Palwal District Research Articles

Incidence and risk factors of cognitive impairment: A 6-year follow-up study from North India

BackgroundMore than 55 million people globally suffer from cognitive impairment (CI), and over 60% of them reside in low- and middle-income countries. Longitudinal studies provide a more robust understanding of incidence and risk factors. The present study aimed to estimate the incidence and socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical risk factors of CI in the Jat community of North India. MethodsThe present longitudinal study recruited 223 adult individuals of both sexes from the Jat community residing in the Palwal district of Haryana, North India. Data on socio-demographic variables were collected through a pretested interview schedule. Assessment of cognition in both baseline and end-line was done through RUDAS. Data on anthropometric and biochemical variables were collected through standardized methods. ResultsThe overall incidence rate of CI in the studied population was found to be 28.4 per 1000 individuals-years. Further, among all the socio-demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical variables considered, illiteracy (2.5-fold), high waist-hip ratio (WHR) (5.1-fold), and high percentage body fat (PBF) (2.9-fold) in the baseline were significantly associated with increased risk for incidence-CI. However, none of the biochemical variables posed any significantly increased risk for the incidence of CI. ConclusionThe present study is the first of its kind follow-up study on CI in India, which evaluated the incidence rate and associated risk factors for the incidence of CI in the population. The study revealed a substantial incidence rate of CI in the studied population and found illiteracy, high WHR, and high PBF to be associated with the incidence of CI.

Characterization and spatial mapping of irrigation water quality and their effects on soil properties in Hathin Block of Palwal district, Haryana

Aim: Characterization and spatial mapping of irrigation water quality of Hathin block, District Palwal, Haryana. Methodology: In order to assess the ground water quality for irrigation suitability and their effect on soil chemical properties, 68 ground water samples were collected, and analyzed for pH, EC, anions (CO32-, HCO3-, Cl-, SO42- and NO3-) and cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+). Water quality indices [(Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and residual sodium carbonate (RSC)] were also computed. Results: The pH and EC of water samples ranged from 6.69-8.35 and 0.77 -11.99 dSm-1 with mean value of 7.48 and 4.21 dSm-1, respectively. The cations and anions followed the order: Na+> Mg2+> Ca2+> K+, and Cl- > SO42-> HCO3−> CO32−>NO3−. RSC and SAR ranged from Nil - 5.40 me l-1 and 5.64 - 19.98 (mmol l-1)1/2, respectively. According to All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) classification, out of total water samples, 17.6 % were found as good, 22.1 % as marginal saline, 4.4 % as saline, 48.5 % as high SAR saline, and 7.4 % as higher alkali. Interpretation: The soluble ions were found higher under higher saline conditions as compared to the locations had good quality irrigation water, which altered soil nutrient status. In order to mitigate the negative impacts of such water, it is advised that brackish or saline groundwater be used to irrigate field crops by diluting it with canal (good quality) water. Key words: Residual sodium carbonate, Soluble ions, Sodium absorption ratio, Water quality indices

A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE PERSPECTIVE OF ALLOPATHIC PRIVATE PROVIDERS FOR THEIR ENGAGEMENT IN TUBERCULOSIS CASE NOTIFICATION UNDER RNTCP

Background: In India 80% of patient first seek private health sector for treatment. This necessitates their engagement in TB eradication programme. Private providers engagement remains a challenging area from decades. Appropriate activities are needed to engage large and unorganized private sector to achieve different milestone in TB case notification and identification. Objective: Study to assess the perspective of allopathic private providers for their engagement in tuberculosis case notification under RNTCP. Methods: Cross-sectional mixed method study among allopathic private providers in Palwal District of Haryana. Conveniently 187 allopathic private providers were approached to assess those factors which can increase their involvement in TB case notification. Private providers were interviewed to check their perspective on mandatory TB case notification Results: This study found that providers are well aware about the RNTCP programme. Overall 59 percent of practitioners favoured the incentives and p-value of 0.014 shows incentive is one factors which can increase their involvement in the programme. Continuing Medical Education (55%) and Notification through hard copy (57%) are preferred ways for engagement. Lack of notification knowledge and complicate process are challenging issues for notification. It was observed stigma, government support and coordination, jurisdiction, and inadequate trainings are remained as barrier from years. Conclusion: There is need to address these issues on priority. Capacity building and educational programmes are required to strengthen the private providers. Simplified notification process and addition of incentives can increase involvement from the private sector. Government support and coordination to private sector are required for achieving the aim of TB Free Ind

Demographic profile of patients seeking teleophthalmology consultations through e-Sanjeevani: Retrospective analysis of 5138 patients from North India.

