The Observer An IIJNM publication
People of East Midnapore, shifted ahead of Yaas, fear the spread of Covid-19 in relief centres | P 6
Vol 20, Issue 22
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
In K’taka, there is little clarity on what essentials are
Tough to cope
By Nidhi Kajaria
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In the current lockdown, the Karnataka government has allowed the interand intra-state movement of only essential goods. | Courtesy: Unsplash E-commerce platform operators said the Karnataka government has not defined essential goods clearly, causing them losses. Ritik Varma, who also handles the operations of Momeaze, an online shopping website of Cloudnine, informed The Observer: “Some items which should come under essential items are still not being stocked up as vendors are having trouble with logistics.” According to a Mint article,
@theweeklyobserver Epaper:https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver/docs Website: http://www. theweeklyobserver.in
Cricket umpires in India are facing a loss of income due to suspension of matches, leagues | P 3
Lockdowns disrupt logistics, hit biz of e-comm cos, vendors estricted logistics because of Covid-19 lockdowns has affected the business of ecommerce platforms and vendors. Ritik Varma, assistant marketing manager, e-commerce operations, at the Cloudnine Group of Hospitals, informed The Observer: “We aren’t getting goods from vendors on time. We have large operations in Karnataka and mostly all vendors are unable to facilitate products as there is... restricted movement due to the lockdown curbs imposed.” In the current lockdown, the Karnataka government has allowed the inter- and intra-state movement of only essential goods. Naveen, a vendor who handles logistics for Mombo, a chain of stores for baby/mom products, said they are unable to procure goods from manufacturers because movement is not easy.
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Amazon recently requested the Delhi government to allow delivery and inter- and intra-state movement of all products. Apart from this, companies are asking the government to expand the scope of non-essentials. “Even if the goods delivered come under the category of essential goods, the delivery is still delayed. The recent cyclone in Gujarat affected a lot of our orders in the state,” Varma shared.
l How are we supposed to keep an easy flow of goods to e-commerce platforms with all these statewise lockdowns? – Nandita Durai, co-founder, Yellow Rabbit l We had hoped to sell products online..., but that seems impossible as there very strict restrictions in some states. Ravi Agrawal, owner of a supermarket l Even if the goods come under the essential category, their delivery is delayed. – Ritik Varma of Cloudnine hospitals Logistics firms and supply chains around the world, have been affected due to Covid-19.. An official of Sky Packers & Movers, a logistics company based in Delhi informed: “A halt to manufacturing, low demand and supply, and lockdowns have reduced demand for logistics, which will result in downward pressure on prices of warehousing, freight & logistics.” Continued on page 6
News Briefs Yaas intensifies, to cross coasts as storm on May 26
Yaas is likely to cross the OdishaWest Bengal coasts around noon on May 26 as a cyclonic storm with wind speeds of 155-165 kmph, Kolkata's Regional Meteorological Centre Deputy Director Sanjib Bandopadhyay said.
Blinken in Israel,aims to shore up truce in Gaza
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel as part of a Middle East tour aimed at shoring up the Gaza cease-fire. Blinken, is the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Israel since President Biden assumed office.
Govt. to open 143 Khelo India centres in 7 states
The Sports Ministry has decided to set up 143 Khelo India centres across seven states with a total budget of Rs 14.30 crore in its bid to nurture talent at the grass-root level.
Jayant Chaudhary takes over as new RLD prez Jayant Chaudhary was on Tuesday appointed as the new president of the Rashtriya Lok Dal according to a party statement. His elevation to the post comes following Ajit Singh’s demise
US Oly participation in doubt, other Govt to auction securities to fund Covid fight, pet plans nations could increase medal tally By Nidhi Kajaria
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he US State Department’s official advisory to its citizens to not travel to Japan may affect the 2021 Olympic Games as the US has the largest participation in Olympic Games. Olympics followers believe that a restricted US participation might give other nations a chance to win many more gold medals than they would otherwise win. The advisory was issued after the Center for Disease Control warned American citizens and said travellers should avoid all travel to Japan. Even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading Covid variants, stated a Level 4 Travel Health Notice for Japan. “Now that there is a high possi-
Olympics 2020 were postponed due to Covid. | Courtesy: Unsplash bility that the American athletes might not participate in the Games, the gates for other countries... are open,” said Vishrut
Arora, who has been following the Olympics for the past 12 years. The advisory stated that if American citizens are travelling to Japan, then they should get fully vaccinated before travel. A public health expert from AIIMS, Delhi, said that for some vaccines, the gap between doses exceeds 80 days, and this might affect athletes who have not taken a single jab. “Even if they get it now, the next dose will be due in August/September and the Olympic Games start on July 24. So it’s a crucial situation,” she informed The Observer. She believes that taking more than 10,000 athletes to a country where the number of cases is rising might create havoc. Continued on page 2
