Latest news with #Sutar
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Time of India
Nagpur woman loses Rs 16 lakh on social media romance scam
Nagpur: A 55-year-old woman from Nagpur was conned of Rs 16 lakh by a cyber fraudster who posed as her online boyfriend — a man claiming to be an American national — on social media. The case highlights the growing threat of romance scams that prey on emotional vulnerability and trust. The scam began on a social media handle, where the fraudster reached out to the woman, complimented her profile, and quickly developed a rapport. Posing as a wealthy, charming man from the US, he promised to visit her in India and claimed to be sending her a gift package that included an expensive necklace. "He built a false sense of intimacy and emotional trust, convincing her that this was a genuine relationship," said Baliram Sutar, senior inspector of the Cyber Cell. "He even sent photos of the supposed gift and fake courier tracking details to make it all look real." Soon after, the woman began receiving messages claiming that the parcel was stuck at customs and that she needed to pay several fees — GST, customs duties, and other taxes — to get it cleared. Trusting her online 'boyfriend', she transferred Rs 16 lakh over multiple transactions, believing she would soon receive both the gift and a personal visit. "The fraudster used emotional manipulation along with fabricated documents to make the whole process appear legitimate," Sutar explained. "It's a classic romance scam , where emotional connection is exploited for financial gain." The woman eventually grew suspicious and approached the cybercrime cell, which launched an immediate investigation. Authorities traced the payments to an Indian bank account held by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI). Further tracking revealed that the funds were being withdrawn internationally from Dubai. "This was a well-planned operation using Indian banking channels — including branches of Bank of India and State Bank of India — with links to overseas accounts," Sutar said. Thanks to swift action by the cybercrime team, the bank account was blocked before the remaining funds could be drained. A portion of the money was successfully recovered and returned to the complainant. "Time is of the essence in such cases," Sutar noted. "Once the money is withdrawn from ATMs, it's nearly impossible to recover it. But if funds are still in the account, they can be blocked and returned if reported quickly." Officials are urging citizens, especially women using social media, to remain cautious about online relationships and to avoid sending money to people they have never met in person.
Business Mayor
27-04-2025
- Health
- Business Mayor
Climate change is spoiling food faster, making hundreds of millions of people sick around the world
Global warming has made it easier for bacteria and other germs to contaminate the food supply, and this little-discussed danger of climate change is teaching painful and sometimes life-threatening lessons to hundreds of millions of people every year. One of them is Sumitra Sutar, 75, of Haroli village in India's Maharashtra state. Five years ago Sutar was eating leftover rice and lentil curry, her staple food for more than five decades. This time, her routine meal caused her to start vomiting 'at least 15 times a day,' she recalled recently. Eventually, she learned the culprit was a foodborne bacteria that produces toxins that can lead to vomiting, eye inflammation, and respiratory tract infections. Global warming has made the world more welcoming for the pathogen, Bacillus cereus, to grow in food stored after cooking. One study found that domestic rice cooking can be insufficient to inactivate its spores. Researchers and health workers are sounding the alarm: The food supply is vulnerable to greater spoilage due to more frequent extreme heat, floods and droughts, boosting the risk of contamination and outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Extreme heat can hasten food spoilage by allowing bacteria to multiply faster, experts say. Rising waters from severe floods can contaminate crops with sewage or other unwanted waste products, while higher humidity can promote growth of salmonella bacteria on lettuce and other produce eaten raw. The World Health Organization estimates that 600 million people fall sick every year from foodborne diseases, leading to 420,000 deaths. Children under five years old are at especially high risk, and every year 125,000 children lose their lives because of such largely preventable diseases. Many factors including farming practices and global food supply chains have made such problems much more prevalent, and a growing body of research has highlighted how climate change also plays a big role. A review study published in eBiomedicine this year found that for every 1.8 F (1 C) rise in temperature, the threat of non-typhoidal salmonella and campylobacter, bacteria that can make people