Disaster Awareness

At 10°C, it’s coldest Jan day in 10 yrs

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 00:55:00 +0000

Mumbai: The city witnessed the coldest January day in the last decade—and probably in the last fifty years too—when the mercury levels dipped to 10 degree Celsius on Sunday morning.

    Santa Cruz recorded 10 degree Celsius on Sunday. The earlier lowest January temperature was 10.2 degree Celsius, which was recorded in the year 2008. The lowest minimum of January ever recorded in the city's history was 7.4 degree Celsius on January 22, 1962.
    Sunday's temperature may well be the lowest after the January 1962 record, but it cannot be established due to lack of data between 1962 and 2002.
    The Santa Cruz temperature was six degree below normal on Sunday, the Indian Meteorological Department said. "The minimum temperatures fell by six degree in 24 hours," said V K Rajeev, director of weather forecast at IMD, Mumbai. On Saturday, the minimum temperature at Santa Cruz was 16 degree Celsius.
    Although Colaba recorded a minimum temperature of 16.6 degree Celsius on Sunday, even the maximum temperatures dipped to 26.4 degree Celsius and 26.8 degree Celsius in Colaba and Santa Cruz respectively—more than two degree lower than on Saturday. 'This may be one of the coldest winters in the city'
Mumbai: The city witnessed the coldest January day in the last decade on Sunday morning at 10 degrees Celsius.
    Earlier this month, the temperatures in Santa Cruz had dipped to 11 degree Celsius. With Santa Cruz recording low temperatures all through the season, this winter may well be on its way to become one of the coldest winters in the city.
    According to the weather bureau, the sudden fall in temperature may be due to a combination of weather disturbances in the northern plains of the country. "A western disturbance is fast approaching the northern parts of the country," said Rajeev. A western disturbance is an extra-tropical storm or a low pressure system, which originates in the Mediterranean sea and moves eastwards. This causes rainfall in Iran, Pakistan and India and snowfall in some parts of India.
    "Apart from that, there is an upper air cyclonic system, which is active over the central area of the country. A combination of these has brought about another cold wave in the country," he said. The cold in the north is carried southwards because of the strong winds. "Strong northerly winds are bringing the cold towards the city," Rajeev said.
    The city can expect the weather to remain chilly at least for the next two-three days, the weather bureau has said. "For the next two days, the minimum temperatures can be expected to hover between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. Once the western disturbance passes over the north of India, the temperatures in the city too will return to normal," he said.

The lowest minimum temperature ever recorded in the city in January was 7.4 degree Celsius on Jan 22, 1962

Technology makes life difficult for pickpockets

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:46:00 +0000

Fewer Cases Reported In Mumbai & Navi Mumbai But There Is An Increase In Chain-Snatchings

Amiddle-aged sales executive looks sharp as he steps out of the bank and walks briskly towards the taxistand. From his body language, a gang of three pickpockets easily guesses that the 'maal' (cash) is kept in his front, left trouser pocket, as his left hand constantly pats that

area. In less than 20 seconds, his pocket is picked, as two of the men distract him while the third 'kalakar' (artiste) commits the crime.
    The scene could very well have been in the Bombay of the 1980s and '90s, when credit cards and debit cards were rare. Today, the sly and wily crime of 'pocketmaari', which has existed since the Dickensian days of Oliver Twist, is on the decline in the metropolis.
    In 2011, only 10 cases were registered by the Navi Mumbai police, while 172 chain-snatchings were recorded.
    The same year, in the larger Mumbai police jurisdiction, 162 cases of pickpocketing were registered, while 1,666 chain-snatchings were reported.
    "The biggest reason for pickpocketing cases to drop is people switching to plastic money,'' said Mumbai's joint commissioner (crime) Himanshu Roy. "We have learned this during the interrogation of pickpockets. Earlier, people would carry large amounts of cash in wallets. Now, cash is carried in smaller quantities, only for conveyance or to buy a snack. Finding ATM cards in a stolen wallet is not such an attractive option for pickpockets,'' added Roy.
    Roy said it doesn't mean pickpockets have reformed, as they have taken to other forms of crime–like stealing spareparts of automobiles and chain-snatching.
    A crime detection official from Navi Mumbai reasoned: "Today, the market rate of gold is over Rs 27,400 per 10 gm, so it is much more lucrative for criminals to snatch a gold chain and flee, instead of learning the difficult skill of pickpocketing.''
    He added that of the 10 cases of pickpocketing in Navi Mumbai last year, seven took place in public transport buses, while three were in crowded places.
    A veteran 'chindi chor' (minor thief) from Kurla who earlier dabbled in pickpocketing, commented: "Besides ATM cards, we nowadays avoid stealing expensive smartphones as their original owners can easily trace the items. Technology has made life difficult for us thieves!''
Surge In Motor Vehicle Thefts
    In 2010, Mumbai police recorded 179 cases of pickpocketing. Figure decreased by 9% in 2011; only 162 cases were registered
    Compared to decline in pickpocketing in Mumbai, there was a surge in motor vehicle thefts; 1,540 four-wheelers and 2,606 twowheelers were stolen in 2011 in Mumbai. In 2010, 1,160 four-wheelers and 2,506 two-wheelers were stolen. In fact, surging figures of vehicle theft have prompted police to plan a cell to solve only such cases
    In Navi Mumbai, crime graph for pickpocketing remained almost same in 2010 and 2011, with 10 cases. Most were in crowded buses
    Compared to these low figures of pickpocketing, motor vehicle thefts in Navi Mumbai were high; 913 cases were registered in 2011
    In 2010, there were 1,004 cases registered in Navi Mumbai
Lingo and Code Words
Machine/kalakar: Main person who picks pocket Thekebaaz: Assistants of 'machine', they distract victim Thole log: Policemen Sauda: Wallet Peela: GoldKauwa: Mobile phone Ek Gaj: A Rs 100 currency note Takla/Patta: Rs 500 note Thanna: Rs 1,000 note Master/ustaad: Person who teaches tricks of the trade (known as Fagin in English, due to the Charles Dickens novel, 'Oliver Twist')

New study blames the current cold conditions in the capital on pollution that forms 'cool islands' in the city

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:28:00 +0000

The uncharacteristic chill and ever-sliding minimum temperatures across north India, and even parts of south India, are making everyone 'chatter'.

Here's why! The continued spell of cold may be indicative of unusual weather conditions, besides being a byproduct of the growing pollution in urban areas.

For the third successive day on Friday, Delhi experienced one of the coldest days this winter with the day temperature falling six degrees below normal to settle at 14.6 degrees Celsius.

Army soldiers huddle together in the morning chill in the Delhi yesterday

Thick snow covers streets and street properties in Dalhousie

The minimum temperature was recorded at 4.5, three degrees below normal and down from Thursday's 4.8 degrees Celsius. The coldest day this season was recorded earlier this week, when the maximum temperature had dropped to 14.5 degrees.

While the weatherman said frequent and strong western disturbances were causing the persistent cold spell, a new study by the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) revealed that the Capital was experiencing a peculiar phenomenon of 'cold islands' formation.

This development, caused during winters due to air pollution, may be aggravating the cold wave conditions. Using the satellite and solar radiation data collected between November and December for four years beginning 2007, the study discovered that the city's day temperatures were lower due to the formation of 'cool islands'.

Trains and cars had to battle the conditions high up in the hills of Simla

The weather did not stop these men crossing the waters of the Jhelum River

Tourists in the capital were forced to wrap up while sightseeing

40 hosps found violating fire safety norms

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:11:00 +0000

Mumbai: In an audit conducted after the Kolkata hospital blaze, the fire department has found that 40 hospitals in the city lack basic fire safety equipment.

