Measures in place to prevent spread of coronavirus: DHO

Dharwad: The health department is taking all precautionary measures to ensure that the coronavirus does not spread in the district. So far there has been no case reported in the district and in two suspected cases the report is negative, said district health officer Dr Yashwant Madinkar.
Replying to queries from elected representatives at the monthly meeting of the zilla panchayat to review the progress of works under the Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) here on Tuesday, he said two persons who had come from China were admitted to the KIMS Hospital in Hubballi but the results of the tests are negative.
Every person coming from China is being examined and if there are symptoms of the decease, treatment will be provided. Two wards of five beds each have been arranged in the district civil hospital in Dharwad and KIMS hospital in Hubballi. Efforts are on to create awareness about the decease through the officials and Ashas, he informed.
The DHO said that last year 250 persons were affected by dengue in the district and there were no deaths. This year five persons were reported positive for dengue and they are being treated. Under Ayushman Bharat 3.60 lakh cards have been distributed and another 12 lakh cards will be given, he added.
The meeting also discussed the difficulties faced by groundnut growers in five procurement centres set up in Kundgol taluk where the crop shown in the ‘Bele Darshaka’ App is different from what is shown in the software at the procurement centres. ZP president Vijayalakshmi Patil directed the APMC officers to set right the problem.
Vice-president Shivanand Karigar said groundnut is a kharif crop and the procurement centres for groundnut crops are opened when there are rabi crops. It will benefit the farmers if procurement centres are opened soon after the crop is in the hands of the farmers, he said.
CEO BC Satish directed the officials of the agriculture department to look into a complaint from the farmers of Yarebudihal in Kundgol taluk that they have received very low crop insurance amount for jowar. The officials informed that the land under insurance cover has exceeded the land under sowing and the confusion is being set right.
The officers of the irrigation department requested the CEO to see that the Malaprabha water to several tanks in Kundgol and Navalgund taluks be released at fixed intervals so that they can take up the works of repairing the canals. They have not been able to take up the work as the water is released frequently, they said. CEO Satish asked the irrigation officers to take up the repair works in March, April and May when the tanks are full and there is no need to release water through canals.
President Vijayalakshmi Patil expressed her displeasure at the tendency on the part of important officers to remain absent for meetings. “Showcause notices were issued to those who remained absent last time but again many officers have not turned up for the meeting. Those who have come lack information about the works. This cannot be tolerated” she warned.