sick, usually by causing food poisoning, increased by 5%. Related: How does E. coli get into food? A greenhouse for germs Sutar's village has reported a severe rise in the temperature in the past decade, with summer heat that can top 109.4 F (43 C). Many people across the region have reported a rise in foodborne illnesses, says community health care worker Padmashri Sutar, also Sumitra Sutar's daughter-in-law. Read More Starwatch: moon makes passing encounter with Jupiter Get the world's most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. A review article published in Climatic Change noted that higher temperatures and changing precipitation patterns lead to the proliferation of foodborne pathogens, including the most common: salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Campylobacter jejuni. 'Increased temperatures promote the growth of bacteria like listeria, campylobacter and salmonella in perishable foods like meat, dairy and seafood,' said one of its authors, Ahmed Hamad, lecturer of food hygiene and control at Egypt's Benha University. A study from northwestern Mexico examined how environmental factors influenced the outbreak of salmonella species, the bacteria responsible for many foodborne diseases globally. It found the maximum prevalence in areas with higher temperatures between 35 and 37 °C (95-98.6 F) and annual precipitation greater than 1,000 mm (39.4 inches). Another paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology this year found climate change will increase the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Salmonella enterica, noting that high humidity boosts salmonella growth. This bacteria already affects 1.2 million people in the U.S. annually. In extreme heat, ready-to-eat products pose a higher risk of causing foodborne illnesses, warns Hudaa Neetoo, associate professor in microbiology and food safety at the University of Mauritius. 'During heat waves, the level of pathogenic microorganisms in these products can increase considerably and attain a level sufficient to cause illness because they do not require any final heat-killing step.' Along with heat waves, she said, flooding can cause manure runoff from adjacent animal pastures to croplands, contaminating agricultural produce including salads, vegetables and leafy greens meant to be consumed raw. 'Animal manure can harbor human pathogens such as enteropathogenic E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter, and research has found that domestic washing alone is not sufficient to decontaminate produce and bring the levels of organisms down to a safe level,' she said. She also warned of systemic contamination of produce by pathogens that enter crops through the roots and become internalized and harder to get rid of. Another direct impact of flooding, overflowing sewage systems, 'can contaminate crops and water sources with harmful pathogens like salmonella, E. coli and norovirus. Flooding can also introduce pathogens into irrigation systems, increasing the risk of crop contamination,' Hamad said. Indirect effects of climate change can also lead to outbreaks of foodborne diseases. A paper published in the Journal of Health Monitoring mentioned that as fresh water becomes scarcer, treated wastewater may be used to irrigate crops, potentially carrying pathogens from animal or human feces. This can heighten the risk of contamination. 'When communities rely entirely on wastewater reuse, the primary objective must be to treat this water to a level of safety that poses no risk to consumers,' said Martin Richter, head of a food safety unit at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and one of the paper's authors. 'Sometimes one copy of the pathogen is enough to cause disease,' so wastewater must be thoroughly treated. He suggested prioritizing fresh water to irrigate foods typically consumed raw while using treated wastewater on crops that are generally cooked. 'Cooking food at 70 degrees Celsius [158 F] for at least two minutes destroys most of the pathogens that may be present on its surface,' he said. More precautions needed Community health care worker Padmashri Sutar says that people in her village have stopped cooking with river water and rely entirely on groundwater. 'In the past, many people in the village fell sick after drinking river water, so they completely avoid it now.' She said many people need education on the connection between climate change and foodborne illnesses. 'To make people aware of this, I give simple examples, such as the rise in frequency of food spoilage.' She also urges people to clean their water containers after floods or heavy rainfall, and she discusses how pathogens and bacteria can now contaminate vegetables and milk much more easily. People who have participated in awareness sessions now eat fewer leftovers. 'They prefer cooking fresh food now and buying only the required number of vegetables,' she said. Health care workers need more long-term data on climate change and foodborne illnesses, Neetoo said. 