Latest news with #NationalHumanRightsCommission
India Today
9 hours ago
- General
- India Today
Electricity reaches remote hilltop village in Andhra, tribals dance with joy
For the first time ever, the Jeelugulowa community in Telangana's Anakapalle district danced the traditional Dhimsa with joy, because their village finally has electricity. Tucked away on the top of Samalamma hill, Jeelugulowa is home to just eight families with a population of 50 people. Until now, life after sunset meant surviving in darkness, amid dense forests and wild animals. The villagers used candles to eat, walked 7 km to Bangaru Bandalu to charge their phones, and lived in fear at night, especially when someone fell ill or was bitten by a long wait for basic infrastructure has finally ended. After multiple protests and appeals during Visakha Zilla Parishad meetings, and a visit from the National Human Rights Commission Chairman and Anakapalle Collector in 2022, promises were made to provide electricity, water, and roads. Aadhaar and ration cards were issued, but progress remained slow. On Sunday night, the lights came on. Under the Janman scheme, power finally reached the village — prompting a celebration with dance and heartfelt gratitude. The villagers extended special thanks to the Anakapalle District Collector and the electricity department district executive committee members K Govinda Rao and K Mahesh were also thanked for their continued support. While electricity is a big win, the villagers say they still await roads and drinking IN THIS STORY#Andhra Pradesh
BBC News
16 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Bihar: Minor rape victim's death due to alleged delay in treatment sparks anger
The death of a 10-year-old rape victim in the eastern Indian state of Bihar after an alleged delay in medical treatment has sparked outrage in the girl died on Sunday morning at the state government-run Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in the capital Patna. Her uncle has alleged that the child's condition worsened as she was kept waiting in an ambulance for around four hours on Saturday before being admitted to the authorities have denied this, saying that claims of a delay in admission are "baseless". The girl's death has made national headlines, with opposition leaders accusing the Bihar government - a coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal United (JD(U)) - of gross mismanagement. The government has denied any girl is from the Dalit community, which is at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy. Dalits face widespread mistreatment in India despite laws in place to protect the outrage, the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women have criticised the incident and asked for the hospital's role to be investigated. Rape victims cannot be named under Indian law. The girl was raped on 26 May, allegedly by a man who lived near her aunt's house in Muzaffarpur. Police have arrested the man and are investigating the girl went missing while she was playing outside her house. Her family members later found her lying injured near a road. Police officials have told reporters that she had several knife was first taken to a local hospital and then to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), around 85km (53 miles) from Vibha, the superintendent of SKMCH, told BBC Hindi that the child had several injuries, including wounds on her chest and neck, but that her condition had stabilised. She was referred to PMCH as she needed reconstruction surgery on her windpipe, Ms Vibha at PMCH, the child's uncle said, they faced a delay in admission while the child waited in the ambulance."They [the hospital staff] made us run around for four hours from one hospital department to another one," he alleged. She was later admitted to the gynaecology department, he hospital has denied the allegations. IS Thakur, a top hospital official, said that the child's family had initially admitted her to the paediatrics department but that she was sent to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) department because of her injuries."Since we do not have an ICU in ENT, the child was shifted to the ICU of the gynaecology department," he said, adding that the child was brought in an Advance Life Support ambulance, which is equipped to offer critical care."The allegations of a delay in getting a hospital bed are baseless," Mr Thakur said. The child's plight began making news after a viral video showed members of the opposition Congress party arguing with hospital staff, demanding that she be parties in the state have held several protests since the leader Rahul Gandhi said that the girl's death was "extremely shameful" and demanded that strict action be taken against negligent officers."The rape victim waited for hours outside PMCH to be admitted... what is the use of the big buildings being built in the name of hospitals when there is chaos, corruption, misbehaviour, lack of resources and insensitivity all around?" the state's main opposition party Rashtriya Janata Dal said on of the BJP and JD(U) have denied any negligence. Anamika Singh Patel, a BJP spokesperson, called the girl's death "unfortunate"."But I myself run a hospital and I know that getting a bed in a hospital is a process which takes time. People in our government are working responsibly," she incident has also brought attention to the condition of Bihar's medical infrastructure, months before the state assembly election is due to be month, a patient at another government hospital in Patna said that a rat bit his toe while he was asleep. Hospital authorities had launched an investigation into the Tuesday, in a scathing editorial titled Bihar's Shame, the Times of India newspaper highlighted the sorry state of hospitals in the state. It referenced a recent report that found that only half of all ventilators in government hospitals were functional and that capital Patna had just one government doctor for 11,541 people. That ratio is much worse in rural BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, X and Facebook.
New Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Lights up: Jeelugulova tribals celebrate freedom from darkness
VISAKHAPATNAM: For the first time, the tribals of Jeelugulova, a remote PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) hamlet atop Samalamma Hill in Cheemalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal in Anakapalle district, have seen electric lights brighten their village. Marking the occasion with joy and emotion, the villagers celebrated the moment with traditional Dhimsa dance on Sunday night. The hilltop village, home to eight families and around 50 people, has long lived in darkness, relying on fire torches and kerosene lamps. Surrounded by dense forest and facing the constant threat of wild animals after nightfall, the villagers spent many years in fear and isolation. 'Even to charge a mobile phone, we had to walk nearly 7 kilometres to Bangaru Bandalu, the nearest village with a power supply. Night travel often came with the risk of snake bites and injuries,' the tribals recalled. Some years ago, a few solar panels were provided to the village by social workers, offering limited relief from darkness. However, villagers recall that these panels often became ineffective during heavy rains, as they were prone to flooding. The residents, belonging to the Kondh tribal community, primarily depend on cashew cultivation for their livelihood, while turmeric farming also supports their seasonal income. Over the years, Jeelugulova's residents repeatedly raised their concerns at Zilla Parishad meetings in the erstwhile united Visakhapatnam district, requesting basic infrastructure like electricity and roads. 'Recognise us as people, give us light,' they had appealed, often holding torches during protests. After repeated protests, their plea eventually drew the attention of the National Human Rights Commission and senior district officials. In 2022, the then District Collector of Anakapalle, Pattanshetti Ravi Subash, along with Narsipatnam RDO Ronanki Govinda Rao and other divisional officials, visited the village. Jeelugulova tribals thank EE & Collector Following the visit, the administration issued Aadhaar and ration cards and promised electricity, drinking water, and road connectivity. However, the promises took time to materialise. Now, under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) Scheme, Jeelugulova finally has access to electricity. The villagers expressed heartfelt gratitude to the executive engineer of the electricity department and the district collector for fulfilling a long-standing need. Residents Korra Balaraju and Korra Mahesh, along with K Govinda Rao, district committee member of the CPI(M), conveyed their thanks to the officials who helped bring light to their village.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
NHRC seeks Arunachal Pradesh report on protests against Siang Upper project
ITANAGAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Monday took cognisance of media reports on protests by hundreds of people to the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project (SUMP) in Arunachal Pradesh, and sought a report from the chief secretary and state police chief. The commission cited a media report of May 23 on a human rights activist and convenor of the Siang Indigenous Farmers Forum leading a protest by 400 people against the dam construction in Beging village. In a statement, NHRC said it had taken suo motu cognisance of the report 'that the residents are opposing the proposed construction of a dam, apprehending that it may result in the displacement of several people and adversely impact livelihood and ecology in the Siang district, Arunachal Pradesh'. 'Reportedly, to deal with the situation, the government has deployed central armed forces in various areas of the Siang district in the State,' the statement said. The commission said that the media report, if true, raise serious concerns of potential human rights violations and sought detailed reports from the chief secretary and the director general of police within two weeks. The commission's decision to take note of the protests comes days after a consultative meeting on the contentious project spiralled into chaos on May 27 as villagers opposing the mega hydropower project clashed with security forces and disrupted the proceedings. Days later, chief minister Pema Khandu said the project was still at the stage of a pre-feasibility report (PFR) and that the government would go ahead with the project 'based on the will of the people'. Khandu also reiterated that the project was of strategic importance and not just aimed at generating electricity. 'China's upstream hydropower plans are a serious concern for India. Unregulated release of water could cause massive flooding in Siang valley and parts of Assam. Conversely, if water is withheld, the Siang may dry up during winters,' he warned.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Chandigarh's Maloya residents grapple with foul water crisis
Written by : Prisha Arora Residents of Maloya Colony in Chandigarh's Economically Weaker Section (EWS) housing cluster are battling a persistent crisis of contaminated water, prompting intervention from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), which has issued a notice to the Chandigarh Municipal Commissioner seeking a detailed report by June 27. Complaints about black, foul-smelling, and muddy water have been flooding in for weeks, with multiple families reporting illness, especially among children, due to consuming the supplied water. Santosh Kumar, 41, a factory labourer who lives with eight family members, described the water as 'completely black and muddy'. 'It smelled terrible. Even after boiling it, my children had been ill for nearly a week,' he said. 'Everyone in the house fell sick — my son had severe stomach problems. We still face skin issues like itching near the eyes.' Though he considered purchasing an RO filter, he said he had to redirect his savings toward his sister's upcoming wedding. 'There was some leakage, but even after they said it was fixed, the water didn't improve.' Ajit Kumar, a 35-year-old driver, said mornings in his home begin with a half-hour of flushing muddy water from the taps. 'Every morning at 6, the water starts coming. For the first half hour, it's muddy and smells horrible. We have to leave the tap running to flush it out, paani bohot barbaad hota hai,' he said. 'I told Mr. Dilawar and he said he'd inform someone, but nothing happened.' Ram Minister, 36, who lives with nine family members, said the water issues began around April 20. 'First, I got a fever and stomach issues. Then my wife and kids fell sick. We had no choice but to boil water. The Pradhan helped us and got the leakage fixed. Now, it's a little better, but the past month was very difficult.' A 45-year-old rickshaw puller, who requested anonymity, said both he and his wife fell seriously ill due to the contaminated supply. 'I try to buy Bisleri for my children, but it's too expensive. I can't afford RO or bottled water. Har insaan ko paani peene ka adhikaar hai. We are not even getting that,' he said. 'Despite repeated complaints, the problem continues. For 45 to 60 minutes every morning, we have to keep the tap open. Sometimes it improves, but then it turns muddy again.' Rajinder Kumar, 39, a small business owner living with six family members, said the situation has improved slightly. 'For the past five–seven days, the water has been cleaner. But it still turns muddy in the mornings. My children had fallen sick earlier, and we had no option but to boil the water before drinking.' Councillor Nirmala Devi of Ward 28 (Maloya), who is also the spokesperson for the Chandigarh Congress, was unavailable for comment. Her husband Dilawar, speaking on her behalf, said the water supply system had not yet been fully handed over to the Municipal Corporation. 'The implementation is still pending,' he said. 'We visited the booster and found clean water there. At the Housing Board, they said it's the MC's job. The MC said the Housing Board should handle it. Eventually, both chief engineers joined me, and we discovered a leakage in the pipeline.' Officials claim that the problem is now restricted to two–three buildings out of 13–14, and some repair work has been initiated. However, the absence of clear accountability has only deepened the frustration of residents. With the NHRC now directly involved, pressure is mounting on the authorities to implement a long-term, coordinated solution. Until then, the residents of Maloya continue to grapple with a basic, unmet necessity — the right to clean drinking water. (The writer is an intern with The Indian Express)