To report the demographic profile of patients registered through e-Sanjeevani OPD seeking teleophthalmology services. This was a cross-sectional data analysis of patients with ocular complaints registered through the e-Sanjeevani platform at a tertiary care center. It was a doctor-to-doctor consultation, where teleophthalmology consultants provided teleconsultation services at subcenters (SCs), primary health centers (PHCs), and community health centers (CHCs). Data regarding the patient's age, gender, residential address, provisional diagnosis, and treatment prescribed were recorded from May 2021 to February 2022 (9 months). In total, 5138 patients were teleconsulted from the mean age of the patients was 37.64 ± 19.34 years. Among these patients, 44% were males and 56% were females. Most of the teleconsultation calls were made from Palwal district (19.8%), followed by Hisar (14.5%) and Sonipat. The most common provisional diagnosis was dry eyes (21%), followed by allergic conjunctivitis (18%), refractive error (15%), and cataract (14%). These constituted approximately 70% of the diagnosis made through teleconsultations. The rest of the eye problems were diagnosed as stye, blepharitis, nasolacrimal duct obstruction, pterygium, subconjunctival hemorrhage, etc., The majority of the patients were managed medically (56.6%) and approximately 11.6% of the patients were referred for surgical intervention. e-Sanjeevani is an effective way to provide teleconsultations to patients in remote locations. The majority of the patients seeking ophthalmology consultations can be managed conservatively. Patients requiring surgical intervention can be referred timely, thus avoiding any delay in treatment.

Safety Aspects of Minor Road Junctions on MDR 132 – Nuh to Hodal

Accident occurring at junctions is a major problem in India. As per the annual report 2019, almost 50% of road accidents in India occurred at junctions. In this study, an attempt has been made to study the safety aspects of minor road junctions on MDR 132 in the Palwal District of Haryana State. The main aims of the present study are to study the safety aspects of minor road junctions on MDR-132 from Nuh to Hodal by analyzing various features of minor road junctions like markings, signs, shoulders, sight distances, lightings, median, etc., and to give suggestions to minimize the accidents. Two types of data were collected. One is from the field, and the other is from registered FIRs. The first one includes pavement width, shoulder width, marking, speed breaker, signs, types of junctions, sight distance, etc. The second one includes hitting and victim vehicle, fatal, grievous and minor injury, visibility, age of the victim, etc. It was observed that the number of accidents is being affected by various road parameters. For example, the number of accidents at uncontrolled junctions is decreasing as pavement width, shoulder width, sight distance, and presence of speed breaker [especially on minor roads] are increasing. Similarly, it was also observed that the number of fatalities decreased as the considered road parameters were increased.

WATER QUALITY INDEX FOR THE ASSESSMENT OFGROUNDWATER QUALITY IN PALWAL DISTRICT, HARYANA

This paper aims at studying the various physico-chemical parameters and development of water quality index to determine the groundwater quality and see its suitability for consumption in rural villages in Palwal district, Haryana, India. Water quality index of the study area was calculated on the basis of BIS standards of drinking water largely varied from being in a very poor category to water unsuitable for consumption and needed some treatment before it can be utilized for various domestic purposes.

Bureaucratic connections and local development: A study of Palwal district in India

ABSTRACT Numerous countries have established local elected governments to improve public goods delivery and reduce information asymmetry between the state and citizens. These governments remain dependent on upper levels for funding which has been found to be influenced by patronage politics and partisan alignment. In this paper, we show that the networks of locally elected officials and bureaucrats determine the allocation of discretionary funds and resources to local governments. Villages whose elected heads reported stronger connections with local bureaucrats were more likely to win a one-time inter-village competition for funds organized by the district administration of Palwal - a district in the North Indian state of Haryana. Locally elected officials in the district also report that bureaucratic connections are at least as necessary as political ties with higher-level politicians to obtain funds for their villages. This centrality of bureaucratic connections can be partly attributed to the institutional design in India.