    Of the errant hospitals, 75% are private. The department also found four government and six BMC hospitals violating fire safety norms. Notices have already been issued and the hospitals are expected to comply within the next two months.
    The fire department has found six major deficiencies in the hospitals which have been served the notice. Most hospitals have been found using LPG cylinders upstairs for canteen and laboratory purposes. While the fire safety norms mandate that there should be adequate free space, in its inspection, the department found corridors blocked with stretchers. An essential fire safety item – fire extinguishers and other fire fighting installations – were not found in most hospitals. Signswere not displayed properly. According to the fire department, most highrise hospitals have not appointed fire safety officers, who play an essential role in monitoring and maintaining fire safety equipment.
    Beyond the six general observations, the fire department has also sent individual notices to all errant hospitals, highlighting the deficiencies in each one of them. Chief fire officer H N Muzawar told TOI, "We have inspected 67 hospitals. Almost all the hospitals had common problems like lack of proper passageway, no fire safety equipment. The hospitals have been asked to comply with all the deficiencies highlighted. There is no particular time period, but they would be expected to comply within the next two months."
    Pramod Lele, CEO, Hinduja Hospital said, "We haven't received any such notice as yet. We do have all the fire safety equipment in place."
    In an internal survey of city civic hospitals conducted just after the AMRI inferno, the fire department had found that all 16 hospitals had violated fire safety norms — ranging from missing or defunct safety equipment to storage of inflammable material in the basement, which fuelled the AMRI hospital inferno. The three major hospitals — KEM, Sion and Nair — did not have effective fire-safety apparatus. Staircases were found locked, electric wiring unsealed, and lifts out of order at Nair Hospital. The basement at Sion hospital was found to be used for offices and storage of scrap, while KEM Hospital's internal firefighting system was not functioning.
'No candidates for fire safety officers'
    The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Safety Act mandates that the owners of hospitals with building height more than 30 m should appoint a dedicated fire officer.
    According to the fire department, several hospitals have complained that it was not possible to appoint fire safety officers as there aren't enough qualified candidates. Hospitals have demanded that the fire department provides them with the fire safety officers, which the latter has rejected.
    Chief fire officer H N Muzawar said, "Hospitals have been saying that they cannot appoint fire safety officers as there aren't enough qualified officers for this post, but it is not possible for us". ew hospitals, however, denied making such requests. For instance, Col B Khemani of Jaslok Hospital said they already have a fire safety official. Sources from Kokilaben Ambani Hospital at Andheri, too, said that they have fire safety guards to take care of contingencies. None of the public hospitals have fire officers.
    Most city hospitals claimed they have not received any notice from the BMC but have initiated measures on their own. The spokesperson from a leading south Mumbai hospital said the hospital, through an internal audit, found they did not have any signs on the premises. "That was immediately fixed," the senior official said.— Shawan Sen & Sumitra Deb Roy

Health scare as TDR-TB cases rise in city

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:43:00 +0000

Mumbai: There could be more than 12 cases of the new and deadlier form of tuberculosis, Totally Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis or TDR-TB, in the city. JJ Hospital officials and a private doctor said they are treating patients suffering from TDR-TB.

    JJ Hospital dean Dr T P Lahane confirmed that they have identified two patients suffering from the new strain of TB and who have been under treatment since 2003. No city lab can certify TDR-TB
Mumbai: City doctors may have identified fresh cases of new strain of tuberculosis with JJ Hospital and private doctor confirming that they are treating patients suffering from Totally Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis or TDR-TB.
    "We have two cases of TDR-TB. They had stopped taking the primary course after a few months of being detected. They then developed resistant strain. This happened twice to each of these patients,'' JJ Hospital dean Dr T P Lahane said.
    Meanwhile, Dr Yatin Dholakia of the Maharashtra State Anti-Tuberculosis Association said that he had found TDR-TB in a patient two years ago. "The girl improved for a few months but left the city when her aunt could no longer afford the treatment,"' he said.
    A few months ago, he identified the new strain in another woman. "She has localized lesions in her lungs and could improve after surgery, but no doctor is as yet willing to operate on her," he said.
    However, it is not clear if these cases are the same that were included in the study done by the Hinduja Hospital at Mahim, and published in an international medical journal last week.
    Doctors in Bangalore, too, said that they have identified cases of TDR-TB.
    Hinduja Hospital doctors, led by Dr Zarir Udwadia, identified the new strain in 12 persons—10 from Mumbai, one from Ratnagiri and one from UP— since October 2011, of which one patient has died.
    "No Mumbai laboratory can certify TDR-TB," said Dr S C Gupta, director general, state health services, But he said Union government officials would come to Mumbai next week to study the cases. BMC to trace patients' kin A fter a joint meeting between the state and civic officials, BMC additional municipal commissioner (health) Manisha Mhaiskar said the BMC would set up teams to trace families of the 12 patients identified with TDR-TB. "Also, since the JJ Hospital's newly set up TB lab is the only lab in the public sector, we decided to start taking up to 20 samples per day instead of 10,'' said Mhaiskar. TNN

LUXURY LINER RUNS AGROUND IN ITALY

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 12:39:00 +0000

DISASTER AT SEA: The luxury cruise ship Costa Concordia leans after it ran aground off the coast of Isola del Giglio island, Italy, on Saturday. At least three people were killed and over 70 were missing after the ship with more than 4,000 people on board keeled over. The ship was on a trip around the Mediterranean when it apparently hit a reef near the island of Giglio on Friday

65% of the milk you drink may be adulterated: Study

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Samples Across India Fail Govt Test

New Delhi: Beware, your daily glass of good health could actually be doing you harm. As much as 100% of milk samples picked up in parts of the country by a government agency failed to conform to standards.

    In a 33-state-and-UT study conducted by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), not a single sample tested met the prescribed norms in West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Mizoram. Other prominent states fared just a shade better. Around 89% of the samples tested from Gujarat, 83% from Jammu & Kashmir, 81% from Punjab, 76% from Rajasthan, 70% from Delhi and Haryana and 65% from Maharashtra failed the test. Around half of the samples from Madhya Pradesh (48%) also met a similar fate.
    Only in Goa and Puducherry did 100% of the samples tested conform to required standards.
    Of the 71 samples randomly taken from Delhi for testing, 50 were found to be contaminated with glucose and skimmed milk powder
(SMP), which is usually added to milk in the lean season to enhance volumes. Elsewhere, milk was found adulterated with detergent, fat and even urea, besides the age-old practice of diluting it with water. Across the country, 68.4% of the samples of milk were found contaminated. 68% milk samples fail quality test
    States with comparatively better results included Kerala, where 28% of samples did not conform to the FSSAI standards, Karnataka (22%), Tamil Nadu (12%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.7%).
    The samples for testing were collected randomly and analyzed from 33 states and Union Territories totalling a sample size of 1,791. These were sent to government laboratories for testing against the presence of common adulterants such as fat, neutralizers, hydrogen peroxide, sugar, starch, glucose, urea, detergent, formalin and vegetable fat. Just around 31.5% (565) of the total samples tested conformed to the FSSAI standards while the rest 68.4% (1,226) failed the test. Detergent was found in 103 samples (8.4%). "This was because the milk tanks were not properly washed. Detergents in milk can cause serious health problems," an FSSAI official said.
    The non-conforming samples in rural areas numbered 381 (31%) out of which 64 (16.7%) were packet milk and 317 (83.2%) were loose samples. In urban areas, the number of non-confirming samples were 845 (68.9%) out of which 282 (33.3%) were packed and 563 (66.6%) were loose. The most common adulteration was that of fat and solid not food (SNF), found in 574 (46.8%) of the non-conforming samples. This is because of dilution of milk with water. The second highest parameter of non-conformity was skim milk powder (SMP) in 548 samples (44.69%), which includes presence of glucose in 477 samples. Glucose would have been added to milk probably to enhance SNF."The study indicates that addition of water to milk is most common adulterant," the report said.
Times View: This only confirms that food adulteration is common in India. Even milk, consumed primarily by children, isn't spared. What's particularly worrying is the kind of substances used to adulterate, including toxic chemicals. This shows that the trade off between the risk of getting caught and the 'reward' of huge profits is skewed heavily in favour of the latter. The government must focus on raising the risks to the adulterator. One way of doing this is by hiking the penalty, including making it analogous to attempt to murder in extreme cases. It's equally important to regularly check foodstuff for adulteration and ensure speedy trials.

Pollution rise 'worsens' South Asia's winter smog

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 03:28:00 +0000

Experts say the smog problem is becoming increasingly serious

In Bangladesh, India and Nepal the temperature has plummeted and clouds of fog and smoke hang in the sky blocking sunlight for several days.

Normal lives have been affected with many flights diverted and suspended and trains delayed because of low visibility.

Experts say they have noticed that the intensity of smog has grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains in the last few years, leading to increased impacts.

"Since 1990 onwards, there has been increase in the number of [smog-affected] days in northern India," says BP Yadav, director of the Indian Meteorological Department.

