Jamshedpur: In its continued efforts to fight against Covid-19, Tata Steel handed over 300 oxygen concentrators to the Jharkhand government on Thursday.

The oxygen concentrators were handed over to Arun Kumar Singh, additional chief secretary, state health, medical education and family welfare department by Sanjay Mohan Srivastava, chief resident executive of Tata Steel, Ranchi.

The oxygen concentrators were imported from US and China.

An oxygen concentrator is a medical device that concentrates oxygen from ambient air. It helps in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.

Arun Singh thanked Tata Steel for their support to the state and said that the steel major has always come forward for such social causes and is working closely with the government to reduce the impact of Covid-19 pandemic in the state.

Health department officials said the oxygen concentrators donated by Tata Steel would be used in government hospitals and Covid care centres.

Besides other initiatives to combat Covid-19, Tata Steel has been collaborating with the state government for augmenting medical facilities and augmenting supply chain of liquid medical oxygen in the state.

(Pinaki Majumdar)

Activists fast against pollution in Jharia

Dhanbad: Around 12 social workers and environmental activists of Jharia on Saturday observed a day-long fast and sat on a symbolic protest at Children’s park of Jharia against the apathetic attitude of authorities toward the glaring state of affair of pollution.

The programme convened by environmentalist Akhlaque Ahmad began at around 9 am during which the speakers spoke at length about the need to take emergent steps to control pollution in Jharia.

Talking to The Telegraph Online, Ahmad said,“On one hand rampant mining is being carried out by over two dozen private contractors on behalf of BCCL are polluting the environment while Dhanbad Municipal Corporation which is entrusted with the task of implementing measures for controlling pollution under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is sitting idle.”

“Though, several steps like plantation on road side, green walling of town, dust sweeping etc has been planned under the NCAP to reduce the pollution by 30% by 2024 and a fund around Rs 104crore has also been allocated to DMC by Central Pollution Control Board but none of these steps are in site and resultantly there in no improvement in the pollution and rather it is deteriorating day by day,” said another environmentalist Manoj Singh who carried out plantation of more than five thousand saplings in different colonies of over the last one decade under banner of NGO, Green Life.

“None of instructions given to BCCL during the meeting of June 2019 are being followed as a result of which more than 8 lakh residents of Jharia town and its adjoining localities are having serious health repercussions in form the breathing related diseases like, Bronchitis, Ashthama and even Tuberculosis,” said Singh.

Echoing his sentiments, an old timer of the town Murari Sharma who is also a noted industrialist said, “we can’t remain a mute spectator to the pollution caused due to the unorganized mining activity of BCCL and will be compelled to file petition in court demanding steps to control pollution.”

(Praduman Choubey)

Monitor lizard causes panic among villagers

Monitor lizard in a house in Hazaribagh on Saturday. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar

Hazaribagh: A monitor lizard on Saturday entered the house of a resident inTatijharia block sparking fear among villagers who confused it with an ant eater and then called it a dinosaur.

Forest department was informed about it which rescued the animal. Officials said they will release it in the forest.

(Vishvendu Jaipuriar)

Child theft at Chatra Sadar hospital

Anisha Khatoon in police custody. Picture by Vishvendu Jaipuriar

Hazaribagh: A woman named Anisha Khatoon was caught while fleeing with a newborn from Chatra sadar hospital on Saturday morning.

Anisha is a resident of Kalyanpur village of temple town Itkhori.

Officer-in-charge of sadar police station, Luv Kumar said they had taken Anisha in their custody and they are trying to know as why she stole the baby from Chatra sadar hospital.

Sources said a resident of Rajachak village under Rajpur police station was admitted at Sadar hospital where she gave birth to a baby boy on June 1.

On Saturday morning, Anisha took the new born boy sleeping with his mother out of the mahila ward and disappeared.

Woman was soon caught and boy was recovered from her.

Anisha is married to one Iqbal Ansari and has three daughters.

(Vishvendu Jaipuriar)