“Will shift seer from the hospital to mutt on Dec 29”: Junior pontiff Vishwaprasanna Teertha Swamiji
Udupi, Dec 28: The health condition of the head of Pejavara Mutt Vishwesha Teertha Swamiji is very critical and there is a further decline in his condition, doctors said on Saturday.
The Pejavara mutt is one among the 'Ashta' Mutts of Udupi.
Mutt officials and the junior pontiff Vishwaprasanna Teertha Swamiji said they have decided to shift the seer from the hospital to the mutt on Sunday as per his wish, and the treatment would continue there.
"The condition of Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji is very critical and there is further decline in his health status. He remains unconscious and continues to be on life support. Tests have shown severe brain dysfunction," medical superintendent of Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, said in a health bulletin.
The 88-year-old swamiji, hospitalised on December 20 after he developed breathing difficulty, has since been in the ICU.
Doctors had earlier said the pontiff was being treated for extensive pneumonia.
The junior pontiff told reporters that "as per the seer's desire, he will be shifted to the mutt where arrangements are being made for his further treatment."
"Doctors are taking all efforts. According to the opinion of everyone that there are no signs of recovery, we have decided to shift our guru to the mutt on Sunday with the required life support system," he said.
With the seer's condition critical, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, who was touring the coastal region, rushed to the hospital.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the seer, Yediyurappa said, "Pejavar seer's health is deteriorating every second, doctors are putting in all their efforts, their efforts are continuing. There is no improvement is what doctors are saying."
"We have left everything to Lord Krishna," the Chief Minister, who has decided to stay in Udupi on Sunday as well, said.
Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Uma Bharti, who is a disciple of the Seer, said she was praying for her guru's recovery.
Calling him a "rarest of rare" saint, revered by people from across sections of the society, Uma Bharti said, "For me he is not only a guru but also like a father. I pray for his health, because Swamiji is much needed for society."
"My guru is a karma yogi and he taught all of us to become karma yogis," she added.
Bharti, who has been in Udupi for nearly a week now, had taken the Sanyasa Deeksha from the seer in 1992.
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Karnataka govt directs municipal corps to regulate, prohibit pigeon feeding
Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government has issued directions to municipal corporations across the state to regulate and prohibit feeding pigeons in public places, citing serious public health concerns.
Deputy Secretary to Government V Lakshmikanth has written to the Urban Development Department requesting it to issue directions to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and all municipal corporations to take immediate steps to implement the measures.
In an official note dated December 16 issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department and released to the media on Wednesday, the department said uncontrolled feeding of pigeons in public places has resulted in large congregations of birds, excessive droppings and serious health concerns, particularly respiratory illnesses linked to prolonged exposure to pigeon droppings and feathers such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis and other lung diseases.
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"The commissioner, the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Commissioners and chief officers of other municipal corporations shall take necessary action to mitigate the causes of dangerous disease spread by pigeon and enforce specified guidelines in their respective jurisdiction," the note said.
According to the department, these include a prohibition on feeding pigeons or causing pigeons to be fed in areas where it may cause nuisance or pose a health hazard to the public. Pigeon feeding shall be permitted only in designated areas in a controlled manner, subject to certain conditions.
"The designated areas may be selected in consultation with stakeholders. The responsibility for upkeep of the designated areas and compliance to the directions shall be taken up by some charitable organisation or an NGO. The feeding in designated areas shall be permitted only for some limited hours in the day," it said.
The note further stated that authorised officers of local authorities shall issue on-the-spot warnings and may impose fines for violation of the order, or lodge complaints to prosecute offenders under Sections 271 (Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
It also directed local authorities to conduct public awareness campaigns, including the display of signboards, banners and digital messages, explaining the health hazards associated with pigeon droppings and feathers, the content of the regulatory directions and penalties for violations, and alternative humane methods of bird conservation that do not endanger public health.