"It is not a linear trend showing an increase every year. There are, of course, year-to-year fluctuations.

"But there are more years that have seen dense fogs."

Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology director-general Keshav Prasad Sharma agrees the issue of smog is becoming increasingly serious in the plains in southern Nepal bordering India.

"Until 10 years ago, we did not have such dense fog for long durations like we have these days," he says.

"Although the 10-year period is too short for statistical trends, it is indeed being seen as a major issue now."

"Start Quote

At times, all means of transport come to a complete halt because of zero visibility "

End Quote Iqbal Habib, Bangladesh Environment Movement

Some are also investigating whether the conditions can be linked to health problems in parts of the region. Although widely reported as the direct effect of a cold wave, medical professionals say deaths and illnesses are often related to respiratory diseases.

"None of our patients died of hypothermia," says senior consultant physician Gaurang Mishra of a regional referral hospital in south-eastern Nepal where dozens of people have been reported to have died during the last three weeks that saw many smoggy days.

"They mostly suffer from chronic pulmonary obstructive disease that is caused by burning of wood and cow-dung cake and pollution from industries and vehicles, mainly during winter season."

The number of such patients, particularly children and elderly people, is also in the rise in Bangladesh.

"But it is not just about people's health in our country," says Iqbal Habib of the Bangladesh Environment Movement (BAPA). "At times, all means of transport come to a complete halt because of zero visibility and all walks of lives are affected.

"The working hours come down to as little as four hours a day."

Vehicles are regular sources of pollution, but there are many others

Experts say besides regular sources like vehicles, industrial factories, power plants and dust from gravelled roads, air pollution in some areas in Bangladesh is getting worse because of fast increasing numbers of brick kilns.

Some studies have shown that they account for around 40% of air pollution in and around the capital Dhaka.

"Since we have a sustainable economic growth rate, we need more bricks and the number of brick kilns is going up day by day," admits Monowar Islam, director general of Bangladesh's Department of Environment.

"We know the situation is becoming serious but it is not alarming.

"We have been demolishing unauthorised brick kilns and have been implementing the World Bank-supported clean air and sustainable environment project through which we patronise new technologies that reduce air pollution."

Just like in Bangladesh, India also sees lots of constructions during winter as this is the dry season before the region gets monsoon rainfall preventing such works.

"Construction works too are major contributors for the smog in this season as they lead to more pollution in the air," says the Indian Meteorological Department's BP Yadav.

That is in addition to pollutants from energy sources.

Energy demand

In its World Energy Outlook 2010, the International Energy Agency said: "India is the second-largest contributor to the increase in global energy demand to 2035, accounting for 18% of the rise."

Scientists say pollutants and aerosols in the air enhance condensation of water in the atmosphere causing dense smog.

"The more pollutants in the air, the denser the smog," says Keshav Prasad Sharma at Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. "In some Nepal-India bordering areas, smog blankets can be seen from early evening."

When such blankets of smog block sunlight, sending temperatures down, people make fire from wood, cow-dung cake and hay to warm themselves and that creates more air pollution which leads to denser smog.

Scientists say the real trouble is that smog during winter cannot escape to the upper atmosphere as it can during other seasons, because of meteorological conditions.

"During winter, the cold air that blows towards the southwest from the northeast tends to push the boundary layer (the layer of atmosphere closest to the Earth surface) low," William Lau, deputy director for atmospheres at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Center told BBC News.

"As a result, all the pollutants get trapped in the boundary layer that is pushed down to as low as one kilometre from the Earth's surface while it is more than five kilometres away during other seasons.

"The cold wave becomes severe because of this local trapping of the aerosols and other pollution that block off the solar radiation and create very unhealthy air in this part of the world."

400-crore BMC plan to tackle flooding zones

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:47:00 +0000

Mumbai: In a bid to tackle the growing sewage problems in the western suburbs, the BMC is all set to unveil its Rs-400 crore project proposal under the Mumbai Sewage Disposal Project Stage II for Zone 5 (Malad, Borivli, Dahisar). By preventing theoverflowof sewage in low-lying areas, the project aims to improve the condition of 48chronicflooding spots.

    Additional municipal commissioner (projects)Rajiv Jalota said, "The population density in this region is growing. We need to treat the sewage generated from these areas." Congress corporator Rajendraprasad Chaube said, "This project is going to change the face of the entire area. It will tackle chronicflooding spots."
    The civic body has planned a slew of measures for the project.A new1,200 mm sewer line willbelaidfrom thejunction of SN Dube Marg and Western Express Highway to Dahisar bridge. The proposed sewer linewillbeconnectedto a 1,800 mm sewer lineon thewestside of the WEH.
    The BMC proposes to lay another 1,800 mm diameter sewer line from Kandarpada junction at Link road to Vallabh Nagar pumping station. This part of the project is expected to improve chronic flooding spots atAvdhutNagar, Vaishali Nagar and Dahisar check naka.
    A civic official said, "Increasing the capacity of sewer lines is not enough. We need to look at pumping stations as well as the outfall. This project addresses allsuchconcerns."
    The BMC aims to upgrade thecapacity of theVallabhNa- gar pumping station. The capacity of the existing sewer lineof 1,800 mm diameter from Don Bosco School, Borivli, to the Malad pumping station will be increased to 2,200 mm diameter on a priority basis. Theexisting sewagetreatment plant at Malad will be also be upgraded. Currently, the existing plant only performs preliminary treatment of the wastewater,whichinvolves removing grit and rubbish from the sewage. This plant is set to be upgraded to an advanced Waste Water TreatmentPlant.
    Earlier, sewage from the Malad pumping station usedto be discharged into the Malad creek. After the plant's upgradation, the sewage will be discharged 4 km into the Arabian Sea through the Erangal outfall. Water currents near Erangal outfall runs north to south which will help dilute the wastewater which aidsthe natural processof purification.
    But activists are skeptical. Activist Navin Pandya said, "The city is going from bad to worse. None of the BMC projectshavehad a positiveeffect."
    (With inputs from JohanFleury)
Fact Check
STATUS OF PROJECT |
Tenders invited
COMPLETION YEAR | 2015-16
EXPECTED TO BEGIN |
JANUARY 2012
FLOODING SPOTS | 48 (Malad, Dahisar, Borivli and Kandivli)
WORK INCLUDES | Increasing capacity of sewer lines and pumping stations, installing a waste water treatment plant and improving channel for the outfall

Mumbai police checks security preparedness Top city schools flunk terror test

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:25:00 +0000

While Dhirubhai Ambani school got an 'average' rating, Podar's security was found to be the 'worst'

Some of the city's top schools have failed to clear an anti-terror preparedness test conducted by the Mumbai police, triggering fears they could be vulnerable to a suicide bombing or a 26/11-like attack.

