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

Beware public

Please wear helmet (written by someone)

A good novel

Trees grow in Poland through free send-a-seedling drive

Polish software specialist Tomek Wawrzyczek was pleasantly surprised when he received a 50-centimetre (20-inch) tree seedling in the post.

He promptly planted it in his garden but still has no clue who sent it.

"Who was the kind soul who sent me a seedling? Because I don't know whom to thank," he wrote recently on the micro-blogging site Twitter.

No one has confessed to the unusual mail to date, but from the packaging, Wawrzyczek, 43, learnt it was part of a citizen's initiative in which 61,000 free seedlings were sent across Poland.

Launched by marketing executive Jacek Powalka, 36, the so-called PioSeki online initiative let anyone order up to two free maple, beech, oak or spruce seedlings -- one to keep and one to give a friend.

Powalka's goal was to inspire people to do some good, be it by improving the environment or otherwise

The idea for the project was first sown on a "beautiful, sunny Saturday morning" in 2007 after Powalka set off to the nursery for flowers but returned with a European variety of sycamore tree seedlings.

"I decided that that year rather than flowers for my balcony, I'd spend the money on trees" for the neighbourhood's overgrown residential square, said Powalka, whose family has a long history of social activism.

He ended up turning the nondescript unused space into a park, making headlines in Poland.

Neighbours helped with planting and chipped in on landscaping plans. The square became a site for community events like summertime starlight film screenings

India duo wins French Open

India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the mixed doubles title at the French Openon Thursday, defeating Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Klaudia Jans-Ignacik of Poland 7-6 (7/3), 6-1 in the final.

Bhupathi, one of the most successful men's doubles and mixed doubles players ever, won the title in style on his 38th birthday.

"Now I don't have to think of a gift to give him," Mirza said after their victory which was broadcast live in India, where the pair, playing as seventh seeds, are national sporting heroes.

Bhupathi, who is married to Indian actress and former Miss Universe Lara Dutta, dedicated the trophy to their four-month-old daughter Saira, his first child.

"This one's for her and I'm really happy," he said, after winning his eighth mixed doubles majors crown -- he has now won each mixed title twice.

8 Easy Ways to Tone Your Thighs

The process of losing weight on your thighs is easier than you think. Since your thigh fat is attached to the largest muscle in your body, it is easy for you to lose unwanted fat from this specific area. 

Says fitness expert, Althea Shah, “One of the fastest ways to lose unwanted weight and fat from your thighs is to gain metabolism by raising muscle on your legs. It helps you burn more calories, which aids you in building muscles with the help of a combination of exercises like squats, leg lifts and leg extensions, for nicely sculpted legs.”  

Squats 
Squats are a great way to use your legs to tone up your thighs. 
How to: Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Lower yourself as if you are going to sit down on a chair, until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Return to the standing position. Repeat twice, 15 to 20 times.

Wide squats 
This exercise helps to tone the inner muscles of your thigh. 
How to: Stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders and then bend till your knees are at a 45 degree angle. Tighten your thighs and hold for five seconds, release and stand back up. Keep your back straight. Repeat 10 to 15 times.

Lunges
Lunges help build your quadriceps as well as your glutes. 
How to: Says fitness expert, Neville Wadia, “Start with your feet together. Step forward with your right leg, keeping your back straight, and bend your knees, until your right knee forms a 90 degree angle. Hold this position till a count of five, then push back with your right leg. Repeat twice, 10 times on each sides.”

Walking lunges
Walking lunges are excellent to tone your quadriceps, hamstrings and thighs. 
How to: Start by standing upright. Lunge forward with one leg, but don’t make your knee go further than your toe. When you lunge, use the back leg to get back to the standing position. 

