Sarus crane spotted in Valmiki Tiger Reserve
A large Sarus crane was recently spotted loitering in Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserves (VTR), among the more than 250 bird species living there. According to the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature, the Sarus crane is the tallest flying bird in the world at 152-156 cm height. It has a wingspan of about 240 cm. They are threatened by habitat loss and degradation due to draining the wetland and conversion of land for agriculture Ever since the VTR was developed into an important Bird Area (BA) by the Indian Bird Conservation, it has become home to hundreds of bird species. Sarus crane is considered to be a stressed bird. Its population has seen a decline in India.
Over 750 healthcare professionals infected
Amid a surge in Covid cases across the country, more than 750 healthcare professionals working in both public and private hospitals have tested positive. According to AIIMS officials, 384 doctors and paramedical staff there have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 10 days alone. In the Patna Medical College and Hospital, more than 70 doctors and 55 paramedics have reported testing positive. In Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, 50 doctors and 68 paramedical staff have contracted the infection. A number of doctors and paramedics in Nalanda Medical College and Hospital have also tested positive, so have healthcare workers in dozens of others hospitals across the state. As a result, there has been a panic among those in the medical field.
NGO bats for social security for sanitary workers
Amid an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases, Nidan, an NGO working for the rights of sanitary workers of Patna, has demanded from the chief minister, the district magistrate and the Patna Municipal commissioner that over 50,000 ragpickers in the city be provided livelihood security and other support. Apart from food grains, the government has also been asked to ensure that all of them are vaccinated. Nidan has gifted safety kits to many of the sanitary workers in the city.
Vegetables to be delivered at doorstep
Amid a surge in Covid cases, the Bihar state vegetable processing and marketing cooperative federation limited is set to launch a website where people can order groceries to be delivered to their doorstep in Patna. The aim is to discourage people from venturing out of their homes. The website will soon be operational, sources said. Sanjay Kumar, spokesperson of the department, said software works is in progress and the website will be launched very soon. Bihar recorded 12,672 more Covid cases on Friday, taking the tally to 3,78,442, health the state’s department said in a press release.
Rajesh K Thakur
Our correspondent in Bihar rkthajipur@gmail.com