    The test, a questionnaire about the schools' security apparatus followed by an inspection, was carried out following an intelligence input about the possibility of terrorists targeting elite schools.
    While schools such as Cathedral and John Cannon School, Campion School and St Mary's School in south Mumbaiwere rated the safest in this audit, Dhirubhai Ambani International School (DAIS) and Podar International School were rated 'average' and 'worst' respectively.
    According to sources in Mumbai Police's Protection and Security Department, which conducted this drive, the decision to do a security audit of schools was taken right after the Cricket World Cup when Commissioner Arup Patnaik stressed on improving security at all vital installations.
    Both DAIS and Podar, sources said, have not responded to several reminders from the police about the security measures necessary at the institutions.
    "There were alerts that terrorists could target some of the city's schools where kids of VVIPs study. We started a drive to identify schools where children of corporate head honchos, politicians, Bollywood superstars and top police officers study. We also included schools that were near other vital installations. In all, we found 25 schools that needed our attention," said an officer from the department.
    Around the same time, the Ministry of Home Affairs had also issued security guidelines for schools and this was made the yardstick on which the schools' safety was measured. The guidelines say that every school must have a high perimeter wall with fencing and should keep only one gate open for entry and exit for both vehicles and people.
    The guidelines also says that every school should have a security officer, like there are in hotels, in-charge of overall security. The school should have a network of CCTVs with a control room where every activity in the school should be monitored constantly. Frisking of every person entering the premises was also recommended among other measures.
    Around four months ago, the Protection and Security Department began sending letters to all the 25 schools asking them to furnish details on their security set up. At the same time, the department started an informal audit of the security measures followed by these schools.
    "Very few schools replied to our first letters and we had to send two to three reminders to elicit any response. After four months, we have received replies from 15 schools, while 10 schools have completely ignored our repeated reminders," said another officer involved with the drive.
    Of all the schools that replied, sources said, Cathedral and John Cannon School, St Mary's School at Mazgaon and Campion School were found to have adhered to almost all security measures. "Cathedral and St Mary's even have a security officer, a rarity in other schools," said the officer. Other schools that replied included Army School at Colaba, Arya Vidya Mandir School at Bandra and Juhu, Bombay Scottish School at Mahim, GD Somani Memorial School at Cuffe Parade and American School at BKC. "We were pretty satisfied with the security at these schools," said the officer.
    Among those who did not cooperate with the police were Podar Education Complex that includes RN Podar School and Podar International School at Santa Cruz; Dhirubhai Ambani International School at BKC, Don Bosco School; and Gopi Birla School at Walkeshwar.
    A spokesperson for Dhirubhai Ambani, said that they had always accorded high priority to matters concerning safety and security arrangements. "We have always extended full cooperation with the State and city authorities on various aspects and are committed to offering the best security for the school and its premises."
    An informal audit at these schools revealed that while the Don Bosco schools did well and Gopi Birla and DAIS fared average, Podar School was the worst. "It is like a ticking bomb. Hardly any security measures are in place at this institution. They have not even bothered to reply to our suggestions," said the officer.
    Anvita Bir, the principal of Podar school, meanwhile, said that she wasn't aware of any letter or police inspection. "Only our security staff will be able to answer these questions," she said. Bir, however, said she couldn't put Mumbai Mirror in touch with the security staff as she was out of town.
    Additional CP (protection and security) Madhukar Pande, when asked about the drive, said: "We will follow this drive with a formal physical verification of all schools. We are also planning to write to the Education Department to take action against the schools that are not cooperating with us. Schools must understand that whatever we are doing is for their good."

Twenty-five top schools in the city — including Dhirubhai Ambani and Podar — need to upgrade their security measures, police have said

Cops rated the security at Cathedral among the best

North India reels under cold wave, death toll 39

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 01:17:00 +0000

New Delhi: Dense fog and dipping temperatures threw normal life out of gear across north India on Monday as 11 more people succumbed to intense cold, raising the death toll to 39. Nine deaths have occurred in Punjab and two in Uttar Pradesh since Sunday evening.

    Fatehgarh, with a minimum temperature of 3.9 degrees Celsius, was the coldest place in UP.
    The first dense fog of the season hit the national capital early on Monday and, as feared, threw the region out of gear. As visibility dropped to less than 50m at places, flights were delayed and even cancelled, train services remained paralyzed and at least one life was lost in a road accident.
    Traffic slowed to a crawl in the cold morning hours, with school-going children bearing the brunt of the below-normal temperatures and low visibility. "I had a tough time steering through the fog. But this is just the beginning. It might get worse as the temperature dips," said Vivek Shukla, a school cab driver. 13-day dense fog longest spell since '98
NewDelhi:A 55-year-old woman died when a schoolbus collided with a scooty at 8.30 am in Gurgaon on Monday. Police said the bus driver could not spot the two-wheeler in the fog.
    At the airport, a much bigger disruption was averted when the instrument landing system on the main runway was rectified just in time. The new runway came under very dense fog for about three hours during which time only the main runway was in use. About 200 flights were delayed, some up to five hours, and at least nine cancelled as low visibility procedures were in place for 12 hours.
    Rail services, already reeling under the impact of heavy fog between east UP and Bengal, were further disrupted as the fog cover moved west into the national capital. As many as 40 trains were cancelled and 100 others suffered delays.
    This spell of fog started over Bihar, Bangladesh and Uttar Pradesh around December 6 and had threatened to affect Delhi twice earlier.
    "Now, Delhi NCR, Haryana and Punjab have also come under the spell of this large-scale dense fog. It still covers most parts of UP, Bihar and Bengal including Patna, Varanasi, Lucknow, Gorkahpur and Allahabad. It is 13 days since this spell started and it is probably the longest lasting spell over the Indo-Gangetic plains since 1998. Before this a spell of fog had affected the plains between November 19 and 24," said an official.
    The minimum temperature in Delhi was five degrees Celsius, three notches below normal, while the maximum settled at 21.9 degrees, a notch below normal. Cold conditions prevailed in Kashmir with the minimum temperatures dropping several degrees below freezing point as the weather department forecast light to moderate snowfall at many places.
    Mercury in the skiing resort of Gulmarg plummeted to a minimum of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius. Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, reeled at minus 3.4 degrees Celsius. The tourist resort of Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius. In the Leh district, the mercury dipped to a low of minus 13 degrees Celsius. TNN & AGENCIES

A passenger plane waits to take off as a thick fog envelops New Delhi's IGI Airport on Monday

CAPITAL WINTER

Typhoon kills 436 in Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:48:00 +0000

Raging Floodwaters Tore Through Homes At Night As People Slept

Manila: Pounding rain from a tropical storm swelled rivers and sent walls of water crushing into two southern Philippine cities in the thick of Friday night, killing at least 436 people, many caught in their beds, officials said on Saturday.
    Philippine Red Cross secretary general Gwen Pang said that the latest toll was based on a body count in funeral parlors. She said that 215 died in Cagayan de Oro and 144 in nearby Iligan, and the rest in other southern and central provinces.
    Most of the dead were asleep on Friday night when raging floodwaters tore through their homes from swollen rivers and cascaded from mountain slopes following 12 hours of pounding rain in the southern Mindanao region. The region is unaccustomed to the typhoons that are common elsewhere in the archipelago nation. Many of the bodies in parlors were unclaimed, indicating that entire families had perished, Pang said. The number of missing was unclear on Saturday night. Before the latest Red Cross figures, military spokesman Lt Col Randolph Cabangbang said about 250 people were still unaccounted for in Iligan.
    Soldiers backed up by hundreds of local police, reservists, coast guard officers and civilian volunteers were mobilized for rescue efforts and to clean up after the massive deluge that left the two coastal cities strewn with debris, trash, overturned vehicles and toppled trees. Many roads were cut off and there was no electricity, hampering relief efforts. AP

NIGHT OF DISASTER: (Left) Police rescue trapped residents in Cagayan de Oro city, Philippines, on Saturday; a woman cries over the body of her child

Hooch Horror After Hospital Hell

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:31:00 +0000

Toxic tentacles: Where everyone gets a cut

Kolkata: The hooch deaths in West Bengal, coming days after the AMRI hospital tragedy, have put the spotlight on the state's illicit liquor trade.
    Sale of liquor laced with toxic methanol is an easy way to earn money in Kolkata's fringes and vast areas of rural Bengal. A section of police, local politicians and district excise officials get a cut from this illegal trade, said sources. "Many people are getting a share out of it. So, who will take action against these people?" asked a police officer.
    Illegal liquor rackets flourish across the state. Hooch reaches semi-urban areas by the barrel from distilleries in North and South 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and East and West Midnapore. Racketeers only need a few ovens and barrels. They mix chemicals ranging from sulphur and ammonium chloride to even battery acid to give a kick to the hooch and make a profit. But, hooch often kills scores and it is only then the administration seems to wake up. After hooch deaths, raids are conducted and 'distilleries' demolished. However, hooch sellers are back in business within days.
    "It's only during this period that the police help us conduct raids and arrest the culprits. The rest of the year, they are casual about raids," said an excise department official.
    A senior government official was transferred from the excise directorate when he tried to smash an illegal chain in Barrackpore. "It's impossible for these shops to exist without the police's knowledge. Political parties and local excise staff are also in the know," he said.
    At Sangrampur, victims had purchased the illegal hooch for about Rs 10 for 500ml, less than a third of the price of country liquor sold from licenced shops. Police said an illegal distillery in Mograhat village supplied the spurious liquor to 70 shops in Sangrampur. The business is hugely profitable as bootleggers pay no taxes and sell enormous quantities of hooch.
    "Different policies of the two governments (CPM and TMC) created hurdles in setting up legal shops but allowed people to set up illegal distilleries and retails. The poor and the unemployed consumed the cheap liquor," said Anindita Hajra, a social scientist.
BOOZE BIZ
Country Liquor (CL)
Market estimated at 220 million cases (of 9 litres each) in 2008
Retail value 25,000 crore
In last five years, CL consumers have taken to cheap IMFL. This explains why CL market growth has been subdued
Southern states have banned sale of CL. UP, Maharashtra Bihar and West Bengal big markets for CL INDIA INTOXICATED
About 60 million
(5% approx.) Indians are alcoholics. This equals the population of France
Two-thirds
of the alcohol consumed in India is illegal hooch
More than half
of all drinkers in India fall in hazardous drinking category 95% of beverages
drunk in India are IMFL, licensed country liquor, and illicit spirits
    Official records show
alcohol sales have grown 8%
in the past 3 yrs. These figures don't include illegal liquor sales
    Govt stats show only 21% of adult Indian men and 2% of women drink
    Percentage of drinking population aged under 21 years up from 2% to more than 14% in 15 years
    Average age of initiation dropped from 19 years to 13 years in two decades
    Employers in poor communities sometimes pay wages in alcohol rather than cash, WHO says Alcohol-related problems account for more than a fifth of hospital admissions
18% of psychiatric emergencies
More than 20% of all brain injuries
60% of all injuries
reporting to emergency rooms
A NIMHANS study shows in many poor households of Karnataka, average monthly expenditure on alcohol more than average monthly salary
Ban on country liquor in Maharashtra saw wife beating cases drop by 35%
in 2010
How much does a hooch pouch cost in Bengal? As little as Rs 10 for half a litre
Maximizing profits Bootleggers, working from homes, warehouses and forests, can turn 1 litre of genuine alcohol into 1,000 litres of bootlegged swill with chemicals and additives that usually cause no harm, but on occasion can lead to tragedy
Typical hooch poisoning symptoms
Vomiting, piercing headaches, frothing at the mouth
Complaints of burning chest and severe stomach pain
Spurious liquor can induce coma, blindness and death