By Dhruv Raghav New Delhi: The Union Government has decided to auction government securities worth Rs 26,000 crore to raise funds for its pet projects and Covid-19 relief. According to a press release, ‘The Government of India has announced the Sale (Re-issue) of (i) ‘4.26 percent Government Security, 2023’ for a notified amount of Rs 3,000 crore (nominal) through the price-based auction, (ii) ‘5.85 percent Government Security, 2030’ for a notified amount of Rs 14,000 crore (nominal) through price-based auction, and (iii) ‘6.76 percent GS 2061’ for a notified amount of Rs 9,000 crore (nominal) through price-based auction. GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to Rs
6,000 crore against the above security/securities.” The auctions for these securties will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India on May 28. Ankit Jain of Ankit R. Jain Associates Chartered Accountants informed The Observer: “The government sells its securities when they need funds. We know that there is a Central Vista project going on in Delhi, which is estimated to be completed by 2022 and, there is a need of funds for Covid relief as well, like oxygen plants. The securities that are going up for auction are worth Rs 3,000 for 4.26 percent GS 2023 and Rs 14,000 for 5.85 percent GS 2030. The liability of this financial burden is likely to fall on the government that follows.” . Continued on page 5
CITY
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Demand for homemade food rises in Rourkela Some give both the meals; or four meals
The do-Gooders Gurdwara Sri Arjun Devi gets more than 1,100 orders for one time l Mission Rourkela sends free food to home-quarantined people and patients l Mom’s Homely Foods has a variety of items to choose from on payment l
By Ashutosh Acharya Rourkela: Homemade food delivery services in Rourkela are witnessing high demand from home-quarantined people during the second Covid wave. Gurender Singh from Gurdwara Sri Arjun Devi, which provides free langar for homequarantined people, informed The Observer: “We get more than 1,100 orders for just one time. Earlier, we used to make food at home, but now as the demand for food has gone up, we had to shift base to the gurdwara.” The gurdwara provides only lunch and dinner to home quarantined people from all over the town of Rourkela. Satyajit Sarangi from Mission Rourkela, a non-profit organization that provides homemade food to Covid-19 patients, said: “We receive 100-120 orders every day, not only from home-quarantined people but also from people admitted in hospitals all over Rourkela.” Mission Rourkela provides food free of cost only two times a day. “We have a slot when people can order food for lunch and dinner. For lunch, you have to order food between 10 am and 11 am; and for dinner, you have to order between 6 pm and 7 pm. We get more orders for dinner than we do for lunch,” Sarangi shared. Apart from food, Mission Rourkela also supplies other es-
News Quiz 1.Which country has proposed global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%? 2.Who developed DIPCOVAN, an antibody detection-based kit? 3.What is the name of the campaign launched by India and UNICEF to engage young people address Covid crisis? 4.When is the ‘World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development’ observed every year? 5.Who organised global health summit where Rome declaration was signed? Answers on page 6
Words of the day Dither- A state of being undecided Epithet-Phrase used to describe something or somebody Accruds- Increase over a period of time Abjure- To reject solemnly Sprightly: Having a distinctively piquant taste Rhetoric-The art of effective speaking, which is often consid-
People are providing food free od cost as most of the food delivery chains do not have any presence in Rourkela | credit Mummy Mo sentials and other medical requirements, including oxygen cylinders, for the patients.Since the organization has very few members – some of whom have tested positive for Covid-19 – they take orders they can cope up with. That is why they cannot serve breakfast. Suravi Panigrahi, who runs Mom’s Homely Foods, said: “Even though we started our food-delivery service recently, we are getting more than 50 orders every day since the onset .” Mom’s Homely Foods provides breakfast, lunch, supper and dinner on payment. “As other homemade food delivery services mostly provide only lunch and dinner, a higher number of people order breakfast from here in comparison to lunch and dinner,” Panigrahi said. It has a variety of items people can choose from, including north Indian and south Indian food. On average, it gets 20-25 breakfast orders daily from these people .
Kanchan Agarwal, president, Rotary Club of Rourkela Queens, said: “We were delivering free food for Covid patients in most places in Rourkela a few weeks back, but now are focusing on delivering food to patients and staff at Vesaj Patel Hospital. We deliver only lunch and dinner….” Asked why they stopped delivering food, Agarwal said: “We are providing other facilities like free autos and cabs for patients and their families at different hospitals in the city. We also procure and provide medical services and other essentials to people. Also, as other organizations have taken up delivering free food for Covid patients, we decided to focus on other essential things.” Taking into account the situation. A complete lockdown till June 1 is in place in Odisha. All eateries are closed for dine-in, and most of them do not have a presence on Swiggy and Zomato. Also, as travel restrictions are in force, it is impossible for relatives of home-quarantined people to deliver food to them. In a scenario like this, homemade food services are the only hope for some people. ashutosh.a@iijnm.org
