Shaken by the dengue scourge
The rise of dengue cases across Bihar has left quite a scare among the general public as well as the health department authorities. While most people thought the debilitating fever caused by the vector-borne disease had broken out across the state as an outbreak, the government has denied any such situation. Patna district was the worst hit as 660 of the 984 confirmed cases of dengue in the state were reported here. While there were reports of six suspected dengue deaths in the district, an audit by the government found that none of them was caused by dengue. Urban areas were badly hit by the virus as the mosquitoes get breeding grounds due to accumulation of water.
Waiting for the winter chill
Except a mild nip in the air in the morning, winter has so far given no sign of its onset in the city. Most residents are still using fans in their homes throughout the day for relief from the humidity. In fact, the minimum temperature in the city was seen rising by a few notches since November 8, hovering around 16°C. But after Chhath, with the midday temperatures are slowly dropping, a faster dip in the mercury is expected within a week, say weather experts. Cold northwesterly winds blowing from Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Himachal Pradesh after the recent heavy snowfall are set to deepen the chill in Patna. Temperatures across north India are set to drop over the coming weeks with the onset of winter.
Nitish Kumar to unveil 50-feet Buddha statue
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar is known for his reverential love for Gautama Buddha. In his speeches, the Janata Dal (United) national president often cites the teachings of the Buddha and Mahatma Gandhi, the other personality he admires the most. Kumar also regularly visits Buddhist shrines at Bodh Gaya and prays. He is set to inaugurate a 50-foot-high statue of Lord Buddha in the middle of Ghorakatora Lake at Rajgir in Nalanda district on November 25. The statue, one of the CM’s pet projects, depicts the Buddha in his famous Dharma Chakra Pravartana Mudra. “Nitish Kumar’s love for the Buddha is as much religious as political,” quipped one of his aides.
Warming up for the marathon
After the success of last year’s Patna Marathon, the Bihar capital is now preparing to host the event again on December 16. It will be a half marathon (21.2 km) yet again as the organisers’ efforts to plan a full marathon (42.195 km) failed. This year’s event will comprise three categories – four km, 10 km and 21 km. As many as 1,500 potential participants have registered themselves so far, and registration is open till November 30. While Flying Sikh Milkha Singh had flagged off last year’s Patna Marathon, efforts are on to get ace boxer MC Mary Kom for this year’s event. “Her consent is awaited,” said one of the organisers.