India:Fire audit for top govt hosps

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:52:00 +0000

Health Min Seeks Report From AIIMS, Six Others Within A Week

Kounteya Sinha TNN

New Delhi: Seven of India's top government hospitals, including the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), will conduct a thorough fire audit and submit a report to the Union health ministry within a week.
    A day after a devastating fire at AMRI in Kolkata claimed 91 lives, most of whom were patients undergoing treatment there; the ministry cracked the whip to ensure that the government-run hospitals have fool-proof fire safety measures in place.
    Union health secretary P K Pradhan wrote a letter to all directors and medical superintendents of premier government hospitals like AIIMS, JIPMER, NIMHANS, Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and PGI, Chandigarh, asking them to conduct fire audits and mock drills and submit a report within a week.
    "The government hospitals cater to millions of patients a day. Hence, we don't want to take any chances. We have asked all our top hospitals to complete a full-fledged fire audit and a fire drill. Once the reports come, we will fill the gaps. All institutes have been told to carry out fire safety training for its staff," Pradhan told TOI.
    AIIMS director Dr R C Deka said that a committee, which includes engineers and doctors headed by the medical superintendent has been formed to check the fire safety standards of all the buildings in the AIIMS' premises.
    Dr Deka said, "From Monday, the committee will look into the state of fire safety and preparedness of all the buildings, most of which were constructed around 1956. Though we don't face a fire hazard risk, we want to check our preparedness in the light of the terrible incident in Kolkata."
    According to Pradhan, one of the fire safety requirements is that there needs to be a gap of six metres between buildings inside AIIMS. "This could be a problem. However, all other shortcomings, if any, will be taken care of," he said.
    RML Hospital too sprung into action on Saturday. RML director Dr T S Sidhu said that mock drills and fire audits of all the buildings would be completed by Tuesday, and the report would be submitted to the ministry the following day.

A child participates in a candlelight memorial service held in Kolkata on Saturday for victims of the devastating fire at AMRI hospital

CITY SITTING ON TIME-BOMB: Experts Say Kolkata Fire Should Be Wake-Up Call

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:55:00 +0000

Most hosps not ready to HANDLE DISASTER

Most city hospitals may not be fully prepared to handle a disaster of the magnitude of Friday's Kolkata hospital blaze. While the fire brigade admitted it does not carry out regular checks, officials said most hospitals are ill-equipped and do not follow safety norms.

    Blame it on the absence of regular audits and drills by the fire department or the hospitals' greed for space, but experts said Mumbai too is sitting on a time-bomb and the Kolkata fire should be a wake-up call. Even as rescuing patients is one of the most difficult tasks, officials said they are unable to carry out regular checks.
    The fire safety rules, under the development control regulations, applying to any commercial, industrial or residential facility, are for hospital buildings too. It means a mandatory open space of 6m, adequate parking space, fire safety signages and a fire evacuation plan; a mandatory NoC is provided by the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
    "We can only act on complaints as we do not have enough manpower. When we receive complaints that rules are being flouted, we carry out a check and send notices. After that it is the hospital's duty to ensure they follow fire safety norms," said an official.
    Officials also said most hospitals, even those providing high-end super-specialty treatment, do not adhere to basic norms. Following an inspection of Lilavati Hospital at 11 am on January 20, 2009, technical experts appointed by the state government to assess the adequacy of fire and safety norms
found it wanting.
The hospital, with 2.8 lakh sq ft of built-up area, has basic fire-fighting equipment in place, but the Merani committee found the car parking basement was being misused and open space was restricted by obstructions. "These are amenable to danger and accessible for damage and sabotage," the committee report said. The hospital also lacked fire safety signages and an effective evacuation plan.
    M V Deshmukh, director, Maharashtra Fire Services, said the fire department is the authority and it has to carry out random inspections and scrutiny. "Any building, except for residential buildings below 15m, is supposed to get a certificate from registered, licenced fire agencies in January and July to certify the health of fire safety equipment. The Maharashtra Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2006, has provisions for violations; it is a cognizable, non-bailable offence with up to three years imprisonment," Deshmukh said.
    C o n g re s s c o r p o r at o r Sameer Desai said the civic administration had to conduct regular audits and drills. "When the agency incharge does not keep a check, how are institutions expected to? The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) should conduct an immediate wardwise survey of h o s p i t a l s, malls and industrial estates," he said.

LESSON FOR MUMBAI? A crowd watches rescue operations outside AMRI hospital that caught fire in Kolkata on Friday

89 die in Kolkata hospital hellfire: Helpless Patients Suffocated By Toxic Fumes

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:44:00 +0000

Kolkata: One of Kolkata's better-known super-specialty hospitals turned into a gas chamber in the early hours of Friday after a basement fire pumped toxic fumes through the centrally-air-conditioned building. At least 89 of the 164 patients have died and over 50 were injured, some of them seriously. Three staff members at the Advanced Medicare & Research Institute (AMRI) hospital in Dhakuria are among the dead.

