The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tackling polio

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Monday, Jan 04, 2010
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tackling polio

Though sustained efforts are being made by Rotary International and the government to eradicate polio, the life-crippling virus still seems to remain in countries such as Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. We also read in magazines that the incidence of diarrhoea in infants below five years of age is one of the factors that resist polio eradication. We should create awareness among parents to tackle the disease by administering oral re-hydration salt (ORS) and Zinc tablets to children, thereby allowing polio vaccine to act more effectively. All Rotary Districts in India have been advised to conduct Zinc and ORS camps before the National Immunisation on January 10 and during February and also educate parents on controlling diarrhoea. This issue has been brought into focus and the India National Polio Plus Committee and the Indian Paediatric Association have joined together to bring down child mortality rate caused by diarrhoea and also to control polio. We all should unite in the endeavour to fight polio virus.

N. P. Ramaswamy,

Rasipuram.

Children and TV

Young children who watch TV for more than two hours every day are twice as likely to develop asthma in later childhood as those watching TV for less than two hours a day, according to a recent study (Thorax, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2009).

From my experience as a specialist in allergy and asthma, I can vouch that prevalence of asthma has enormously increased in children because of the widespread use of TV, personal computers, cell phones, games consoles and junk food.

Increased pollution and decreased exercise remain the most important causative factors, apart from genetic predisposition, in asthma. According to a recent study, people in South India spend almost three hours every day for TV viewing. Most of the people pass on this sedentary habit to their children, starting with using TV as a pacifier for their very young children just to keep them silent! Instead of hazardously indulging in modern gadgets, soft drinks and junk food beyond a limit, children should be motivated to enjoy the good old natural foods and outdoor games for interactive physical and mental development. The responsibility for this rests with parents who themselves, unfortunately, are bad examples, by and large.

Rajeev T.R.,

Perundurai.

Education loan

Fifty per cent of India’s population are students. Thousands of crores of rupees are given as loan to agriculturists and industrialists. Of these a major portion is accounted as bad debts. The Government allots only Rs. 32,000 crore as education loan. Students are the future builders of India and the backbone of this great nation. But the students have to suffer a lot of hardship to get loan sanctioned by banks. Banks should not hesitate to sanction education loan to bonafide students. The Supreme Court has advised banks to be lenient towards students.

G.N. Devaraj,

Bhavanisagar

Hospitality in Ooty

This has reference to the report ‘Three lakh plants will beckon tourists during summer’ (Dec. 27). Whether Ootacamund could still be called the queen of hill stations or not, the botanical garden is undoubtedly the queen of gardens even now. It is heartening to note that as many as three lakh plants have been produced in nurseries and are ready to be planted in the garden so that they will be in bloom by April.

The Ooty-bound tourists visit the hill station with great expectations and it is fitting that the hospitality sector is doing its best to live up to the expectations of the tourists.

P.U. Krishnan,

Udhagamandalam.

In the cold storage

In 2005 Kuniyamuthur Municipality had formulated an Action Plan to generate more revenue. The Municipality’s annual revenue was around Rs. 3.5 crore through tax and non-tax revenue. The salient proposals were a daily shandy and construction of commercial complexes at Kovaipudur, Kuniyamuthur and Sundakkamuthur, besides a wedding hall at Kuniyamuthur.

All the proposals were revenue-generating ventures. There was also a plan to implement a solid waste management scheme. The then Chairman S.P. Velumani had announced the schemes. But so far nothing has been done. Either the schemes have been put in the cold storage or the Municipality is going slow on them.

M.V. Namby,

Coimbatore.

Stone of Pandya period

I hail from a village, Gudimangalam, Tirupur district. I have seen in my village a big stone with inscriptions of Pandya period.

The letters on that stone belong to that period and it is not possible now to know the contents. Only an epigraphist can read this and write in Tamil.

I wrote a letter to the Director of Archaeology requesting him to send a team of experts to the spot and take necessary steps to decipher the contents.

The stone is on the right side of the Gudimangalam-Dharapuram Road.

I feel useful information will be available when the letters on that stone are deciphered.

I have not received any reply from the archaeological department.

N. Natarajan,

Coimbatore.

(Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and phone number)

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