Only 4.4 % of the Japanese citizens have received a dose Continued from page 1 ccording to Reuters’ global tracker, only 4.4% of Japan’s population has received at least one vaccine dose, making it the slowest vaccination rate among the world’s wealthiest countries. The US, with a staggering 1,022 medals, has the highest number of gold medals in the Olympics. According to an article in abcNEWS, Japan had in April declared a third state of emergency due to Covid. The state of emergency is expected to stay till May 31, but the Associated Press reported that officials are warning that the situation is still not under control. As reported in India today, the head of emergency medicine at OMPUH, Akira Takasu, said that the Olympics should be stopped as he thinks that the system has failed to stop the inflow of Indian variant which was first found in India and that can be easily
A
The state of emergency is expected to stay till June| Freepik spread as per WHO's research." However, as per reports by ET, there is no indication that the 2021 Olympic games would be cancelled. The IOC has even gone ahead and conducted trial runs of various events. The International Olympics Committee, which was wrapping up its final planning session with Tokyo Olympic organizers, has repeatedly said that they are going to go ahead with the game. nidhi.k@iijnm.org
The Observer Tuesday, May 25, 2021
College gets barber on campus as a step to curb Covid-19 Dr Prabhakar Bhimalapuram is the chairperson of the Campus Health and Medical Committee set up by the International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, to oversee the efficient running of health clinics on campus. Recently, the committee undertook the responsibility of fighting against Covid to safeguard students on campus. It took the unusual measure of getting a barber on the campus to prevent the students from going out. The Observer interviewed him to get an insight into the Covid fight. Excerpts from an interview with Dhruv Raghav What was the catalyst for the decision to provide a barber? Everybody is sacrificing something or other because of the pandemic. In this case, the students have had to sacrifice their favourite barber to get the haircut of their choice or the freedom of mobility. The previous batches have moved around freely, to the campus gate and beyond, but we had to close everything down because of the pandemic. So we decided that the inconvenience the students are facing can be avoided by getting everything inside the campus. The authorities came up with the idea of not just providing a barber to the students, but also to maintain their hygiene and other necessities. So we got a barber …. We have also brought in other facilities so the students do not go out and contract the virus. We started allowing online delivery services, like Grofers, BigBasket and Amazon. We told them that the barber won’t give them the haircut they want…. This leaves no reason for them to wander outside. Things that were not seen on the campus can be seen now. That was the point.
Observer interview Are there any students on campus? Yes, a few students are on campus. The semester started in January and ended in the last week of April. We finished grading them and completed other formalities by the end of the semester. So, after the semester got over, we asked our students who do not have any academic work to go home. We had only allowed 330-350 students to join us for the semester. Now there are about 100 students who have stayed back. During the pandemic, we reduced the number of students as we thought 300-350 would be the number of students we will be able to… take care of. If a student did not have any on-campus research commitments or other academic work, he was asked to leave. How many have tested positive? From the start of the semester, 25 hostel residents have tested positive. This was spread across the semester. Fortunately, we did not have a Covid cluster like many other institutes had, so we did not shut down. Fortunately we did see limited infections at the time and it didn’t make us shut downt
Dr.Prabhakar Bhimalapuram '''The authorities came up with the idea of not just providing a barbar to the students, but also to maintain their hygiene and other necceeities, so we got a barbar... We have also brought in other facilities so that the students don’t go out and contract the virus'
the institute for the entire time. What is the procedure if a student tests positive? We have three blocks of buildings that are dedicated to quarantine zones. Students who tested positive were asked to move to these buildings to isolate themselves. We have been sending essentials, like food, to them there, where the students are isolating themselves while they are infected. Why have some students stayed back on the campus? A few of them had an unfortunate incident which is why they couldn’t go back. Otherwise, the students who have stayed back are mainly research students who have decided they will stay back to complete their research work which can’t be done from home. Things related to hardware and other facilities are not accessible from their homes. The students who have decided to stay back have to be endorsed by the faculty adviser that they need to be on the campus. The strength of IIITH is 1,900. We have about 1,100 under-graduate students, 350 post-graduate students and 450 PhD students. Have the students been compliant with the new rules? Mostly the students have been very cooperative. They understand the situation. Hence, they have been following all protocols. This has come at the cost of freedom. They have let go off their freedom to a lot of things which has resulted into this.
SPORTS
The Observer Tuesday, May 25, 2021
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Covid-19 hits income of cricket umpires Umpires with part-time work are less affected
Umpires in jeopardy l All tournaments have been suspended and I have been sitting at home for the past two months. April, May and June see a lot of school tournaments, but nothing is happening this year. For the second year running, my earnings have dropped. - Sanjay Gupta, a full-time umpire from Pune.