Gender-specific association of biochemical variables with depression: a population-based case-control study from North India

BackgroundDepression is a highly prevalent mental disorder with complex aetiology. An emerging body of evidence shows that depression tends to co-occur with abnormal blood glucose levels and dyslipidaemia. This study aimed to understand the overall and gender-specific associations of abnormal glucose levels and dyslipidaemia with depression in a single Mendelian population from rural Haryana, India. To achieve the aim, a population-based case-control study, which constituted of 251 depressed (cases) and 251 non-depressed (controls) individuals, was set up. The study was conducted among the Jat community of Palwal District, Haryana (North India). Data collection was done using a pre-tested interview schedule through the household survey method. Depression status was ascertained using Beck Depression Inventory-II. Fasting blood glucose analysis and lipid profiling were done using commercial kits (Randox, USA) through spectrophotometry. Statistical analysis was done using MS-Excel 2010 and SPSS version 16.0.ResultsIn the present study, overall fasting blood sugar level was not found to be associated with depression. However, high blood sugar posed a 3.6-folds elevated risk for depression among females with borderline significance (p = 0.058). Further, higher levels of TC and LDL were found to be inversely associated with depression. In the sex-wise analysis inverse association of TC and LDL with depression remained significant among males but not among females. Instead, high TG and high VLDL showed an increased risk for depression in females.ConclusionsThis study suggests gender-specific associations of some of the studied biochemical variables with depression. Longitudinal studies are warranted to explicate cause-effect relationships between the studied biochemical variables and depression.

A STUDY TO ASSESS KNOWLEDGE ATTITUDE AND PRACTICES TOWARDS COVID-19 AMONG FRONTLINE WORKERS OF A NORTH INDIAN DISTRICT

ABSTRACTFrontline workers have been fighting hard since the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, was declared a global pandemic by the WHO on March 12th, 2020. This study assessed the level of knowledge of frontline workers, attitudes of frontline workers, and how well the frontline workers of the area adapted to the ongoing epidemic. This study used a cross-sectional research design conducted among 440 frontline workers Palwal district in Haryana. Information regarding knowledge, attitude, practice, and socio-demographic characteristics was obtained using semi-coded and pretested questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s rank correlation test, and multivariate linear regression were used. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. The mean of knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 79.67 (SD = 1.81), 27.4 (SD = 0.98), and 22.47 (SD = 1.4), respectively. 94.8% of frontline workers had excellent knowledge, 68.6% had excellent attitude, and 57.7% had reasonable practice with significant positive correlation between the three. Knowledge score varied significantly with occupation (p = 0.003). Regression analysis showed that attitude score varied significantly with age, gender, and occupation (p<0.05). Practice score varied significantly with age (p<0.05). The majority of the HCWs had had excellent knowledge and attitude, but moderate practice towards COVID-19 with a significant positive correlation between them. Knowledge appeared to be significantly associated with profession; attitude with age, gender, occupation, source of information; and practice with age alone. Healthcare workers (HCWs) were using less authentic sources for information, which is an important aspect that needs immediate correction as ultimately it affects knowledge and can be reflected in attitude and practice. Keywords: COVID-19, knowledge, attitude, practice, frontline workers

DISTRIBUTION OF RADON AND URANIUM LEVELS IN GROUNDWATER OF DISTRICT PALWAL, SOUTHERN HARYANA, INDIA.

Scintillation-detector-based SMART RnDuo (AQTEK System, India) and LED fluorimeter (Quantalase Instrument, India) were used for measurements of radon and uranium concentration in 54 groundwater samples collected from different locations in the Palwal district of Haryana (India). Radon in 26% and uranium in 54% of samples were found to be at higher levels than the maximum contamination limit (11Bql-1) for drinking water recommended by US Environmental Protection Agency and provisional guideline level (30μgl-1) stated by World Health Organization.

