Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur   

`Exploding population diminishing resources'

Staff Reporter

Awareness rallies and meetings mark World Population Day

MOTIVATING STEP: A woman, who adopted family planning norm after one child, receiving an incentive from Anantapur Collector Dasari Kadmial at Anantapur on Tuesday.

Anantapur: The country's economy has failed to reach the expected levels due to population explosion, Anantapur Collector Dasari Kadmial has observed. Development of human resources has not been occurring in proportion with the growth rate of population, he said while participating a programme got up in connection with the World Population Day.

He said the country's population had reached about 106.5 crores as per recent statistics. Poor literacy rate had been one of the major obstacles in the country's development, he felt.

Rural population was migrating to urban areas due to dwindling employment opportunities in agriculture and allied sectors in the rural areas, causing a population boom in urban areas, the Collector said. In spite of the laws, child marriages had also been a major impediment in the under development of rural areas, as such couples would have children at an early age and the financial status of the family would never improve.

District Medical and Health Officer Y. Swaroop Kumar Reddy urged all rural level functionaries to create awareness about AIDS, HIV, TB and cancer.

Incentives given

Later, he presented incentives to two rural couples who restricted their families to one or two children. He also presented awards to health staff, anganwadi workers and students of junior college for creating awareness on health-related issues in rural areas.

In Chittoor, the day was observed at the Government Headquarters Hospital here by the District Medical and Health Department. District Collector S.S. Rawath flagged of an awareness rally to make people aware of the negative effects of population explosion. Hence has urged people to adopt family planning not only for the welfare their families but also for country as a whole.

Early marriages

Medak district Collector B.Venkatesam gave a call for strict adherence to small family norm, limiting the number of children to one or two. He was addressing a rally organized marking the World Population Day. He pointed out that early marriages too contributed to population explosion. District Medical and health officer A.Pentaiah, District hospital coordinator Surendra, Deputy DEO Viajayasri were also present.

In Nizamabad, Collector I.S. Sri Naresh flagged off a rally taken out by nursing students, health volunteers and medical and health staff. District Medical and Health Officer P. Kodandapani, later speaking at a meeting at his office, said everyone should sincerely strive for controlling the population explosion as it was threatening the very existence of humankind with fast depletion of natural resources.

Remedial steps

Listing out the birth control measures, he said child marriages, infant mortalities and gender discrimination should be controlled. The DM and HO presented a memento to M. Balaiah, sarpanch of Bhavanipet village in Lingampet mandal for his contribution in the implementation of family planning programme. Dr. Pani has also said that the district stood first in the State in respect of encouragement of institutional deliveries and for which it would be receiving an award from the Chief Minister at an official function in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Karimnagar Collector M V Satyanarayana called upon the people to launch a crusade for adopting the small family norms stressed on and ill effects of population explosion.

He said that the Karimnagar district had secured top prizes for promoting the concept of small family norms and conduct of non-scalpel vasectomy (NSV) surgeries among the men. Later, he participated in the distribution of homeo medicine to check the chikungunya at Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial School. Mayor D. Shankar, Lions Club of Karimnagar president M. Satyanarayana, secretary K. Anna Reddy and others were present.

In Kadapa, Zilla Parishad CEO P. Durga Prasad underlined the need to control population stating that it was the bane for progress. He asked officials to motivate people with commitment. District Medical and Health Officer K. Pitchi Reddy, Deputy Director of Adult Education Venkateswara Rao, And Health Officer of Kadapa Municipal Corporation Umamaheswar participated. Regional Director of Medical and Health S. Aruna Kumari gave away prizes to winners of various competitions.

Later para-medical staff, nursing college students, adult education preraks and Rajiv Yuva Shakti group members took out a rally. Health Officer of AIDS Control Society P. Gunasekhar and Mass Medica Officer Santhamma also took part.

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