By Abhishek Saini
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ricket umpires across India are struggling to make ends meet as matches and tournaments are suspended due to lockdown restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “All tournaments have been suspended and I have been sitting at home for the past two months. April, May and June usually see a lot of school tournaments, but nothing is happening this year. For the second year running, my earnings have dropped,” Sanjay Gupta, a fulltime umpire who officiates in Pune, informed The Observer. Surya Sampath, an umpire who officiates in Chennai, said: “How will I get work if all tournaments have been cancelled? I do not work anywhere else and I am unemployed at the moment.” The impact of suspension of matches has been less on umpires who do part-time work or have other sources of income. “I am lucky I have a job with an MNC. Since I’m not getting work as an umpire, my earning has dropped by approximately 25%,” informed Gajendra D.R., an umpire from Bengaluru. Nibhrit Vij from Hyderabad said: “I only umpired on the weekends. I have another job, so
Cricket boards across the country have had varied responses to umpires’ demand for financial assistance. While a few boards have extended some sort of financial help to umpires, others have not. | Credit: ECB I have not been affected as badly.” Umpires who were looking to appear for accreditation of various cricket boards have also been impacted as the exams for the same have been deferred. “I need to give the exams of the district cricket association. By doing that, I’ll be able to officiate in all district matches. But because of the pandemic, the exams have been postponed till June,” said Sampath from Chennai. Gajendra shared a similar story. “I want to become a fulltime umpire. I had planned to give the KSCA exams this year, but no notification has been released by the board till now.” Facing a financial crunch, the
umpires have turned towards state associations to lend them a hand during the pandemic. “I had hoped that Pune’s district cricket association would help me, but no one has come forward and helped me,” said Sanjay Gupta from Pune, Maharashtra. Cricket boards across the country have had varied responses to these financial demands of umpires. While a few boards have extended some sort of financial help to umpires, others have not. “We do not have umpires employed with us under contracts. We have no panel of umpires. Therefore, we could not help anyone who needed help in Chandigarh,” said Manjit Singh, head of
operations, Union Territory Cricket Association. The situation is a little better in Karnataka. The Association of Cricket Umpires Karnataka has successfully implemented schemes to help its members. K. Murugasundaram, treasurer of the Association of Cricket Umpires Karnataka, informed The Observer: “We extended interest-free loans to anyone who needed monetary help. These loans will be repaid only once the state sees a full domestic season.” The Karnataka State Cricket Association had also extended loans to umpires who were in the need of financial assistance.. Apart from cricket associations,
Poor quality of boats, mud in middle of course leave Chandigarh rowers unhappy Length cut by 600m; rowers feel neglected By Abhishek Saini Chandigarh: Poor quality of boats and reduction in the length of the course is affecting the training of rowers at the Lake Sports Complex here. “There is a cluster of mud that has come up in the middle of the course. This has reduced its length by close to 500 metres,” said Rajat Rajput, a rower at the Chandigarh complex. Another rower, Sukhdeep Singh, informed The Observer: “Previously, one of our courses was given to the forest department to create a shed for migratory birds. The alternative course which has been given to us has a piece of land blocking it. Also, the water in the course is dirty.” Chandigarh, Bhopal and Pune are the only three cities in India having international-standards rowing courses, of 2,200 metres length. However, the course in Chandigarh is now approximately 1,600 metres long.
Chandigarh has a rich history in the sport of rowing. | Credit: CRA Another problem faced by rowers at the Lake Sports Complex is the lack of good boats. “We have low-grade boats which are manufactured in India. All competitions across the globe use faster, lighter boats. This heavily impacts our performance in competitions, and affects our chances to win,” said Singh. Rajput, who has trained at Pune’s rowing facility, claimed that better boats are used there. “I trained in Pune for a couple of months in 2018. They have better-quality boats available with them. This gives their rowers an advantage over us,” he added.
The coach at the Lake Sports Complex, Deepak Singh, explained how the training of rowers is affected at a shorter course, using boats of a lower quality. “The boats we use, and the standard boats used everywhere else have a basic design difference. They have a different seat elevation. Seat elevation makes a huge difference on the technique of a rower. Apart from this, standard-quality boats last longer and are quicker in water.” About the course length, Singh said: “The last 200 metres in rowing are extremely important as they require more effort to get a strong finish. The endurance of rowers is set accordingly. Training at a shorter course, rowers struggle to build an endurance level that is fit for a 2,000-metre race at competitions.” The Chandigarh Rowing Association, which is responsible for training rowers at the club, has raised these issues with the sports department multiple times, but got no help. “I have written multiple letters and spoken to authorities, but all my requests and complaints have fallen on deaf ears,” informed Rajiv Sharma who is secretary, Chandigarh Rowing Association.
“The sports department has ignored our demands for long. In 2009, our rowing tower was destroyed in a fire. It has not been restored till now. Recently, one of our boat sheds was converted into a gym. It is surprising to get such treatment from the authorities when we have produced so much talent over the years.” Krishan Lal, district sports officer, Chandigarh, said: “Not all boats are of bad quality. Work is in progress to get more boats for the Lake Complex, and replace the old ones. Since this is a project requiring heavy costs, the process is taking a bit longer. But it will be done very soon.” Asked about the poor maintenance of the course, Lal said: “I am not aware of any such issue.” Chandigarh rowing is reputed for producing talents like Pooja Sangwan, Gurpreet Kaur and Manjit Singh who have represented India at Olympics, Asian Games and several other international competitions. The Lake Sports Complex has hosted events like the Asian Rowing Championship in the past. What remains of it today has left the city’s rowing community displeased and unhappy. abhishek.s@iijnm.org
l How will I get work if all tournaments have been cancelled? I do not work anywhere else and I am unemployed at the moment. - Surya Sampath, an umpire officiating in matches in Chennai, who plans to give his umpiring exams in June. veteran umpires have also come together and created a pool of funds to help other umpires. Former international and ICC umpire Shahvir Tarapore said: “Me and a few other senior retired umpires got together and extended financial help to those who were struggling with bills. We also helped other match officials like scorers.” Boards have started online training for umpires to help them upgrade their skill during the pandemic. However, umpires across the country are hoping for financial help till the normal playing season resumes. abhishek.s@iijnm.org
