Man jumps into well, dies rescuing cat
Bhubaneswar (PTI): One person died while rescuing a cat that fell into an open well near Patia railway station in the city on Wednesday, fire service officials said.
The incident took place 50-year-old Sibaram Sahoo, an ice cream seller, jumped into the abandoned well after seeing the cat fall into it. But he drowned in it as did the cat, they said.
As Sahoo did not come out, two other persons who saw him jump into the well, entered it to rescue him. They fell ill inside the well and were rescued by the fire service personnel, who were called in.
They were rushed to the hospital, where doctors said their condition is stable. Sahoo's body was fished out of the well, the official said.
He apparently died due to asphyxiation but the exact reason will be known only after post mortem, an official of the hospital said.
"I had entered the well to help Sibaram, but came out soon as I could not breathe properly due to the gas inside it," said his brother Bhajaman.
Sahoo hailed from Ganjam district and is survived by two daughters, his family said.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