Step-up
Says Wadia, “Step-ups work on the muscle of the glutes, hamstrings and quads and helps tone them the best.”
How to: Use an exercise bench. Stand in front of the bench and place your left foot on it. Hold your arms by your sides or hold weights in front of your chest. Straighten your left leg, transferring the weight onto it, to step on to the bench. Don’t lock the leg. Your right leg should be behind you a little and your right foot should not touch the bench. Hold position for a few seconds. Bend your left leg. Bring the right leg down just enough so that you tap the floor with your toes, and then extend the left leg again. Repeat twice, 10 to 20 times.

Leg extensions 
Says Shah, “Leg extension helps to target and tone the quadriceps. This exercise can be done with the help of leg extension machines at the gym.”
How to: Select your weights. Ask your gym instructor for the amount of weights suitable for your body type.  Using your quadriceps, extend your legs to the maximum, as you exhale. Ensure that the rest of the body remains stationary on the seat. Pause for a second. Slowly, lower the weight back to the original position as you inhale. Ensure that you do not go past the 90 degree angle. Repeat twice, 12-15 times. 

Kick-boxing
This exercise is great to tone  your thigh, as well as your butt. 
How to: Keep your fists tight, reaching shoulder height at the extension. Keep wrists in line with the rest of your arm. Rotate hips and pivot to protect knees. Keep your eyes straight and kick. Repeat twice, 20 times. 

Hamstring curl
Says Shah, “Hamstring curl is a great way to tone up your hamstring muscles.”
How to: Place a yoga mat on the floor. Lie on the yoga mat, on your stomach and keep your legs and feet together. For beginners, do not use ankle weight, but once you get used to the exercise form, wear an ankle weight on each leg. Start by having your legs and feet on the ground, and then bend your legs at the knees and bring them to your hips as close as possible. Hold for 10 seconds. Bring them back down but do not touch the ground. Repeat 20 times.

Rules for texting a girl

WOW

Diversity in Unity. In India where people of different religion live together but we should live like a Indian as this picture tells us.

Did You Know That

Shilpa-Raj baby named Viaan

Bollywood Actress Shilpa Shetty and husband-entrepreneur Raj Kundra held a quiet naming ceremony for their newborn son. The child, only 17 days old, was named Viaan Raj Kundra.

The priest advised the parents that the child’s name should start with the letter ‘V’ since it’s an auspicious alphabet for the baby, going by his birth chart. The star kid’s naming ceremony was held at Shilpa and Raj’s Juhu pad, and was attended by family only.

Shilpa’s parents, Surendra and Sunanda, sister Shamita, and Raj’s parents, Bala Krishnan and Usha Rani Kundra were present. Shilpa and Raj have been married for three years and the couple confirmed the pregnancy news in December last year.

After the baby's birth, Raj had expressed his happiness on Twitter.

Giant hairy spiders bite Indians

Giant hairy spiders bite Indians

Large biting spiders have sparked panic in remote northeast India, but health authorities fear primitive treatment of the bites' painful swelling may be more dangerous than the spiders themselves.

Two people died in Tinsukia district after witch doctors used razor blades to drain the wounds. It's not known if the victims died from spider poison or from the attempted treatment. Local magistrate Kishore Thakuria said the victims were cremated before autopsies could be done.

Another seven bite victims have been treated with antibiotics against infection after they also tried themselves to drain their wounds, said Dr. Anil Phapowali at the local Sadiya town hospital.

The hairy spiders were noticed about a month ago across Tinsukia district's grassy plains and dense jungle forests north of the Brahmaputra River.

Ecologist LR Saikia at Assam's Dibrugarh University said it may be a previously unknown species of tarantula. The spiders are roughly the size of a person's thumb.

"It looks like a new species. We haven't been able to identify it," he said Tuesday. Officials cannot use anti-venom in treating bite victims until the species is identified.

Meanwhile, villagers are keeping lamps on at night and standing guard against spiders entering their mud-and-thatch huts. There are about 100,000 villagers, mostly poor rice farmers, living in the area cut off from roads by the river.

Officials say the spiders are now also showing up south of the Brahmaputra.

pass this information to the needy people

A very beautiful picture