Citizen’s voice Docs who fell to Covid deserve martyr status
Baba Ramdev and his followers calling allopathy a “stupid science” is disdainful. Doctors who lost their lives fighting Covid-19 should be accorded the status of martyrs. The debate on the efficacy of allopathy versus ayurveda in the midst of a pandemic will not help anybody. It goes against the basic tenet of the Constitution, which says citizens should have a scientific temperament. Nishant Kumar
Raids on Twitter show how low BJP can stoop
Recently, the Delhi police raided Twitter’s offices in India, days after a top BJP leader's tweets regarding a toolkit were flagged as misleading. This shows how the Centre wants its agenda to be followed by everybody. The BJP wants its members to get away with spreading fake news and propaganda. Ashutosh Acharya
Centre discriminates against West Bengal
Another discriminatory move by the Modi government has allocated Rs 600 crores to Odisha and AP ahead of cyclone Yaas. But for Bengal, the relief funds are only Rs 400 crore. CM Mamata’s allegation that West Bengal is deprived of funds seems legitimate. Abhishek Dutta
COVID IMPACT
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The Observer Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Covid death surge brings coffin shortage
Shortage of raw material worries manufacturers
Post-death protocol After a Covid death in a hospital, data must be sent to three government officers l The hospital seals the casket, which nobody is allowed to open l Covid victims must be buried immediately, not kept inside the house l In case of a Covid death inside a house, the family must inform a PHC l
By Queeneerich K Shilong: Owing to increasing Covid-19 deaths, there is a shortage of coffins in Shillong. Shortage of raw material used to make the coffins has compounded the situation. Ubalari Shylla, the owner of Dorema Coffins, informed The Observer: “We sell 10-15 coffins and make three coffins in a day, numbers which have been escalating with the increase in Covid deaths. It is difficult to get raw material as most of our items come from Delhi. During the lockdown, we are neither able to place orders nor receive order. We have been using door handles instead of handles designed for caskets as we are out of stock.” Dorema Coffins has only six employees. They have to follow the protocol of social distancing and deliver coffins at the front door wearing PPE kits. They are not allowed to enter homes where people have died of Covid. Apart from coffin handles, another worry Shylla has is that he might run short of lining material used in coffins. He does not know when he will receive the material. Garden Furniture owner Joblin Kharjana said: “We have made more coffin deliveries to hospitals than deliveries at home. We have received more orders for coffins
Accessibility of raw materials has beecome difficult owing to the lockdown imposed by state governments across the country | Courtesy: Pexels that cost Rs 4,000, which is the starting rate of coffins in my shop. There seems to be a communication gap with the government as we have still not received our car pass even though we have got permission to open our store during the lockdown. Being stopped at every checkpoint can delay our deliveries.” “We were able to stock up on raw material, hence we will be able to sustain the demand of coffins for the next couple of months,” Kharjana added. On April 20, the Meghalaya health department cautioned that unless people strictly obey Covid
Statewise Covid-19 stats
protocols, they would have to queue up in front of hospitals, burial grounds and crematoriums. “Imagine this: You’ll have to wait in a line for funeral, you’ll have to wait in a line for cremation, we’ll run out of rooms in hospitals, and no one can volunteer to support…,” Dr Aman War, director of health services, said at a joint press conference with medical specialists. “So obey the directions we have provided strictly.” Dr Papia Chakraborty of Woodland Hospital, Shillong, said: “It is mandatory for a Christian family to bring their own coffin to the hospital for them to be able to
take the body home. The hospital seals the casket, which is prohibited for anyone to open. As the Khasi people’s ritual of keeping the body in the house for three days has been prohibited in case of Covid deaths, they have to immediately bury the body. Coffins that leave hospitals must be placed outside houses. In a unique circumstance, the family has to write for permission to the magistrate to keep the body for more than 24 hours.” Hospitals allow families to claim the bodies of Covid patients after they are registered at the Shillong Municipal Board.
States to get 19k more vials of drug for black fungus
By Mahitha Owk
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n Tuesday, Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers D.V. Sadananda Gowda announced an allocation of additional 19,420 vials of Amphotericin-B to the states and Union territories. Besides these 19,420 vials of Amphotericin-B, on May 21, 23,680 more vials of the drug were allocated to the states and Union territories. Amphotericin-B, an antifungal medication, is seeing a huge demand due to an increase in Mucormycosis cases, also known as black fungus, in the country. Gujarat has been allocated the highest number of vials as the state has become a hotspot for Mucormycosis, followed by Andhra Pradesh and Maharash-
tra. These three states account for 60% of Mucormycosis cases in the country. Dr Lavanya B.R., a general physician, said: “Black fungus is not something new and it does not just affect Covid patients but it can affect anyone who is on steroids with low immunity.” The drug is a very common medication, she said, just like paracetamol for fever. However, they are variants in black fungus which affect different parts of your body like the eyes, nose, brain and lungs. Maharashtra and Delhi have been reporting an acute shortage of Amphotericin-B drug. If the cases keep increasing, experts say, India may need a lot more of Amphotericin-B drug than it has now. mahitha.o@iijnm.org
After every Covid death in a hospital, data have to be sent to the magistrate, the district health officer and the deputy superintendent of police. In case of a Covid death inside a house, the family must inform a PHC. The body can be handled only by personnel from the Municipal Board. An organization called Seng Khasi is providing low-quality coffins to poor families. Fr Pascal Lyngdoh, parish priest of Laitumkhrah, Shillong, said: “Church priests use PPE kits for funeral services in Covidrelated cases. We have been conducting funeral services outside houses. Before reaching, we ask the family members to identify a place to conduct the service far away from the casket. In extreme situations, we contact the Social Service Centre of the Archdiocese. With the government permitting only 15 people to attend funerals, services held at graveyards are attended by only a few family members.” queeneerick.k@iijnm.org
Judge against changing system that helps Apple The judge who will decide a case challenging Apple's stranglehold on its iPhone app store indicated on Monday she would like to promote more competition but without dismantling a commission system that reaps billions of dollars for the technology powerhouse. US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is not likely to issue a decision until this summer. But she opened a window into her thoughts during a threehour session with lawyers for Apple and its adversary, Epic Games, during the final day of a three-week trial in Oakland, California.
