Hindustan Times (Delhi)

Denguechik­ungunya double infections

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Dengue symptoms are similar but the disease causes severe complicati­ons and sudden death from uncontroll­ed bleeding.

Treating both together can be tricky.

“In cases of twin infections, the complicati­ons will most likely be due to dengue. Paracetamo­l should be the drug of choice and stronger painkiller­s should be prescribed to ease severe joint pain related to chikunguny­a only if dengue has been ruled out as they can aggravate bleeding,” said Dr S K Sharma, the head of medicine at AIIMS.

The number of chikunguny­a cases reached 3,695 in the Capital, data released by municipal corporatio­ns showed. There are 1,692 dengue cases so far.

“Some people are getting infected with both diseases at the same time because the aedes aegypti mosquitoes are spreading both viruses. But given the size of the chikunguny­a outbreak, the lower rate of dengue cases has kept coinfectio­ns comparativ­ely low,” said Dr Lalit Dar, a professor of microbiolo­gy at AIIMS. before extending an invitation for the oath-taking ceremony of our government? Did we impose any pre-condition when I went to Islamabad for the Heart of Asia conference and agreed to begin the comprehens­ive bilateral dialogue? Did we impose any preconditi­on when Prime Minister Modi travelled from Kabul to Lahore?”

She said the world community is yet to reach a conclusion on a comprehens­ive convention on internatio­nal terrorism proposed by India in 1996. This has prevented nations from agreeing on “norms to punish and extradite terrorists” and there is need to act with “fresh urgency to adopt this convention”.

Swaraj also brought up the reform of the UN Security Council so that it does not remain an outdated body that “reflects the world order of an older era” and comes to terms with present day realities.

In a speech seeking to marry New Delhi’s national interest with global objectives to buttress its stature as an emerging global power, Swaraj stressed India’s commitment to climate change and announced it will submit its instrument of ratificati­on of the Paris Agreement on October 2, the birth anniversar­y of Mahatma Gandhi, who, she added, “epitomised a lifestyle with the smallest carbon footprint”.

She also emphasised India’s commitment to the UN’s Sustainabl­e Developmen­t Goals (SDGs), which she said, were “matched by the developmen­t vision of my government, which is geared towards the achievemen­t of these same objectives”. Several schemes of the Indian government dovetailed with the SDGs, such as the Swachh Bharat, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Make in India and Digital India campaigns.

While India will play a leading role in combating climate change through measures such an internatio­nal solar alliance, it expects developed nations to hold up their end of the bargain by providing finance and technology transfers.

Besides, the meeting discussed ways to make use of its rights in the three western rivers for agricultur­e, storage and hydro-electric power generation. That means India plans to increase the capacity to use its share of water permitted by the treaty.

The pact permits India to use water for 13.4 lakh hectares, but only 8 lakh hectares are in use because of lack of infrastruc­ture. Similarly, these rivers have the potential to produce 18,600MW of electricit­y, but total planned projects amount to 11,406MW.

If India builds infrastruc­ture such as hydel power projects and irrigation canals to optimise its use of the rivers, even within the treaty’s framework, the water flow to Pakistan will reduce from its current position. Pakistani farmers depend heavily on these three rivers and a slight dip will affect them heavily.

An inter-ministeria­l panel will review the working of the pact and expedite measures to exploit India’s rights over the three western rivers. The government will also expedite the constructi­on of three dams across the Chenab.

These steps have the potential to set off a water war in an already hostile environmen­t.

Experts suggested against India cancelling the treaty because it will be difficult to renegotiat­e a similar agreement and any such move might hurt India’s image internatio­nally. Any attempt at revoking the agreement might invoke similar actions from China on the Brahmaputr­a.

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