Resource use efficiency in cotton production in Palwal district of Haryana

This paper examines productivity, profitability and resource use efficiency of cotton production in Palwal district of Haryana (India). The study is based on primary data collected from a total of 120 farmers selected randomly using two-stage sampling and data related to agricultural year 2017-18. Analytical tools like farm business analysis and production function approach is applied to summarise data. Results have revealed that large farms were more productive and earned higher profit from cotton production than small and medium farms. The regression results have shown that factors like human labour, phosphatic fertilizer, farm machinery and zinc had positive and significant impacts on cotton yield. The MVP of human labour, and phosphatic fertilizer were greater than unity indicating underutilization. However, other resources were applied in excess and suggested to utilize optimally to improve the yield of cotton.

DIVERSITY AND RESIDENTIAL STATUS OF WADER BIRDS AT HODAL IN PALWAL DISTRICT, IN HARYANA, INDIA.

Waders belonging to order Charadriiformes are commonly found along shorelines and mudats that wade in order to forage for food (such as insects or crustaceans) in the mud or sand. Bogs, marshes, mudats, shorelines, ponds, and ooded areas are all popular habitats for wading birds. The waders include storks, spoonbills, cranes, herons, egrets and ibises. They have certain physical and behavioural adaptations for living on or near water. Wading birds depend on water as a source of food, shelter, and nesting sites. Wading birds wade into shallow water to obtain food, instead of swimming and diving in water in search of feed that is not found on land. If we study the morphology of wading birds, they have lots of characteristics and adaptations that are useful in a watery habitat. Long legs of the wading birds help them to keep their feathers high and dry when wading into water in search of food. A long neck and a long bill are adaptations that make it possible to strike at prey while walking around on long legs. The benets of wading bird′s long, thin, spread-out toes are three-fold: toes help them to keep their balance and also help them to walk in mud without sinking. While walking in water and mushy mud, thin toes are easier to lift and set down. Spread-out toes also prevent them from sinking into soft mud in the water and at the water's edge, and above all those toes also disperse the weight of these big, tall birds, helping them keep their balance over their long legs. Waders are ecologically dependent on wetlands, as they provide good habitat to them for feeding, roosting, breeding, nesting, pre-migratory requirements, migration and protection from predators. So, wet lands plays an important part in the life cycle of wading birds. Wetlands have got highest capacity and are often extremely rich in bird and animal life. The present study aims at the assessment of diversity and residential status of wading birds in Yamuna basin near Hodal in Palwal District. It is located at 27°53′39″N and 77°22′09″E having an average elevation of 190 meters. Many ornithologists pay lots of their attention on eld study of birds during the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth century and till today many more are involved in the study of avian diversity near rivers. Avian fauna of Kalesar forests in immediate vicinity of River Yamuna in Yamuna-nagar District has been analysed by Kalsi (1998). Kulkarni et al.(2011) reported 151 species of birds from river Godavari; Balapureet al. (2012) reported 63 avian species from river Narmada. Other workers like Bahuguna(2008), Taketal.(2010), Gupta & Kaushik (2011), Gupta et.al(2012), Anupma et al (2014), Ankita et al (2019) have studied wetlands birds in various regions along the banks of rivers.

Lessons from implementation research on community management of Possible Serious Bacterial Infection (PSBI) in young infants (0-59 days), when the referral is not feasible in Palwal district of Haryana, India.

Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of death in India, which needs hospital management but many families cannot access hospitals. The World Health Organization and the Government of India developed a guideline to manage possible serious bacterial infection (PSBI) when a referral is not feasible. We implemented this guideline to achieve high coverage of treatment of PSBI with low mortality. The implementation research study was conducted in over 50 villages of Palwal district, Haryana during August 2017-March 2019 and covered a population of 199143. Policy dialogue with central, state and district health authorities was held before initiation of the study. A baseline assessment of the barriers in the implementation of the PSBI intervention was conducted. The intervention was implemented in the program setting. The research team collected data throughout and also co-participated in the implementation of the intervention for the first six months to identify bottlenecks in the health system and at the community level. RE-AIM framework was utilized to document implementation strategies of PSBI management guideline. Implementation strategies by the district technical support unit (TSU) included: (i) empower mothers and families through social mobilization to improve care-seeking of sick young infants 0-59 days of age, (ii) build capacity through training and build confidence through technical support of health staff at primary health centers (PHC), community health centers (CHC) and sub-centers to manage young infants with PSBI signs and (iii) improve performance of accredited social health activists (ASHAs). A total of 370 young infants with signs of PSBI were identified and managed in 5270 live births. Treatment coverage was 70% assuming that 10% of live births would have PSBI within the first two months of life. Mothers identified 87.6% (324/370) of PSBI cases. PHCs and CHCs became functional and managed 150 (40%) sick young infants with PSBI. Twenty four young infants (7-59days) who had only fast breathing were treated with oral amoxicillin without a referral. Referral to a hospital was refused by 126 (84%); 119 had clinical severe infection (CSI), one 0-6 days old had fast breathing and six had critical illness (CI). Of 119 CSI cases managed on outpatient injection gentamicin and oral amoxicillin, 116 (96.7%) recovered, 55 (45.8%) received all seven gentamicin injections and only one died. All 7-59 day old infants with fast breathing recovered, 23 on outpatient oral amoxicillin treatment; and 19 (79%) received all doses. Of 65 infants managed at either district or tertiary hospital, two (3.1%) died, rest recovered. Private providers managed 155 (41.9%) PSBI cases, all except one recovered, but sub-classification and treatment were unknown. Sub-centers could not be activated to manage PSBI. The study demonstrated resolution of implementation bottlenecks with existing resources, activated PHCs and CHCs to manage CSI and fast breathers (7-59 day old) on an outpatient basis with low mortality when a referral was not feasible. TSU was instrumental in these achievements. We established the effectiveness of oral amoxicillin alone in 7-59 days old fast breathers and recommend a review of the current national policy.

Mineral mixture supplementation for enhancing milk yield of milch animals in Haryana

Most of the Indian soils are deficient in one or more minerals and these minerals are important in numerous biochemical reactions and deficiency may lead to metabolic diseases resulting lowering production performance in dairy animals. The study attempts to evaluate status nutrient intake in dairy animals, effect of reappropriation of available feed resources and mineral mixture supplementation on production performance in lactating cows and buffaloes in Katesara and Amarpur villages under Farmers’ FIRST project in Palwal district. The animals were in their early lactation (40±5 days in milk) and milk yield, its composition, body weight and body condition score was recorded. Among the cow, 28% deficit, 35% excess dry matter; 41% deficit and 11% excess crude protein; 33% deficit and 25% excess total digestible nutrients (TDN) was provided. In buffaloes, 36% deficit and 40% excess DM; 45% deficit and 15% excess CP; 25% deficit and 12% excess TDN was provided. Reappropriation of DM, CP and TDN was done using available feed/ fodders available to the farmers and after 15 days, mineral mixture was provided @ 50 g/d for 60 days. The production performance record reveals no change in body weight but BCS was improved. Milk yield, fat, protein in cows were improved and other composition were remain unchanged. In buffaloes, milk yield, fat and protein improved while others, viz. lactose, SNF, ash and TS were similar due to supplementation of mineral mixture. The results conclude that imbalance of nutrients existed to the tune of 10 to 45% among various nutrients. One of the best propositions could be supplementation of mineral mixture to improve milk yield (10 to 14%) and fat per cent under field condition in both cows and buffaloes.

Impact assessment of improved wheat variety disseminated through farmer participatory research in Palwal district of Haryana

In a study involving large-scale farmer participatory field trials for evaluating the performance of a recently released improved wheat variety, HD 3086 (Pusa Gautami) in 300 farmers’ fields in three villages of Palwal district, significantly yielded higher grain and straw output compared to output of control group with the same existing resources. Adoption curves were generated to ascertain the rate of adoption and diffusion of HD 3086 among farmers of FFP villages and neighbouring villages. The rate of adoption of HD 3086 was more than 16 times on acreage basis in the span of three years.

