BIHAR

While the country has inoculated 75% of its adult Population with both doses of Covid-19 Vaccines, data fromBiharindicate that nearly 80% of beneficiaries over the age of 18 have received both doses, significantly higher than the national Average.

Data from the CoWIN portal indicated that over 11.24 crore doses of vaccines had been administered in Bihar, including 4.74 crore second doses. The state targeted 5.95 crore beneficiaries over the age of 18 and, according to the target, 79.66% had received both shots. Additionally, Bihar claims to have administered the first dose to 100% of beneficiaries over the age of 18 years.

According to the data, 40.83 lakh teenagers in Bihar had received their first dose ofCovaxinas of Monday evening. The state has 83.46 lakh beneficiaries in this age group, and 48.92% have received their first dose.

Recent data released by the registrar general of India showed that maternal mortality rate (MMR) has dropped in the country, including in Bihar, when compared to the previous years. However,Biharlagged behind the national Average of 97 with anMMRof 118.

According to the World Health Organisation, maternal death is the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of the termination of pregnancy, from cause related to pregnancy or its management, and not accidental or incidental causes.

MMR is the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per one lakh live births during the same time period.

As per the special bulletin of sample registration system released by the registrar general of India on Tuesday for 2018-20, Indias MMR was 97. Kerala was the best with an MMR of 19, followed byMaharashtra(33), (43), Andhra Pradesh (45) and Tamil Nadu (54). Among the states witnessing maximum deaths of Women per one lakh live birth was Assam which had the highest MMR of 195, followed by Madhya Pradesh (173), Uttar Pradesh (167), Chhattisgarh (137) and Odisha (119). Bihar was placed at sixth among the 19 states and union territories with an MMR of 118.

In 2014-16, the average MMR of the country was 130.

This shows there has been reduction of nearly 25% in the deaths on an average. Data for Bihar for 2014-16 showed that MMR was 165 and it came down to 118 for 2018-20.

The drop has been nearly 28%, slightly more than the national average.

With theNITI Aayogplacing Bihar at the bottom compared to other states on the basis of 12 parameters in its national multi-dimensional POVERTY index (NMPI) report, the states opposition and the ruling parties are engaged in a war of words. RJD national president Lalu Prasad and CM Nitish Kumar have also crossed swords in their own ways.

The report, prepared on the basis of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) with reference to 2015-16, has pointed to Bihars startling situation at the household level, even though its gross state domestic product (GSDP) has been in double figures. Bihar has been put in the club of the three poorest states Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
In fact, Bihar has figured poorly compared to Jharkhand and UP, as its 51.96% of people have been categorised as poor, another chunk of 51.88% deprived of Nutrition and 45.62% of Women as deprived of maternal health.

The 12 parameters on which the has rated states are nutrition, child and adolescent mortality, antenatal care, years of schooling of children, their school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, assets and bank accounts. Bihar has been rated as poor performing against seven of the 12 parameters and its best performing area is the provision of drinking water for people.

The other 10 other districts in the poorest category are Araria (64.65%), Madhepura (64.43%), East Champaran (64.13%), Supaul (64.10%), Jamui (64.01%), Sitamarhi (63.46%), Purnia (63.29%), Katihar (62.80%), Saharsa (61.48%) and Sheohar (60.30%).

The city experienced less pollution ahead of winter this year compared to the previous year when there was less traffic on road due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The air quality index (AQI) of Patna has drastically improved by 79 notches – from ‘poor’ zone at 205 to ‘moderate’ zone at 129 – in the last 24 hours, as per the bulletin of theCentral Pollution Control Board(CPCB). When compared to other major cities in Indo-Gangetic plains, Patna was at the third position in improved air quality after Kolkata (115) and Dehradun (76). The other major cities like Delhi recordedAQIof 424, Kota 260, Lucknow 197 and Chandigarh 185.

The improved Environment was largely due to favourable weather conditions, rise in temperature, less traffic movement owing to Chhath festival and various measures taken under the Clean Air Action Plan.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. A ‘moderate’ AQI essentially means breathing discomfort will be experienced by the people having lung, asthma and heart diseases.

With the overall improvement inCovid-19pandemic situation in the country, railways has decided to give 50% subsidy to farmers to transport their perishable agricultural products outside Bihar by parcel cargo Kisan Rail air- conditioned (AC) express trains.
These special trains are running from different places falling under the jurisdiction of the East Central RAILWAY (ECR) to Maharashtra, New Delhi and other places enabling farmers to transport their agricultural products like vegetables, fruits, flowers, fish, meat, milk and other products outside the state.

According to the CPRO, railways is charging Rs 404 per quintal for booking vegetables and fruits from Muzaffarpur to Devlali. But it is hardly Rs 212 per quintal after giving 50 per cent subsidy. “Similarly railways charge Rs 205 per quintal between Danapur and Devlali, Rs 205 per quintal between Muzaffarpur and Manmad and Rs 144 per quintal betweenPatnaand New Delhi and Rs 65 per quintal between Patna and Howrah on vegetables and fruits only, he said.

These parcel cargo Kisan Rail trains are running with the load combination of at least 11 parcel vans which include frozen containers. Railways has fixed tariff for each item per ton freight loading based on the distance.

Chief ministerNitish Kumar launched different projects worth about Rs 415 crore of the backward classes & extremely backward classes welfare department at an event held at Samvad hall in the CM secretariat.

The projects include construction of nine other backward classes (OBC) girls residential +2 schools at the cost of Rs 341 crore, construction of nine OBC welfare hostels at the cost of Rs 59 crore and inauguration of three newly-builtJannayak Karpoori Thakurhotel buildings, built at the cost of Rs 13.94 crore.
The CM laid foundation for the first two projects through remote control from the Samvad hall and inaugurated the third project three hostel buildings.

It is adept at conducting quality investigation into cases lodged under theNarcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances(NDPS) Act and cracking down on the peddlers operating in the state.