'Universities should conduct long-term surveillance studies and trend analysis to allow better prediction of the impact of climate change on food systems.' She also advocates researching new ways to decontaminate warehouses, containers and food products affected by floodwater. Hamad called for improving surveillance and monitoring to detect potential outbreaks early. He added that infrastructure should be improved to ensure food processing and distribution systems can withstand extreme weather events and sanitation infrastructure is robust, especially in flood-prone areas. Common misconceptions Experts stressed the need to educate people about the role of climate change in foodborne illnesses. 'Many people see climate change as purely an environmental issue, without recognizing its profound effects on public health, including the increased risks of foodborne diseases,' Hamad said. A prominent misconception is that cold weather kills all pathogens. 'Certain bacteria, like listeria, can still grow at cold temperatures, posing risks even in cooler climates,' he explained. Sutar said people often interrupt her when she talks about the reasons behind the rise in foodborne illnesses. They repeat the common belief that poor food handling is the sole reason behind these diseases. She patiently explains how climate change exacerbates the growth of pathogens in the environment and water sources. 'People don't want to accept that even climate change can lead to foodborne illness,' Sutar said, adding that many in her region don't report such illnesses because they don't take them seriously and think they're an isolated case that does not warrant public attention. Meanwhile, many other people in the area also suffer from vomiting, fever, gastrointestinal problems and several other issues because of eating contaminated food. Sutar said she has become an evangelist spreading the word about climate and the food supply. 'I ask people not only to observe the changing climatic patterns but also carefully consider what's on their plate.' This article was originally published by Yale Climate Connections. This article by Yale Climate Connections is published here as part of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Climate change is spoiling food faster, making hundreds of millions of people sick around the world
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Global warming has made it easier for bacteria and other germs to contaminate the food supply, and this little-discussed danger of climate change is teaching painful and sometimes life-threatening lessons to hundreds of millions of people every year. One of them is Sumitra Sutar, 75, of Haroli village in India's Maharashtra state. Five years ago Sutar was eating leftover rice and lentil curry, her staple food for more than five decades. This time, her routine meal caused her to start vomiting "at least 15 times a day," she recalled recently. Eventually, she learned the culprit was a foodborne bacteria that produces toxins that can lead to vomiting, eye inflammation, and respiratory tract infections. Global warming has made the world more welcoming for the pathogen, Bacillus cereus, to grow in food stored after cooking. One study found that domestic rice cooking can be insufficient to inactivate its spores. Researchers and health workers are sounding the alarm: The food supply is vulnerable to greater spoilage due to more frequent extreme heat, floods and droughts, boosting the risk of contamination and outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Extreme heat can hasten food spoilage by allowing bacteria to multiply faster, experts say. Rising waters from severe floods can contaminate crops with sewage or other unwanted waste products, while higher humidity can promote growth of salmonella bacteria on lettuce and other produce eaten raw. The World Health Organization estimates that 600 million people fall sick every year from foodborne diseases, leading to 420,000 deaths. Children under five years old are at especially high risk, and every year 125,000 children lose their lives because of such largely preventable diseases. Many factors including farming practices and global food supply chains have made such problems much more prevalent, and a growing body of research has highlighted how climate change also plays a big role. A review study published in eBiomedicine this year found that for every 1.8 F (1 C) rise in temperature, the threat of non-typhoidal salmonella and campylobacter, bacteria that can make people sick, usually by causing food poisoning, increased by 5%. Related: How does E. coli get into food? Sutar's village has reported a severe rise in the temperature in the past decade, with summer heat that can top 109.4 F (43 C). Many people across the region have reported a rise in foodborne illnesses, says community health care worker Padmashri Sutar, also Sumitra Sutar's daughter-in-law. A review article published in Climatic Change noted