Uttarakhand: Vaccination for 18-44 group paused Amid reports of vaccine shortage in various states and districts, Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh town on Tuesday also halted the vaccination drive for the 18-44 group citing shortage of adequate vaccines. The Chief Medical Officer (CMO) informed that while there still is stock left for vaccination of people above 45, vaccination for the 18-44 group will only resume after they receive vaccines. "We have 7500 vaccine doses for 45 years and above. We will resume vaccination for the 18-44 age group as soon as we receive vaccines," he said.
NATION
The Observer Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Cyclone fells mango trees in Gujarat, brings farmers agony Normalcy will take years to come, they say By Nishita M. Agath
M
ango farmers in Gujarat are having a hard time as cyclone Tauktae has caused severe financial losses by destroying a large number of trees. Bhima Odedara, a farmer at Valsad, said: “The harvesting season of mangoes begins in April, and the month of May is considered a peak season. The season had just begun, and the cyclone ruined everything. Forget mangoes; the main issue is that trees got uprooted. Out of a total of 100 mango trees at my farm, 70 got uprooted. It will probably take six years to grow them again.” Savdas Kana, a farmer at Ramgadh, said: “80% of our mangoes were yet to be plucked. We will incur huge losses. Only rains might not have resulted in such a situation. Heavy winds caused much damage. There are around 1,000 mango trees at my farm. It took more than 12 years to cultivate this farm. Now I am clueless about how to manage everything.” “Mangoes are cultivated as children, and the trees take a much longer period to grow as compared to other crops. Hence, bringing it back to the normal condition might take several years,” Kana added. Ramesh Desai, a farmer at Gir,
The peak mango harvesting season has been severely affected by the Tauktae cyclone in Gujarat | Credit: Nishita M. Agath said: “Normally we start to pluck mangoes after Akshaya Tritiya. By the end of the season, we usually make profits in lakhs. However, this time we aren’t even sure about earning in thousands. The damaged mangoes will be sold cheap.” As a result of the farmers’ losses, customers have no other choice but to pay more. Bharti M, a customer, said: “Owing to the destruction caused at farms, the prices of mango have gone up steadily. A week ago, it cost Rs 60 per kg. Now it has increased to Rs 125 per kg. Also, the quality of mangoes has deteriorated.” Spoilt mangoes that fall from the trees cause a reduction in sellers’ incomes. Ram Trivedi, a seller, said:
“The farmers sold their mangoes in bulk quantities. I altogether received 50 kg of mangoes. Gusty winds and heavy rains caused the mangoes to fall from trees, resulting in losses. If the mangoes don’t get sold within a week, I will have to bear the loss or else they will get spoiled. Sales are already down due to Covid-19. The cyclone is further contributing to our losses.” Made Rana, who rented a mango farm, said: “We do not have any option but to sell all the mangoes that fell from trees. However, customers don’t buy damaged mangoes. This will affect our sales and result in reduced incomes.” Agricultural scientists had warned the farmers about the impending weather conditions.
By Ashutosh Acharya
T
he number of people vaccinated in the age group of 18-44 under Phase 3 of the vaccination drive crossed 1 crore on May 24. A statement by the ministry of health and family welfare said the number crossed the 1 crore mark with more than 12.5 lakh people vaccinated on May 24. The ministry had, in a statement on May 23, said that the Centre had provided more than 21.80 crore vaccines both through free of cost category and direct state procurement category, of which only 19.9 crore doses had been consumed. On May 23, Bihar and Karnataka restarted the Phase 3 vaccination drive, while it has been halted in Maharashtra and Delhi due to a shortage of vaccines. After two days in Phase 3 vaccination drive, Bihar had to shut down vaccination due to a shortage. Now it stands second in the
More than 19 lakh of 18-44 age group have taken the jab | Courtesy KPN list of the people vaccinated in Phase 3 with more than 13 lakh people in the 18-44 age group years vaccinated, while Rajasthan tops the list with more than 14 lakh people successfully taking their first jab till now. More than 19 lakh people in the age group of 18-44 years old have taken the jab in the last two days, taking the total vaccination figures in Phase-3 to 1.18 crore, which increased from 13 lakh people getting vaccinated from
May 20 to May 22. Now, the total number of people vaccinated in India, including Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the trials, stands at 19.84 crore as of May 24. With Delhi running out of vaccines, and Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, floating global tenders for the procurement of the vaccines, the vaccination drive cannot yet be called a success. ashutosh.a@iijnm.org
Twitterati Talk @RahulGandhi #CyclonYaas is moving towards Bengal and Odisha from the Bay of Bengal. I appeal to all congress workers to provide all assistance ensuring safety of those affected. Please follow all precautionary measures.
