APFSL ballistic experts say Azad was shot from distance

By U Sudhakar Reddy

 AP Forensic Science Laboratory ballistic experts submitted a report stating that Maoist former spokesperson Azad alias

Cherukuri Raj Kumar was shot dead from a distance and not close range. The report came in handy for the State cops who are facing the allegations of staged encounter. APFSL director Mr O N Murthy said ,"we have given the report. The ballistic expert report says that the bullet was fired from distance and not point blank,"

 Earlier Osmania Medical College Forensic Medicine department team has given similar report based on the examination done on the body. Azad was shot dead in the forest area in Adilabad. A bullet pierced through the upper left side of Azad's chest, making an oval shaped 1-cm hole. The bullet exited from the rear left side of the back, leaving behind a roughly 3-cm exit wound. A senior police official said ,"both the reports proved that Azad was shot from a distance and it is not a stage managed encounter. People who are demanding judicial inquiry into the killing has to rethink after seeing these reports,"  The findings of ballistic experts tallied with that of forensic doctors.

Several rights organisations, Swami Agnivesh and Union Railway Minister Ms Mamata Benerjee have been demanding judicial probe into Azad's killing alleging that it is staged managed encounter.

Kalpavriksha removed in highway extension

By U Sudhakar Reddy

Despite repeated requests from environmentalists, the state forest department has failed to protect and translocate the Kalpavriskha trees, a rare and endangered species, situated along the highways. Thus from 20 such trees in the state, there are now only 13.

They have, instead been removed during highway extension and while laying the Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad. At least seven trees have been removed on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway and the ORR.

Kalpavriksha — also known as known as Baobab — live from 100 to thousands of years in the state and are mostly distributed in Krishna, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts.

Mr A. Ravi Kiran, a former research fellow with NRSA said, “We have requested the AP Biodiversity board of the forest department several times asking them to translocate the trees. But there was no response and ultimately they were removed without concern. There were only 20 such trees in the state and now we have lost seven.”

These trees were removed at Chillakallu, Sher Mohammed Pet in Krishna district and Hayatnagar in Ranga Reddy.

Baobab is scientifically known as Adansonia digitata. In India it is known as Kalpavriksha as it provides food, water, shelter and has medicinal values. One of the trees, aged 700-year old, situated near Golconda Fort, has a 36-square-feet hollow and can accommodate at least 12 persons.

Dirtiest places on Earth in Andhra : Clean up a big challenge?

By U Sudhakar Reddy


With concerns about polluted environments growing and the Centre identifying several industrial clusters across the country that pose an unacceptably high risk to human health, cleaning up some of the worst areas is a big challenge for the authorities. The Centre has identified five industrials clusters - Vishakapatnam, Patan-cheru-Bollarum, Katedan, Kukatpally, and Vijayawada - to be highly polluted in the state and at least 20 major lakes in Hyderabad are in the category of most contaminated sites.
The Centre has sanctioned a two-year pilot project funded by the World Bank for two areas, Noor Mohammed Kunta lake in Hyderabad and Ukkayapalli in Kadapa. The Environment and Social Assessment study conducted in these areas with the assistance of the ministry of environment has revealed some shocking facts.
Lakes, industrial cluster areas, municipal dumping yards, and bio-medical waste sites are considered to be the dirtiest places. Environmentalists and health experts say it is not an easy task to clean up highly polluted areas as the ground and surface water are highly contaminated as is the soil.
Quantities of hazardous wastes are illegally dumped outside industrial estates, on abandoned public lands, and within privately owned lands. There are no estimates available with the State Pollution Control Board regarding the quantity and nature of the hazardous wastes in such dumps.
The AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has dug up the health records of people living around NM Kunta lake and five others inter-connected lakes including Mir Alam Tank situated in and around the Katedan Industrial Area in Rajendranagar. The records show that people living around these areas suffer from air pollution related health problems. Asthma, difficulty in breathing and vomiting are often experienced and get worse during the rainy season.
Mr A. Muralidhar, a resident of Katedan says, “The foul smell intensifies during the evening hours after 7 pm every day and the worst time is the rainy season.” Of the 600 industrial units in Katedan, 16 per cent are lead extraction units, 13 per cent are oil refining, 10 per cent are cement industries and 8 per cent are textile industries. None of these industries has their own effluent treatment plant and instead discharge untreated effluents into the NM Kunta lake.
Both surface and ground water quality has deteriorated due to discharge of untreated industrial effluents. Total Dissolve Solids (TDS) in the ground water sample was 2,924 to 3,280 mg per litre, way above the permissible limit of 2,000 mg/l. The hardness of the ground water sample was also significantly higher than the desirable limit of 300 mg/l and the permissible limit of 500 mg/l. Chlorides and sulphates in the ground water were also in excess of the desired limits. The APPCB found various heavy metals in the lake water. Cadmium concentration exceeded desirable limits and lead and copper levels too were high.
Borewell water in the monsoon season showed significant concentration of lead and soil samples showed high levels of heavy metals. Industrial units in Katedan generate more than 200 MT of solid waste every month out of which 70 MT or 37 per cent is hazardous solid waste. Around 14 per cent of people still depend on borewell, water which exposes them to significant health risks from all these pollutants.
The APPCB senior engineer, Mr N.V. Bhaskar Rao, claims that the Board has stopped the source of pollution at Noor Mohammed Kunta. “The textile industries are responsible for the heavy pollution at NM Kunta which we have closed down. Now we are working on remedies,” he said.
Dr S. Krishna of Netaji Nagar says that skin diseases are the major problem for people living near the lake. Diarrhoea, jaundice and asthma are very common. Dr Sitaram of Sriramnagar has treated several cases of hepatitis-B, dysentery, typhoid, malaria and asthma, which increases during the rainy season.
Doctors say it is essential to stop the burning of solid waste, and supply safe piped drinking water to all residents. The project to be taken up with World Bank funds is expected to provide a blueprint for how all such projects should be handled to ensure environmental and social sustainability