that higher temperatures and changing precipitation patterns lead to the proliferation of foodborne pathogens, including the most common: salmonella, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Campylobacter jejuni. "Increased temperatures promote the growth of bacteria like listeria, campylobacter and salmonella in perishable foods like meat, dairy and seafood," said one of its authors, Ahmed Hamad, lecturer of food hygiene and control at Egypt's Benha University. A study from northwestern Mexico examined how environmental factors influenced the outbreak of salmonella species, the bacteria responsible for many foodborne diseases globally. It found the maximum prevalence in areas with higher temperatures between 35 and 37 °C (95-98.6 F) and annual precipitation greater than 1,000 mm (39.4 inches). Another paper published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology this year found climate change will increase the risk of foodborne diseases caused by Salmonella enterica, noting that high humidity boosts salmonella growth. This bacteria already affects 1.2 million people in the U.S. annually. In extreme heat, ready-to-eat products pose a higher risk of causing foodborne illnesses, warns Hudaa Neetoo, associate professor in microbiology and food safety at the University of Mauritius. "During heat waves, the level of pathogenic microorganisms in these products can increase considerably and attain a level sufficient to cause illness because they do not require any final heat-killing step." Along with heat waves, she said, flooding can cause manure runoff from adjacent animal pastures to croplands, contaminating agricultural produce including salads, vegetables and leafy greens meant to be consumed raw. "Animal manure can harbor human pathogens such as enteropathogenic E. coli, salmonella and campylobacter, and research has found that domestic washing alone is not sufficient to decontaminate produce and bring the levels of organisms down to a safe level," she said. She also warned of systemic contamination of produce by pathogens that enter crops through the roots and become internalized and harder to get rid of. Another direct impact of flooding, overflowing sewage systems, "can contaminate crops and water sources with harmful pathogens like salmonella, E. coli and norovirus. Flooding can also introduce pathogens into irrigation systems, increasing the risk of crop contamination," Hamad said. Indirect effects of climate change can also lead to outbreaks of foodborne diseases. A paper published in the Journal of Health Monitoring mentioned that as fresh water becomes scarcer, treated wastewater may be used to irrigate crops, potentially carrying pathogens from animal or human feces. This can heighten the risk of contamination. "When communities rely entirely on wastewater reuse, the primary objective must be to treat this water to a level of safety that poses no risk to consumers," said Martin Richter, head of a food safety unit at the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment and one of the paper's authors. "Sometimes one copy of the pathogen is enough to cause disease," so wastewater must be thoroughly treated. He suggested prioritizing fresh water to irrigate foods typically consumed raw while using treated wastewater on crops that are generally cooked. "Cooking food at 70 degrees Celsius [158 F] for at least two minutes destroys most of the pathogens that may be present on its surface," he said. Community health care worker Padmashri Sutar says that people in her village have stopped cooking with river water and rely entirely on groundwater. "In the past, many people in the village fell sick after drinking river water, so they completely avoid it now." She said many people need education on the connection between climate change and foodborne illnesses. "To make people aware of this, I give simple examples, such as the rise in frequency of food spoilage." She also urges people to clean their water containers after floods or heavy rainfall, and she discusses how pathogens and bacteria can now contaminate vegetables and milk much more easily. People who have participated in awareness sessions now eat fewer leftovers. "They prefer cooking fresh food now and buying only the required number of vegetables," she said. Health care workers need more long-term data on climate change and foodborne illnesses, Neetoo said. "Universities should conduct long-term surveillance studies and trend analysis to allow better prediction of the impact of climate change on food systems." She also advocates researching new ways to decontaminate warehouses, containers and food products affected by floodwater. Hamad called for improving surveillance and monitoring to detect potential outbreaks early. He added that infrastructure should be improved to ensure food processing and distribution systems can withstand extreme weather events and sanitation infrastructure is robust, especially in flood-prone areas. Experts stressed the need