@kaushikcbasu Cross-country youth unemployment data are alarming. There are two ways to react to this. South Korean response: Admit mistake and make policy correction. North Korean response: Reject the data. Let’s hope India put the politics aside and opts for the former.
@bhogleharsha I feel genuinely sorry for people who think a change in the spelling of their name will cause life to lay out a red carpet for them.
@mitalisaran
Reminder that the buildings being destroyed for the# CentralVista, and all their contents, belong to the public, and the public was not consulted.
@YusufDFI Can @MEAIndia state India's position on Belarus hijacking an international flight to arrest a blogger?
@SushantSin China Passed the 500 milliondose vaccination milestone mark on Sunday as the country pushes on to inoculate 40% of the population against the coronavirus by June 30.
RBI will conduct securities auction in electronic format Continued from page 1 s the government takes money from the market there will be fluctuations in the market. This will impact the reverse-repo rate (interest rate at which RBI borrows from other banks), which will likely increase. In the future, the government would try to reduce this rate in order reduce its liabilities,” added Ankit Jain Parag Gupta, CA and professor at RKG Institute, said: “Governments usually issue such notifications when it is in need of funds, so it borrows. In this case, the decision coming at this hour seems to be taken to raise funds for Covid relief.” The auctions will be held in the electronic format. Bidders have to file their bids on the RBI Core Banking Solution or E-Kuber system on the day of the auction. Both competitive and non-competitive bids will be accepted but in the allotted time slots. For non-competitive bids the slot is 10.30 am to 11.00 am and the competitive bids will be
A
Courtesy RBI
More than 1 cr in 18-44 age category have got shots: Govt
Dr C.K. Timbadiya, a senior scientist at Krushi Vigyan Kendra, said they had advised farmers to pluck as many mangoes as possible and sell them at an early stage. The mango farmers experienced a loss of around 60 per cent. Western Gujarat’s villages that were not hit by the cyclone experienced other difficulties. In Gir, Junagadh and Valsad districts, Tauktae led to uprooted trees and power cuts. Mayur Bhogesara, a farmer from Bhokhar, said: “We had green gram in our farms that was yet to be reaped. Following alerts of rain, we harvested it 15 days early. Moreover, we worked continuously for 72 hours to harvest green gram, fodder, and other crops in our farms. Additionally, we shifted our essentials like documents, clothes and foodgrains to pucca houses due to the fear of the cyclone. Our areas weren’t affected by the cyclone.” Sunil Patel, a farmer from Bhavnagar district, said: “The cyclone has affected crops like bajra and green gram sown in our fields as we had to harvest them early. However, the damage is less than that at farms that got affected by the cyclone. The harvesting of unripe crops may lead to around 30 per cent losses.” Devshi Nagdev, a Khapatbased farmer, said: “Migrant labourers left last month. With the help of neighbours and family members, we shifted essentials to safer places. Our farms weren’t as badly affected as mango farms.” nishita.a@iijnm.org
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accepted till 11.30 am. The results of the auction will be announced on the same day and successful bidders have to make the payment by May 31. Post-auction, 5 per cent of the securities’ notified amount will be allotted to the successful bidders. The release added: “The Securities will be eligible for “When issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2018-19/25 dated July 24, 2018, as amended from time to time.” dhruv.r@iijnm.org
NATION
WB evacuees fear Covid spread in relief camps They have been provided masks and sanitizer By Abhisek Dutta Kolkata: The fear of being exposed to coronavirus is troubling people who are being evacuated from West Bengal’s low-lying areas to safe camps ahead of the cyclonic storm Yaas. Chakradhar Sahoo, who lives in a mud house at Dihibirkul village of East Midnapore district, shifted to a relief camp at a multipurpose cyclone shelter set up by the local gram panchayat. His family of five people has taken shelter in the camp. “All of us here are wearing masks and using sanitizer all the time, but maintaining physical distancing here is next to impossible,” he informed The Observer. Brajesh Pradhan, along with his family that includes his ailing mother, has taken shelter in a camp organized by Haldia-II gram panchayat 7 km away. He had to leave behind his five cows in his mud house.
