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Time of India
13-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Noida ADM reviews plantation drive preparations
Noida: ADM (finance and revenue) Atul Kumar held a review meeting at the Collectorate Friday to ensure the success of the upcoming tree plantation campaign. Kumar instructed officials of all departments concerned to provide the forest department with action plans, site identifications, and pit-digging information in a prescribed format for meeting plantation targets. All SDMs were instructed to virtually select sites along the Hindon and near ponds for the plantation campaign and to send progress reports to the forest department. He also instructed the Authority officials to take effective measures to control air pollution and strictly follow the guidelines of the NGT and Pollution Control Board. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
BBC News
10-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
TB: India brought forward its tuberculosis elimination deadline - but can it meet it?
Atul Kumar (name changed) anxiously paced the corridor of a public hospital in India's capital Delhi.A small-appliance mechanic, he was struggling to secure medicines for his 26-year-old daughter who suffers from drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). Mr Kumar said his daughter needed 22 tablets of Monopas, an antibiotic used for treating TB, every day. "In the past 18 months, I haven't received government-supplied medicine for even two full months," he told BBC Hindi in January, months before India's declared deadline to eliminate the infectious to buy costly drugs from private pharmacies, Mr Kumar was drowning in debt. A week's supply cost 1,400 rupees ($16; £12), more than half his weekly income. After the BBC raised the issue, authorities supplied the medicines Mr Kumar's daughter needed. Federal Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said that the government usually acts quickly to fix medicine access issues when Kumar's daughter is one of millions of Indians suffering from tuberculosis, a bacterial disease that infects the lungs and is spread when the infected person coughs or home to 27% of the world's tuberculosis cases, sees two TB-related deaths every three minutes. India's TB burden has long been tied to poor case detection, underfunding and erratic drug this grim reality, the country has set an ambitious goal. It aims to eliminate TB by the end of 2025, five years ahead of the global target set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations member as defined by the WHO, means cutting new TB cases by 80% and deaths by 90% compared with 2015 visits to TB centres in Delhi and the eastern state of Odisha revealed troubling gaps in the government's TB Odisha's Khordha district, around 30km (18.6 miles) from state capital Bhubaneshwar, 32-year-old day-labourer Kanhucharan Sahu is struggling to continue his two-year-old daughter's TB treatment, with government medicines unavailable for three months and private ones costing 1,500 rupees a month - an unbearable burden."We can't see her suffer anymore," he says, his voice breaking. "We even thought of abandoning her."At Odisha's local TB office, officials promised to review Sahu's case, but a staffer admitted, "We rarely get the medicines we need, so we ration them." Mr Sahu says he hasn't received the promised 1,000 rupees monthly support from the federal government and at the local TB office, officials admit to chronic shortages, leaving families like his adrift in a failing Routray, who runs the patient support group Sahyog, says medicine shortages are now routine, with government outlets often running dry. "How can we talk about ending TB with such gaps?" she are other hurdles too - for example, changing treatment centres involves navigating complex bureaucracy, a barrier that often leads to missed doses and incomplete care. This poses a major hurdle for India's vast population of migrant a hospital near Khordha, 50-year-old Babu Nayak, a sweeper who was diagnosed with TB in 2023, struggles to continue his treatment. He was regularly forced to travel 100km to his village for medicines as officials insisted he collect them from the original centre where he was diagnosed and first treated. "It became too difficult," he to travel so often, Mr Nayak stopped taking the medication altogether."It was a mistake," he admitted, after contracting TB again last year and being his hospital, no TB specialist was available, highlighting another critical gap in India's fight: a shortage of frontline health BBC shared its findings with the federal health ministry and officials in charge of the TB programme in Delhi and Odisha. There was no response despite repeated reminders.A 2023 parliamentary report showed there were many vacant roles across all levels of the TB programme, affecting diagnosis, treatment and follow-up - especially in rural and underserved vaccines help India triumph over tuberculosis?In 2018, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought forward India's TB elimination target to 2025, he cited the government's intensified efforts as a reason for optimism. Two years later, the Covid pandemic disrupted TB elimination efforts globally, delaying diagnosis, diverting resources and pausing routine services. Medicine shortages, staff constraints and weakened patient monitoring have further widened the gap between ambition and these challenges, India has made some the past decade, the country has reduced its tuberculosis-related mortality. Between 2015 and 2023, TB deaths declined from 28 to 22 per 100,000 people. This figure, however, is still high when compared with the global average which stands at number of reported cases has gone up, which the government credits to its targeted outreach and screening programmes. In 2024, India recorded 2.6 million TB cases, up from 2.5 million in 2023. Federal Health Minister JP Nadda recently touted innovations like handheld X-ray devices as game-changers in expanding testing. But on the ground, the picture is less optimistic."I still see some patients come to me with reports of sputum (phlegm) smear microscopy for TB, a test which has a much lower detection rate as compared to genetic tests," says Dr Lancelot Pinto, a Mumbai-based tests, which includes RT-PCR machines - widely used to diagnose HIV, influenza and most recently, Covid-19 - and Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing, also examine the sputum sample but with greater sensitivity and in a shorter the tests can reveal whether the TB strain is drug-resistant or sensitive, something that microscopic testing can't do, Dr Pinto gap, he adds, stems not just from lack of awareness but from limited access to modern tests."Genetic testing is free at government hospitals but not uniformly available, with only a few states being able to provide it."In May, Modi led a high-level review of India's TB elimination programme, reaffirming the country's commitment to defeating the the official statement notably skipped mention of the 2025 deadline. Instead, it highlighted community-driven strategies - better sanitation, nutrition and social support for TB-affected families - as key to the government has also prioritised better diagnosis, treatment and prevention at the core of its elimination approach mirrors the WHO's view of TB as a "disease of poverty". In its 2024 report, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called it "the definitive disease of deprivation", noting how poverty, malnutrition and treatment costs trap patients in a vicious cycle. As India pushes toward its goal of eliminating the disease, deep health and social inequalities remain just six months left until India's self-imposed deadline, new complications have fallout from US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the WHO and suspension of USAID operations has raised concerns about future funding for global TB efforts. Since 1998, USAID has invested more than $140m to help diagnose and treat TB patients in India. However, India's federal health secretary insists there is "no budgetary problem" hope lies on the horizon. Sixteen TB vaccine candidates are currently in development across the world, with the WHO projecting potential availability within five years, pending successful trials.