to educate people about the role of climate change in foodborne illnesses. "Many people see climate change as purely an environmental issue, without recognizing its profound effects on public health, including the increased risks of foodborne diseases," Hamad said. A prominent misconception is that cold weather kills all pathogens. "Certain bacteria, like listeria, can still grow at cold temperatures, posing risks even in cooler climates," he explained. Sutar said people often interrupt her when she talks about the reasons behind the rise in foodborne illnesses. They repeat the common belief that poor food handling is the sole reason behind these diseases. She patiently explains how climate change exacerbates the growth of pathogens in the environment and water sources. RELATED STORIES —E. coli in the gut may fuel a 'chain reaction' leading to Parkinson's, early study suggests —The deadliest viruses in history –Nearly 3 million extra deaths by 2030 could result from HIV funding cuts, study suggests "People don't want to accept that even climate change can lead to foodborne illness," Sutar said, adding that many in her region don't report such illnesses because they don't take them seriously and think they're an isolated case that does not warrant public attention. Meanwhile, many other people in the area also suffer from vomiting, fever, gastrointestinal problems and several other issues because of eating contaminated food. Sutar said she has become an evangelist spreading the word about climate and the food supply. "I ask people not only to observe the changing climatic patterns but also carefully consider what's on their plate." This article was originally published by Yale Climate Connections. This article by Yale Climate Connections is published here as part of the global journalism collaboration Covering Climate Now.
Indian Express
23-04-2025
- Indian Express
Saw no security personnel from Baisaran to Pahalgam during J-K visit: Pimpri tourists
A day before the terror strike near Pahalgam, a couple from Pimpri-Chinchwad had visited the picturesque Baisaran meadows as part of their tour of Jammu and Kashmir. The couple was shocked to find that along the entire route to Baisaran from Pahalgam, they did not spot a single police or Army personnel. 'On Monday, my wife and I travelled from Pahalgam to Baisaran. Both of us were on two different horses. Baisaran is located atop the mountain. It is about 7 to 10 km from Pahalgam. It took us one and half hour to reach Baisaran from Pahalgan,' said Bashir Sutar, a resident of Akurdi in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Sutar said the entire road from Pahalgam to Baisaran was full of mud and slush as it had rained the previous day. 'There were tourists on horses going to and fro from Baisaran to Pahalgam. No vehicle or two-wheeler could reach the spot. Tourists either go by foot or on horses.' Sutar said though there a number of horses taking tourists to Baisaran and back, there were no police personnel to control their movement or provide security. 'No police nor any armed Army personnel were present along the entire length of the road. It was like we had to take care of ourselves. I was constantly looking all around the place,' he said. Bashir and his wife then reached the meadow around 5.30 pm. 'When we reached the meadow, which is like a mini-Switzerland, there were a lot of tourists from across the country. Some were taking pictures, some were shooting videos, others were having chai-pani. The location is very popular with tourists as even film shootings have taken place here,' he said. 'On the main roads of Srinagar and other places, we saw jawans with AK-47s. But we were suprised to find that there was no security at all. We were wondering whether this place has seen any trouble or not. We thought trouble-makers probably do not reach here as the place is not accessible with vehicles,' he said. Bashir said when Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the area, there were police and security personnel all over. 'Why was there no security on the way to Baisaran and at the spot? I don't understand this,' he said. Bashir and his wife had returned to Pahalgam by 7.30 pm on Monday. The next day, they started their journey to Leh and Ladakh. 'However, we had to return as there was heavy traffic and we were told about the terror attack. We immediately became nervous. My wife was scared. We had a lucky escape,' he said. Bashir and Narin then returned to Srinagar only to find that all flights had been booked. 'We came back 150 km and then found no flight tickets were available. We are staying at a hotel in Srinagar where there are no other couples or tourists. The locals have been very supportive. The hotel staff have also assured us of our safety,' he said. Bashir, (61), a businessman, said, it was their first visit to Jammu and Kashimir. 'We had been thinking of visiting the place for a long time. For the last one month, we had been planning to visit the place.'