Survey of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Associated with Cotton in Nuh and Palwal Districts of Haryana

An extensive survey was conducted to assess the frequency and abundance of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Haryana (Nuh and Palwal districts) during 2018-20. Based on incidence, population density and associated damage on affected crops, root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) was considered to be the most important parasite of the crops under local condition. During 2018-19, a total of 11 soil and root samples of cotton were collected from Nuh and Palwal districts. Out of these, eight were found infected with M. incognita with 72.0% frequency of occurrence. The results revealed that out of 7 samples (Nuh), five were found infested with M. incognita with 71.4% frequency of occurrence. In Palwal district, this nematode had 75.0% frequency of occurrence with density range of 60-300 j2 200-1 cc soil. During 2019-20, a total of 27 soil and root samples of cotton were collected from Nuh and Palwal districts. Out of these, 14 were found infected with M. incognita with 51.8% frequency of occurrence. The results revealed that out of 21 samples (Nuh), 12 were found infested with M. incognita with 57.1% frequency of occurrence and density range of 95-690 j2 200-1 cc soil. In Palwal district, this nematode had 33.3% frequency of occurrence (2 out of 6 samples) with density range of 135-435 j2 200-1 cc soil. Other plant parasitic nematodes which were found associated with the cotton belonged to Rotylenchulus reniformis, Hoplolaimus sp., Helicotylenchus sp. and Tylenchorhynchus sp.

Hydrochemical characteristics of the groundwater in Trans-Yamuna Alluvial aquifer, Palwal District, Haryana, India

Hydrochemical processes have been evaluated for the groundwater regime in Trans-Yamuna alluvial aquifer, Palwal District, Haryana. The groundwater belongs to the Na+–Mg+2 and Cl−–SO4−2 facies, and solute acquisition processes indicated that the rock weathering/evaporation is a major mechanism that characterizes the hydrochemistry. It is also indicated that dissolution and reverse ion exchange processes are playing a major role in determining the groundwater chemistry in the study area. The varied climate in Ganga plains is responsible for the importance of different hydrogeochemical processes that impact on hydrochemistry of groundwater. Groundwater quality parameters were tested for drinking and irrigation purposes. Water quality index shows that 13%, 31%, 34% and 21% fall in good, poor, very poor and unsuitable water category, respectively, for drinking purposes. On the basis of SAR and Na%, the groundwater indicated that it is safe for irrigation purposes. But high TDS of few samples suggested the salinity hazard while using it for irrigation purposes for a longer period.

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes among children in India prior to the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundStreptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infections among children in India. India introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in several states in 2017, and is expected to expand to nationwide coverage in the near future. To establish a baseline for measuring the impact of PCV in India, we assessed overall and serotype-specific nasopharyngeal carriage in two pediatric populations.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in Palwal District, Haryana, from December 2016 to July 2017, prior to vaccine introduction. Children 2–59 months of age with clinical pneumonia seeking healthcare and those in the community with no clear illness were targeted for enrollment. A nasopharyngeal swab was collected and tested for pneumococcus using conventional culture and sequential multiplex PCR. Isolates were tested for antimicrobial resistance using an E test. Children were considered colonized if pneumococcus was isolated by culture or PCR. The prevalence of pneumococcal and serotype-specific colonization was compared between groups of children using log-binomial regression.ResultsAmong 601 children enrolled, 91 had clinical pneumonia and 510 were community children. The proportion colonized with S. pneumoniae was 74.7 and 54.5% among children with clinical pneumonia and community children, respectively (adjusted prevalence ratio: 1.38; 95% confidence interval: 1.19, 1.60). The prevalence of PCV13 vaccine-type colonization was similar between children with clinical pneumonia (31.9%) and community children (28.0%; p = 0.46). The most common colonizing serotypes were 6A, 6B, 14, 19A, 19F, and 23F, all of which are included in the PCV13 vaccine product. Antimicrobial resistance to at least one drug was similar between isolates from children with clinical pneumonia (66.1%) and community children (61.5%; p = 0.49); while resistance to at least two drugs was more common among isolates from children with clinical pneumonia (25.8% vs. 16.4%; p = 0.08). Resistance for all drugs was consistently higher for PCV13 vaccine-type serotypes compared to non-vaccine serotypes in both groups.ConclusionThis study provides baseline information on the prevalence of serotype-specific pneumococcal colonization among children prior to the introduction of PCV in India. Our results suggest a role for pneumococcal vaccines in reducing pneumococcal colonization and antimicrobial resistant isolates circulating in India.