    Most of the fatalities were in the ICU (intensive care unit) and ITU (intensive therapy unit), where patients choked to death, still hooked to life support systems and in wards where people lay immobilized with broken limbs in casts. Most others died a horrible slow death, banging on the glass walls and desperately sucking in air from cracks in the windows, as the hospital staff kept the gates locked and refused to let local residents and the victims' kin mount a rescue operation.
    Locals say at least one patient jumped to his death, bringing back memories of the Stephen Court tragedy last year when many young techies jumped off the burning building on Park Street to die on the pavement.
    The 190-bed AMRI hospital, among the expensive ones in the city with an impressive roll of specialists, had another fire in 2008. Still, fire prevention equipment had not been installed. Sources say that more recently the fire department had objected to the inflammable goods stored in the basement, designed for a parking lot, and wanted it removed. The hospital, built over seven levels, sought three months for this but did little. Nothing happened.
BLUNDERS NEGLIGENCE LED TO HORRIFIC TRAGEDY
Hospital staff played down risk, tried to control fire on own
Call to the fire brigade went very late. First SOS seems to have gone to police who informed fire brigade
Hospital gates locked, had to be broken down. Firemen had
no hydraulic ladders to reach the upper floors (no lessons learnt from Stephen Court fire)
Inflammable goods — including oxygen cylinders & biomedical waste — stored in basement meant to be a parking lot. Hospital had promised to sort it out in Sept
VIPs, including CM Mamata Banerjee, rushed to the spot since early morning,
complicating rescue operations Worst Infernos
360 die in fire at annual school event in Dabwali, Haryana on
Dec 23, 1995
91 children burnt alive at a school in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu on July 16, 2004
89 and counting — toll at Kolkata's AMRI hospital on Dec 9, 2011
64 visitors killed in fire at trade fair in Meerut on Apr 10, 2006
59 cinema-goers die at Uphaar theatre during the screening of 'Border' on
June 13, 1997
Disaster Hours
1.30am | Patients' kin, slum dwellers nearby see smoke in basement, alert guards
1.45am | Relatives not allowed to get in, guards say they will take care of the 'minor fire'. Patients told to go back to sleep as smoke spreads through A/C vents
2.10am | Fire brigade called. Slum dwellers tie patients to themselves, climb down ladders
2.30am | Firemen arrive, spend next 45 minutes trying to break open the gates
3.30am | Fire under control but smoke blinds workers. Firemen move in but it's too late
6am | First hydraulic lift arrives
9.45am | Mamata Banerjee arrives. Crowd goes berserk to reach her, police rain blows Hospital staffers fled, say victims' kin
    And the fire department did not bother to ensure that the basement was cleared. The criminal callousness proved to be the death sentence for 89 patients.
    All the deaths were due to suffocation, which means that many lives could have been saved, had the rescue effort started earlier. The fire department was informed 40 minutes after the fire had started. Victims' kin and locals said the hospital staff fled, leaving the patients to their fate. But the management denies this and claim employees saved many lives.
    According to sources, the hospital staff initially played down the risk and tried to tackle the fire on their own. Residents of a nearby slum and patients' kin saw smoke billowing out of the basement around 1.30am and alerted the hospital security, who asked them not to bother.
    There are reports that some patients woke up on smelling smoke but were told to go back to sleep. The smoke was so intense that slum dwellers could feel their lungs burning in their homes but the hospital staff took their time calling for help. A precious 40 minutes were lost. The SOS to the fire brigade went at 2.10am. By then, locals and patients' kin had run out of patience and stormed into the campus to start a rescue effort on their own.
    Bamboo ladders were brought out of homes. Young men wrapped their faces in wet cloth and started climbing up to the panic-stricken patients. Initially, the rescuers would tie patients to their bodies and bring them down. But when the situation grew more desperate, they started making hammocks out of bedsheets to bundle the patients and throw them to waiting arms below, say witnesses.
    "It was pitch dark and the smoke scorched our lungs. We rushed into the wards close to the stairs and pulled out any patient who could move," said a local, Ajoy Das.
    Although the closest fire station was just about a kilometre away, the first fire truck arrived 30 minutes after the alarm was sounded. It didn't have hydraulic ladders to reach the upper stories. The slum ladders also fell short of the third and fourth floors. Most of the deaths happened here. Patients in suites, cabins and intensive care units had no chance.
    The disaster would have assumed colossal proportions had the fire affected radiation therapy equipment in the lower basement, just below the seat of the fire. Lakhs of residents in a 5-km radius around the hospital were at risk but thankfully there was no radiation leak.
    Fire services minister Javed Khan said the fire was triggered by a shortcircuit. CM Mamata Banerjee cancelled the hospital's licence, without thinking of the patients admitted in the other block and the survivors who were shifted there. She asked the police to book the owners and management staff. "They will be arrested. We will take strict action against the hospital," Mamata said.
    Joint commissioner of police Damayanti Sen said that six directors of AMRI Hospital—Shrachi Group chairman S K Todi, Shrachi director Ravi Todi, Emami vice-chairman Radheshyam Goenka, Emami directors Prashant Goenka and Manish Goenka and AMRI executive director Dayanand Agarwal—were arrested from their homes. They have been charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder, apart from many other non-bailable sections.
    Hydraulic ladders arrived at 6am but then firemen encountered a bigger challenge: thick glass panes that took 15-20 blows to break. Around 6.30am, police commandos and BSF's disaster response teams arrived. With gas masks on, they plunged into the smoke-filled building and rescued around 50 patients. By 7.30am, those that were destined to live had already been stretchered out and admitted to other hospitals.
    For the next two hours, only corpses emerged, faces blackened by soot and turned blue by asphyxiation. Around 9.30am, the last stretcher rolled out and a hush descended.

Grieving relatives outside Kolkata's AMRI Hospital

Now, a lesson in disaster management for every Delhiite

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:01:00 +0000

Delhiites will now be taught how to counter any natural calamities, thanks to an ambitious disaster management drive being launched by the Delhi government.

To begin with, the campaign will be flagged off on December 8 and will teach people the basics of disaster management. "The

idea is to create sufficient awareness and preparedness so that Dehiites are able to prepare for any disaster. There will also be a preventive exercise on December 8, which will require students to go through the duck-cover-hold exercise," said Vijay Dev, divisional commissioner, Delhi government.

As part of the campaign, there will also be several workshops and seminars in schools, colleges, malls and market associations. "We will also have brand ambassadors to motivate the youth. Since Delhi has several unsafe buildings and very few buildings that are resistant to disasters, we are trying to examine the issue and make it part of the campaign," added Dev.

As part of the Disaster Management Act of 2005, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has identified 12 emergency support functions such as communication, evacuation, search and rescue and medical help to equip students effectively to combat an earthquake or a similar disaster.

The DDMA, in collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) will conduct a major Earthquake Preparedness Drive from December to February, with a mock drill exercise to be held on February 15.

Going Green The Smart Way

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:15:00 +0000

Increasing broadband penetration can grow our economy in a way that combats climate change

As climate change negotiations continue at Durban, it is becoming increasingly clear that finding a perfectly democratic and equitable burden-sharing framework is not going to be easy. Views are still too sharply polarised to be amenable to any comprehensive agreement. In such a situation, it would be quite apt on the part of the negotiators to take a fresh look at all possible emission reducing ideas in the light of the evolving technological reality around us. Time is clearly running out.

    The crux of the problem today lies in the inevitable correlation between economic growth, consumption of energy resources and the consequential emissions. The challenge today obviously lies in finding a new low carbon intensity growth path. Under the circumstances, it makes sense to explore emerging technology areas that can usher in transformational changes in the carbon intensity of growth rather than looking at incremental changes within traditional technology frameworks.
    I see an enormous opportunity in the shape of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. It can help decouple economic growth and emissions. Governments across the world can accelerate the pace of change in this area by integrating their ICT and climate change strategies. Incremental investment in the sector can deliver exponential returns in terms of emissions reduction. According to the 2008 Smart 2020 Study by the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, the Climate Group and McKinsey, the ICT sector has the capacity to deliver carbon savings five times greater than the sector's own total emissions, which currently hover at 2-2.5% of total global emissions. The sector's impact is going to be much higher in developing and emerging economies that can simply leapfrog high-emitting technologies with the help of transformative ICT solutions.
    As we all know, broadband networks help create a 'connected' economy. They transform the way we work and live and in the process deliver a multiplier and
inclusive effect on the economy. That is to say, these networks not only promote growth but inclusiveness as well. Support for broadband expansion has till date primarily centred around this economic rationale only. The fact that the sector also makes a dramatic impact on the overall carbon intensity of our lives has generally gone unnoticed.
    We have very simple examples before us in the shape of smart grids, smart buildings, smart cities and smart transportation networks which can effect dramatic reductions in emission levels. Take for instance smart grids whereby electricity companies use ICT to reduce losses, prevent outages and provide customers with real-time information to manage their own carbon footprint. According to the World Energy Council, production and use of electricity accounts for 40% of greenhouse gases (GHG) globally. According to the Smart 2020 study, use of smart grids can reduce GHG emissions by 5-9% in the US and cut power needs of electrical supply systems in India by as much as 30%.
    We have many other examples around us. The national e-governance plan is dematerialising administration around the country by transferring an increasing proportion of government services online, helping reduce consumption of energy. Services like e-education, m-health, mbanking, besides making life simpler and easier, also end up reducing the carbon footprint of our lives. Video conferencing is another tool being successfully used by organisations to reduce their per capita employee carbon footprint. According to a CII study on the potential for ICTs to contribute to the National Action Plan on Climate Change, India can achieve savings of up to 450 million tonnes of CO2 per annum from ICT solutions by 2030. Total energy cost savings through ICT could be as high as 2.5% of our GDP.
    There is an urgent need for governments across the world to expand broadband penetration by adopting long-term national broadband plans based on universal affordability and accessibility. The challenge would, however, lie in connecting this objective to the overall climate goals. Developing a comprehensive policy framework would be critical, which can only be achieved by integrating national ICT policies with other policy areas such as energy,health, education and climate change. There is an urgent need to break down the silos that tend to exist between different sectors of the government. Collaboration and integrated decision-making is to be an essential ingredient of success. Cultivating a culture of cocreativity across public, private and non-governmental sectors and industries will be important.
    Policymakers have to work harder to identify and remove policy and regulatory obstacles currently hindering research and investment in ICT-based infrastructure and low-carbon solutions. Wherever necessary, governments have to reward or incentivise producers and consumers to encourage uptake of ICT solutions. Funding and facilitating scalable pilot projects would be critical to demonstrate feasibility and effectiveness to build a strong case for private investment.
    Broadband and ICT alone will not be able to solve the climate change problem. But they certainly can be the most powerful driver of change in this area. Innovation in the technology space, combined with the right policies, consumer awareness and supportive market conditions can help overcome this enormous challenge before mankind.
    The writer is chairman of Bharti Enterprises and commissioner of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development.

