Health impact study of Mangaluru’s APD presented at Tata Institute of Social Science

Media Release
August 11, 2019

Mangaluru, Aug 11: City based environmental NGO Anti-Pollution Drive (APDF) Foundation was invited by Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai to make a presentation about their health impact study on the outdoor workers of Mangaluru and Bengaluru. The report was presented during the National Seminar for Clean Air organized by TISS in association with Centre for Environmental Health & Public Health Foundation of India.

Dr. Melanie Rodrigues, scientist in regenerative medicine at Stanford University who also is board member of APD Foundation, represented the foundation and explained the project to the seminar faculty and student-delegates. The main objective of the seminar was to raise a discussion on the right to clean air in urban setting focusing on the rights of some of the most vulnerable communities. The other panelists invited to the seminar were the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mumbai Traffic Police; Joint Director, Mumbai Pollution Control Board and others.

Titled ‘Shuddha Gali’, the project was a pioneering research undertaken by APDF to collect scientific data on the impact of air pollution on outdoor workers such as street vendors, traffic policemen and auto drivers. APDF completed 3 phases of this project in Mangalore and has completed one phase in Bangalore. The research brought Mangalore its first data on the impact of air pollution on the health of outdoor workers. Under the project it was shown that 26% of the traffic policemen (2016), 19% of auto rickshaw drivers (2017) and 35% of street vendors (2018) were affected by air pollution.

After listening to APDF’s presentation, other organization representative who were present showed keen interest to replicate APDF’s health research projects in Tier 2 & 3 cities of Maharashtra. 

Dr Melanie Rodrigues, who has about forty scientific publications in reputed international journals to her credit, has undertaken compile and consolidate all the studies under APDF into a comprehensive report for publishing in reputed peer reviewed scientific journals.

Anti-Pollution Drive (APD) Foundation is a not-for-profit organization which was founded on 2nd October 2014 to coincide with the Swachh Bharath initiative launched by. APD is driven to work towards achieving clean sanitized environment and unpolluted air for the citizens and works closely with various Government and Private agencies across the country.

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News Network
July 19,2020

Bengaluru, Jul 19: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa convened a meeting with Private Medical College Hospitals on Saturday to assess COVID-19 management and directed them to provide 50 per cent of the beds, as promised, with effect from Sunday.

The chief minister said that private medical college hospitals need to cooperate as there is a sharp rise in COVID-10 cases in the city. He further said that it has come to the notice of the government that some institutes are denying treatment of COVID-19 as well as non-COVID patients.

The chief minister expressed his concerns over media reports stating several people died as they didn't get timely treatment due to denial from the hospitals. He said that Bengaluru should continue to lead the country as a role model in COVID-19 management.

During previous meetings, private medical colleges had agreed upon providing around 4,500 beds, which would make the total beds available in government and private medical colleges 6,500.

The chief minister expressed dismay over some colleges not providing the number of beds as promised and also about certain lacunae which were noticed by ministers during their visit.
During this emergency situation, we should show humanity. COVID and non-COVID patients shall not be denied treatment and the balance in healthcare system shall be maintained, he advised.

He assured them of all support, including providing doctors and nurses if need be.
The private medical colleges had assured to provide 50 per cent of beds and some colleges offered 80 per cent of the beds for COVID treatment.

Nodal officers have already been appointed to monitor the availability of beds in these medical colleges.

It was decided to issue a notice to Vaidehi Medical College for their absence in the meeting.

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News Network
January 23,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 23: City civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) levied a penalty of Rs 50,000 on the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) for using single-use plastic cups during the recent India-Australia one-day international match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

"Despite many awareness meetings, BBMP has found that single-use plastic cups were used during yesterday's cricket match and has fined KSCA Rs 50,000 as penalty," tweeted the civic body commissioner BH Anil Kumar.

The state cricket association treasurer Vinaya Mruthyunjaya said the civic body gave a general notice without detailed information on plastic use.

"We have been environmentally friendly for the last many years and at all gates, security has made sure no plastic or flex was allowed inside the stadium," Mruthyunjaya told media.

Mruthyunjaya said KSCA sought information from the civic body as to where the single-use plastic cups were found in the stadium during the India-Australia match.

On January 16, KSCA president Roger Binny inaugurated a plastic bottle shredder at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, in addition to other green initiatives at the cricket ground such as solar panels, sub-air system, biogas unit, rainwater harvesting and others. 

Similarly, in December 2019, BBMP cracked down on popular fast food eatery – Adyar Anand Bhavan in HSR Layout and fined the establishment Rs 1 lakh for plastic use.

In October, the BBMP fined eateries including McDonald's in central Bengaluru for using plastic.

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News Network
February 16,2020

Mangaluru, Feb 16: An elderly woman from Tamil Nadu was on Saturday reunited with her daughter and son after 14 years at the Mangaluru's White Doves destitute home.

"Mary only knew her name when she came here 10 years ago. Recently, she told us about her home town," Corrine Rusquinha, founder of White Doves told media.
Mary had gone missing 14 years ago from her hometown Kortampet in Tamil Nadu.

"Ten years ago, she was spotted by Mangaluru police who brought her to White Doves home late one evening. Initially, she could only speak Tamil, so it was presumed she was from Tamil Nadu. She was on psychiatric treatment," Rusquinha said.

A few days back, a visiting priest at the White Doves home spoke to Mary in Tamil and asked about her hometown.

"Surprisingly, she could recall the name of her hometown, following which the visiting priest contacted the pastor at Kortampet. Mary's family, including her daughter Gnana Anthony, who is a paramedic student in Coimbatore, was informed about Mary," she said.

Soon after, Gnana and her elder brother came to Mangaluru to take their mother back to their home.

Mary's husband Jhonson, who worked as a cook, had died within a year of losing his wife.

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