Jawans lose battle, little Mahi is dead

All hopes of four-year-old Mahi coming alive out of the 70-foot-deep borewell at Kasna village here were dashed on Sunday afternoon, when Army personnel brought out her decomposed body after an 86-hour rescue operation that had kept the people nationwide glued to their TV sets.

The operation — launched soon after Mahi fell into the borewell on Wednesday night during her birthday celebrations and was prolonged by almost 48 hours as the rescue team ran into rocky terrain — ended around 1.30 p.m. on Sunday, when a team of personnel pulled her out.

The girl, wrapped in a green cloth, was immediately rushed to the ESIC Hospital at Manesar in an Army ambulance, amid loud applause by locals who had gathered at the spot in large numbers since early morning, anticipating a successful climax. But the child was declared dead on arrival at the hospital. The body was then sent to the Gurgaon Civil Hospital mortuary.

Post-mortem revealed that Mahi died of asphyxia just in a couple of hours of the fall. “She died three-four hours after she fell into the borewell,” said a doctor at the Gurgaon Civil Hospital.

The rescue team had reached Mahi in the early hours of Sunday, negotiating around a boulder in the rescue tunnel, but there was delay as it had to cut through a rock in the borewell also, where the bloated body was found stuck.

“While digging the borewell, the house owner had hit a rocky terrain. He tried to cut through the rock but abandoned it when he could not do so. It was in this rock that Mahi’s body was found stuck. The rescue teams encountered boulders twice while digging the tunnel also, and this caused the delay,” Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner P.C. Meena said.

Cases filed

He said separate cases were registered against house owner Rohtash and the contractor who had sunk the illegal borewell. “Three police teams have been constituted to trace and arrest them. So far, our priority had been to pull out the girl. Now that the operation is over, we hope to catch them soon.”

Delayed response

The girl’s parents and relatives blamed the death on the district administration’s delayed response. “Had the administration responded quickly to the situation, she would have been alive today. The police reached the spot almost two hours after they were informed. The efforts to pull her out gathered pace only on Thursday morning, after the Army was called in,” said Mithilesh, a close relative.

An inconsolable Sonia, mother of Mahi, almost collapsed in grief soon after the news was broken to the family. She had to be physically lifted by women police personnel and taken away from the hospital gate.

Earlier, around noon, the crowd grew restless as the rescue operation drew out. The people started shouting slogans against the administration, but the situation was soon brought under control.

Dengue: prevention better than the bite, say doctors

With the monsoon season setting in, public health experts and doctors say the number of dengue cases will be on the rise.

Intermittent rain that causes stagnation of water is the main cause for the disease, Dengue is caused by the bite of a species of mosquito called Aedes aegypti. These mosquitoes normally breed in water and are responsible for the spread of the dengue virus.

Two types

Dengue can be of two kinds: dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever. While the former is mild and can be treated for symptoms, the latter is a severe form of the disease and can reduce the level of platelets in blood and may cause internal bleeding, which could later result in multiple organ failure.

Another condition called dengue shock syndrome can lead to extreme drop in blood pressure. Even though monsoon has not set in fully.

“There is no specific treatment or vaccine for the disease; the patient needs to be treated symptomatically.

Awareness needed

Doctors say that although there is no need to panic yet, people need to be sensitized on how to prevent the disease.

Because most areas do not receive water every day, people store water. Link workers must remind the public to cover stored water and keep their surroundings clean.

Try the rainbow diet

A “Rainbow Diet” is one that includes foods of different colours by adding different kinds of fruits and vegetables into your diet. Most of us know that including generous servings of fruits and vegetables in the diet is the cornerstone of good health, but we lack the motivation to do so.

Besides, the effort that goes into the processing and preparation of vegetables and the ever spiralling cost are huge deterrents towards ensuring a salad, one or two vegetables and an after meal fruit. But everyone must include more fruits and vegetables in their diet because they have special ingredients that not only prevent but also delay the onset of many diseases.

Essential nutrients

Vitamins like vitamin C, compounds called carotenoids (some of which can be converted to vitamin A in the body), vitamin K, riboflavin, and folic acid are found in many vegetables and fruits. In fact, guava and gooseberry are some of the inexpensive sources of vitamin C. Vegetables like capsicum are rich in thiamin, a member of the B complex family of vitamins.

Some vegetables like potato, sweet potato, tapioca and yam and fruits like mango, banana and sapota make a fair contribution towards energy intake. Most vegetables and fruits are high in water and fibre contents and low in calorific value.

Many of the greens — Amaranth (mulai keerai and araikeerai), manathakkali, mint and cowpea leaves — are packed with iron. Green leafy vegetables like agathi, amaranth, drumstick and fenugreek leaves also have generous amounts of calcium. Green leafy vegetables are also high in potassium and magnesium, low in fat and sodium, all of which are cardio-protective.

Phytochemicals

More recently it has been reported that vegetables and fruits contain compounds called phytochemicals, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and immune-boosting properties and promote good health and a high quality of life. There are thousands of phytochemicals packed into fruits and vegetables. 

Flavonols are found in lemons, oranges, plums, peaches, apricots, apples, green leafy vegetables, yellow capsicum, onions and broccoli.

