus. He dozed off in the bus and got down in the bus stop, leaving behind his bag in the vehicle. After realising that he had left his bag behind, he had taken another bus to follow the vehicle in which he had left his bag. Based on a report in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, February 4, 2012

FOUR

Traffic head constable Shri K Ravi (38) - attached to Aminjikarai traffic police wing (Tamilnadu, Bharat), had just reported for duty at 6 am on January 31 when local residents rushed to him telling him that a man had slipped and fallen into the Cooum river near the `Skywalk' bridge and was shouting for help. On arriving at the spot, Ravi found a man sinking fast into the muddy water. Only his eyes and teeth were visible. Realising that he too would sink if he stepped into the water, Ravi picked up a Casuarina log lying nearby and extended it to the drowning man. But the fall had left the man with a fractured hand and hip. Ravi then attached a hook to one end of the log and tugged at the man's shirt. and slowly pulled him out of the water. But half way, the man's clothes were in tatters. Divesting him of his shirt and lungi, the rescue team then placed him on gunny cloth and carried him to the bank. Asking the local women for water, Ravi washed him, but not well enough it appears. The paramedics of `108' emergency services, summoned by him, refused to transport the victim to the hospital as he was dirty. So he fetched more water and washed him again and the locals gave him clothes to wear. The victim then identified himself as Prabhu, a mason of Vyasarpadi. He claimed that he had been walking near the bridge and slipped and fell into the river because of poor visibility due to foggy conditions. Mission accomplished, Ravi found his pristine white uniform and arms covered with mud, but the locals did not seem to mind, as they vied with each other to shake hands with him. Based on a report by Smt R Guhambika in THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS, February 1, 2012.

FIVE

Indian cricket team's opening batsman Shri Gautam Gambhir (Delhi, Bharat) has pledged to donate his body to a private hospital in Delhi through 'Gift a Life' initiative supported by Apollo Transplant Institutes. "I hereby pledge to donate my kidney, heart, liver, pancreas, small bowel, eyes, lungs and tissues after my death," Gambir said at the launch of an organ donation website - www.giftalife.org supported by Apollo Hospital on November 11, 2011. Gambhir also pointed out that having donated the organs, one feels very happy and the entire family will be happy for being a part of this noble cause. The talented opener, who recently entered wedlock, is on a mission to create awareness about donating organs, to his family members and fellow cricketers and how the deed is going to help people in future.  Compared to other nations, India has the lowest donation rate of 0.1 per million population pointing out the desperate need for creating awareness in India. www.thatscricket.com/news/2011/11/12/gambhir-first-cricketer-to-donate-his-organs.html

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