“To get a proper shelter was so inevitable that we couldn’t think about the risk of Covid-19. However, masks and sanitizer have been given to us,” Pradhan said. Ashish Giri, who is in charge of the multipurpose cyclone shelter, said: “We have taken necessary precautions, providing them masks and sanitizers. The actual capacity of this centre is around 400. But due to the pandemic, we have reduced it to 200.” Debashish Tala, a resident of Contai, East Midnapore, did not go to any camp. He and his family have taken shelter in one of his relative’s house. “During cyclones usually we take shelter in the nearest primary school. But Covid cases are so high that I didn’t want to take the risk.” Dipak Sahoo lives just 200 metres from the seashore of Mandarmani, a tourist spot. As there are no tourists in hotels, the local body has set up shelters there. “I am too worried to go there. Still waiting. If the situation turns very bad, there will be no option,” Dipak Sahoo said. According to the India Meteorological Department, East Midnapore district affected by the cyclonic storm. To minimize casu-
alties, NDRF teams have been deployed in coastal villages. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced the evacuation of at least 10 lakh people across the state. The police and administration of East Midnapore are evacuating people to safer places due to the cyclone. Kunal Barnabas, a sub-divisional police officer of Contai, said: “Almost 80 per cent evacuation was done by May 24; the rest will be done today. In every camp, masks and sanitizer are available.” This time, more camps have been set up than the usual to ensure physical distancing. Anupam Bera, an employee of Haldia-II gram panchayat, said: “We have set up 13 camps across the panchayat area which will accommodate at least 550 people. All camps have masks and sanitizers.” State government has set up a war room at the Lalbazaar police headquarters, to oversee to all operations in the state. According to IMD’s forecast, Yaas is expected to acutely affect the Bengal coast after crossing north of Odisha as a very severe cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 155 kmph to 165 kmph. abhisek.d@iijnm.org
The Observer Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Restricted logistics delay delivery of goods by 7 days
Small vendors and home grown business owners affected by logistics problems | Courtesy : Unsplash Continued from page 1 andita Durai, co-founder of Yellow Rabbit, an online clothing platform for babies, said: “The pandemic has accelerated the growth of e-commerce platforms, but how are we supposed to keep an easy flow of delivering goods to e-commerce platforms with all these statewise lockdowns?” Problems with logistics have affected big players, small vendors and homegrown business owners. Ravi Agrawal, who owns a supermarket in Patna, said his business had come back on track in February 2021, but after the second wave and due to “improper” lockdowns, it has been affected again. “We had hoped to sell products online through ecommerce platforms, but that seems impossible as there are very strict restrictions in some of the states for delivery.” However, some owners of busi-
N
Nurses in Bengal are using cannulas to divide oxygen between covid patients Method comes handy during shortage of O2
HOW THEY DID IT lThe
nurses removed the earpods of a stethoscope and formed two channels
By Abhisek Dutta
lBut
since stethoscopes are too costly, they took an inexpensive nasal cannula
N
urses at the Bolpur super specialty hospital in West Bengal have found a unique way to provide oxygen support for two critical Covid-19 patients from a single oxygen cylinder and regulator. Madhurima Saha, a staff nurse of the hospital, informed The Observer: “Somewhere I heard that it was possible but never saw it. This situation of lack in oxygen pushed me to find a way out.” Saha and her colleagues are using nasal cannula to form two different channels for oxygen flow. First, they tried the technique with a stethoscope. They removed the earpods of the stethoscope and formed two channels. The method worked well. The patients gave positive feedback. But stethoscopes are too costly to be used for dividing oxygen flow into two for the patients. “In search of a cheaper way, I took a nasal cannula which costs less than Rs 200,” Saha added. Doctors gave the method a green signal. According to them, saving a patient’s life is the ulti-
lDoctors
cleared the method, saying saving a patient’s life is the ultimate goal
Process to provide oxygen to two Covid-19 patients by using the cannulas | Courtesy: Madhurima Saha mate goal, not the process. Dr Sayan Mishra, who treats Covid-19 patients at the ESI Hospital, Manicktala, Kolkata, said: “This is indeed a good idea to treat mild to moderate cases because more than six litres of oxygen can’t be supplied through nasal cannula.” He ruled out the
chances of infection in this. Priya Dutta, a staff nurse at the Bankura Sammilani Medical College, did not apply any such process. However, she believes that this can be effective for critical patients if oxygen cylinders are scarce to provide to patients. “As those nasal cannulas are
not sterile, there is a chance of infection. But nothing is more important than life. When we do not have enough oxygen supply, this is really effective in emergency situations,” said Dutta. Saha informed The Observer that the method is effective only when both patients have almost the same oxygen level. To successfully implement the technique, the hospital is using it on patients with the same oxygen level to covid-19 patients. Owing to the second wave of Covid-19, India is facing a shortage of oxygen cylinders and regulators for covid patients. There have been multiple news reports, from across the country, about the death of covid-19 patients due to shortage of oxygen to provide to the patients. abhisek.d@iijnm.org
nesses selling non-essential goods said there isn’t a problem if the quantity of goods is small. Shanu Agrawal, Founder of Altration India, an online clothing brand, said restricted logistics is a problem, but her company hasn’t faced problems in getting products delivered in every state. “Our orders in Chhattisgarh have not been delivered yet, and in some states, there has been a delay of seven days.” According to Ken Research, India’s e-commerce logistics industry is expected to register a positive five-year CAGR of 23.6% in terms of revenue during the period FY 2020 to FY 2025. Changing shopping patterns, increasing requirement of fast delivery services for goods, and use of AI, big data analytics and block chain technology are expected to play a major role in the growth of the logistics industry. nidhi.k@iijnm.org
Quiz answers 1. US 2. DRDO 3. YoungWarrior 4. May 21 5. G-20 and European Commission
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