Impacts of household sources on air pollution at village and regional scales in India

Abstract. Approximately 3 billion people worldwide cook with solid fuels, such as wood, charcoal, and agricultural residues. These fuels, also used for residential heating, are often combusted in inefficient devices, producing carbonaceous emissions. Between 2.6 and 3.8 million premature deaths occur as a result of exposure to fine particulate matter from the resulting household air pollution (Health Effects Institute, 2018a; World Health Organization, 2018). Household air pollution also contributes to ambient air pollution; the magnitude of this contribution is uncertain. Here, we simulate the distribution of the two major health-damaging outdoor air pollutants (PM2.5 and O3) using state-of-the-science emissions databases and atmospheric chemical transport models to estimate the impact of household combustion on ambient air quality in India. The present study focuses on New Delhi and the SOMAARTH Demographic, Development, and Environmental Surveillance Site (DDESS) in the Palwal District of Haryana, located about 80 km south of New Delhi. The DDESS covers an approximate population of 200 000 within 52 villages. The emissions inventory used in the present study was prepared based on a national inventory in India (Sharma et al., 2015, 2016), an updated residential sector inventory prepared at the University of Illinois, updated cookstove emissions factors from Fleming et al. (2018b), and PM2.5 speciation from cooking fires from Jayarathne et al. (2018). Simulation of regional air quality was carried out using the US Environmental Protection Agency Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system (CMAQ) in conjunction with the Weather Research and Forecasting modeling system (WRF) to simulate the meteorological inputs for CMAQ, and the global chemical transport model GEOS-Chem to generate concentrations on the boundary of the computational domain. Comparisons between observed and simulated O3 and PM2.5 levels are carried out to assess overall airborne levels and to estimate the contribution of household cooking emissions. Observed and predicted ozone levels over New Delhi during September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016 routinely exceeded the 8 h Indian standard of 100 µg m−3, and, on occasion, exceeded 180 µg m−3. PM2.5 levels are predicted over the SOMAARTH headquarters (September 2015 and September 2016), Bajada Pahari (a village in the surveillance site; September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016), and New Delhi (September 2015, December 2015, and September 2016). The predicted fractional impact of residential emissions on anthropogenic PM2.5 levels varies from about 0.27 in SOMAARTH HQ and Bajada Pahari to about 0.10 in New Delhi. The predicted secondary organic portion of PM2.5 produced by household emissions ranges from 16 % to 80 %. Predicted levels of secondary organic PM2.5 during the periods studied at the four locations averaged about 30 µg m−3, representing approximately 30 % and 20 % of total PM2.5 levels in the rural and urban stations, respectively.

Has demonetization triggered farmers to move towards cashless transactions?

This paper has documented the difficulties faced by farmers due to demonetization, facilities existing for making digital payments and farmers’ opinion about it. The study has used primary data collected through farm survey done in October 2017, almost a year after demonetization. The survey was made in three adopted villages under MGMG (Mera Gaon Mera Gaurav) scheme in Palwal district of Haryana. Results have shown that due to demonetization farmers faced numerous difficulties (both crop production and family related activities). They could not use quality inputs (particularly seeds of wheat) in desired quantity, got delayed payment of their crop produce and faced problems in drawing money from bank. Family and societal needs were also affected. Payment in cash was the main mode of transactions (and even now) for food and non-food articles. Analysis revealed that large number of farmers have bank account and are availing facilities of debit cum ATM card, but their functional literacy and infrastructure are inadequate. Farmers’ expressed both merits and demerits about digital payments. Nevertheless, without removing fear of farmers and other rural people and bringing change in their attitude, moving towards digital mode of transactions will not trigger desired results.