It's going to be a long walk to a cleaner economy; best start now

Lack of protective equipment hampers firemen’s efforts

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:38:00 +0000

Mumbai: When chief fire officer H N Muzawar stepped out to meet state officials on Saturday afternoon after hours of fighting the blaze at Manish Market, he was gasping for breath. His eyes were red and his voice had acquired a hoarse timbre after prolonged exposure to the noxious fumes. Despite the fact that Mumbai has had at least four major fires this year alone, and promises from the government to update firefighting equipment, TOI found several firemen outfitted in only basic fire gear.

    While around 100 firemen were deployed at the scene, there were only 20 sets of breathing apparatus available. The others worked without basic equipment like face masks and protective glasses. "We don't have enough equipment ... right now, we can only provide breathing apparatus to those who are going inside the shops," said a fire officer at the main control site.
    Muzawar denied there was any shortage of safety equipment. "It is not possible to ensure that every fireman gets safety gear, but we have enough to ensure that those who step into the fire are protected."
    At the spot, several firemen were seen wearing handkerchiefs wrapped around their faces to avoid inhaling the smoke. None of the fire-fighters had protective glasses and the fumes made it difficult for them to see clearly. Fire officer Suddesh Durgawale was admitted to Nair Hospital after falling sick due to smoke inhalation. Three more officers were admitted to the hospital with minor injuries. Face masks wer handed out only after the arrival of police commissioner Arup Patnaik around 1pm, though the firemen had arrived at the scene at 3.45am.
    After the 26/11 terror attacks, the BMC had promised to procure the latest fire-fighting equipment, including three-layer ensembles, approved by the National Fire Protection Association, that would safeguard against explosions and flash fires. The fire department was also supposed to purchase safety gear like face masks and glasses for every fireman, in addition to acquiring remote-controlled water monitors that could fight fire from half a kilometre away.
    "This equipment is essential to ensure the safety of our men. However, due to bureaucratic delays, we haven't been able to upgrade our stock," said a fire officer who did not wish to be named. He said that while masks, glasses and even fire-proof jackets had been purchased in the past two years, they hadn't been distributed to fire stations. The BMC cut the budget of the fire department by 30% in 2011.
    Additional municipal commissioner Manisha Mhaiskar said: "It is wrong that there isn't enough fire-fighting equipment. We have ensured that everything is in place."
Times View
    Mumbai's fire fighters have always won laurels for their spirit and enterprise. But they seem to have got short shrift from the city administration. For one, they don't even have adequate equipment such as masks and breathing apparatus to control fire in a city that is getting congested by the day. For another, their training needs to be updated. The BMC also needs to tune up its fire-fighting strategy keeping in mind the new high-rises as well as old marketplaces.

TIME TO REFLECT: While around 100 firemen were deployed at the site, there were only 20 sets of breathing apparatus available

‘Power not cut even after alarm was raised’

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:33:00 +0000

The blaze that engulfed Manish and Sara-Sahara markets early Saturday has thrown up many questions, and local traders and businessmen say that it was sabotage. The first discrepancy is the time factor: While fire officials and later the BMC disaster management cell say that they got the alarm only at 3.43 am, eyewitnesses put the time of fire at anywhere between 2.30am and 3am. Three hours after the fire fighters had arrived at the scene, the fire spread to Manish Market, located across a 10-ft lane, and is not connected to Sara-Sahara. Both the chief minister and home minister have called for a probe.
    Locals alleged that the power supply was not cut off immediately after the structures caught fire. Fire officials declined to confirm the cause without a preliminary enquiry, but shopkeepers say that arson cannot be ruled out. "Suddenly, a small portion of Manish Market caught fire, and before we knew it, the blaze engulfed the building," said an eyewitness.
    Police officials speculated that the fire may have started due to a short circuit in Sara-Sahara Market.
    The police have not ruled out foul play. "This area is full of electronics, so a short circuit seems to be the most likely explanation. The presence of thousands of cables and wires would have only added to the pace at which the fire spread. This will be one of the prime angles that we shall investigate," said a senior police official of South region. Other theories include a possible cylinder blast, but fire officials say that early evidence does not point to this.
    Eye-witnesses said that in the early hours of the blaze only two engines arrived at the spot. Chief fire officer, H N Muzawar said that the narrow lanes in the congested area made it impossible for more than four engines to operate inside.
BEST 'unaware' of fire
    When contacted at 10.45pm on Saturday, BEST PRO N A Walawalkar said that he was unaware of any blaze at the markets. One of the reasons the shopkeepers gave for why the fire spread was that the electricity was not shut off. BEST supplies electricity to the whole of south Mumbai, including the accident areas. A BEST security officer said that he would check, but switched off his phone soon after.

Fire ‘Jumps’ Across Lane From Sara Sahara Market To Manish Market

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:31:00 +0000

SABOTAGE SUSPECTED

Amajor fire not only razed Sara-Sahara market next to MRA Marg police station in south Mumbai early Saturday, but also managed to "jump" 25 feet across a narrow street to Manish Market—famous for its gadgets and toys— gutting 700-odd authorized and illegal shops within the building.

    After the Garib Nagar fire in March, this is the second brigade call, the highest alarm, to be given this year. Initial estimates peg the losses around Rs 100 crore, with the fire destroying a total of 1,500-odd shops and shanties in the area. The official statement released by the fire department stated that 26 fire engines 13 tankers, which had to be refilled more than 100 times, had to be roped in. Ten BMC bulldozers were called in to break down shuttered stores as individual fires were raging inside them.
    Even the time when the fire started is uncertain; while the fire brigade says it got the call only at 3.43am, eye-witnesses told TOI that the fire at Sara-Sahara started between 2.30am and 3.00am. Between 3.30am and 6am, the fire gutted Yara shopping complex, Munim compound and Green House building, which are adjacent to Sara-Sahara. As fire officials were struggling to control the blaze, at 6.30 am, shopkeepers across the street at Manish Market, which is in not connected to Sara-Sahara, reported that flames had spread to a small portion of the complex.
    The fire brigade declared a brigade call at 6.50am and deployed more fire engines and tankers. The engines from the Mumbai fire brigade were not enough to bring the blaze under control, and tankers had to be called in from not only Navi Mumbai and Thane, but also from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and BARC.
    The fire at Manish Market began to spread rapidly, and within an hour, engulfed the complex. According to officials, the fire spread to Manish Market because the "flames threw up" highly combustible material like mobile batteries and cable wires to the other side of the road where Manish Market is located. Wires from the air-conditioning units that dot the façade of the structure caught fire, and the blaze gained in intensity when the flames came in contact with combustible goods like perfumes and electronic gadgets.
    Around 1pm, fire officials shifted their focus to Manish Market, even as cooling operations continued at Sara-Sahara. However, around 4pm, cooling operation at Sara-Sahara met with a snag as the remaining structure erupted into flames. It took two hours to control the blaze, but intermittent flareups continued through the night. At the time of going to press, fire officials were still fighting the blaze.
    Chief fire officer H N Muzawar said "We found it difficult to navigate through the market. The structures should have had underground water reserves, which weren't there, making the operation difficult."
    "The fire will be investigated by the BMC and our officers jointly. We shall submit a report to the government," said additional commissioner of police (South region), Naval Bajaj. Flood lights were put by the evening to help fire fighters. Additional municipal commissioner Mohan Adtani said, "Due to the presence of inflammable items, the operation will take a while."
BMC office saved from blaze
    Dousing the fire at Manish Market was top priority for the BMC disaster management cell on Saturday. They soon realized that they had another headache – BMC's Palton Road office adjacent to Manish Market. The Palton Road office houses several important papers–from octroi to property papers as well as octroi penalty collection. Worried the building might catch fire, BMC officers broke the separating wall and utilized around 2 lakh litres of water, stored under the BMC property, for cooling the office walls. The officers also started moving the papers to a secured location but realized it was mammoth task.–Shawan Sen

