Rain washes out 1st T20 between India and Sri Lanka
Guwahati, Jan 5: The first T20 International between India and Sri Lanka was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet outfield, caused by a spell of heavy rain just after the toss, here on Sunday.
The umpires held several inspections but the damp patches on the pitch did not allow the match to start, much to the disappointment of fans who had gathered in large numbers to watch their favourite stars in action.
The cut off for a five-over shootout was 9.46pm but the outfield could not be prepared in time.
The groundsmen even used vacuum drier to remove the damp patches on the pitch, but it did not help much.
The second match of the three-match series will be played on Tuesday in Indore while the final game is scheduled to be held in Pune on January 10.
India pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who was out of action for four months due to stress fractures in his back, was named in the eleven by skipper Virat Kohli, who won the toss and elected to bowl in the team's first match of the new year.
Not the news that we would want to hear, but the 1st T20I between India and Sri Lanka has been abandoned due to rain.
— BCCI (@BCCI) January 5, 2020
See you in Indore #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/72ORWCt2zm
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