Naringenin — found in all citrus fruits, especially grape fruit — known to reduce blood cholesterol and glucose concentrations.

Anthocyanidins are found in red grapes, pomegranates, strawberries, cherries and plums and are cardio and neuro-protective.

Yellow fruits like mangoes and green leafy vegetables and carrots are rich in beta carotene which is converted to vitamin A in the body and also helps fight cancer.

Red fruits like tomatoes and watermelon contain lycopene, which is important for fighting prostate cancer and heart disease.

Fisetin — found in strawberries, blueberries, apples, grapes and onions — is being studied for its anti-ageing effects

The most natural way to overcome constipation is to increase intake of green leafy and other high fibre vegetables and fruits.

Their high water and fibre content and low energy values promote satiety and decrease energy intake and could be important in weight management. Nutritionists recommend regular moderate exercise and many servings of soups and salads for those who need to shed a few pounds. Substituting fruits and vegetables for a calorie dense evening snack helps weight loss.

Benefits

Other health benefits include prevention of or delaying type 2 diabetes mellitus, protection against esophageal, stomach and perhaps colorectal, lung and mouth and pharyngeal cancers; reduced risk of cardiovascular events and stroke. A diet packed with raw fruits and salads can help prevent Amyloid plaque formation in the brain, which leads to Alzheimers disease.

Emerging evidence also shows a beneficial role in reducing risk of cataract, diverticulosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and even hypertension. In fact, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) plan recommends generous intake of fruits and vegetables.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that adults eat at least five kinds of vegetable and two kinds of fruit every day. Most experts do not consider potatoes as a part of these seven servings.

The key to good health is therefore to include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Ensure that your shopping bag is filled with colour. Both variety and quantity is the key. Lastly, go seasonal. This is the best way to ensure quality and an affordable price.

Begin early

Train children to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. Add pureed or smooth vegetables and fruits to cereals as first foods and introduced to infants at about six months of age.

The quantity, consistency and variety can be increased as the child grows. This way, resistance to vegetables and fruits at a later age is likely to be minimal.

How much?

Start with five servings of fruits or vegetables.

Slowly increase to at least seven servings through the day.

One serving = 75 gm.

Easy to use

Make fruit juice

Add to salads, pastas and raitas

Make sandwich fillings

Puree into soups

Keep a fruit bowl handy

Fill half your plate with vegetable; then add other foods

“We are limited, not by our abilities, but by our vision.”–Helen Keller

A trauma counsellor, corporate trainer, writer, aerobics trainer, public speaker and director of Silver Linings Human Resource Solution Private Limited — all rolled into one, Preeti Monga’s achievements are inspirational for any youngster. Interestingly, that she lost her vision early in life could not deter Ms. Monga from living up to her dreams.

With a staff size of eight girls, Silver Linings is a Delhi-based executive search and talent development consultancy. “What makes us different from typical recruitment companies and sundry providers of standardised training modules is the fact that we go beyond a transactional relationship with our clients to be their ‘Human Capital Custodian’,” Ms. Monga said. She recalls the motivational workshops she has conducted for workers in Maruti when they were going through a difficult labour phase. “I have addressed workers at the mines as well. Being a positive person I enjoy motivational workshops. We have a master list of 140 active clients. Our business model is simple. We share 10 per cent of the profit with our employees.”

Preeti started the consultancy with her brother Sandeep Singh. “We got Silver Lining Trust registered in 2006, and then thought about starting Silver Lining Solutions. We started Silver Linings in the dining hall of our house in 2010 and now our bedroom, too, is annexed into the office area. We will have a bigger office soon” she said. “My brother left his job for this venture. Convincing him was my first victory,” she smiled. While Mr. Singh looks after the operations of Silver Linings, Ms. Monga handles the business development part.

Ms. Monga was only six years old when doctors diagnosed her deteriorating vision as a condition due to optic atrophy. “It was difficult for me since my childhood. And by the time I was able to accept my disability, my school had already thrown me out. It affected me greatly,” she said.

“In a place like India, where even the birth of a girl child is not welcomed, being born with an extreme physical disability is almost unacceptable to the society,” Ms. Monga said. “But I have been fortunate enough to have supportive parents. They stood by my side in every adversity. They have made me what I am today.”

She decided to leave her studies after completing Class X. “I found it meaningless! At that point of time, I failed to understand that I would need certificates and degrees to survive in this difficult world… Soon after ending my first marriage, I realized that I needed to be economically independent. That brought me in touch with Veena Merchant of U.S.A. Shapes. I received proper aerobics training and started my own training class. I had a class of 40 people,” she said.

Simultaneously, she got involved in computer and English teaching, sales and marketing management, freelance journalism, public speaking and most of all trauma counselling; all this without completing her formal education. “I always believed that one can learn from every day experiences. For me, life was the biggest teacher and troubles, lessons of the book,” she added.

“Today I am a proud mother of two independent children and a very happy grandmother too. I dream of building Silver Linings into a global entity. I want to tell the world that if a blind person can do it in spite of ever increasing adversities, everybody can. I want to be the light that can eliminate darkness from the lives of people,” she asserted.

WHY NOT?

Income

Sub-irrigated planter