SMOKE, FIRE, HOPE AND PRAYERS: (Clockwise from top) Fire engines in the lane between Sara-Sahar and Manish Market; firemen fighting the blaze on one side of Manish Market; an onlooker watches as the blaze continues through the night; a fire official breaks through the windows of Manish Market building to allow ventilation; shopkeepers look on as their livelihoods go up in smoke. (Bottom left to right) A man saves a copy of the Holy Quran from the inferno in Manish Market; two men pray outside Manish Market; shopkeepers wait anxiously outside Gulshan-e-Iran restaurant; a family looks down at the smoke-covered scene from the JJ flyover

Battleground Cairo: 33 dead in 3 days

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:13:00 +0000

Clashes Rock Egypt Ahead Of Elections

Cairo:Cairo police fought protesters demanding an end to army rule for a third day on Monday and morgue officials said the death toll had risen to 33, with many victims shot in the worst violence since the uprising that toppled president Hosni Mubarak.
    Tens of thousands of people packed Tahrir Square, the epicentre of the anti-Mubarak revolt in January and February, as darkness fell, despite the clashes that threaten to disrupt Egypt's first free election in decades, due to start next week. Protesters have brandished bullet casings in the square, where police moved in with batons and tear gas on Saturday against a protest then dominated by Islamists but since driven by young people with secular aims. Police deny using live fire.
    Medical sources at Cairo's main morgue said that 33 corpses had been received there since Saturday, most of them with bullet wounds. At least 1,250 people have been wounded, ahealth ministry source said. "I've seen the police beat women my mother's age. I want military rule to end," said protester Mohamed Gamal, 21.
    Army generals were feted for their part in easing Mubarak out, but hostility to their rule has hardened since, especially over attempts to set new constitutional principles that would keep the military permanently beyond civilian control.
    Police attacked a makeshift hospital in the square after dawn on Monday but were driven back by protesters hurling chunks of concrete from smashed pavements, witnesses said. "Don't go out there, you'll end up martyrs like the others," protesters told people emerging from a metro station at Tahrir Square.
    The violence casts a pall over the first round of voting in Egypt's staggered and complex election process, which starts on November 28 in Cairo and elsewhere. REUTERS
Army seeks to reach out with new law, protesters unmoved
    Egypt's ruling generals issued a law on Monday barring anyone found guilty of corruption from political life, but protesters said it would not allay their concerns that former supporters of ousted president Hosni Mubarak may regain influence. The announcement was made after three days of clashes demanding an end to army rule in which 33 people have been killed and 1,250 wounded. "The amended law would apply to those who work to corrupt political life," the military council said. Those convicted by the court would be "removed from positions of leadership and would lose their membership in the parliament and local councils," it added. REUTERS

SECOND UPRISING: Protesters take cover as cops fire tear gas and rubber bullets in Cairo on Monday

Brace for a 26/7 every 5 years instead of 20

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 05:36:00 +0000

'Climate Change Can Cause More Harm Than In '05'

New Delhi: Cloudbursts like the one that deluged Mumbai in 2005 could become a more frequent reality. Instead of occurring once in 20 years as they do on an average now, by the end of 21^stcentury, it could happen as often as every five years and cause much greater damage, a yet-tobe released report by UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says.

    Mumbai went through an aqua-shock in July, 2005, after 944 mm of rain fell—half of what the city receives annually on an average—within only 24 hours. Poor sanitation and drainage systems, incapable of handling the massive rainwater, had led to floods, crippling India's financial capital and causing an economic loss of $690-$1,890 million. The threat from such aqua shocks could treble by 2070 if climate change goes unchecked.
    The flooding could have been managed better, if Mumbai's drainage systems were improved. The report devotes a lot of space to the Mumbai deluge, pointing out that the poorest suffer more in cities and that adaptation work like drainage management too would not cover all the risks with increase in high rain events and rising sea levels – both of which could occur during this century as mercury rises. The draft IPCC report is more careful than it ever was before the 'Himalayan blunder' controversy tarnished the institution's reputation. Yet, the predictions are dire. IPCC scientists confidently say places such as the Sunderbans, which are undergoing coastal erosion and inundation, will continue to suffer as sea levels rise.
    The global average temperatures will rise by 1-3 degrees Celsius by 2050 and 2-5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. This may look like an insignificant figure, but its impacts on agriculture and water resources could be dramatic. "It is virtually certain that increases in the frequency and magnitude of warm daily temperature extremes and decreases in cold extremes will occur through the 21st century on the global scale," the report says. There will be more days with extreme heat and the temperatures on those days will also go higher than what we have witnessed till now.

A yet-to-be released report by UN Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change says places such as the Sunderbans, which are undergoing coastal erosion and inundation, will continue to suffer as sea levels rise

Fewer flooding spots in Mumbai by next monsoon, says civic body

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 03:41:00 +0000

Mumbai: The BMC claims to have plugged gapsin nineof the67 major flooding spotsin Mumbai. The civic body further claimed that with two more pumping stations at Love Grove and Cleaveland to be commissioned by next May, nine more spots will have noflooding next monsoon.

    Further,24spotswillhave noflooding by 2013 after the Britannia, Guzder Bund, Mogra and Mahul pumping stations are commissioned by May 2013. The Guzder Bund and Britannia pumping stations are awaiting clearancefrom the ministry of environment andforests.Tenderswillsoon befloatedtocompletetheworkwithin 2013.
    However,corporatorshaveslammedthe delay in completing the Brihanmumbai Storm Water Disposal (Brimstowad) project. The ambitious project is likely to be completedby 2013.
    The project work includes rehabilitation and augmentation of underground drains, construction of new drains, training of nullahs, widening and deepening of nullahs and construction of storm water pumping stations. The project has been dividedintotwo phases and, according to municipal commissioner Subodh Kumar, 14 of the 58 works under the project have been completedsofar,whileworkiscurrently on in 34."Astheworkbegan under this project, wehave managedtoincreasethecapacity of drains. Wehavewidened,deepened,trained and extended nullahs and outfalls, including floodgates," said municipal commissioner SubodhKumar.
    A retired official from the stormwater drainage department said, "Rehabilitation of structures does take time as it involves demolition, too. Hence, one cannot expect workto getcompletedovernight."
    The plan to augmentthestormwater disposal system began in 2007. The need for such a project was felt after the 2005 deluge. The drains in the city have the capacity to handle 25 mm of rainfall per hour and 200 mm in 24 hours. This was found to be below the markin comparison tothe rainfallintensity, so a proposal was mooted to widen and reconstruct nullahstotackleheavy rain.
Times View I t is time that the BMC takes public money and time seriously. Many of the projects it has worked on in the recent past, be it on roads or storm-water drainage, have been delayed because of frivolous reasons. The delay in starting work on 160 new roads, ostensibly because corporators wish to do the inauguration, is a case in point. Besides the delay, this also leads to cost escalation. The BMC promise on prevention of flooding also looks like going the same way; the BMC must back its promises with honest intent and solid work on the ground.

Mobile Safety - Try to follow

noreply@blogger.com (Akbar Jiwani) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 06:45:00 +0000

Dont press #90 or #09 on mobile
Please circulate URGENTLY.

Dear All,

IF SOME ONE CALLS & ASKS YOU TO DIAL #09 or #90. Please Do Not Dial This.

New Trick of Jehadi Muslim Terrorists to Frame Innocent People!!

If you receive a phone call on your Mobile from any person saying that they are checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or

any other number. End this call immediately without pressing any numbers.

Team there is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your SIM card and make calls at your expense and

to make the matter worse they will use it to call for terrorist activities and state agents will instead come for you, arrest you and will rot in jail

innocently. Forward this message to as many friends as u can, to stop it. This information has been confirmed by both Motorola and Nokia.

There are over 3 million affected mobile phones. You can check this news at CNN web site also.

Mobile Safety - Try to Follow!