Benefits – Yes but Risk – No

This is the typical mind-set of any human being. Unless people learn to take a little risk - the level of risk which people always take at their workplaces or during traveling to the work places – no developmental work to improve the living conditions can take place in the country. The West Bengal government always remained anti-industry, causing the industrialists to shift their industries to the more obliging states.

Now, the agitation is to stop nuclear power plants coming in Haripur of East Midnapore. Every one knows that unlike fossil-fuel based thermal power plants, the nuclear power plants do not pollute the environment. Radiation dose received by population living around the plants get negligibly radiation dose. India has considerable expertise in managing nuclear plants safely. Then, why the resistance? The benefits out-weigh risks.

It looks it is only a political issue. The affected persons are likely to be rehabilitated; they will get jobs, get supporting small businesses and of-course the much needed electricity for developmental activities. Like Nandigram, story will be repeated at Haripur. It will again be loss to Bengal.

India leads - 140,000 road mishap fatalities in 2007

It is indeed shocking and shameful news for every Indian! Human error has been identified as the single largest cause of road accidents. There are very issues to be tackled to reduce this number. The very first reason is the procedure for granting driving license is not at all stringent. Other important reasons are: non-availability of immediate medical care to the accident victims due to red-tapism; use of mobile phones and earplugs while driving; improper road furniture, driving after consuming alcohol, inadequate traffic control measures, etc. Added to this, corruption is rampant in this sector.

The India government should take immediate measures to curb this trend and ensure road safety. There are too many vehicles on the city roads. Unless the existing laws are strictly enforced, the situation is not likely to improve. Who cares?

Swine flu in India – An update

As per the SIFY news quoting union health ministry, four new swine flu deaths, all of them from Maharashtra State, were reported this Sunday, taking the country's toll due to the contagious virus to 344. With these deaths, the toll in Maharashtra has gone up to 139, the highest among the states in the country. The state sees 7% rise in H1N1 cases in September. The medical officer (epidemic) of the state health services said that throat swabs of only severely ill patients are being tested for the virus since mid-August.

At least 164 fresh infections were reported taking the total number of cases in the country to 10,894. Among the states, Maharashtra has maximum number of cases with 3,024, closely followed by Delhi where around 2,800 people have been infected by the influenza A (H1N1) virus. A study carried out in New Delhi indicated that surgical masks are as good as the costly N95 respirators recommended for preventing the infection.

WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of data. As of 27 September 2009, worldwide there have been more than 343,000 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and over 4100 deaths reported to WHO. All pandemic H1N1 2009 influenza viruses analyzed to date have been antigenically and genetically similar to A/California/7/2009-like pandemic H1N1 2009 virus.

Everyone is waiting for an effective and safe vaccine to control the spread of the virus.