Kapil Parmar wins historic judo bronze for India at Paralympics
Paris, Sep 5: Kapil Parmar bagged India's first-ever Paralympic medal in judo, winning a bronze in the men's 60kg (J1) after convincingly defeating Brazil's Elielton de Oliveira in the play-off here on Thursday.
Parmar produced a superlative performance, dominating his opponent from start to finish to record a 10-0 win in the bronze medal contest.
He had earlier lost to S Banitaba Khorram Abadi in the semifinals, beaten 0-10 by his Iranian opponent.
The J1 class in para judo is for the athletes who suffer from no to very low visual activity. Athletes in this category wear red circles to indicate that they may need guided support before, during and after a contest.
Parmar, who won the silver medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the same category, had earlier beaten Venezuela's Marco Dennis Blanco 10-0 in the quarterfinals.
Parmar was, however, handed a yellow card in each of the two contests on Thursday.
Yellow cards in judo are given for minor violations such as passivity or using a technique that might hinder the opponent or cause injury.
Parmar hails from a small village named Shivor in Madhya Pradesh. As a child, Parmar had a life-altering accident when he was playing in the fields of his village and accidentally touched a water pump, resulting in a severe electric shock.
He was found unconscious by a villager and taken to the hospital, where he remained in coma for six months.
He is the youngest of four brothers and a sister. His middle brother, who is also into judo, often trains with him. Parmar's father works as a taxi driver, while his sister runs a primary school.
Despite the setback, Parmar never gave up his love for judo. He continued to pursue his passion in blind judo, thanks to his mentor and coaches Bhagwan Das and Manoj.
It was not end of the struggle for Parmar who used to run a tea stall with his brother Lalit to make ends meet.
Lalit, his source of inspiration, even now remains his main source of financial support.
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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.