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Noida issues a heatwave advisory
Noida: With temperatures in NCR continuing to climb, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) of Noida has issued a public advisory urging residents to take strict precautions against the ongoing heatwave and hot winds, or loo. "Awareness programmes are being carried out in schools and factories to ensure community preparedness," said district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma. "Citizens are advised to stay indoors between 12pm and 3pm, wear light cotton clothing, keep hydrated, and use home remedies like ORS, lemon water, and raw mango drinks to prevent dehydration." It cautions against consumption of alcohol, tea, and coffee, which may worsen dehydration. It also urges residents to carry water, and use umbrellas, caps, or sunglasses when stepping outdoors. Additionally, DDMA emphasised the importance of caring for animals, advising residents to keep pets in shaded areas with access to clean drinking water. Safety measures include avoiding stale or high-protein food, not staying on the top floors of buildings during peak heat hours and not leaving children or pets in parked vehicles. The public has also been encouraged to stay informed through local weather updates and seek immediate medical help if any symptoms of heatstroke — such as dizziness, nausea, or high fever appear. The advisory was issued under the direction of DM Manish Kumar Verma, and supervision of ADM (Finance & Revenue) Atul Kumar. Meanwhile, a health department team on Tuesday conducted inspections across hospitals, Community Health Centers (CHCs), and Primary Health Centers (PHCs) in the city to ensure heatwave preparedness. According to the CMO, all facilities were found ready to handle heat-related emergencies.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Survey for electric vehicle charging stations planned for condos in Noida
The district administration has directed power discoms UPPCL and NPCL to begin a comprehensive survey in residential societies for setting up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Additional district magistrate (ADM), finance and revenue, Atul Kumar said on Thursday, "A proper survey will be conducted soon. Based on the findings, designated spaces will be selected and EV charging stations will be built in a phased manner." With raging disputes over EV charging installations across group housing complexes, Atul Kumar said discoms must coordinate with apartment owners' associations (AOAs) and resident welfare associations (RWAs) to explain the govt's policy and identify possible locations for public charging points. The instruction for the survey was issued by the ADM during a meeting held on Thursday at the collectorate auditorium with officials from the electrical safety department, deputy registrar of firms, societies and chits, as well as representatives of RWAs and AOAs. At the meeting, deputy registrar Rishabh Agarwal informed the ADM the number of electric vehicles is increasing rapidly, but there were fewer EV charging stations in various societies. Welcoming the move, president of Exotica Fresco AOA and secretary of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations (NOFAA) Surojit Dasgupta said older societies were particularly struggling to accommodate charging points. "Many of these buildings lack EV readiness and have no designated guest parking. AOAs are supporting private installations where possible, but we urgently need clear administrative guidelines to act responsibly and legally," Dasgupta said. Ramesh Chaudhary, an official from the electrical safety department, stressed the importance of following technical and safety standards. "Whether it's a public or private charging point, it must comply with electrical safety norms. Improper setups can pose serious fire hazards in dense residential clusters. We'll issue detailed safety checklists during the survey phase," he said. Meanwhile, the ADM also issued a final warning to residential societies operating unregistered lifts, saying legal action will be taken against defaulters after May 15.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Unregistered lifts to face legal action from May 15: Gautam Budh Nagar admin
GREATER NOIDA: In a move aimed at enhancing safety in high-rise buildings and promoting the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), the Gautam Budh Nagar administration has issued a stern warning to residential societies operating lifts without registration, an act that will invite legal action from May 15 onwards, officials said on Thursday. The directives were issued by additional district magistrate (finance and revenue) Atul Kumar, who chaired a meeting on Thursday, participated by officials from Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL), Noida Power Company Limited (NPCL) Greater Noida, and representatives of residential federations and RWAs across the district. Power discoms were also directed to identify suitable locations to set up private and commercial EV (electric vehicle) charging points. 'Several residential societies are still operating lifts without registration, which can be a serious safety risk. This needs immediate compliance,' said deputy registrar of firms, societies & chits Rishabh Agrawal, highlighting safety concerns. District administration officials said that non-compliance with the guidelines will invite legal action against the operators from May 15. 'All societies are instructed to complete their lift registrations within the stipulated timeframe,' said Kumar during the meeting. To be sure, Gautam Budh Nagar has over 80,000 lifts and just over 5,500 are registered. About the electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, officials noted that while the number of EVs in Noida and Greater Noida is growing rapidly, availability of charging stations remains limited, especially in group housing societies. Directions were issued to the power discoms to launch a survey in coordination with all residential federations to identify suitable locations to set up private and commercial EV charging points. Chief engineer (Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited Noida) Sanjay Kumar Jain said service providers have been instructed to initiate the survey. Similarly, NPCL officials have also been tasked with ensuring necessary arrangements under their jurisdiction, officials said. On September 25, 2024, the UP government mandated registration of all lifts in residential societies, malls, and industrial buildings under the newly enacted Lift Act, with a six-month deadline ending on March 25 and a grace period till March 31.