Animal toxicity tests must on Ayurveda drugs: AP government

U Sudhakar Reddy
State government has made animal toxicity tests mandatory for export oriented Ayurveda drugs containing metals. Health Department has issued guidelines to Ayurveda drug makers in this regard.
As part of streamlining the system for licensing of patent and proprietary products of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicines government earlier formed an expert committee which prepared guidelines.
As per the government order any metal or Rasa preparations should be subjected to animal toxicity for the export oriented products.
Pharmacopoeia guidelines should be followed for the formulations to be exported.
Health department said authentic purifying procedures of the drugs belonging to the group of rasas, maha rasas, dhatus(metals) should be strictly followed and procedure should be specified.
Government made clinical trials mandatory for the ayurveda drug makers.
"The proforma, utilised in the clinical trials of the formulation should be provided with the clinical reports copies. Reports of bio chemical investigation related to the patient population should be enclosed in the
clinical study," said a health official.
The ingredients pertaining to the formulation should be only from those mentioned in schedule one of Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
As per the new rule the ayurveda drug makers shall submit the chemical analysis reports along with data and photos as evidence pertain to the process. Report shall be provided from government or
State government approve or own laboratories. The label 'Heavy metals with in permissible limits' shall be
conspicuously displayed on the container of purely herbal and ayurvedic rugs. Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers who do not have in house laboratory facility shall get their drugs tested by any approved
drug testing laboratory.

Alligator weed a health hazard: Seema Thotakura or Ponneganti

By U Sudhakar Reddy
A popular green leafy vegetable in the city, the alligator weed, vernacularly known as Seema thotakura or Seema ponneganti widely sold in vegetable markets is a serious health hazard warns scientists of Forestry and Ecology Division of National Remote Sensing Agency.
Scientists say there is no record of the cultivation of alligator as vegetable crop in the State. It is an alien species of weed picked up from Hussain Sagar, Musi River and other polluted bodies in the city and outskirts by vegetable sellers.Accumulated heavy metals like Lead, Mercury, Cadmium, Chromium and Copper cause serious health problem to those who consume vegetables says Dr Chintala Sudhakar
Reddy of NRSA.
Following the finding scientists are now asking the State government to ban the consumption of alligator weed immediately.Dr Reddy said ,"It is predominantly found growing in polluted waters in urban waterways,
drainage, margins of lakes and sewage sludge of rivers. Alligator weed is collected from these water bodies and sold in the vegetables mandis and Monda Market. As it tastes delicious the consumption is increasing in Hyderabad and other urban areas. It was native to South America and alien to India. Alligator absorbs heavy metals from water. It can cause serious health problems to people who consume it as vegetable. These
plants accumulate pollutants in their roots, stems and leaves,"
Bio-accumulation factors of heavy metals were significantly higher for leafy than for non- leafy vegetable. Though the Alligator is useful to clean up the polluted waters it is dangerous for human consumption.
"the leafy vegetable suck up pollution, people eating them may ingest the metals which can be harmful," said Dr Sudhakar Reddy.
He added ,"this should be banned like Cat fish sale and consumption was banned and government should take up steps for its control in natural and aquatic habitats,"
Government earlier banned Cat Fish a weed fish that resembles murrel as it's consumption spreads diseases.
Indian Medical Association State president Dr N Kishore said ,"heavy metals when ingested cause serious health hazards and is poisons to human body. It affects lungs, cerebral system including brain and intestine and stomach and other body organs. So people should not consume such leafy vegetable like Alligator weed as suggested by the scientists,"