Milestones in sanitation

1888 Tokyo Municipal Improvement Commission set up; this came about after the cholera epidemics of 1879 and 1886 in which over 100,000 people suffered got the disease. 1889 A report filed by British engineer, B K Burton, on municipal improvement of Tokyo; he was asked to do the same for Shimonoseki (May 1893), Sendai (1893), Nagoya (1894), and Hiroshima (1894).

Flushing down its traditions

The rich are enjoying themselves at the expense of poor people's health

How does pollution affect the poor? In the developed countries, it is not the poor who are responsible for environmental problems. It is the richer class which owns more than one car per family, who dump their waste in the neighbourhood. Therefore, the rich are enjoying themselves at the expense of poor people's health. Similarly, people in developing countries are using second-hand and outdated technology that has been dumped by the developed countries. The poor are affected in two ways: both by the foreign as well as the mother countries. Interviewee:  Karen E Smoyer

HOSPITAL CLEANING

The Delhi high court has pulled up authorities at the Safdarjung Hospital and said that the hospital premises must be cleaned within two weeks. A three-member committee of advocates, comprising Ashok Aggarwal, Rajiv Awasthi and Meera Bhatia, found insects in intensive care units, unclean toilets and a dirty general ward. A division bench comprising Chief Justice S N Variava and Justices S K Mahajan and H P Bajaj has asked authorities to supervise the cleaning operation. The judges asked committee members to take pictures on their next inspection.

Managing wastes

Money from garbage

the Municipal Corporation of Dehi ( mcd ) has finally found a productive way of getting rid of the city's garbage. In a month's time, the first private-run compost plant is likely to begin operations. The plant, which has a capacity of converting 500 metric tonnes of garbage into manure a day, is located at the Bhalaswa landfill in north Delhi.

Setting standards

the third European conference on environment and health recently organised in London resolved to set an agenda for improving health and environment standards in Europe for the next century. Representatives of 51 countries, international agencies and groups representing consumers and the corporate sector participated in the meet. The theme of this year's conference was 'Environment and Health in Partnership: Implementations of actions for the 21st Century'.

CAMBODIA

A cholera outbreak in northeastern Cambodia has killed54 villagers and left another 827 infected with the deadly bacteria, health officials said. Cholera cases were first reported in northern Ratanakiri province in mid-April, Gerry Pais of Health Unlimited said. "Unless we can bring it under control soon, we could have many more casualties,'' he said. Poor road conditions and distances between villages have frustrated efforts to wipe out the epidemic.

Say no to plastics

THE Calcutta Municipal Corporation (cmc) has decided to ban plastic carrybags from next year. The move comes before the formulation of a national policy on the ban of plastic bags. According to the Calcutta municipal commissioner, Asim Burman, "Apart from being a major health hazard and causing harm to the environment, plastic carrybags are a major cause for choking the city's drains." The cmc will ban the use under section 303 of the cmc Act, 1980. The Act stipulates that throwing waste material that causes choking of drains is a punishable offence. Over one

HEALTH HAZARD

Since April, more than 500 people in Nepal have died, reportedly due to infectious diseases. This has been happening in the remote villages, particularly in northern Nepal. More than 20,000 people in 35 districts are affected by acute respiratory infections, pneumonia and measles. According to the director general of the health department, poverty, unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation, and ignorance, are the causes of these diseases.