Cricketer Rishabh Pant suffers injuries in car accident
New Delhi/Dehradun (PTI): India's star cricketer Rishabh Pant suffered multiple injuries when his car collided with a road divider on the Delhi-Dehradun highway, early on Friday.
The 25-year-old, who was going to his home in Roorkee, was taken to a local hospital. He suffered injuries on his head, back and feet but is in a stable condition.
"Pant met with an accident in Manglaur in Haridwar district when his car hit a divider at 5.30 am on Friday," Haridwar SSP Ajai Singh said.
"He was rushed to Saksham hospital in nearby Rookee from where he was referred later to Max Hospital, Dehradun," he added.
The accident happened at Mohammadpur Jat in Manglaur.
Dr. Sushil Nagar, who treated Pant in emergency, said the cricketer didn't suffer any fracture but there was a ligament injury on his knee which would require further investigations.
"When he was brought to our hospital, he was fully conscious and I spoke to him. He wanted to surprise his mother and was going back home," Dr Nagar told PTI.
"He had two lacerations (blunt trauma) on his head but I didn't put stitches. I have recommended him to Max Hospital where a plastic surgeon might see him.
"However reports of X Rays conducted at our hospital suggest that there are no bone injuries. Yes, there is a ligament tear on his right knee. How serious it is can only be detected after further investigation and detailed MRI done."
Ligament injuries have various grades and it can take 2 to 6 months to regain complete fitness.
Dr Nagar said the big bruises on his back, pictures of which have gone viral on social media, are not burn injuries.
"The injuries happened because he jumped out of car by breaking the window of his car as soon as it caught fire. As he landed on the side of the road on his rear, the skin was peeled off. But those are not burn injuries and not very serious."
Dr Dishant Yagnik, medical superintendent at Max Hospital, Dehradun said Pant is being evaluated by a team of orthopaedists and plastic surgeons in the emergency ward.
"A detailed bulletin on his condition will be available in around an hour after the evaluation is complete," he said.
Pant played a big role in India's two-Test series win against Bangladesh. He had scored a match-winning knock of 93 in the second Test in Mirpur.
"We are all concerned but thankfully he is stable. We at DDCA are keeping a tab and wish him a speedy recovery," DDCA secretary Siddharth Sahib Singh said in a statement.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said his government will bear the entire expense of Pant's treatment.
Dhami spoke to officials to get an update on the cricketer's condition and asked them to make all arrangements for his treatment.
Arrangement for an air ambulance should also be made if required, he said.
However, Pant is a centrally contracted player and the BCCI will take full care of all his medical expenses.
"Praying for Rishabh Pant. Thankfully he is out of danger. Wishing @RishabhPant17 a very speedy recovery. Get well soon Champ," NCA chief VVS Laxman wrote on his twitter handle.
Pant was left out of the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka beginning on January 3 as he was supposed to join the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru for strength and conditioning programme ahead of February's Border Gavaskar Trophy.
As of now, there is no clarity on his availability for the series against Australia.
Pant has scored 2,271 runs in 33 Tests so far with the help of five hundreds and 11 fifties. He has also represented the country in 30 ODIs and 66 T20Is.
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Hundreds fall ill after suspected sewage contamination in Jaipur locality
Jaipur (PTI): Hundreds of residents of the Sushilpura area here have fallen ill over the last week, allegedly due to sewage contamination of the drinking water supply, sparking a health scare.
Several residents have reported similar symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, nausea, and fever, with children and the elderly among the worst affected. Locals claim the crisis has impacted nearly every household, forcing many to rely on water tankers or buy packaged drinking water.
Pooran Mal Kumawat, a resident, said his family has been unwell for several days.
"We have all been suffering from diarrhoea and weakness. My wife even had to take injections," he said.
Another resident, Janki Saini, said the situation has become increasingly difficult. "All three of my children are suffering from stomach pain and fever, and we are arranging water from outside," she said.
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Jagdish Sahu, who has spent thousands of rupees on medical treatment so far, highlighted the financial burden caused by the crisis.
"My mother and I are unwell, and I had to take my son for treatment. We are buying water daily, which is adding to our expenses," he said.
According to the residents, the problem began after road construction work in the area allegedly damaged underground pipelines, leading to sewage mixing with drinking water. Overflowing drains and broken streets have further worsened conditions, they said.
Dr Anil Mehta, in charge of a nearby government dispensary, said over 150 patients with similar symptoms have been treated in the last three days alone. Private practitioners in the area have also reported a surge in such cases.
Civil Lines MLA Gopal Sharma, who visited the area multiple times following protests by residents, said efforts were underway to resolve the issue.
"The government and administration are working hard to find a permanent solution at the earliest, and officials have been directed to restore the clean water supply," he said.
Sharma added that teams from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and the health department have been deployed, and relief measures such as the distribution of medicines and water supply arrangements are being carried out.
However, former Congress MLA Pratap Singh Khachariyawas alleged negligence on the part of the authorities and questioned the decision to undertake road work.
"If the road was in good condition, why was it dug up? Damage to sewer and water lines due to such work has led to this crisis," he said, warning of protests if the issue is not resolved soon.
Residents, meanwhile, said tanker supply remains inadequate despite assurances, and contaminated water continues to be used for non-drinking purposes.
Authorities said efforts are on to repair damaged pipelines and ensure safe drinking water, even as the health department continues to monitor the situation closely.
