Full body sanitiser tunnels at districts
In a bid to check the spread of COVID-19, the administration in almost all districts is setting up sanitiser tunnels at places where people assemble in large numbers. The first one was set up in Patna, followed by Darbhanga. It was soon followed at Jehanabad and other districts. In Patna, four such santiser tunnels are being set up at Digha, Musalahpur haat, Bazar Samiti and Meethapur areas. These tunnels spray a mist of sodium hypochlorite solution, a chlorine compound used as a disinfectant.
Changing perception about dowry
Bihar comes second in the country after Uttar Pradesh when it comes to dowry-related cases. Both the states from Hindi heartland are often in news for grooms demanding large sum of money in dowries. Fortunately, the people’s perception of dowry is changing rapidly. In an opinion poll conducted by the ‘Centre for Catalysing Change’ (C3), as part of Sakshamaa or the Initiative for What Works, survey teams have come out with encouraging findings. The opinion poll was able to identify certain policy actions in which 55% of people said that they would try to convince their parents not to give or take dowry. Half of the respondents said organising a simple wedding ceremony with a fixed upper limit for expenses is the need of hour. C3 executive director Dr Aparajita Gogoi said the opinion poll was conducted in 100 schools across 11 districts of Bihar.
Railways adopt village
In a first for the Indian Railways, its employees have collectively adopted a village for helping its residents amid lockdown in Rohtas district. The Signal & Telecom unit of the East Central Railway (ECR) has adopted Mundiyarpur, a nondescript village. ECR spokesperson Rajesh Kumar said that employees of S&T of Pundit Deenyadal Upadhay division are providing commodities, water and other day-to- day items for free from their own salaries from April 1. The employees are also conducting an awareness drive in addition to providing essential commodities and services. Mughalsarai division ADRM Atul Prasad is personally monitoring this community service.
Rhino pair released in Patna zoo
Zoo officials in Patna released a pair of male and female rhinos, Ganesh and Lalli, in the newly built Rhino Breeding Enclosure (RBE) at the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park. Patna zoo director Amit Kumar said that the rhinos were released in natural surrounding conducive to promoting breeding among the rhinos. He said that Patna zoo has 11 rhinos — five males and six females — for breeding of one-horned Indian rhino. The recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among the greatest conservation success stories in Asia. One-horned rhinos are mostly found in northeastern India and Terai grasslands of Nepal.
Rajesh K Thakur
Our correspondent in Bihar
rkthajipur@gmail.com